Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are looking to qualify for their second cup final in a week as they take on FC Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup semi-final
While it holds prominence in the national soccer landscape as one of the preeminent titles on offer, it hasn’t found an audience far beyond existing fans of domestic soccer. Even before its two-year hiatus, the U.S. Open Cup struggled to garner high broadcast ratings and, at times, would have to show all of its games on YouTube or a streaming partner due to a lack of interest from over-the-air broadcasters.
In May, MLS commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the tournament’s perceived lower quality of competition in a U.S. Soccer board meeting. “From our perspective, it is a very poor reflection on what it is we’re trying to do with soccer at the highest level. The games are hard to find — I’m telling you as an actual viewer,” Garber said. “The reaction from our ownership, from our team presidents, and even our fans in terms of even being able to find the games, the quality of the games. Some of the games that we’ve been playing in are on subpar fields.
“I appreciate the enthusiasm about it but we need to get better with the U.S. Open Cup. It’s just not the proper reflection of what soccer in America at the professional level needs to be.” Its most ardent supporters are often those with interest or rooting allegiances below MLS on the domestic soccer pyramid. These games can be vital injections of matchday revenue for lower-division sides, who in turn often provide the tournament with its most memorable moments each year.
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