[Watch Sporting KC vs Indy Eleven live in the USA on Apple TV]

The US Open Cup has reached its semi-final stage, showcasing a surprising matchup between two teams that weren’t initially pegged as frontrunners. In one corner, Sporting Kansas City, the clear favorites, enter the contest with the advantage of competing in MLS. On the other side, Indy Eleven, a team from a lower division, is looking to continue their impressive run after a stunning quarter-final upset against MLS side Atlanta United FC.

While Sporting Kansas City are widely expected to advance due to their top-tier experience, Indy Eleven have proven they are more than capable of defying expectations. Their victory over Atlanta United serves as a reminder that anything can happen in cup competitions, and Sporting KC would be wise not to underestimate their opponents.

When will the Sporting KC vs Indy Eleven match be played?

Sporting KC clash with the Indy Eleven in the 2024 US Open Cup semifinal this Tuesday, August 27, with the match kicking off at 8:00 PM (ET).

Sporting KC vs Indy Eleven: Time by State in the USA

ET: 8:00 PM
CT: 7:00 PM
MT: 6:00 PM
PT: 5:00 PM

How to watch Sporting KC vs Indy Eleven in the USA

Get ready for an exciting clash as Sporting KC and Indy Eleven in the 2024 US Open Cup. Catch every thrilling moment of the action live on Apple TV with the MLS Season Pass.

[Watch Atlanta United vs Indy Eleven live in the USA on Apple TV]

The US Open Cup quarterfinals are set to deliver high-octane action, featuring a mix of MLS heavyweights and resilient lower-division squads. Among the standout matchups, Atlanta United, currently struggling to secure a postseason berth in the Eastern Conference, will take on Division II’s Indy Eleven in a classic David vs. Goliath showdown.

Atlanta United, the clear favorite due to their top-tier status, aims to assert their dominance despite recent league challenges. Meanwhile, Indy Eleven is on a quest for an upset, hoping to carve out a heroic victory and shake up the tournament.

When will the Atlanta United vs Indy Eleven match be played?

Atlanta United will face Indy Eleven in the US Open Cup quarterfinals this Tuesday, July 9, with the match set to start at 7:00 PM (ET).

Atlanta United vs Indy Eleven: Time by State in the USA

ET: 7:00 PM
CT: 6:00 PM
MT: 5:00 PM
PT: 4:00 PM

How to watch Atlanta United vs Indy Eleven in the USA

Catch the 2024 US Open showdown featuring Atlanta United against Indy Eleven live on MLS League Pass via Apple TV across the United States.

Since last year, Inter Miami has emerged as a focal point in the soccer universe, primarily due to the high-profile signing of Lionel Messi, who is widely considered by many enthusiasts and experts as the greatest player in the history of the sport. This monumental acquisition has led to a significant influx of Messi’s followers, who have quickly aligned themselves with Inter Miami, transforming their allegiance almost overnight.

Beyond the allure of Messi, the team is adorned with other celebrated talents such as Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, adding depth and prowess to its lineup. This aggregation of world-class players not only enhances the team’s competitive edge but also elevates its appeal among soccer fans globally, making Inter Miami an entity that commands attention and admiration.

The MLS: the great challenge of this year

The MLS title remained elusive for Inter Miami in 2023. Despite the influx of new stars, a poor start to the season hindered any chance of a dramatic turnaround. This year, a new journey unfolds for them, with their top players available from the outset.

February, 2024
Wed., Feb. 21 Inter Miami CF v Royal Salt Lake
Sun., Feb. 25 LA Galaxy v Inter Miami CF

March, 2024
Sat., Mar. 2 Inter Miami CF v Orlando City SC
Sun., Mar. 10 Inter Miami CF v CF Montreal
Sat., Mar. 16 D.C. United v Inter Miami CF
Sat., Mar. 23 New York Red Bulls v Inter Miami CF
Sat., Mar. 30 Inter Miami CF v New York City FC

