U.S. Open Cup off the table for spring

The Philadelphia Union’s first three regular season games appear to no longer have Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ramifications.

U.S. Soccer on Friday announced the postponement of the 2021 edition of the competition for originally slated for this spring while leaving open the possibility for a later date for the competition.

MLS was going to determine the eight teams in the 16-team abbreviated version of the competition based on points from the first three weeks of the regular season.

“The logistical and financial burdens to have the tournament take place this spring in the current environment are substantial,” Open Cup Commissioner Paul Marstaller stated in a news release. “Even though all of U.S. Soccer’s member professional teams will be playing in their respective league competitions this year, the Committee did not feel it wise to have clubs divert important resources during the next two months for Open Cup play. Instead, we will look further into the future to see what possibilities might exist for 2021. After that, a full-scale 2022 Open Cup is less than a year away.”

Atlanta United were the last Open Cup champion in 2019. The 2020 edition was canceled because of Covid-19.