So, I have been wondering.. with all of this NASL / USL / MLS debacle going on... what will happen with the Open Cup come spring?

MLS may be facing a work stoppage over the CBA

NASL still does not know if it will be accredited / no one in the general public knows much about their schedule and organization

USL-1 currently is low on teams.. i think about 4? So thats gonna make seeding them interesting...

USL-2 and PDL seem to be the only stable groups of teams for this next season.

US Amateurs... well i dont know much about them, but NPSL seems solid

So, how do you organize the brackets?

Throw all the regional teams into a hat and just randomly bracket?
Seed the opening brackets if MLS is on strike and hope its resolved by the round they would be seeded for?
Just follow the normal procedures and hope for the best?

I think its gonna get interesting... I just hope that if the Riverhounds get Rochester again we get some better refs!

This could be the year a USL-2 team wins it all and qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions League.

Here is my question: Is it still USL-2 if there is no USL-1? Can we have a third division with no sanctioned second division?

Unless I miss my count, I don't think USL-2 has the requisite eight teams either. Looks like six to me.

1) Charleston
2) Charlotte
3) Harrisburg
4) Pittsburgh
5) Real Madrid
6) Richmond

If my understanding is correct, Bermuda and Western Mass dropped to PDL. Crystal Palace's status is unresolved and Wilmington isn't around any more. Is that correct? So if neither D2 league is being sanctioned for 2010 due to less than eight teams, will D3 be sanctioned? I understand its for different purposes, but if they apply the rule evenly, one has to wonder.

YES to both questions, been there, done that in the past~!

It will be interesting to see how the US Open Cup qualifying is done this year. 9 Div 2 teams and 6? Div3 teams. Where it has been 8 and 8 will they take another MLS team (has been 8 do they take 9? or throw in all the US teams somehow), another PDL, throw the USASA or NPSL a bone with an extra participant, or will USL-2 have more teams before the season starts? It should be exciting. I look forward to them figuring it out, of course now that US Soccer is running a league they may be too busy to organize the tournament.

When did we have a sanctioned third division without a sanctioned second division?

We had a sanctioned second division (the APSL) when we didn't have a sanctioned first division. But tell me - when did we have a sanctioned third division without a sanctioned second division? Was there a period where what was the USISL Pro League (USISL didn't actually go outdoors until 1989) was sanctioned Division III before the APSL/A-League was sanctioned Division II?

Or are you going to go way farther back than that, to the primordial soup days, when you were in high school?

I could be wrong, but this is the 1st time I can remember USLD2 teams starting the season playing regular season games that were not doubled as US Cup competitions(not sure about last season).

All 8 eligible D2 teams participated last season

The US Open cup needs a drastic overhaul to allow ALL teams in it, not just some. Now is the time to do it.

What teams are not allowed in it, exactly?

"Drastic overhaul?" This tournament has rarely kept the same format from year to year for the last 15 years. It hasn't been able to because of MLS expansion and the constant churn at the lower levels.

They STILL haven't announced the format for this year, but there are only 9 USSFD2 teams eligible and only six USL2 teams eligible.

And before you say that not every MLS team is in the Cup, both of last year's finalists came from the MLS qualifying play-in pool. Every team in America has a chance to play in the US Open Cup. I fail to see the difference between having to qualify through a USASA regional tournament and having to qualify through MLS' play-in system.

Only 6 USLD2 teams? There are only 6 teams in the league! My question is, when do they start play? There has been no mention of that.

you missed this press release

http://thecup.us/us-soccer-unveils-2010-lamar-hunt-us-open-cup-format/

single elimination, winner advances to next round. We woulnt see a MLS team until June 29

June 15: First round – 32 lower-division teams (USSF D-2, USL-2, amateur)
June 22: Second round – 16 first-round winners
June 29: Third round – Eight second-round winners plus eight MLS teams
July 6 or 7: Quarterfinals – Third-round winners
Aug. 31 or Sept. 1: Semifinals – Quarterfinal winners
Oct. 5: Final – Semifinal winners
_________________________

I saw that, still does not tell me anything. I'm looking for matchups, not deadlines.

Um....not everybody has qualified yet, and they haven't had the draw yet.

That's how the Open Cup works. FIRST they determine which teams are in (which won't be determined until all the qualifying is complete) and THEN they have a draw and determine who plays who.

If you're looking for matchups, you will have to wait.

