Argentine maestro Lionel Messi and Inter Milan will not be competing in the US Open Cup this year, which will see only eight out of the total 26 American sides enter the tournament. The US Soccer Federation revealed that Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles FC, Salt Lake, San Jose and Seattle will be participating in the 96-team competition.
Houstan will be looking to defend the title whereas the rest of the seven teams are determined from the Supporters' Shield standings, who are not featuring in the CONCACEF Champions Cup this year.
MLS teams get an entry into the fourth round of the competition, and they square off against squads from the lower tiers. However, an MLS matchup in the latter stages of the tournament is considered to be inevitable. MLS had 18 of its teams participating in the third round of the competition last year, whereas eight made it to the fourth round.
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Houston beat Miami 2-1 in last year's final. Messi missed the game because of an injury. Since the start of MLS in 1996, the only team not from the first tier to win the competition was the 1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos of the USL’s second-tier A-League, which beat the Colorado Rapids 2-0 in the final.
MLS announced Dec. 15 it was pulling all its teams from the nation's oldest soccer competition, which started in 1914, and was replacing them with third-tier developmental sides from MLS Next Pro. The USSF said five days later it was treating MLS's decision as a request that it was turning down.
In its announcement, the USSF said it improved financial incentives, increased travel reimbursement and added new commercial partners. MLS said it will enter 11 teams from its third tier: Austin, Carolina, Chattanooga, Chicago. Colorado, Crown Legacy, Minnesota, LA Galaxy, New York City, New York Red Bulls and Portland. The second tier United Soccer League Championship is entering all 24 teams.
First-round matches will be scheduled for March 19-21, followed by the second round on April 2 and 3, the third round on April 16 and 17, the fourth round on May 7 and 8 and the fifth round on May 21 and 22. Quarterfinals will be July 9 and 10, semifinals on August 27 and 28 and the championship on Sept. 25.
(With AP inputs)
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