"Your first "point" is [patently false. There is nothing other than money preventing anyone from starting a rival D1 Men's Pro Soccer League." Except, ofc, for the Div 1 PLS sanctioning which is curated to MLS, contains provisions for market size and owner net-worth, that happen to only fit MLS and not USL, and least withstanding, the idea that USSF which is under full MLS regulatory capture, would sanction another Division 1 soccer league. Lets see, Colorado Switchbacks are only 500k people away from that...same with El Paso, Hartford etc... 40m to be able to run a team, huh? Thats odd. Almost like running a soccer team doesnt cost nearly that much, nor do most USL owners have that money? What happened to there is nothing stopping anyone from getting Div 1 sanctioning? Except, ofc, reality. And ofc youd have to get past the pro council...which MLS happens to have a supermajority of. Bottom Line: USSF, American soccer's governing body, who regulates our ecosystem and has the power (through its ability to sanction divisions) to pick winners and losers in the marketplace, & practically controlled by MLS, institutes anti-competitive policy to protect MLS.
". League stadiums must meet the following parameters: 1. All stadiums/arenas must be enclosed. 2. All league stadiums must have a minimum seating capacity of 15,000" Oh and I forgot! Min 15k stadium capacity.... There is nothing stopping anyone though right? Except for literally multiple things. Mind you many EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga, and some of the biggest clubs in the world don't meet these requirements... Like the current Bundesliga champions. Leverkusen with a population of 163k...
We're at that old joke where we've established what the leagues are and we're just arguing over price, right? Because again, nobody is throwing a fit over the various teams (most recently Gateshead) who run into problems when they're promoted and get threatened with being blocked from promotion unless they make stadium and other upgrades in the so-called "open" systems in Europe, but when MLS does it we hear "cartel" and "anti-competitive". Which means people aren't actually pissed off by the fact that those type of rules exist, they're just pissed off at whatever level MLS has set those rules at. If you can't afford it, its not MLS's job to bring the price down.
Links to the hubs for streaming coverage of the Open Cup games: https://www.ussoccer.com/us-open-cup/watch https://www.mlssoccer.com/usopencup-live-streams/ https://www.uslsoccer.com/watch
Tuesday results: 2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Round of 32 Tuesday, May 7 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-C) 0-1 FC Tulsa (USL-C) Atlanta United (MLS) 3-0 Charlotte Independence (USL-1) FC Dallas (MLS) 1-0 Memphis 901 FC (USL-C) Houston Dynamo (MLS) 3-3 (pks 9-10) Detroit City (USL-C) San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 1-0 Oakland Roots SC (USL-C) Orange County SC (USL-C) 1-2 Loudoun United FC (USL-C) Sacramento Republic (USL-C) 2-0 Monterey Bay FC (USL-C) Wednesday, May 8 Charleston Battery (USL-C) v. South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL-1) 7:00 pm North Carolina FC (USL-C) v. Phoenix Rising (USL-C) 7:00 pm Indy Eleven (USL-C) v. San Antonio FC (USL-C) 7:00 pm NYCFC II (NP) v. Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL-C) 7:30 pm Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C) v. Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C) 7:30 pm Union Omaha (USL-1) v. Sporting Kansas City (MLS) 8:00 pm New Mexico United (USL-C) v. Real Salt Lake (MLS) 9:00 pm Seattle Sounders (MLS) v. Louisville City FC (USL-C) 10:30 pm Las Vegas Lights FC (USL-C) v. Los Angeles FC (MLS) 10:30 pm The 16 winners advance to the Round of 16, May 21 or 22.
Wednesday results: 2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Round of 32 Tuesday, May 7 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-C) 0-1 FC Tulsa (USL-C) Atlanta United (MLS) 3-0 Charlotte Independence (USL-1) FC Dallas (MLS) 1-0 Memphis 901 FC (USL-C) Houston Dynamo (MLS) 3-3 (pks 9-10) Detroit City (USL-C) San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 1-0 Oakland Roots SC (USL-C) Orange County SC (USL-C) 1-2 Loudoun United FC (USL-C) Sacramento Republic (USL-C) 2-0 Monterey Bay FC (USL-C) Wednesday, May 8 Charleston Battery (USL-C) 3-2 South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL-1) North Carolina FC (USL-C) 1-2 Phoenix Rising (USL-C) Indy Eleven (USL-C) 2-0 San Antonio FC (USL-C) NYCFC II (NP) 1-0 Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL-C) Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C) 6-4 Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C) Union Omaha (USL-1) 1-2 Sporting Kansas City (MLS) New Mexico United (USL-C) 4-2 Real Salt Lake (MLS) Seattle Sounders (MLS) 2-2 (pks 5-4) Louisville City FC (USL-C) Las Vegas Lights FC (USL-C) 1-3 Los Angeles FC (MLS) The 16 winners advance to the Round of 16, May 21 or 22.
2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Round of 16 Tuesday, May 21 Charleston Battery (USL-C) v. Atlanta United (MLS) 7:00 pm NYCFC II (NP) v. New Mexico United (USL-C) 7:30 pm Sporting Kansas City (MLS) v. FC Tulsa (USL-C) 8:30 pm Sacramento Republic (USL-C) v. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 10:00 pm Los Angeles FC (MLS) v. Loudoun United FC (USL-C) 10:30 pm Wednesday, May 8 Indy Eleven (USL-C) v. Detroit City (USL-C) 7:00 pm Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C) v. FC Dallas (MLS) 7:30 pm Seattle Sounders (MLS) v. Phoenix Rising (USL-C) 10:30 pm The 8 winners advance to the Quarterfinals on July 9/10.
