56-558: [REDACTED] This article does not cite any sources . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . Find sources: "Dewar Cup" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( December 2020 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) [REDACTED] The Sir Thomas Dewar Cup The Sir Thomas Dewar Cup , more commonly known as
112-526: A U23 reserve league, UWS2, in early 2020. After the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup , USL began exploring the idea of creating a professional league to directly compete with NWSL. This effort was scaled back to running an amateur revival of the W-League, which would operate beneath the DII Women's Independent Soccer League (WISL) (operated by NISA ) and a planned DIII league run by UWS. The amateur USL W League
168-491: A director of marketing/public relations on a year-round basis Ownership requirements Markets and stadia Ownership requirements Markets and stadia Since 1996, Major League Soccer (MLS) has been the only sanctioned USSF Division I men's outdoor soccer league in the United States. MLS has grown from 10 teams in 1996 to 29 teams as of 2023 , with a 30th team set to play in 2025. The USL Championship (USLC)
224-802: A division number nor directly sanction anything below Division 3. What follows is a list of additional notable leagues. Amateur leagues National Premier Soccer League 92 clubs – 4 regions with 14 conferences USL League Two 128 clubs – 4 conferences with 18 divisions NISA Nation 21 clubs – 4 regions United Premier Soccer League Premier Division (Tier 1) – 4 conferences with 25 divisions The League for Clubs 5 clubs USASA Regional Elite Amateur and State Premier Leagues Various Multi-State and State Premier Leagues – 4 regions USASA State Leagues Various, many with multiple tiers – 54 state associations The Women's United Soccer Association started playing in 2001, but suspended operations in 2003. It
280-450: A fall-to-spring season spanning two calendar years but switched to the standard U.S. schedule in 2022. In September 2015, it was reported that the USSF was proposing the addition of eligibility requirements for sanctioned Division I soccer leagues, including that they must have at least 16 teams, stadiums with a capacity of at least 15,000, and at least 75% of the teams must be in cities that have
336-503: A plan on how it would meet the Division II criteria. In response, the NASL filed "a federal antitrust suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation" in an attempt to force USSF to drop all Division designations . Due to the continuing litigation against U.S. Soccer, the NASL postponed its 2018 season to August and then cancelled it entirely. In March 2017, United Soccer League announced following
392-571: A population of at least 2 million. In 2018, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a nationwide amateur league announced the intention to set up a professional division, NPSL Pro. As part of the announcement, NPSL initiated a single season competition, the NPSL Founders Cup , involving 11 teams that will form the new professional league in 2020. As of 2024 this has not materialized and NPSL remains an amateur league. Below
448-510: A qualifying tournament or were selected based on league standings. A rule change enacted in 2016 removed U.S. Open Cup entries for teams that were majority-owned by another team in a higher tier, which mostly affected USL Championship teams operated by MLS as reserve or developmental squads. The first round of the 2020 edition was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The tournament
504-478: A separate country by FIFA ) can also compete in these leagues. However, these teams are not eligible for the U.S. Open Cup and cannot represent the United States in the CONCACAF Champions Cup because they are not affiliated with U.S. Soccer. No professional league in any of the major pro sports leagues in the U.S. or Canada uses a system of promotion and relegation . The country's governing body for
560-437: A simple coin toss to decide which team hosts each match for most rounds. When the draw has more than two teams involved, such as the fourth round, U.S. Soccer uses a sealed envelope system. Four envelopes are opened, the first and second are home one and two followed by away one and two. This can be modified due to teams not applying to host and previous round winners not being able to be paired against each other. The following
616-476: Is a list of the number of teams sanctioned by the USSF in the so-called "modern era" under the division sanctioning scheme described above. The USSF does not officially recognize distinctions beyond the three professional divisions above. Currently, three other national leagues are sanctioned by the US Soccer Federation and one of those, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), is part of USASA which
