The closest Minnesota United has gotten to winning a trophy in its MLS era came in the U.S. Open Cup final in 2019.
The Loons’ 2-1 loss to Atlanta United had them leaving Georgia with a heavy cardboard box filled with leftover “finalist” medals. But MNUFC and its supporters enjoyed that run deep in the national tournament, including a thrilling 2-1 semifinal win over Portland Timbers at Allianz Field.
On Friday, MLS upended tradition in nation’s oldest soccer competition, removing all but eight of its 26 U.S. clubs from participating in the Open Cup. MLS will now have 11 additional clubs enter developmental teams from the third tier of U.S. Soccer, including MNUFC2 of the MLS Next Pro league.
When it comes to U.S. Open Cup involvement, MLS is driving this bus, and MNUFC is among passengers bouncing around in the back seats.
Loons leaders want the club to compete for trophies, including U.S. Open Cup, and this decision from MLS clips their wings — at least for 2024.
FC Cincinnati is one of eight MLS clubs exempted from Open Cup competition because it’s competing in the Concacaf Champion Cup. But Cincinnati still spoke up on Friday.
“As we look ahead to 2025, we believe that each MLS franchise should be given the option to decide their own approach to participating in Open Cup,” the club was quoted by the Cincinnati Inquirer.
MNUFC would second Cincinnati’s suggestion, the Pioneer Press understands. The Loons would also want the flexibility to enter the Open Cup as they see fit.
MLS has called on U.S. Soccer to make bigger financial investments in the tournament. “At this point, we’re subsidizing that tournament,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said last month.
Last year, the Loons noted its big financial commitment to travel to Hamtramck, Mich., to play Detroit City in the third round of the Open Cup.
But how MLS is handling this year’s field for the Open Cup is not be considered to be its long-term solution — something MNUFC notes and appreciates.
Even with this format, MNUFC’s first team would not be left out of the Open Cup if they would have played better in 2023. But the Loons finished 21st place in the MLS Supporters Shield standings and that, too, will force them to watch other MLS teams compete in the tournament that started in 1914.
In the short term, the Loons on Saturday had headache-inducing scheduling conflict on March 20.
MNUFC2 will enter the first round of the U.S. Open Cup against Chicago House in Elmhurst, Ill., at 7 p.m. that Wednesday. And MNUFC set a date for an international friendly against Irish club St. Patrick’s Athletic at the same time in St. Paul.
The Loons, which doesn’t have an MLS game scheduled for March 23-24, also expect to have a handful of players missing for the FIFA international window from March 18-26.
If MNUFC can’t move the date for MNUFC2’s Open Cup match, the club will be stretched thin and might need to use players from its youth academy to fill out rosters.
MLS teams have typically entered the Open Cup later on in the tournament. Until MLS’ downsizing, the Loons’ first-team squad was set to come in at the third round on April 16-17.
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