U.S. Open Cup offers a great concept, but hasn’t come close to realizing its potential. U.S. Soccer is trying to take some steps in the right direction, and today announced a new format for the 2012 tournament.
Key changes include an expanded field, including all 16 United States-based clubs from Major League Soccer. The MLS teams will begin plan in the third round, which begins in late May.
However, perhaps the biggest change is the switch to a random selection process for determining home teams from the first round through the quarterfinals, which gives each participating team with a venue meeting tournament standards an equal chance at hosting its possible opponent for these rounds.
Here’s the news from U.S. Soccer.
Sounders FC, of course, is the three-time defending champion and will be looking for a tournament-record fourth straight Open Cup title this season.
Here are the dates for the various rounds of the tournament:
2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule:
April 29: Qualifying deadline
May 15: First Round
May 22: Second Round
May 29: Third Round
June 5: Fourth Round
June 26: Quarterfinals
July 10: Semifinals
Aug. 7 or 8: Final
Those of us who have been big sounder fans since th USL days, know and love this tournament. And now that we have won it three years in a row, all current sounder fans should love it too.
These changes are going to mix things up, and will hopefully make the tournament grow even better.
Talk to any english fan about the FA cup, adn they will tell you the possiblity of facing ManU at home (and beating them), or a similar such team, is what they live for.
And at the end of the day, let’s try and raise it a 4th time!
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