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#1732855956837672-617: Is a national association member of the USSF and the only member of the Adult Council. USL League Two (USL 2) is a national league run by the USL. Both are recognized in practical terms as playing at a higher level and both since 2020 are considered national leagues earning automatic berths to the US Open Cup first round based on their previous season's league results rather than going through local qualifying. The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
728-498: Is a table of the leading career goal scorers in the U.S Open Cup during the modern professional era (1995–present). ESPN+ had exclusive broadcast rights for the 2019 and 2022 Open Cups. Prior to 2019, the tournament had little broadcast exposure, with the final and select matches being broadcast on ESPN networks and all other matches streamed through the USSF's YouTube channel. On March 1, 2022, U.S. Soccer and Turner Sports announced an 8-year exclusive multimedia rights deal for
784-561: Is also recognized by the USSF as a National Affiliate, but does not gain automatic entry to the Open Cup through the National League track, instead going through local qualifiers. Additionally, clubs in USL2, UPSL and NPSL pay some of their players and are more accurately described as semi-professional leagues. USL League Two takes place during the summer months, and has age restrictions. Thus,
840-556: Is the only sanctioned Division II men's outdoor soccer league as of 2021. Formed in 2010 as a result of the merger of the former USL First Division and USL Second Division , the USL Championship was sanctioned as Division III league from 2011 to 2016 before becoming provisionally sanctioned as a Division II league for 2017, and receiving full Division II sanctioning in 2018. The USL Championship expanded almost three-fold since its first season in 2011 to include 35 teams in
896-514: The American Soccer Pyramid took part in the competition proper, with each league narrowing its delegation separately in the spring before the competition officially began in the summer. In some cases, additional teams played in qualifying rounds to gain entry. One example was found with MLS clubs, as only the top six from the previous regular season received automatic bids, while the bottom U.S.-based MLS teams faced each other to qualify for
952-731: The Dewar Cup , was the trophy awarded to the winner of the National Challenge Cup/Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition. It is named after Sir Thomas Dewar as a tribute to his works promoting soccer in the U.S. in the early 1900s. Though the trophy is now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco , Texas , each winning club's name is still added to the base of the trophy each year. External links [ edit ] TheCup.us - Unofficial website of
1008-561: The U.S. Open Cup ( USOC ), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States. It is the country's oldest ongoing national soccer competition. The competition was first held during the 1913–1914 season as the National Challenge Cup , with Brooklyn Field Club winning a trophy donated by Thomas Dewar for the promotion of American soccer. It was renamed and dedicated to North American Soccer League (NASL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) executive Lamar Hunt by
1064-484: The United States Adult Soccer Association , and US Club Soccer . The qualifying rounds have evolved over the years. Amateur and lower-league teams play in months leading up to the formal tournament rounds, with qualifying winners advancing to face USL clubs in geographical pairings in what most recently has been termed the "second round". The winner of each match progresses to the next round and
1120-635: The United States Soccer Federation in 1999 . In its current format, the U.S Open Cup is contested by approximately 100 clubs from the professional leagues sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation – Major League Soccer (MLS), the United Soccer League's Championship and League One divisions, the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), and MLS Next Pro – as well as amateur clubs in
1176-494: The 2020 season, with the league divided into two conferences, Eastern and Western. After that season, held amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic , five teams left the league. The previously Division II North American Soccer League (NASL) was formed in 2009, but did not debut until 2011 following the controversial 2010 season that saw neither the USL First Division nor the NASL receive Division II sanctioning from
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#17328559568371232-536: The NWSL once it established its own women's league in 2017. For many years, there were two leagues that acted as an unofficial lower division. The United Soccer Leagues ran the W-League from 1995 to 2015. The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) was founded in 1998. Almost immediately following the demise of the W-League, United Women's Soccer was founded with orphan W-League teams and WPSL breakaways. UWS then formed
