2019 U.S. Open Cup

For the record, I'd be okay with either all MLS teams entering in the round of 64, or a split with some in the 4th and some in the 3rd (like playoffs/nonplayoffs, CCL/nonCCL, or however they want to make up the numbers). I just really don't want to see the MLS-only qualifying games come back.

 

It would be part of the tournament in name only. It's a qualification round.

That's fine though. That means they got there by winning a game against a non-MLS team rather than being placed there while the lower-division teams knock each other out. It's more interesting (and funny) to see Colorado or someone get knocked out by El Paso than it is to see Chicago lose to Minnesota.

It's even better if USSF copies the German Cup and gives waivable hosting rights to the lower-division teams.

 

They should always let the lower-division team host, unless they play at a totally sub-standard field, like a 60-yard wide HS football field holding 1,500. An MLS team coming to town, even a crappy one like mine, would be the biggest event of the year. By contrast, having an MLS team host the Rochester Winos midweek isn't really a big draw.

 

With 23 MLS teams, they should do:

One round with 25 non-MLS survivors and the "bottom 7" MLS teams. However you want to define bottom 7.

16 winners join the remaining 16 MLS teams, and you carry on.

 

But, that is a solution that does not solve the problem.

MLS in round of 32 adds one extra game to all MLS teams.

Having an MLS only elimination adds one extra game for 14 MLS teams.

So you are only saving 10 or so MLS teams from playing 1 extra game.



My preference would be as ArsenalMetro said and have all MLS teams travel for their frist games.

I think this post is against Big Soccer policy, you do not apologize, you double down.

 

I want something like that, but I'd prefer a more even split like 11 starting earlier than the top 12.

 

Bottom 7 could be the 7 teams who care the least

 

I figured that the fewer teams you put in the earlier round, the fewer complaints you get about adding games to MLS teams' schedules.

 

What? No Brooklyn Italians? Who was the mamaluke who rigged this draw?

 

The color coding is much appreciated

 

Which is why when Seattle went to Sacramento in the 4th round last year, the game drew 5,619. (Not the biggest event of the year.)

And why when Dallas went to San Antonio in the fourth round last year, the game drew 6,224. (Not the biggest event of the year.)

And why when Houston went to Carolina in the 4th round in 2016, the game drew 4,325 (Not the biggest event of the year.)

Yes, there are huge games like Cincinnati getting 33k in the 5th round and the semis in 2017 (though they did less than half that - still good for the Cup but far from "the biggest event of the year" - when Minnesota came to town in the 4th round last year). But they are not the rule.

Point being: there is no blanket statement to be made here. Not every lower-division vs MLS game is "Mystery, Alaska."

You can do whatever you like to pump air into this thing, you can put every game online and advertise more, but it's still a soccer tournament played largely at midweek and with games scheduled on short notice during a time of year where many things vie for people's attention. And tickets do not simply sell themselves, no matter how "big" some people think the game is.

It's nice It's fun. I am glad we have it. But this constant drumbeat about how it's so amazing and magical and is justthisclose to being such a big deal is tiresome.

 

Hey, I'm not even ON your lawn!

 

Funny, but doesn't mean I'm wrong.

 

No of course not. Well, except for the times back in the day when you defended teams pumping in recorded music on corner kicks because that's a common practice at other US sports, even though it totally destroys any kind of atmosphere supporters groups are trying to create...

So sure, you can (and did!) find examples of low-ish crowds when MLS clubs come to town, but generally speaking, an MLS team playing at a lower-division club will generally get a larger crowd than if the matchup were the other way around.

 

#USOC2019

 

When does California just become its own region? The South also probably needs to be split in half. Doing a quick count of those infographics:

NE: 13 teams
Midwest: 14 teams
South: 33 teams
Non-CA West: 14 teams
CA: 11 teams

 

I'm always fascinated by decisions that are made when placing logos on or near cities.

 

...and I'm just now realizing that they've put DCU in the middle of the Bay down by St. Mary's Co.

I hate it. Thanks.

 

It was the first I noticed and now I can't stop looking at some of the others. I won't say which because I'm not feeling like that horrible of a person right now.

 

14 states have 0 teams and unlike the map I'm including Rhode Island.