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
TheCup.us has a bit more info: http://thecup.us/2014-us-open-cup-to-feature-largest-tournament-field-extra-round-weekend-gameday/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Finally, was starting to wondering if they would ever release this years schedule. Excited about this year tourney with the enlarged field of teams.
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.
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.)
Exactly. Time zones offer easy opportunities for taking in multiple early round matches (assuming the games are produced and streamed by somebody).
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.