1288-466: The Open Cup since the Rochester Rhinos in 1999, and the most recent lower division team to reach the final was Sacramento Republic FC in 2022 . The most recent champions of the competition, Los Angeles FC , won their first title after defeating Sporting Kansas City in the 2024 final . From 1996 to 2023, MLS teams had participated in every Open Cup competition. The 2022 U.S. Open Cup marked
1344-418: The U.S. Open Cup starting in the 2024 edition , instead opting to send their MLS Next Pro teams. However, on December 20, 2023, U.S. Soccer announced that they had denied MLS the necessary waiver to allow affiliated MLS Next Pro teams to play in the tournament. A compromise announced on March 1, 2024, allowed eight MLS teams to participate with senior squads and eleven to be represented by MLS Next Pro teams;
1400-657: The U.S. Open Cup. The competition is a single-elimination tournament that has been contested by at least 80 teams since the 2014 edition . This pool consists of the American clubs in the professional leagues , which are Major League Soccer , the league now known as the USL Championship , USL League One and National Independent Soccer Association as well as amateur teams from the Premier Development League (now USL League Two ), National Premier Soccer League ,
1456-463: The U.S. as Open Cup champion was 2007's winner, New England Revolution . Starting in 2016, lower-division professional clubs owned by higher-division professional clubs are no longer eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup. This removed the MLS reserve clubs in USL from the 2016 competition, after issues of clubs holding back players from their USL sides in 2015 in order to keep them eligible to play for
1512-466: The UPSL does not rely on college players and is the national league with the most diverse participation. The table below shows the current structure of the system. For each division, its official name, sponsorship name, number of clubs and conferences/divisions are given. The United States Soccer Federation regulates the standards for a league or division to be recognized as professional, while also determining
1568-612: The USASA's "national" leagues, the NPSL and League Two. College soccer in the United States is sanctioned by bodies outside the direct control of the USSF, the most important of which is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). See NCAA Division I women's soccer programs , NCAA Division I men's soccer programs , and NCAA Division II men's soccer programs for a list of college soccer programs in
1624-409: The USSF, resulting in the temporary USSF Division 2 Pro League . NASL was sanctioned as a Division II league from 2011 to 2016; when it fielded 8 teams for the 2017 season, U.S. Soccer only granted the league provisional sanctioning as it fell under the 12-team requirement. The USSF rejected the NASL's application to maintain provisional Division II status for the 2018 season as the NASL did not present
1680-440: The USSF. Automatic promotion and relegation between its leagues, as exists in many other national league systems, was considered by United Soccer League, but was never implemented; although voluntary promotion and relegation has occurred. Some amateur leagues sanctioned by the USASA also use promotion and relegation systems within multiple levels of their leagues. However, there has never been a merit-based promotion system offered to
1736-612: The United States men's and women's national teams. Cindy Parlow Cone, president of U.S. Soccer, confirmed in a separate interview that the new deal would include the Open Cup. Early round U.S. Open Cup matches will air on the Bleacher Report app and the Bleacher Report Football YouTube channel. United States soccer league system The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in
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1792-410: The United States in the early 1900s. While U.S. Soccer had initially administered the competition, in 1985 they handed over management to the USASA. In 1995, U.S. Soccer resumed its administration of the competition. Maccabee Los Angeles of California and Bethlehem Steel of Pennsylvania both won the cup a record five times, while Greek American AA of New York and Seattle Sounders FC are tied for
1848-422: The United States. The standards for Division I, II and III leagues are set by the USSF. Ownership requirements Market requirements Financial viability Media Team organization League operations In addition to the required positions filled by full-time staff, the league office must have full-time staff performing the functions of a chief operations officer, a chief financial officer and
1904-561: The United States. Sometimes called the American soccer pyramid , teams and leagues are not linked by the system of promotion and relegation typical in soccer elsewhere. Instead, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF or U.S. Soccer) defines professional leagues in three levels, called divisions, with all other leagues sanctioned by the USSF not having an official designated level or division. For practical and historical reasons, some teams from Bermuda , Canada , and Puerto Rico (considered
