2014 U.S. Open Cup

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by newtex, Apr 24, 2014.

  1. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    The U.S. Open Cup tournament has been announced:

    http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/04/24/09/27/140424-usoc-2014-tournament-announcement

    80 teams in the tournament:

    MLS - 16 teams
    NASL - 8 teams
    USL Pro - 14 teams
    PDL - 19 teams
    USASA - 10 teams
    NPSL - 11 teams
    U.S. Club Soccer - 1 team
    U.S.S.A. - 1 team

    Schedule

    1st Round - May 7
    5 PDL, 4 USASA, 5 NPSL, 1 USC, 1 USSA

    2nd Round - May 14
    8 1st round winners; 14 PDL, 6 USASA, 6 NPSL, 14 USL Pro

    3rd Round - May 28
    24 2nd round winners; 8 NASL

    4th Round - June 10-18
    16 3rd round winners; 16 MLS teams

    5th Round - June 24-25
    16 4th round winners

    Quarterfinals - July 8-9
    8 5th round winners

    Semifinals - August 12-13

    Final - Sept. 30-Oct. 1
     
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  2. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    TheCup.us has a bit more info:

    http://thecup.us/2014-us-open-cup-to-feature-largest-tournament-field-extra-round-weekend-gameday/

     
  3. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo

    MLS conflicts with the 4th Round window, June 10-18:

    Wednesday, June 11
    Montreal v. DC United
    Dallas v. Portland


    It will be interesting to see how many teams have a weekend game in that round. The World Cup does start on June 12 although the USA doesn't play until June 16.
     
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  4. Inca Roads

    Inca Roads Member+

    Nov 22, 2012
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I am very much excited. Just mentioned in another thread that I'm far more interested in watching Sporting play a fourth round home game (fingers crossed) than their friendly against Man City.

    I like the way this tournament has grown. The timing is not ideal and a number of stars will be missing from the fourth round, but either way this should be a very fun watch.
     
  5. GunningforMLS1993

    Aug 28, 2013
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    I just like watching the younger players get experience playing against teams in a competitive match. In my opinion a player can grow more when playing a competitive match against say Reading United than playing a friendly against Manchester United.
     
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  6. Inca Roads

    Inca Roads Member+

    Nov 22, 2012
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Agreed. And there's a lot more to play for, too, than just money and possibly exposure.
     
  7. EvilTree

    EvilTree Member+

    Canadian S.C
    Canada
    Nov 20, 2007
    Frozen Swampland, Soviet Canuckistan
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    At least there is USOC games to be entertained during WC group stage.
     
  8. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Playing during the WC just screams "this tournament is irrelevant", which saddens me.
     
  9. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    While it is on a break during the group stage, the MLS regular season is played during the last 2 weeks of the WC.

    What does that scream about the MLS season?

    To me it just screams that the club and country soccer schedules are regularly (over-)crowded on the calendar.
     
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  10. MasterShake29

    MasterShake29 Member+

    Oct 28, 2001
    Jersey City, NJ
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, there's that, but the break in the MLS calendar is there for a reason, and it's not because MLS wanted to clear time for the USOC.
     
  11. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    #11 tab5g, Apr 24, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2014
    Yes, but they (MLS) kinda half-assed it and didn't fully obey or recognize that reason.

    Absolutely.

    But it makes reasonable sense that the USOC would step in and use that scheduling availability for MLS teams in 2014. Wonder if any of these June 2014 USOC matches might get played on the weekend -- but I would assume it would depend on the lower level teams' league schedule or availability on June 14-15.
     
  12. Darkwing McQuack

    Darkwing McQuack BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 11, 2011
    Morrisville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Finally, was starting to wondering if they would ever release this years schedule. Excited about this year tourney with the enlarged field of teams.
     
  13. Darkwing McQuack

    Darkwing McQuack BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 11, 2011
    Morrisville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  14. EvilTree

    EvilTree Member+

    Canadian S.C
    Canada
    Nov 20, 2007
    Frozen Swampland, Soviet Canuckistan
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    and the Cal FC scalp taking watch begins... first up, LA 2?
     
  15. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    #15 tab5g, Apr 30, 2014
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2014
    Good info there:

    and the Fifth Round will also be played while the US-based MLS teams are on a league break during the group stage of the 2014 World Cup.

     
  16. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    Perhaps, yes.

    And is it wrong to complain that the free online streamed "Game of the Round" for round 2 is not the LA II match?

    May 14
    Cal FC (USASA) at LA Galaxy II (USL PRO)
    7:30 p.m. PT
    StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium; Carson, Calif.
    (Not to say that some teams can't/won't arrange for their own online streams of these USOC matches that they host in the early rounds.)
     
  17. Darkwing McQuack

    Darkwing McQuack BigSoccer Supporter

    Nov 11, 2011
    Morrisville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hoping LA II has a stream of this game.
     
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  18. EvilTree

    EvilTree Member+

    Canadian S.C
    Canada
    Nov 20, 2007
    Frozen Swampland, Soviet Canuckistan
    Club:
    Toronto FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    I won't complain if we end up getting 1 east coast game and 1 west coast game
     
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  19. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    Exactly. Time zones offer easy opportunities for taking in multiple early round matches (assuming the games are produced and streamed by somebody).
     
  20. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    Prize money and qualification information also confirmed in that new release:

    Not sure if those prize money awards have changed in value from last year (or recent years).
     
  21. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I don't like that affiliate clubs are allowed in this tournament. Are there any other (major) national cups that allow those teams into their tournament? I know Spain prohibits reserve sides, and I think the Netherlands do also.
     
  22. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    I am completely fine with US Soccer doing some things differently than how their counterparts in Spain or Holland or elsewhere might conduct their business.
     
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  23. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    As am I, but having (effectively) reserve sides in the national cup tournament cheapens what is already a neglected competition. The second/third sentences weren't justification for my dislike of including reserve teams - I was asking that question honestly, since I'm relatively unfamiliar with cup competitions outside the USOC and FA Cup.
     
  24. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    LAGII are not all that effectively a "reserve side," though. They and their relationship with MLS's LAG isn't really all that different than say the Richmond Kickers and their relationship with DC United, for example.

    Excluding LAGII from the USOC would be a disservice to the non-MLS players who make up a significant portion of the LAGII roster.

    Of course how MLS sides manage their rosters (and who, if anybody on MLS's payrolls, is allowed to get "cup-tied" to some lower division side while out on loan or whatever) is a somewhat interesting portion of the USOC competition on the whole, imo.
     
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  25. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/teams/2014/66919078.html#ROSTER

    By a quick count, there are 11 players on loan to LAII. That's a reserve side for me.
     

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