The US Soccer Federation refused 's attempt to pull its top rosters from next year's , the sport's oldest competition in the nation. (Football News)
The Major League Soccer's attempts to pull its teams out of the US Open Cup, the United States of America's oldest football competition, have been rebuffed by the US Soccer Federation
The US Soccer Federation refused 's attempt to pull its top rosters from next year's , the sport's oldest competition in the nation. (Football News)
While MLS announced in a statement at 6 pm EST Friday that its board of governor𒁃s decided to send teams to the tournament from its third-tier MLS Next Pro rosters, the USSF characterized the league's action on🥂ly as a request that had been turned down.
“As we move forward, we will continue our review of the Open Cup to ensure i🍸t aligns with the US Soccer strategic pillars,” the USSF said in a statement Wednesday.
“We remain committed to address📖ing the needs and concerns of all o💝f our members, including MLS, and other stakeholders to enhance and improve the US Open Cup.”
MLS issued a statement four minutes later saying it “is committed to finding a vꦦiable solution for the 2024 tournament and is working to find a pathway that addresses its goals and concerns.”
“Moving forward, MLS will remain focused on increasing𝔉 opportunities for up-and-coming players, a key component of the league's player development strategy that ultimately benefits th𒉰e US national team program.”
MLS added, “It believes that there are several essential goals and concerns thatᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ must be addressed inﷺ connection with the tournament, including developing young professional players and providing them with greater opportunity to play before fans in meaningful competition in a tournament setting, prioritizing player health and safety, reducing schedule congestion for MLS clubs, and enhanced investment from US Soccer.”
Houston bꦉeat Inter Miami this year in the US Open Cup final, earning a berth next year in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Miami star Lionel Messi was injured and missed the match.
The US Open Cup began in the 1913-14 season, and MLS started play in 1996. Since the start of MLS, the only team not from the first tier to win the com♓petition was the 1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos of the United Soccer League's second-tier A-League, which beat the Colorado Rapids 2-0 in the final.