Major League Soccer has doubled the number of teams that will participate in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup this season, announced it on Tuesday. Although the current Open Cup holders Los Angeles FC are unable to defend their title, because the MLS club will be represented by their MLS Next Pro Team, Lafc2.
There will also be important changes to the Leagues Cup with only 18 teams that compete to match the number of League MX edges in the competition, with more changes, but those Oveses will only be announced in a later date because it will be managed separately than the US Open Cup, which is checked by our football.
Each team will only compete in a maximum of two Concacaf matches between the US Open Cup, Leagues Cup, Canadian Championship and Concacaf Champions Cup with the exception of Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders that will also be World Cup in the club. During that competition, as well as the Concacaf Gold Cup, MLS will take a summer vacation, so that the number of matches that these teams will play during that time will relax.
The decision to compensate for two for each team was taken to tackle the worries of planning, the competition said, while matches on the left and right piled up. However, this is also a time when MLS seems to be putting its best foot ahead in international competitions to continue to grow as the competition starts for 30th year.
“What has brought us to this is experience. Competing in international tournaments is very important to us and it is important for our fans and they told us,” said MLS Executive Vice President of Sporting Product and Competition Nelson Rodriguez told CBS Sports. “Our research has also shown that our performance in international competitions directly influences the quality of how our competition is seen and why it continues to grow.
“History has shown us that our teams would enter and compete every tournament to their own competitive desires to win every trophy they could, but there are practical realities that are experienced all over the world. So while we look at workload And planning management, we think it is important that two cup competitions are the limit. “
Changes that the competition has made to roast rules Such as the off-roster of home-soil changes, teams will help to go for those schedules for these competitions. An off-raster from home-grown that is 21 or younger can now appear in a maximum of six MLS competition matches and make unlimited first team performances in cup competitions, an increase in relation to four short-term agreements. This can only be done before a player is moved to the senior selection of a club, but it will offer more flexibility and at the same time operate under the salary limit and at the same time give those younger players critical playing time.
Which teams will appear in every competition?
*Indicates MLS next Pro teams
- Club World Cup: Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders
- Concacaf Champions Cup: FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, Inter Miami, Colorado Rapids, La Galaxy, Lafc, Seattle Sounders, Sporting Kansas City, Vancouver WhiteCaps
- League Cup: Atlanta United, Charlotte FC, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, NYCFC, New York Red Bulls, Orlando City SC, Colorado Rapids, La Galaxy, Lafc, Minnesota United, Portland Timbers, Real Saltle Sounders, San Diego
- Canadian Championship: Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC, CF Montreal
- Our open cup: Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire, DC United, NYCFC, New York Red Bulls, Nashville SC, New England Revolution, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union, Austin FC, FC Dallas, Housston Dynamo, Portland Timbers, Portland, Timbers, Louis, Louis, , Lafc2*, FC Cincinnati 2*, Columbus Crew 2*, Inter Miami CF II*, Sporting KC II*, Tacoma Defiance (Seattle Sounders)*, Ventura County FC (La Galaxy)*, Carolina Core FC (Independent)*, Chattanooga FC (Independent)*
Including MLS Next Pro Teams, 24 out of 27 eligible MLS clubs will be represented, which is an increase compared to only 17 who participated in the 2024 edition. Although that is still a drop of each part of the team , it is closer to what the cup was. Rodriguez has also not shown all 27 eligible teams in the future in one way or another.
“It is certainly possible. Part of it will be determined by the federation and the nature of the tournament, the size of the tournament,” said Rodriguez. “There has been a proliferation of professional football teams in the United States and at some point I would not blame the federation if it had to limit the number of entries in the tournament because it all had to fit in a calendar and a schedule. But again. , if we could have all 27 of our clubs in the tournament, either via the next Pro or an MLS First Team, that would be great.
“I want to give the honor to our football. They know that we wanted to enter the following professional parties. They currently have a one team per clubgel, but can have 24 of our eligible 27 American teams in the tournament, we think that It is positive and we are enthusiastic about it. “
The recording of Next Pro Sides was able to offer those players with real competition experience that they could not get while playing the next Pro matches, taking on more experienced and talented players who played at a higher level. Now that teams that have already been taken out of the competition, it is now critical to find a balance and that more clubs represent is a step in the right direction.
Competition qualification for the 2025 and 2026 seasons
These are evaluated for the 2027 season
- Concacaf Champions Cup: Qualification set by Concacaf.
- League Cup: Eighteen MLS clubs are eligible to match the 18 League MX clubs with the top nine teams in every qualification of the conference. In 2025, San Diego FC will join the League Cup because of the Vancouver Whitecaps participating in the Concacaf Champions Cup and the Canadian championship.
- Lamar Hunt US Open Cup: MLS teams that do not participate in the Leagues Cup of Concacaf Champions Cup will automatically qualify for the tournament. The remaining teams are added based on the Supporters’s Shield classification, while they are excluded who participate in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Ten MLS next Pro teams will also participate in the tournament.
- Canadian Championship: All three Canadian teams will compete.
Because these guidelines are alone in the coming two seasons, there will be more evaluation, but before the year 30 a lot changes around Major League Soccer. From schedules to competitions, even the status of players who can put on the competition, is increasing. There will be a lot more, but it will take a long time When the season officially starts As expectations rise with every year.