2025 U.S. Open Cup

Or maybe MLS going 15-1 is a one-off anomaly and next year they'll lose a few more games.

Though it might be telling that a couple of MLS teams that went to overtime absolutely dominated the extra 30 minutes. That may be a sign of depth.

 

With the final whistle in San Jose, Preston Judd has scored in a victory for the first time in his MLS career.

 

So Pittsburgh gets the cash prize for furthest advancing second division team...who gets the one for third division?

 

In 2023, the D3 prize was split between the three D3 teams eliminated in Round 3.

 

Has anyone said that in the past 15 years?

 

As a Hounds fan this is cool but I’d rather have better league results over the last six weeks or so (loss on weekend likely as well). I hope they don’t do cutesy marketing about owning MLS.

 

I think NYC's NP team won 3 games last season. Not sure the first team had ever achieved that.

 

I think it's AV Alta SC (lost at FC Dallas Wednesday).

 

https://bsky.app/profile/thecup.us/post/3loo3t5nj3k2j

 

lol elsewhere I’m seeing the sentiment that MLS tried extra hard this year because they’re intimidated by USL’s pro/rel announcement.

 

Which is laughable. That noise is largely coming from a minority(?) segment of soccer fans in the US who haven't and don't actually watch US Pro Soccer at any level. If they actually do they would realize/recognize that the bulk of USL players aren't good enough to play in MLS currently. A large number of USL players are former MLS backups, and backups to backups, or former draft picks that washed out of Next Pro.

Prime example is former USL Goalkeeper of the year Oliver Semle. Philly took a flier on him last season because they needed a bridge between Blake and academy keeper Rick. Semmle is not currently a MLS level goalkeeper. He cost the Union at least 10 points last season due to his inability to command the area and defend crosses. He's been overtaken on the depth chart this year by 19 year old HG Keeper Andrew Rick.

There's a noticeable gap between MLS and USL, as there should be given the disparities in budgets.

 

Are you in the same X circles as @crookeddy ?

 

He was also drafted by the Rapids and didn't make the roster despite the Rapids having 7 different keepers (at least, I may his missed one) rostered on the first team since he was drafted in the 22-23 offseason.

 

I think it is laughable but for different reasons.

My team trotted out the bottom half of their roster even though the US Open Cup is the only plausible chance they have of winning a trophy this season. That's not the behavior of an organization that cares the slightest about what a handful of USL sickos think.

 

I doubt they're USL sickos. More like "orfentic" football fans who spend Saturday and Sunday mornings in the pub chanting in faux English accents.

 

Yes, the Revs were so intimidated that they left home all 11 starters from last Saturday (and still beat RIFC).

 

It's mainly the ProRel zealots and anti-MLS crowd that are weaponizing USL to use against MLS. They are trying hard to hype USL. It's true what you say, they don't even watch any domestic league or else they would find out about the difference.

 

I’m. DC fan, but for the last few years, I’ve had a secondary team that I usually follow on Season Pass, and this year it’s been Charlotte. Here’s my report on Agyemang.

List everything you want in a lone striker. Strength and technique to hold up the ball, height to win headers, pace to stretch the back line, vision to play in teammates, and finishing. Agyemang is basically great at every one of those, except the finishing, which, yikes.

If he can just become average at finishing, he’ll be a great striker by MLS standards. The other elements of his game are so strong that a strike rate of 1 non PK goal in 3 matches would make him as valuable as any striker in the league.

 

That, plus MLS teams are fully professional…lots of support staff, players get invested in keeping their bodies in top shape, etc. IOW I think it’s less depth than conditioning.

 

And the exact same people hated the USL not that long ago because it was partnering with MLS.

 

The German Cup final features a 3rd dvision team. I am assume Germans are going crazy on X saying this proves that the third division is better than the Bundesliga, right?