1960-421: The earlier rounds of the tournament that qualify through their respective leagues. The overall champion is awarded $ 300,000 in prize money and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup , while the runner-up receives $ 100,000, and the furthest-advancing team from each lower-division league receives $ 25,000. MLS teams have dominated the competition since the league began play in 1996. No lower division team has won
2016-529: The first round of the Cup, with the winners meeting all 16 USL Pro and NASL teams in the second round. The 16 U.S.-based MLS teams entered in the third round. In 2013 the competition was expanded to 68 teams. All U.S.-based Division I, II and III teams participated in the tournament proper: 16 from Major League Soccer, six from the North American Soccer League and 12 from USL PRO. The remaining 34 spots in
2072-549: The level of division for each league. Division I Major League Soccer 29 clubs – 2 conferences II USL Championship 24 clubs – 2 conferences III MLS Next Pro 29 clubs – 2 conferences National Independent Soccer Association 9 clubs USL League One 12 clubs The system is only defined as far as Division 3. Some semi-professional leagues refer to themselves as fourth division, however any tier or division numbers are not recognized for these leagues as U.S. Soccer does not designate
2128-663: The loser is eliminated from the tournament. Most MLS clubs now enter play in the third round, played in April, matched geographically with the winners of the second round. The highest eight ranked MLS teams enter in the Round of 32 in May. Pairings in each round are done by draw within geographic areas, until a final bracket of 4 teams each in 4 geographic regions is established. After the fourth round, no new teams are introduced, leading to quarterfinals in June,
2184-624: The modern era were the Richmond Kickers of the USISL (the predecessor to the A-League, later known as the USL First Division , USL Pro, United Soccer League, and now as the USL Championship ) in 1995, one year before the start of MLS. D.C. United were the first MLS team to win in 1996. The tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 2012 with all MLS teams in the United States receiving an automatic berth; previously, MLS participants were determined through
2240-476: The official title of the tournament to the "Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup". The winners of the tournament were awarded the Dewar Cup , donated by Sir Thomas Dewar for the promotion of soccer in the United States in 1912, until it was retired due to poor condition in 1979. It was brought back into use by the United States Adult Soccer Association in 1997, but is now back on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas , and
2296-425: The parent MLS club. Players are only allowed to play for one club in any US Open Cup season. Amateur clubs remain eligible to enter even if they are owned by professional clubs. Initially, "hybrid affiliate" clubs—i.e., lower-division professional clubs that are staffed but not owned by higher-division clubs—also remained eligible, but those clubs were also banned effective with the 2016 competition. This last change
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2352-598: The player pool is drawn mainly from NCAA college soccer players seeking to continue playing high level soccer during their summer break, while still maintaining their college eligibility. The National Premier Soccer League is similar to USL2 and also attracts top amateur talent from around the United States. However, unlike USL2, the NPSL does not have any age limits or restrictions, thus incorporating both college players and former professional players. . The United Premier Soccer League takes place year round with two seasons, one in spring and one in fall. Unlike USL2 and NPSL,
2408-409: The recent winners of the tournament have been awarded a new, different trophy. Despite this, the name of each winning club is still added to the base of the original Dewar Cup. The National Challenge Cup was the first truly national cup competition in the United States, as previous cups had been effectively relegated to regional status by the difficulties in coordination and travel caused by the size of
2464-463: The record for most consecutive cup victories at three. The old NASL did not participate in the Open Cup. Since MLS' debut in 1996, MLS clubs have won the cup in all but one of those years. The Rochester Rhinos of the 2nd division A-League were surprise winners in 1999, defeating four MLS clubs, including the Colorado Rapids 2–0 in the championship match. The first professional team to win in
2520-526: The remaining two MLS slots. Beginning in 2012, the competition was expanded from its previous 40 teams to 64, with the qualifying process radically changed. The National Premier Soccer League received six places, plus the possibility of a seventh in a playoff against a team from the amateur US Club Soccer setup. Nine clubs from the USASA earned places, as did 16 USL Premier Development League teams. Each of these organizations has its own qualifying process to determine its entrants. These 32 teams competed in
