Metro area, how's that? (I knew somebody was going to make that crack, should have guessed it would be a Salt Lake fan )
That 1998 USOC Final still stings. Columbus was playing quite well. Chicago, not so much. The game was supposed to be in Virginia somewhere. Hurricane Bonnie caused the postponement of the game. At one point, Indianapolis was being considered to host a re-scheduled final. It ended up being in Chicago for reasons still unknown and at a time when Chicago ended up playing a lot better.
Huh? MLS participation in the first half-decade of the Open Cup was more than spotty, it was non-existent. That was more than 100 years ago.
My Crew did not participate in 1996 or 1997. I do not see why CCL teams would be excluded. The schedules do not overlap at all.
I imagine that MLS might do it as a means of equalizing the schedules for everybody, especially if games have to be postponed, etc.
USL Championship has announced its 8 entrants. They are mostly the division winners from 2020. Sacramento Republic Phoenix Rising El Paso Locomotive San Antonio FC Louisville City Hartford Athletic Charlotte Independence Tampa Bay Rowdies There is a report that MLS will determine its entrants based on the first 3 games of the 2021 regular season. The eligible teams with 8 best records will qualify.
That piece in the Athletic says USOC to wrap up in late June. Seems like they could have gone at least another round and gotten 16 (or more) MLS teams in the cup.
I went back and looked at the 2019 standings (2020 didn't get through 3 weeks for a while). This is how the standings looked after everyone played 3 games. Teams might play things differently but only one tie-breaker needed. 1. SEA 3 g.p. 9 pts 3 w. +7 g.d. 2. TOR 3 g.p. 9 pts 3 w. +7 g.d. 3. DCU 3 g.p. 7 pts 2 w. +7 g.d. 4. LAX 3 g.p. 7 pts 2 w. +4 g.d. 5. CLB 3 g.p. 7 pts 2 w. +3 g.d. 6. HOU 3 g.p. 7 pts 2 w. +2 g.d. 7. MIN 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +3 g.d. 8. MTL 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +2 g.d. 9. LAG 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +0 g.d. 10. NYR 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. +2 g.d. ========================= 11. SKC 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. +1 g.d. 12. FCD 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. +1 g.d. 13. CIN 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. +0 g.d. 14. RSL 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. -4 g.d. 15. NYC 3 g.p. 3 pts 0 w. +0 g.d. 16. ORL 3 g.p. 2 pts 0 w. -2 g.d. 17. COR 3 g.p. 2 pts 0 w. -2 g.d. 18. ATL 3 g.p. 2 pts 0 w. -2 g.d. 19. CHI 3 g.p. 1 pts 0 w. -3 g.d. 20. NER 3 g.p. 1 pts 0 w. -3 g.d. 21. PHI 3 g.p. 1 pts 0 w. -4 g.d. 22. POR 3 g.p. 1 pts 0 w. -6 g.d. 23. VAN 3 g.p. 0 pts 0 w. -3 g.d. 24. SJE 3 g.p. 0 pts 0 w. -7 g.d.
Just to make sure that 2019 wasn't a big fluke I looked at 2018. The top 8 didn't need any tie-breakers. Overall, win a couple of games and you look to be in. The number 8 spot might get interesting. East 1. NYC 3 g.p. 9 pts 3 w. +5 g.d. 2. CLB 3 g.p. 7 pts 2 w. +3 g.d. 3. NYR 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +6 g.d. 4. LAX 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +4 g.d. 5. MIN 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +1 g.d. 6. ATL 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +1 g.d. 7. SKC 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. +0 g.d. 8. VAN 3 g.p. 6 pts 2 w. -1 g.d. 9. FCD 3 g.p. 5 pts 1 w. +3 g.d. ========================== 10. HOU 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. +3 g.d. 11. COR 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. +2 g.d. 12. LAG 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. +0 g.d. 13. PHI 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. -1 g.d. 14. NER 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. -1 g.d. 15. RSL 3 g.p. 4 pts 1 w. -3 g.d. 16. MTL 3 g.p. 3 pts 1 w. -1 g.d. 17. SJE 3 g.p. 3 pts 1 w. -1 g.d. 18. TFC 3 g.p. 3 pts 1 w. -1 g.d. 19. DCU 3 g.p. 2 pts 0 w. -2 g.d. 20. CHI 3 g.p. 1 pts 0 w. -2 g.d. 21. ORL 3 g.p. 1 pts 0 w. -3 g.d. 22. POR 3 g.p. 1 pts 0 w. -5 g.d. 23. SEA 3 g.p. 0 pts 0 w. -5 g.d.
Not that tiebreakers are a bad thing. Sometimes they make things exciting, but a situation like this, in my mind, should be straightforward. Good that it likely will be.
I wouldn't call this method straightforward. It's never been done before. One could argue that the MLS teams engaged in CCL should be excluded to reduce schedule congestion. I would disagree with that but it makes a certain sort of sense. Now you'll have people suspicious that league favorites will get easy schedules to start so they can qualify for the cup or conversely that disfavored teams will get tougher schedules. Austin will likely start with 3 road games. Crew will probably have at least 2, maybe 3. One could argue that USSF should have filled the bracket with every MLS team and handed out spots to lower division sides as available.
3 games is unbalanced from a H/A perspective. I think Atlanta (as holders) should have a chance to defend.
You would prefer two games? With no guarantee of home and away as was earlier pointed out. The MLS season starts on April 17. MLS teams enter the Open Cup on May 18 but the Round of 16 draw is set for April 28. That gives maybe three weekends at most (April 17, 24, May 1 if they push it back a couple of days) to determine the entrants before the tournament. They have a chance, just win two of the first three games and they are almost certainly in. Is this a perfect system? Of course not. I think it seems like a reasonable approach that gives all MLS teams a chance to participate. I don't see any other system that does that given the USSF limitations.
I'd prefer a different mechanism altogether. Though I have to admit, without changing the dates around (something I would do in a heartbeat), it is hard to find one.
DC and Columbus have always been in town. The Revs have always been in Foxborough. But that ain't Boston. Similar question for the others. Were the Metrostars ever, you know, in town? Is Harrison that much further out of NY than East Rutherford? Granted, they were the NY/NJ Metrostars, so fair play there. My LA geography stinks as well. Is Carson that much further out than Pasadena? Have they ever been IN LA? SJ is easiest. They left and went to Houston. Depriving Quakes fans of their dynasty. Still got two, though. Is Commerce City that far OUT of Denver? About 7 miles? Closer to Denver than the Revs are to Boston (39 miles). Sporting have moved from MO to KS, but technically, still in KC.