I love Leagues Cup. Fix it and bring back the U.S. Open Cup
“The Leagues Cup is in diapers, it’s only year 2!” exclaimed a giddy Max Bretos in the middle of a thrilling Round of 32 matchup between FC Juarez and the Colorado Rapids. Soon after Ángel Zaldívar’s early strike, the Rapids attack sprang to life with goals from Jonathan Lewis, Djordje Mihailović and Calvin Harris before Colorado held on for dear life when Avilés Hurtado drew and coverted a 71st minute penalty kick.
The match had a little bit of everything! (Ask me if Francisco Calvo had a major screw up that led directly to a goal)
Attendance at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park that night was 11,442, less than 2/3rds the capacity of the venue. I get that it’s difficult to sell tickets for a knockout round matchup in just a few days, but the modest turnout tells the story of a tournament that’s loaded with potential but still dealing with growing pains.
It must be said the two leagues share great chemistry on and off the field. The contrasting styles of play with technically skilled Liga MX clubs battling the more dynamic MLS sides has produced entertaining matches with plenty of goals and vibrant atmospheres in the stands. Personally I dug watching MLS teams over the past month that I normally don’t get a chance to check out due to Apple TV’s linear schedule.
It’s a fun little summer tournament. The anthem is a banger. What’s not to love?
A lot, apparently.
Many of the league’s hardcore fans have derided the tournament as a cash grab, with some supporters groups going so far as to boycott the tournament altogether.
I’ve never really bought that argument, if only because every tournament of the past 50 years has been a cash grab? However, the collective dismay over the neglect of the U.S. Open Cup, perceived as a consequence of the Leagues Cup, is a different matter which we’ll discuss later.
Does the tournament need some fine tuning? Absolutely. A congested bracket, flawed seeding system and lopsided results in favor of MLS are just a few of the issues that led to this year’s edition feeling more like a preseason tournament than a prestigious cup competition.
Lionel Messi’s historic arrival during the 2023 edition may have papered over the cracks, but the flaws in this year’s tournament were readily apparent.
Case in point: Austin FC, currently fighting for a playoff spot in the West, pulled off a remarkable feat in defeating Pumas and Monterrey. Their reward was a trip to downtown LA to face a red-hot LAFC side. They lost 2-0.
The Galaxy were also victims of a flawed seeding system that meant wins over the San Jose Earthquakes and Chivas Guadalajara translated to playing the Sounders in Seattle, and sure enough a visit to one of the league’s toughest venues proved too much to overcome as LA conceded twice inside the first seven minutes en route to a 3-1 defeat.
“Explain it to me,” Galaxy manager Greg Vanney pondered with a wry smile in the postgame presser knowing the Galaxy won the group but nevertheless were heading to Lumen Field.
”Seeds!” replied reporter Scott French.
photo courtesy LA Galaxy
How can the tournament improve? I’m not sure there’s an easy fix.
Though Bretos was correct to point out this is the second year of the competiton, the Leagues Cup has been around since 2019, slowly evolving from a eight-team tournament to the fully realized version this summer. They’ve had plenty of time to work out all the kinks.
The default suggestion has been to allow Liga MX teams to host games, a move that would certainly make the Mexican clubs more competitive. If the organizers can pull it off, great. Doing so is also a bit like ripping the foundation out and would make the tournament kinda similar to the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Don’t expect it to happen anytime soon.
The only logical solution I can think of? Reducing the number of MLS teams in the competition from 29 to 18 to match the 18 teams from Liga MX would help even things up. Finding a way to kick off the tournament a few weeks later so Mexican clubs are fitter? Even better.
I mean, if your teams isn’t good enough to qualify for the Leagues Cup, you could probably use a month-long break from games right? Which of course is a f**ked up way of looking at it, but hey you wanna make an omelette you gotta break a few eggs.
If the two years of this competition has taught me anything, it’s the importance of trophies in this league. MLS has 29 teams essentially competing for three pieces of silverware in 2024, and the fact of the matter is, the Supporters Shield, MLS Cup and Leagues Cup are becoming increasingly unattainable to all but the elite clubs.
Which is why I’m strongly in favor of rehabilitating the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the historic competition that only a fraction of teams are participating in this season. It goes without saying that a century old tournament is worth saving, but the Open Cup makes MLS a more engaging, attractive product. It adds authenticity to a league craving legitimacy and connects the top flight league with the broader American soccer pyramid. Crucially, it’s the one piece of silverware that any number of MLS teams can win.
There has to be way to figure out the logistical issues and make money off it.