Citing continued logistical and financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, US Soccer’s Open Cup Committee announced Friday that the 2021 edition of the tournament will not be held this spring.
According to Friday's release, the Committee will evaluate the possibility of conducting the competition later in the year.
“The logistical and financial burdens to have the tournament take place this spring in the current environment are substantial,” Open Cup commissioner Paul Marstaller said. “Even though all of US 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."
After last year's cancelation, this season's tournament was scheduled to be played between May 18-June 30 under a revised format approved by the Committee to include 16 teams, eight from MLS, with the first three weeks of the league season to be used as qualifying.
For now, Atlanta United remain the reigning Open Cup champion as winners of the last edition of the tournament, which saw the Five Stripes take home their first-ever USOC title with a victory in the final over Minnesota United.
