A week ago, US Soccer announced that a record number of amateur sides would be entering the qualifying round of the 2025 tournament. 114 amateur teams from across the country, running the full spectrum of leagues, are preparing to battle for the scant 14 play-in spots in the tournament proper. Plenty of clubs that have endeared themselves over the years dot the list of entries, including Harpo FC, Lansdowne Yonkers FC, D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club, Nova FC, and Chicago House AC. With the roster of squads sporting that kind of quality, these qualifying rounds will be a true battle royale.

Challenges for the Cup

For years, fans of the Cup have complained about a perceived lack of support from the federation. The list of criticisms include a lack of consistent tv coverage, less than beneficial scheduling procedures, and a marked deference to MLS needs. That last one is exacerbated by the division one league’s consistent disrespect for the competition. Whether is be Commissioner Garber’s comments about field conditions or the roll out of the League’s Cup, MLS has made it clear that it does prioritize the success of the Open Cup.

That situation was made even worse in this year’s competition, when MLS announced it would pull its teams from the competition entirely and instead send its MLS Next Pro teams to participate. That led to a stand off between the federation and the league that was eventually settled with the inclusion of only eight teams from MLS. That settlement was seen as too much fed capitulation by most fans of the Cup, who felt the league should have faced stiffer penalties for not participating fully.

The fed, for its part, has worked to find partners to fill the funding gap. Broadcasting is not cheap and with so many of the professional sides sitting out, finding willing sponsors is even harder. That reality doesn’t slow fans’ expectations, of course. They want the Cup to succeed, budget be damned.

Pair all that with the recent disruption caused by the pandemic. With covid on the rampage, the league decided to cancel the tournament outright, the first time that had happened in over 100 years. US Soccer couldn’t control the situation, but it couldn’t have come at a worse time for a competition that was dealing with tons of pressure to improve.

Rebounding

Budget issues aside, the Cup seems to be on the rebound. Messi’s Miami team brought millions of eyes to the competition last year and this year, the lack of as many MLS sides didn’t seem to blunt the interest of soccer fans. People are excited about the competition.

And if you’re looking for proof of that, the number signing up for 2025’s qualifiers clearly indicates that teams still want to invest in the Open Cup. That’s a positive for the tournament, no doubt, but the question remains as to why. No amateur side has made it past a round or two of professional play and the cost of travel and fielding a squad isn’t light for a small amateur side. So why are so many signing the application? Here’s my guess.

Players like it. The reality is that players love the challenge of a tournament and playing against so many other amateur sides from all over the country from various leagues makes the competition interesting and exciting.
Fans like it. Few things unite lower league soccer fans like the Open Cup. People love the history and the chance to root for their local side in a massive competition.
There’s magic there. Everyone thinks they’ve got a chance and the history of the Cup both feeds and crushes that idea. Everyone wants to be Tulsa on the road at Sporting. There’s a romance to believing in the impossible, regardless of how unlikely it is.
The Prestige of it all. No matter how much Don Garber or some of theMLS homers (not all of them, obviously) might say the Cup is old fashioned and past its usefulness, the reality is the old lady can still sing. That’s Cup is a big deal and everyone knows it.

So the amateurs keep signing up in record numbers and we’re about to be treated to some of the best soccer of the year. Qualifying rounds kick off in October, with the first window landing on October 5th and 6th. Matchups are being drawn today. Long live the Cup!

- Dan Vaughn