Source: US Open Cup gets green light for 2024 in proposed new format
Tentative plans for the 2024 edition of the US Open Cup have been approved by a subcommittee of the US Soccer Federation's board of directors, although the tournament is unlikely to look like recent editions, a source close to the USSF told ESPN.
The source stated that the full details are still being sorted out, but the decision to hold a tournament in 2024 has been made and what will likely receive final approval is a hybrid tournament type with not all MLS participating team. The exact extent of team participation from MLS and USL clubs has yet to be determined.
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The source added that the plan would see the association make its biggest financial investment to date to reduce travel costs and ease promotion, particularly for teams from lower divisions.
The source also stated that this format would only apply to 2024 and that discussions are currently underway with all stakeholders to work together to find a permanent, long-term format for the tournament.
The future of the tournament, whose first edition was held in 1914, has been in doubt since MLS announced in December that its premier teams would not take part in the competition and that MLS Next Pro teams would take their place.
In an interview with ESPN late last weekSaid MLS commissioner Don Garber about the Open Cup: “Everyone in the soccer business.” [needs] We need to rethink how competitions have been organized to ensure we can continue to develop and tackle the biggest problem facing all of professional football and that is managing our schedule.”
While the MLS schedule has become busier in recent years, this is partly due to the league's own responsibility, having created the Leagues Cup in collaboration with Liga MX.
MLS's announcement that it would not participate appeared to contradict the USSF's Professional League standards, which are intended to set minimum standards for items such as minimum owner finances, stadium capacity and market size.
League standards state that teams from a top outdoor league must “participate in all U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF representative competitions for which they are eligible.”
The USL declined to comment on the latest news, but responded on December 20th by stating that there would be 46 USL clubs in the 2023 edition. We believe that the Open Cup is a historic and integral part of American soccer culture is.
“We stand with fans across the country who want this to remain an authentic and inclusive competition. Regarding the future of the Open Cup, we will continue to work with our owners and US Soccer on what the tournament will look like going forward.”
Five days after the MLS statement, the USSF announced: “Major League Soccer has requested to allow MLS Next Pro teams to represent MLS in the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. After careful consideration, we have informed MLS that the U.S. Soccer team's recommendation is: “The policy adopted by the Pro League Taskforce is that the request be denied.”
Asked if he thought MLS was above participating in the Open Cup, Garber said: “What has happened over time is that the tournament has not resonated with fans, commercial partners and sponsors and certainly media partners has been well received enough to justify the level of participation that has been required of us in the past. And over time, MLS has entered the tournament at different levels. We had a different number of teams, just as the league, the association and the US Open committee have worked to try to make sure the tournament works for everyone.”
Whatever is decided, it will be the decision of the subcommittee and approval of the association's board of directors is not required. The subcommittee, which formed last December and consists of seven board members, was formed with the belief that the Open Cup needs to be restarted in 2024, while also holding discussions with stakeholders about the format of the tournament. This is despite the fact that the USSF already has a US Open Cup committee.
That approach proved too much for Open Cup committee chairman and former USSF board member Arthur Mattson, who told ESPN he resigned as committee chairman over the weekend after his superiors at the federation repeatedly told him: “ “Stand back” when it comes to finding a solution. He also stated that the future of the Open Cup was in “great jeopardy”.
This danger appears to have been averted for the time being.
