Hitting triple figures establishes a new modern era record of pro teams as well with all vying for the national title in soccer, with the newly formed 3rd division, 25 places are set for Open Div. Natiional Leagues. 3rd round oppomemts willl be determined by a geographicallly-based random draw as D I teams join in , all the fun begins Mar. 24.
The US Soccer Open Cup Committee has confirmed this large pool of teams as well as the system by which the games will be set as the pro team confirmation date of Dec. 31 is now in the rearview mirrror. This is by far the most prestigious of all tournies in the nation. The modern era began in 1995 and finally reached this # as the previous top was 99 in 2017 with 43 pro and 56 amateur teams competing. The growth of pro soccer here is what caused the surge in achiving a new level of teams as there are now 3 pro divisions as 62 from these 3 will take on the open division clubs, last year there were 52 pro teams. NISA, a D III pro league has 8 team in the games, MLS has 23 the D II USL CHampionship contributes 25 sides and D III USL League One puts in 6, same as 2019, some came and some went.
The NPSL will have 14 positions and 11 for USL League Two (USLL2). Each of these entered in the Open Division National Leagues pathway as per Open Cup rules, utilizing 2019 league standing to set their qualifying for 2020. Grouping the dozen who made it through last fall and the local qualifying rounds and USASA 2019 National Amatuer Cup title, an automatic bid now 38 overall Open Div. clubs are in, up half a dozen from 2019 all begin the first round Mar. 24 & 25.
The games are set up according to how they were in 2019, but not the 3rd round. Half the MLS teams will enter then, a round earlier than the past, the 40 of the 3rd round teams are put together by location in 9 or 10 groups and the 29 2nd round winners and 11 D I teams disbursed as best as possible. April 10 a draw is to be held for the pairings in the groups, DI teams are set up to not meet each other as yet. All teams that may not meet up until the Final due to tourney regs. are to be in different groups a random draw will determine where they go. When a logical fit of locale is not there it will be random. Later draws will have the groups set by draws.
Late Jan.will have the first 2 rounds known to all as the date is Jan. 22 for the 1st, then a week later for round 2. 1st round teams have 9 weks to prep and those in the 2nd will have of course 10. The 29 games in the first round are a record topping the 28 of 2017. Now in the 2nd of 4 years, ESPN+ will show the games.
Kwik Kixx:
-Single elimination, if tied, 30 minutes ot, then to pk's.
-Home team are to be selected randomly from applciants, if venue meets the requierements, they get priority.
- Cup committee already had decided clubs getting material suport from another would not meet, ala San Jose Eathquakes and Reno 1868.
-Pro teams owned by higher Div. teams such as NYRBII & NYRB are out of the competition.
-If a game is halted in the first half or tied at the halting it will start from that point the next day if not due to mitigating circumstnaces the 2nd day, if not, played again in whole.
VItal dates:
Jan. 22 First round pairing announced
Jan. 22 2nd Round announced
Mar. 24-25 First round games
April 7-9 2nd round games
April 10 3rd round draw
April 21-23 3rd round
April 24 round of 32 draw
May 19 -20 round of 32 games
May 21 round of 16 draw
June 10 possible round of 16
june 23-24 round of 16 games or quaters
July 14-15 quaters or semis
Aug. 11-12 semis or final
Sept. 22-24 possible final
NISA has a total of8 teams, notably absent are the local NY Cosmos, in of course are the western title holders Cal United Strikers headed by HIcksville native Michael Collins, the eastern champs are now in a different league. As I look at the list of teams there, due to issues with USSF many teams are no longer around and others have switched leagues a few times over the last few years. The NPSL has two issues, they start in the cup earlier and will not have the college players that really fill the better part of the player pool and they did not go with a pro division causing more than a few teams to leave. Overall the game of is down a few hundred players due to the pending lawsuit with the federation that is anticipated to comence shortly.