2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Round of 16 Tuesday, May 21 Charleston Battery (USL-C) v. Atlanta United (MLS) 7:00 pm NYCFC II (NP) v. New Mexico United (USL-C) 7:30 pm Sporting Kansas City (MLS) v. FC Tulsa (USL-C) 8:30 pm Sacramento Republic (USL-C) v. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 10:00 pm Los Angeles FC (MLS) v. Loudoun United FC (USL-C) 10:30 pm Wednesday, May 22 Indy Eleven (USL-C) v. Detroit City (USL-C) 7:00 pm Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C) v. FC Dallas (MLS) 7:30 pm Seattle Sounders (MLS) v. Phoenix Rising (USL-C) 10:30 pm The 8 winners advance to the Quarterfinals on July 9/10.
Links to the hubs for streaming coverage of the Open Cup games: https://www.ussoccer.com/us-open-cup/watch https://www.mlssoccer.com/usopencup-live-streams/ https://www.uslsoccer.com/watch
Tuesday results: 2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Round of 16 Tuesday, May 21 Charleston Battery (USL-C) 0-0 (pks 4-5) Atlanta United (MLS) NYCFC II (NP) 0-3 New Mexico United (USL-C) Sporting Kansas City (MLS) 4-0 FC Tulsa (USL-C) Sacramento Republic (USL-C) 4-3 (aet) San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) Los Angeles FC (MLS) 3-0 Loudoun United FC (USL-C) Wednesday, May 22 Indy Eleven (USL-C) v. Detroit City (USL-C) 7:00 pm Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C) v. FC Dallas (MLS) 7:30 pm Seattle Sounders (MLS) v. Phoenix Rising (USL-C) 10:30 pm The 8 winners advance to the Quarterfinals on July 9/10.
Oh, and here's the quarterfinals, as drawn tonight: FC Dallas (MLS) v. Sporting Kansas City (MLS) Atlanta United (MLS) v. Indy Eleven (USL-C) Sacramento Republic FC (USL-C) v. the winner of Seattle Sounders (MLS) vs. Phoenix Rising (USL-C) New Mexico United (USL-C) v. LAFC (MLS)
Wednesday results: 2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Round of 16 Tuesday, May 21 Charleston Battery (USL-C) 0-0 (pks 4-5) Atlanta United (MLS) NYCFC II (NP) 0-3 New Mexico United (USL-C) Sporting Kansas City (MLS) 4-0 FC Tulsa (USL-C) Sacramento Republic (USL-C) 4-3 (aet) San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) Los Angeles FC (MLS) 3-0 Loudoun United FC (USL-C) Wednesday, May 22 Indy Eleven (USL-C) 3-0 Detroit City (USL-C) Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C) 1-2 FC Dallas (MLS) Seattle Sounders (MLS) 2-1 Phoenix Rising (USL-C) The quarterfinals (July 9/10) have been drawn: East Atlanta United v. Indy Eleven Sporting Kansas City v. FC Dallas West Sacramento Republic v. Seattle Sounders Los Angeles FC v. New Mexico United
2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Streaming for free on MLS Season Pass Quarterfinals Tuesday, July 9 Atlanta United (MLS) v. Indy Eleven (USL-C) 7:00 pm Sacramento Republic (USL-C) v. Seattle Sounders (MLS) 11:00 pm Wednesday, July 10 Sporting Kansas City (MLS) v. FC Dallas (MLS) 9:00 pm Los Angeles FC (MLS) v. New Mexico United (USL-C) 11:00 pm The 4 winners advance to the Semifinals on August 27-28.
Tuesday results: 2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Streaming for free on MLS Season Pass Quarterfinals Tuesday, July 9 Atlanta United (MLS) 1-2 Indy Eleven (USL-C) Sacramento Republic (USL-C) 1-2 Seattle Sounders (MLS) Wednesday, July 10 Sporting Kansas City (MLS) v. FC Dallas (MLS) 9:00 pm Los Angeles FC (MLS) v. New Mexico United (USL-C) 11:00 pm The 4 winners advance to the Semifinals on August 27-28.
Wednesday results: 2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Streaming for free on MLS Season Pass Quarterfinals Tuesday, July 9 Atlanta United (MLS) 1-2 Indy Eleven (USL-C) Sacramento Republic (USL-C) 1-2 Seattle Sounders (MLS) Wednesday, July 10 Sporting Kansas City (MLS) 2-1 (aet) FC Dallas (MLS) Los Angeles FC (MLS) 3-1 New Mexico United (USL-C) The 4 winners advance to the Semifinals on August 27-28.
With MLS's aversion to anything that is not Mesi or Leagues cup, I am rooting hard for INDY. I guess 109 years of history means nothing to MLS. WHEN you are trying to make you league credible, why would you walk away from so much history? Wish USSF had a bigger backbone on this issue. Not sure what the history is going to be going forward...not overly optimistic.
2024 US Open Cup Home team first. Times are ET Streaming for free on MLS Season Pass Semifinals Tuesday, August 27 Sporting Kansas City (MLS) v. Indy Eleven (USL-C) 8:00 pm Seattle Sounders (MLS) v. Los Angeles FC (MLS) 10:30 pm The Final will be September 25.
The draw to determine the host for the 2024 US Open Cup final will be on Saturday, July 20 at 6:30 pm CDT on the MLS Countdown Show on Apple TV. https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...-hunt-us-open-cup-final-this-saturday-july-20
=========== Ironic its on MLS-APPLE TV when MLS doesn't give a dam anymore about the tournament., the Yet, if an MLS team wins it, they will take credit I am sure......