I can say as someone that loves traveling to games and seeing new venues, the USOC does motivate me to see some stadia that I likely wouldn't have visited otherwise. As much as the actual game infuriated me, I really liked the Riverhounds stadium last season. I would have never gone otherwise because I consider that entire state a hellscape populated by the most intolerable people imaginable (my mother is from Western PA, which is somehow better than Eastern PA). I didn't make it to the Detroit City game a couple years ago but that is another one I'll likely never go out of my way to see without a rooting interest which I've heard is great. To your broader point though, the ability to travel to games especially on a weeknight is a luxury and it's inarguable that most people are ambivalent and won't ever be motivated to watch it on TV in sufficient numbers to draw better coverage. All the networks are in an arms race to capture broadcast rights and MLS and US Soccer are at best around tenth in the pecking order. USOC is levels below that. I probably fall in the camp of "why fix what isn't broken." There has never been an issue with rolling out a MLSNP roster under the banner of the senior team, and it's not like MLSNP has a massive schedule crunch. Don and the owners could have just said nothing and struck a gentlemen's agreement in their executive session that all teams would send only MLSNP and end of the bench senior roster players until round X. Just stupid and completely avoidable, which will be a good epitaph for Donny's headstone some day. Nothing against Keegan Hughes but it's not like him getting called up for a round 4 USOC game and shredding his knee on bad turf is going to throw the Crew's season and player pipeline into a tailspin. Make an agreement behind closed doors and move forward like adults.
Couldn't be said better. MLS has been sending out horseshit teams forever and nobody said boo, partly because, frankly, if you're the owner of FC Mudville, you'd actually rather NOT see the Crew roll out the same 11 that just won the cup. The Muddies would prefer the weakest opponent possible. They're sure as hell not going to complain.
We stayed at the hotel right next to the Riverhounds stadium this past weekend. Great area, right by a T station, great views of downtown Pittsburgh. I wouldn't mind catching a game there.
The riverhounds fans didn't care it was the B/C Team when I talked to them. They were very excited to see the crew and hoped to see Lucas (yet never bothered to check the lineup before the game). There's a cultural impact, but one that doesn't service MLS much.
Some deets about the new format. Rumors going around that USL has also been mad about how USSF has run the tournament. https://sports.yahoo.com/us-open-cup-soccer-mls-usl-paul-mcdonough-171118393.html
So only 8 of 29 MLS teams give a shit. Why should I care again, besides nostalgia? Just let the MLS teams play bench/reserve players if they want, problem solved.
Where did you read that only eight teams want to play? MLS saying they'd only enter eight is different than the teams saying they don't want to participate. Maybe you're too stupid to parse the difference. And playing bench/reserve players is what MLS sides have been doing forever. The only thing that changed is MLS wanting to keep their senior sides out and enter their MLSNP teams. Again, maybe too advanced for you to grok. Must be your underdeveloped vegan brain.
The following was posted by the Des Moines Menace on Facebook Oddly enough, I have a Menace jersey from about the time the Xoggz were playing. It's nice to see that they are still here. Lots of folks thought that would be impossible for teams in the USL.
Looks like Crew is out of the USOC. Teams entering will play their first teams. Teams entering the USOC will be the top 7 supporters shield teams from last year, minus anyone in CCC, and Houston (as defending champ) will be team #8. Should be announced in the next couple days, maybe even today. Per Jeff Carlisle
I can already see the comments. "MLS is a Ponzi scheme, a scam, they need pro-rel yesterday and now they need to lose their D-1 status because their charter states they MUST take part in the US Open Cup. It's also a slap in the face to Lamar Hunt for the Crew not taking part in it!" There. I think I covered all the bases.
Meh. Know who else hates the open cup? Nancy, never played a real starting XI, and I’m fine with that. USOC lost their shit and didn’t want reserve players in the comp. For me, things probably could’ve stayed the same if they’d just let MLS teams use MLSNP players, but they’re too good for that apparently, then though teams all over the world do that in their cup competitions. Oh well, whatever, it’s done.
Don’t forget that all these USOC Stan’s are gonna boycott every MLS competition until things change. They’ll definitely follow through with that.