Honestly, if you call yourself a real American soccer fan but you don't care about the U.S. Open Cup, we need to have a talk. It’s the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the country. It started in 1914. To put that in perspective, Woodrow Wilson was in the White House and the Titanic had only been underwater for two years when the first trophy was handed out. This isn't just another corporate tournament with a shiny sponsor name slapped on the front. It is the literal soul of the sport in the States.
But lately? Things have been messy.
The United States Open Cup soccer tradition is currently caught in a nasty tug-of-war between the grassroots romanticism of the "open" format and the cold, hard business realities of Major League Soccer (MLS). In late 2023 and throughout 2024, the soccer world watched in genuine shock as MLS tried to pull its first teams out of the tournament entirely. They cited "schedule congestion" as the reason. Fans called it greed. Whether you think MLS is being practical or elitist, the soul of the tournament is at a breaking point.
What is United States Open Cup Soccer anyway?
Think of it like the FA Cup in England, but with more travel and fewer private jets. It’s a knockout tournament. It’s "open" because literally any amateur team affiliated with the U.S. Soccer Federation can try to qualify. You could, theoretically, get a group of your hungriest Sunday league friends together, win enough local games, and eventually find yourself playing against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in a packed stadium.
That’s the "Magic of the Cup."
It’s one of the few places where the rigid walls of the American closed-league system actually crumble. Usually, MLS teams don't play USL Championship teams. They definitely don't play NISA or NPSL amateur squads. In the Open Cup, they have to. And sometimes, the "little guys" win. When Detroit City FC (then a semi-pro side) knocked out the Columbus Crew in 2022, it wasn't just a win. It was a cultural earthquake for the city of Detroit.
The tournament is named the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, honoring the man who basically kept American soccer on life support for decades. It’s a straight knockout. Lose and you're out. No playoffs. No second chances. Just ninety minutes (plus maybe extra time and the dreaded penalties) to decide who moves on toward the $250,000 prize and a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The MLS Boycott and the 2024 Crisis
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. In December 2023, MLS announced it wanted to send its developmental teams (MLS NEXT Pro) to the tournament instead of its primary rosters. The backlash was immediate. The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) basically said "No, you can't do that," citing the rules that professional leagues must participate in the national cup.
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Eventually, a shaky compromise was reached for 2024. Only eight MLS first teams participated, while the rest sent their reserve squads or sat out.
Why does this matter? Because without the big stars, the broadcast revenue drops. Without the revenue, the smaller teams don't get the payouts they need to survive. It’s a vicious cycle. MLS argues that between the regular season, the Leagues Cup (the new tournament with Mexican clubs), and international breaks, their players are physically exhausted. Fans argue that if you have to choose between a 110-year-old tradition and a three-year-old commercial tournament with Liga MX, you choose tradition every single time.
The Underdog Stories That Define the Sport
If you want to understand why people fight for this tournament, look at 1999. The Rochester Raging Rhinos.
They are the only non-MLS team to win the trophy since MLS started in 1996. They didn't just stumble into it; they beat four MLS teams on the way to the title. That run is legendary in American soccer circles. It proved that the gap between the divisions wasn't an ocean—it was a river you could swim across if you were tough enough.
Then you have Cal FC in 2012. An amateur team coached by Eric Wynalda. No stadium. No massive budget. They went into Portland and beat the Timbers 1-0 in one of the most embarrassing nights in MLS history.
That’s what makes United States Open Cup soccer special. It's the only time a UPS worker or a college student gets to slide-tackle a guy making five million dollars a year. It's visceral. It's often played on high school turf fields or in tiny 5,000-seat stadiums where the fans are so close they can smell the sweat.
Why the tournament struggles to get "Mainstream"
Honestly, the marketing has been pretty bad for a long time.
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Until recently, finding where to watch the games was like a scavenger hunt. One year it’s on YouTube, the next it’s on a niche streaming service you’ve never heard of, then it’s on HBO Max/B/R Sports. If people can’t find the game, they won't watch.
The prize money is also a bit of a joke compared to modern soccer standards. $250,000 for the winner? In a world where players get sold for $100 million, that's barely enough to cover the travel costs for a few rounds of away games. For a small club like Christos FC (a famous amateur side from Baltimore), that money is life-changing. For a team like LAFC, it’s a rounding error.
The Logistics of a Giant Tournament
The U.S. is huge. That’s the biggest hurdle.
In England, you can take a bus across the country in a few hours. In the U.S. Open Cup, a team from Seattle might have to fly to Florida on a Tuesday for a Wednesday night game, then fly back for a Saturday league match. It's brutal on the body and the bank account.
To fix this, the USSF tries to keep the early rounds "regional." They basically group teams by geography to avoid cross-country flights until the quarterfinals. But even then, the travel costs for a semi-pro team can be 20% of their annual budget just for one game.
Historic Winners You Should Know
- Maccabi Los Angeles: They won 5 titles in the 70s and 80s. A true dynasty that most modern fans have never even heard of.
- Bethlehem Steel FC: No, not the modern USL version. The original one. They won 5 titles back when people wore newsboy caps to games.
- Sporting Kansas City: They’ve been incredibly dominant in the modern era, treating the cup with the respect it deserves and winning 4 times since 2004.
- Seattle Sounders: They won three in a row from 2009 to 2011. They made the Open Cup part of their identity.
Is there a future for the Cup?
The 2025 and 2026 seasons are pivotal. With the World Cup coming to North America in 2026, there is a massive spotlight on the sport. The U.S. Soccer Federation has to decide if they are going to let MLS dictate the terms or if they will force the big clubs to respect the national championship.
There's a lot of talk about "Modernizing" the Cup.
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Some people want a massive title sponsor to pump in $10 million in prize money. Others want better TV deals. But the most important thing is keeping it "Open." If you take away the amateur qualifying rounds, you just have another boring league cup. The unpredictability is the only thing that makes it better than a standard MLS mid-week game.
How to actually follow United States Open Cup soccer
If you want to get into it, don't wait for the final. The best stuff happens in the early rounds (usually March through May).
- Follow the "Cinderella" teams: Look for the amateur sides that survive the first two rounds. Those are the ones with the best stories.
- Check the local brackets: See if there is a team in your city playing at a local park or community college. The tickets are usually $15 or less.
- Watch the "Cupsets": Social media (specifically Twitter/X) is the best place to track live upsets. The hashtag #USOC is where the hardcore fans live.
- Ignore the "Star" Power: Don't watch it to see Messi. Watch it to see the guy who works a 9-to-5 job try to score a header against a professional goalkeeper.
Actionable Steps for the True Fan
Stop waiting for the media to tell you this tournament is important. It's already important. If you want to support the growth of the game in this country, you have to support the foundations.
First, find your local lower-division team. Whether it's USL, NISA, or an NPSL side, go to their Open Cup home games. The gate revenue from these matches often keeps these clubs' lights on for the rest of the year.
Second, tell the broadcasters you're watching. If the games are on a streaming platform, watch them. Numbers matter. When Apple or Turner Sports see high viewership for Open Cup matches, they are more likely to invest in better production, more cameras, and better commentators.
Lastly, demand transparency from MLS. If you're a season ticket holder for an MLS club, let your ticket rep know that you value the Open Cup. The reason MLS tried to pull out was because they didn't think the fans cared. Prove them wrong. Write an email. Post on the forums. Make it clear that the "Magic of the Cup" isn't for sale.
The United States Open Cup soccer tournament isn't just a trophy. It’s a map of American soccer history, and it's up to us to make sure the next chapter actually gets written.