2576-400: The return of the competition after the 2020 and 2021 tournaments were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic , ending 106 years of consecutive play. On December 15, 2023, MLS announced that affiliated reserve teams from MLS Next Pro would be sent in place of MLS teams for the 2024 edition. U.S. Soccer subsequently denied the request, ruling that MLS teams must compete in the 2024 edition of
2632-665: The sanctioning of the USL Championship as a Division II league it would start a new tier in its professional structure. USL League One received sanctioning in December 2018 and conducted its first season in 2019 with 10 teams. The league expanded to include 12 teams for its second season in 2020 and further expansion had been planned prior to the 2021 season, but was delayed until 2022 or later by COVID-19. A second Division III league, National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) debuted in August 2019 with eight teams. The league initially played
2688-496: The semifinal round in August, and a final match to determine the champion in September. Every match, including the final, lasts 90 minutes plus any additional stoppage time . If no clear winner has been determined after 90 minutes of normal time, 30 minutes of extra time is played. If the score is still level after extra time then the winner is decided by a penalty shoot-out . Through the 2011 edition, eight teams from each level of
2744-419: The sport, the United States Soccer Federation (also known as the USSF or U.S. Soccer), oversees the league system and is responsible for sanctioning professional leagues. The leagues themselves are responsible for admitting and administering individual teams. Amateur soccer in the United States is regulated by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), the only amateur soccer organization sanctioned by
2800-554: The teams participating in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup will not send teams to the Open Cup. The eight MLS participants are defending Open Cup champions Houston Dynamo and the seven highest-ranked teams in the 2023 regular season standings who did not qualify for the Champions Cup. D.C. United will not send a representative due to their lack of a MLS Next Pro affiliate. Through the 2010 U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer used sealed bids to award home matches. From 2011, U.S. Soccer uses
2856-423: The tournament U.S. Soccer's Official Open Cup Website List of US Open Cup finals Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dewar_Cup&oldid=994430074 " Category : U.S. Open Cup Hidden categories: Articles lacking sources from December 2020 All articles lacking sources Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup , commonly known as
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#17328559568372912-562: The tournament field were filled by amateur teams from the Adult Council category–16 from the Premier Development League, eight from U.S. Adult Soccer Association regional qualifying, eight from the National Premier Soccer League, one from US Club Soccer and one from the United States Specialty Sports Association . The process for determining the site for the Open Cup tournament semifinals and final
2968-431: Was canceled entirely in August 2020, with all qualified teams automatically qualified for the following year ; however, the 2021 Open Cup was canceled as well, due to schedule congestion as an effect of the pandemic. The tournament resumed in 2022 with 71 professional clubs out of a total field of 103, both modern-era records. On December 15, 2023, Major League Soccer announced that its teams would no longer enter in
3024-430: Was changed in 2013. In past years, the sites for the final three matches of the tournament had been determined through a sealed-bid process, but in 2013 the hosts of those games were determined by a coin flip. Home teams throughout the entire tournament were determined by random selection. Since 2008, the champion of the U.S. Open Cup has earned the right to play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup . The first team to represent
3080-465: Was proposed by the Houston Dynamo , which were the senior club to Rio Grande Valley FC Toros in the first such arrangement in the U.S. game; that arrangement ended after the 2021 season, and those two teams would be drawn against each other in 2022. The competition dates back to 1913–1914, when it was known as the "National Challenge Cup". In 1999, U.S. Soccer honored patron Lamar Hunt by changing
3136-723: Was replaced in 2009 with Women's Professional Soccer . WPS closed after the 2011 season due to a dispute with owners, and the WPSL Elite League was the de facto top tier of women's soccer in 2012. In November 2012 the National Women's Soccer League , sponsored by the United States Soccer Federation , the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation was announced. The league started play in April 2013. Mexico withdrew from sponsorship of
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