The US Open Cup goes all the way back to 1913, obviously predating the MLS. Despite the US Open Cub not being officially tied to the MLS, there are major benefits to playing out this tournament and going for it.
I know a lot of new soccer fans or non-soccer fans wonder what this tournament is…its sort of counterintuitive to have a tournament in the middle of a season that has nothing to do with the season itself. But it matters…it matters to a lot of these clubs.
The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is the oldest ongoing soccer competition in the United States. This dates back to 1913!
The overall champion is awarded $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League, while the runner-up receives $100,000, and the furthest-advancing team from each lower-division league receives $25,000.[3][4] The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ending 106 years of consecutive play.
The voice of Orlando City Soccer Club Evan Weston and VP of Soccer Operations Luis Muzzi speak on this in the podcast clip below.
Photo: Getty Images