Chicago: Only eight of Major League Soccer’s 26 American teams will participate in the U.S. Open Cup this year, including Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. The U.S. Soccer Federation said on Friday that Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles FC, Salt Lake, San Jose, and Seattle will compete in the 96-team league. The other seven clubs were among the top seven from the regular-season Supporters’ Shield rankings from the previous year, with Houston being the reigning winner of the event.
Until a head-to-head MLS game is inevitable, MLS teams will only play lower division teams when they advance to the fourth round. Eight MLS clubs made it to the fourth round last year, while 18 teams made it to the third.
In the previous year’s final, Houston defeated Miami 2-1. Messi was injured and was unable to play in the game.
On December 15, Major League Soccer (MLS) said that it was removing all of its clubs from the nation’s oldest soccer competition—which dates back to 1914—and substituting them with MLS Next Pro’s third-tier developing teams.
After five days, the USSF said that it was considering MLS’s decision as a request that it was refusing. The USSF claimed to have expanded trip reimbursement, enhanced financial incentives, and introduced new business partners in their release. MLS said that 11 clubs from its third tier—Austin, Chattanooga, Carolina, and Chicago—will be joining. Colorado, LA Galaxy, New York City, New York Red Bulls, Crown Legacy, Minnesota, and Portland. Every team from the United Soccer League Championship’s second division is participating. The first round of matches is set for March 19–21. The second round is slated for April 2–3, the third round for April 16–17, the fourth round for May 7–8, and the fifth round for May 21–22. There will be a quarterfinal on July 9 and 10, a semifinal on August 27 and 28, a championship on September 25.
