Reducing MLS participants is not the end game. It's a bargaining chip to get USSF to stop paying lip-service and start making real change. Garber has been very clear from the start than any decisions/changes about USOC are for 2024 only, not long term.
Most people have interpreted that to mean MLS would continue to work to have all of the first teams removed from the competition.
So all MLS teams except for DC United are in Champions League, US Open Cup, Canadian Championship, or USOC via their MLS Next squad. https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/19-mls-mls-next-pro-clubs-to-compete-in-2024-us-open-cup
Details coming out slowly but looks like this tournament now will get better. US Soccer now more involved and funding for all teams to travel is one of the first details I've read. More to come...
As I've mentioned before, the Rapids have been open about wanting the first team to stay in the USOC, so we'll have to see how many first team players end up playing for RapiDos in the competition.
The field is set for the 2024 US Open Cup: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2024/03/format-and-teams-finalized-for-2024-lamar-hunt-us-open-cup 8 MLS teams enter in the Round of 32 (May 7-8): Atlanta United FC FC Dallas Houston Dynamo FC (Defending U.S. Open Cup Champion) Los Angeles FC Real Salt Lake San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders FC Sporting Kansas City USL-Championship teams enter in the Third Round (April 16-17) and Round of 32 (May 7-8) 11 MLS Next Pro teams enter in the First Round (March 19-21): Austin FC II Carolina Core FC Chattanooga FC Chicago Fire II Colorado Rapids 2 Crown Legacy FC Minnesota United FC2 LA Galaxy II New York City FC II New York Red Bulls II Portland Timbers 2 Also entering the First Round: USL League One, NISA, Division IV/Open This is the first time the USSF has used the term "Division IV" as far as I know.
Can't wait to see the actual schedule. We're hosting a game here in Lubbock so I'm definitely hoping we get a USL1 or Next Pro team in town.
The way they are doing the rounds there are three with 32 teams. 1st Round - 64 teams 2nd Round - 32 winners 3rd Round - 16 winners + 16 USL-C teams Round of 32 - 16 winners + 8 USL-C teams + 8 MLS teams Round of 32 followed by Round of 32 followed by Round of 32!
I wonder how that would jibe with what the league is trying to do/message the league is trying to send vis-a-vis the tournament.
First team players, usually younger homegrowns or recent draft picks, are typically in every MLSNP match, so it won't be any big news for them to be in the Open Cup. It will be interesting to see if teams send first team players that aren't regularly with the Next Pro squad, especially if a team advances a few rounds.
Because the east dominated and made CCC. If the format stands next year, I believe it's SS standings for teams not in CCC and team gets to defend its Cup.
Y'know, what gave me a little bit of perspective on the USSF's manuevering was actually some Twitter musings from Chris Kessel (yes, located far on the anti-MLS end of the spectrum): the Fed may have signed off on this with the goal of avoiding a two-front war, given the costs of the ongoing NASL lawsuit. Ah, on today's announcement: worth noting that there's been an apparently significant increase in sponsorship! The format for the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. @OpenCup, which includes 96 teams from across the amateur and professional ranks playing a total of 95 games from March to September, has been finalized » https://t.co/ccvULXEyrJ pic.twitter.com/mivGyUwyif— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) March 1, 2024
Well this is good! More prize money I suppose. If so then I don't see why all the complaining and whinging. It will just mean more money if an USL-C or USL-1 team win the USOC. Plus add that they'll also get money for participating in CCC if they win the USOC. It's a win-win for everyone that MLS is only sending 8 teams.
I think that has been covered in multiple posts in this thread, but just from today's release: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/19-mls-mls-next-pro-clubs-to-compete-in-2024-us-open-cup I think future growth of the tournament and increased investment are the big ones, IMHO.
Money.. They want more money. MLS is making a bunch of money from Leagues Cup and USOC loses most MLS clubs money. As a money driven organization, this means Leagues Cup has a higher priority for MLS than USOC and, as a result, MLS prioritizes LC over USOC. If USSF made it so USOC was more profitable to MLS than LC, I have no doubt that we'd magically find USOC getting a higher priority.
Personally, for the good of the game in the US, I hope they get their asses kicked. And they should, when they bump against USL-C clubs, and very possibly League One. Though I suppose that depends on what you mean by MLSNP teams. If their parent clubs add a half dozen MLS supplemental players to these NP rosters for these games, they’re not really NP teams anymore.
Will it only be Supplemental Roster players that can be "loaned" to NP rosters for the US Open Cup? Can a senior roster player coming off of an injury play in NP and potentially US Open Cup to rehab and get back into shape? It will be interesting to see what happens in the Round of 32 or 16 to see what happens with the NP teams if they are playing one of the MLS squads. Will there be some roster shenanigans going on if a NP team makes a run? It will be interesting to see how MLS/USSF lock in the rosters for the US Open Cup.
It is definitely about money. Whatever USSF makes out of USOC is in a big part due to MLS. Even the hard-core MLS haters know this that's why they are mad that MLS is only sending 8 teams. They have no interest in the USOC when amateur teams compete or when USL-1 or USL teams compete even amongst each other. It's all about seeing the lower leagues vs MLS hoping for MLS to lose.
By my understanding of the rules, any MLS player can be loaned short-term to the Next Pro affiliate. The only limit I see is that the MLSNP roster of pro players has a max of 24, counting both Next Pro contracts and loaned players.
That’s why a nice Next Pro run or two would be hilarious. “The magic of the Open Cup” will turn into “no, not like that.”