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The American Soccer Federation rejected MLS's attempt to send development teams to the US Open Cup, the 110-year-old tournament in which all levels of the sport participate.
Wednesday's decision by the U.S. Soccer Federation is an embarrassment for the MLS, which caused a stir in the soccer community last week when it announced that its U.S.-based teams would not participate in the competition in 2024.
The league cited a crowded calendar that includes a four-week tournament it co-created with Mexico's top division and a desire to provide greater competitive opportunities for young players.
“After careful consideration, we have informed MLS that the U.S. Soccer staff's recommendation, adopted by the Pro League Taskforce, is to deny the request,” the USSF said in a statement. “As we move forward, we will continue to review the Open Cup to ensure it aligns with U.S. Soccer’s strategic pillars. We remain committed to addressing the needs and concerns of all our members, including MLS, and other stakeholders to strengthen and improve the US Open Cup.”
No reasons were given for MLS' rejection of the application.
Perspective: What is lost with MLS's self-serving rejection of the US Open Cup
In a statement, MLS said it took these steps to send secondary squads because it “believes there are several key objectives and concerns related to the tournament that need to be addressed.”
“MLS is committed to finding a viable solution for the 2024 tournament and is working to find a path that addresses their goals and concerns,” the league added.
It is unclear whether a solution will be possible this year. MLS was scheduled to release its regular-season schedule on Wednesday, which includes several midweek games (when Open Cup games are played) and a late-summer break for the Leagues Cup, the second-year tournament involving all 47 MLS and Liga MX -Clubs participate.
The calendar is so crowded that MLS will again defy global protocol and schedule games during international windows when players represent their countries.
MLS could find itself in trouble with the USSF government, which sanctions professional leagues for first, second and third division status. The association's professional league standards state that “U.S.-based teams must participate in all representative U.S. Soccer and Concacaf tournaments.” [regional] Competitions for which they are eligible.”
The Open Cup brings together the three professional divisions as well as amateur teams for a single-elimination tournament that runs parallel to their regular seasons. It is modeled after the English FA Cup and other domestic cup competitions across Europe.
Since its inception in 1996, MLS has entered teams in the Round of 32 or close to it. Some teams take it less seriously than others and mix regular players, reserve players and young players.
However, the tournament suffered from financial strain on teams, poor playing conditions at some lower tier venues and a lack of visibility.
The USSF controls broadcast rights and organizes live streams on various platforms; No games will be shown on MLS' main partner, Apple TV Plus. Apple TV Plus is entering the second year of a $2.5 billion deal with the league.
MLS commissioner Don Garber openly complained about the Open Cup last May. And last week, as the deadline to participate in the tournament approached, the league announced its plans to send teams from MLS Next Pro, a third-tier circuit with development teams owned by MLS organizations.
Every U.S.-based MLS team fields a team in Next Pro, with the exception of DC United, which plans to launch a program in Baltimore in the coming years.
In recent months, MLS said it had discussed its Open Cup intentions with the USSF. “At no time did US Soccer object to Next Pro’s participation,” said a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Regarding the perception that MLS is disrespecting a traditional competition, this person added: “We respect tournament history. … What we're struggling with, however, is that the tournament is stuck. … We believe there needs to be more than just the recognition that it needs to evolve.”