PDL qualifying, much like USL-2 used to , doesn't end until May 31, so, like the rest us, you'll have to wait around. Sorry.

the West Coast USASA qualifying isn't even until the weekend of May 21-23.. so plenty of time before any pairings come out. All this is available by doing a (very) little digging, PGH.

Little digging, that's funny Mikey. Apparently nobody shares my concerns.

i'm probably going to regret this, but what concerns? And the "little digging" involved clicking on 1 link and reading.. not much research there.

Exactly, what concerns?

This is, to my knowledge, the latest they've ever announced the format/dates, but we haven't known pairings in the first round at this stage of the game yet, like, ever. Last year the first and second round pairings weren't announced until 5/27 and the year before they weren't announced until 5/28.

So I'm not sure what you're expecting to find on 5/7.

Exactly. In the not too distant past, at this time you didn't even know if Pittsburgh would even be participating, never mind who they would play.

Seems to me your question was answered perfectly

2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
May 31 Qualifying Deadline
June 15 First Round: 32 lower division teams enter tournament
June 22 Second Round: 16 First Round winners face off
June 29 Third Round: Round 2 winners face eight MLS teams
July 6-7 Quarterfinals: Round 3 winners
Aug. 31-Sept. 1 Semifinals: Quarterfinal winners
Oct. 5 Final: Semifinal winners

2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Official Pairings for First Round
1. N.Y. Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA) at Long Island Rough Riders (PDL)
Cy Donnelly Stadium; South Huntington, N.Y.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:30 p.m. ET

2. Brooklyn Italians Soccer Club (USASA) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)
Skyline Sports Complex; Harrisburg, Pa.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:00 p.m. ET

3. Real Maryland FC Monarchs (USL-2) at Reading United A.C. (PDL)
Don Thomas Stadium; Reading, Pa.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:30 p.m. ET

4. Crystal Palace Baltimore (D2) at Richmond Kickers (USL-2)
University of Richmond Stadium; Richmond, Va.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:00 p.m. ET

5. Capital Area Soccer League Elite (USASA) at Charleston Battery (USL-2)
Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:30 p.m. ET

6. Charlotte Eagles (USL-2) at Carolina RailHawks (D2)
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:05 p.m. ET

7. Dayton Dutch Lions FC (PDL) at Rochester Rhinos (D2)
Marina Auto Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:05 p.m. ET

8. Detroit United Soccer Club (USASA) at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2)
Chartiers Valley High School; Bridgeville, Pa.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:00 p.m. ET

9. Kansas City Athletics (USASA) at NSC Minnesota Stars (D2)
National Sports Center; Blaine, Minn.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:00 p.m. CT

10. AC St. Louis (D2) at Des Moines Menace (PDL)
Valley Stadium; West Des Moines, Iowa
Tuesday, June 15; 7:30 p.m. CT

11. Central Florida Kraze (PDL) at Miami FC (D2)
Lockhart Stadium; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:30 p.m. ET

12. FC Tampa Bay Rowdies (D2) at Legends FC (USASA)
Richland Stadium; Dallas, Texas
Tuesday, June 15; 8:00 p.m. CT

13. Dallas-Fort Worth Tornados (PDL) at Austin Aztex (D2)
House Park; Austin, Texas
Tuesday, June 15; 7:30 p.m. CT

14. Arizona Sahuaros (USASA) at Ventura County Fusion (PDL)
Ventura College; Ventura, Calif.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:05 p.m. PT

15. Sonoma County Sol (USASA) at Portland Timbers (D2)
PGE Park; Portland, Ore.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:00 p.m. PT

16. Bay Area Ambassadors FC (USASA) at Kitsap Pumas (PDL)
Bremerton Memorial Stadium; Bremerton, Wash.
Tuesday, June 15; 7:00 p.m. PT

Official Pairings for Second Round
(Venues, dates and times TBD)
17. Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
18. Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
19. Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
20. Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
21. Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10
22. Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12
23. Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14

This is the first US Open Cup I have actually paid attention to. It seems to me that a lot of hardcore soccer fans are interested in this tourney for the first two rounds or so. Once all the lower level teams get knocked out, then everyone forgets this event is going on.

It seems like a good event. Does anyone agree with my perception? Thoughts and intelligent comments are apprecaited.

A good game and it's great to see a back to back winner come from Div 2 to take the US Open Cup in their first two years in MLS.

Good Stuff and a little real history starting to take shape in the US Open Cup.

Viva the US Open Cup

You are funny some/most days... Were you trying to be?

I guess I will not be following the "Open" Cup this year. Oh well, it was fun following the tourney while it lasted. See you in 2012?