USSF has made the choice. It is not in MLS's power to change it to something else. Lower division teams only have the USOC as an option to reach the CCL, since there is no promotion and relegation. It gives lower division teams something (more) to play for. With giving a CCL berth, it increases the attention that MLS teams pay on the competition. Without it, even fewer teams would care about it, and care would start later.
Many of us here have argued this to death over the years. The Open Cup is the longest soccer tournament in the USA, the most prestigious tournament that the USSF fully owns. Teams and fans care less about it for sure, you take the CCL spot away and you make it even less relevant.
Extreme disagree. Besides the fact that it would eliminate literally every incentive for teams to compete in the USOC, the worst-performing US team in CCL over the past 5 years has been the reigning Supporters Shield winner. The Open Cup representative has performed second best. In order for the curious: 1) conference winner who did not win the Supporters Shield (USA3) 2) U.S. Open Cup winner (USA4) 3) MLS Cup winner (USA1) 4) Supporters Shield winner (USA2) With how much turnover there is in this league year-over-year, it's kind of silly to refer to these teams as "weak" anyway. If last year had a full qualification slate, you would have had (current overall place in parentheses): USA1) New York City (2) USA2) Chicago (17) USA3) Portland (9) USA4) Kansas City (6) If the team finishing 3rd in the Supporters Shield race can drop to 17th in a season (and if the team who won it can drop to 20th), then prematurely writing off teams as "weak" for next year's tournament doesn't make sense.
It's literally the only avenue that a non-MLS team has to continental competition. It would be different if we had promotion/relegation but without it, I think those other teams deserve some kind of opportunity. If MLS teams choose not to take it seriously, that's on them.
Thanks for the response. Its an interesting topic. Regarding travel though consider this scenario and fact. A team that has played at home and then traveled to an away game, meeting a team that is flying home from an away game, both teams having played on short rest. (So travel is about the same for both.) In that scenario the road team should not be disadvantaged. But results don't show that. Results show they are still a major underdog. Also, in short derbys like Philadelphia and NY Red Bull -- the home field advantage still shows up.
As I pointed out out the biggest issue is how the referees calls are influenced by crowd reaction to what the both see. I believe a previous post noted that only places where there wasn't much of a home field advantage were places where everyone plays in the same or similar stadiums. Your first scenario assumes both teams will send their best players to long away trips which isn't necessarily the case. Also the closer to the match, the more routines matter. Losing sleep the night before a test is a much bigger deal than losing it several days earlier.
It could be a problem that soccer has draws, the NHL has overtime and shootouts, and MLB, NBA, and NFL have two outcomes other than rare NFL ties.
2018 Canadian Championship Home team first, times are ET Semi-Final Round Wednesday, July 18 Ottawa Fury 0-1 Toronto FC Montreal Impact 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps Wednesday, July 25 Toronto FC 3-0 Ottawa Fury Toronto advances on aggregate, 4-0 Vancouver Whitecaps 2-0 Montreal Impact Vancouver advances on aggregate, 2-1 Final Round Wednesday, August 8 Vancouver Whitecaps v. Toronto FC 10:00 pm Wednesday, August 15 Toronto FC v. Vancouver Whitecaps 7:30 pm
Absolutely. Frankly, I've thought that the English F.A. Cup would be more intense if the champion of that tournament got an automatic ticket to the UEFA Champions League. As it is, it's a bit silly that the fourth place team in the Premiership automatically qualifies for the Champions League.
Instead of creating a competition that gives hope to lower div teams the tournament is now designed to crush any dreams of lower div success - the rule that allowed LAFC to stay in the tournament caters to MLS teams and MLS teams only for example - time to create a new cup https://t.co/eYpktSNlBA— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) July 25, 2018
Houston up 2 -1. I always cheer against teams who's fans don't bother showing up to Open Cup matches, but I hate LAFC with a strong passion. I don't know what to do.
I was rooting for the Union, don't want Chicago having any more USOCs. Don't want LAFC to win any trophies their first year.
They get a ticket to the Europa League. There used to be 3 competitions, the European Cup, the Inter City Fairs Cup, later the UEFA Cup, and the European Cup Winners Cup. The Super Cup was the European Cup Winners vs. the European Cup Winners Cup Winners' Cup.
Why? Maybe the Union would go out and sign......oh who the f*** am I kidding? Least if we win maybe you can see exactly how two 20 year old US kids and maybe a 19 year old hold up against central american competition.