April, 2024
Sat., Apr. 6 Inter Miami CF v Colorado Rapids
Sat., Apr. 13 Sporting Kansas City v Inter Miami CF
Sat., Apr. 20 Inter Miami CF v Nashville SC
Sat., Apr. 27 New England Revolution v Inter Miami CF

May, 2024
Sat., May 4 Inter Miami CF v New York Red Bulls
Sat., May 11 CF Montreal v Inter Miami CF
Wed., May 15 Orlando City SC v Inter Miami CF
Sat., May 18 Inter Miami CF v D.C. United
Sat., May 25 Vancouver Whitecaps v Inter Miami CF
Wed., May 29 Inter Miami CF v Atlanta United FC

June, 2024
Sat., Jun. 1 Inter Miami CF v St. Louis CITY SC
Sat., Jun. 15 Philadelphia Union v Inter Miami CF
Wed., June 19 Inter Miami CF v Columbus Crew
Sat., Jun. 29 Nashville SC v Inter Miami CF

July, 2024
Wed., July 3 Charlotte F.C. v Inter Miami CF
Sat., July 6 FC Cincinnati v Inter Miami CF
Wed., July 17 Inter Miami CF v Toronto F.C.
Sat., July 20 Inter Miami CF v Chicago Fire FC

August, 2024
Sat., Aug. 24 Inter Miami CF v FC Cincinnati
Sat., Aug. 31 Chicago Fire FC v Inter Miami CF

September, 2024
Sat., Sep. 14 Inter Miami CF v Philadelphia Union
Wed., Sep. 18 Atlanta United FC v Inter Miami CF
Sat., Sep. 21 New York City FC v Inter Miami CF
Sat., Sep. 28 Inter Miami CF v Charlotte F.C.

October, 2024
Wed., Oct. 2 Columbus Crew v Inter Miami CF
Sat., Oct. 5 Toronto F.C. v Inter Miami CF
Sat., Oct. 19 Inter Miami CF v New England Revolution

The other great local challenge: The US Open Cup

Regrettably for Lionel Messi, he won’t have the opportunity to avenge the events of the 2023 season, during which he and Inter Miami were defeated in the final by Houston Dynamo, despite being the strong favorites to win the coveted trophy shortly after securing the Leagues Cup.

Major League Soccer has decided that for the US Open Cup 2024, it will send teams from the MLS Next Pro development league instead of the top-tier franchises from the United States’ premier soccer division. Consequently, none of the leading American teams will participate in this traditional tournament.

Leagues Cup 2024: Inter Miami will be the defending champions

Inter Miami holds the title of reigning champions in this challenging competition, which features the top teams from Concacaf‘s two premier leagues: MLS and Liga MX. While the exact dates of their matches are yet to be confirmed, the opponents they will face have been announced.

Lionel Messi and his team will go up against Tigres UANL and Puebla, both formidable contenders from the Mexican league, in this rigorous contest. The tournament is set to unfold across the United States and Canada, spanning from July 26 to August 25.

Concacaf Champions League: The Premier Club Tournament in the Region

In contrast to the situation with the League Cup, Inter Miami still don’t know their rival for round of 16 in this Concacaf Champions League. However, the dates for their matches have been established. They will compete against the victor of the match between Moca and Nashville SC in the Round of 16.

Wed. 7 March. Moca/Nashville SC v Inter Miami
Wed. 13 March. Inter Miami v Moca/Nashville SC

If Inter Miami continues to advance in the tournament, these would be the dates of the following instances:

Quarterfinals: First leg (2/3/4 Apr); Second leg (9/10/11 Apr)
Semifinals: First leg (23/24/25 Apr); Second leg (30 Apr / 1/2 May)
Final: 2 June

While touching on the subject of the US Open Cup, Wynalda remembered his famous Cal FC and their magical run in the US Open Cup 2012. While a Cinderella story saw the team of amateur players make it to the fourth round of the tournament, Eric Wynalda believes the groundwork was laid to ensure the run would be short lived.

In his own words, Eric Wynalda speaks about how Cal FC was born and what happened along the way as MLS owners, according to Eric Wynalda, refused to share revenues and US Soccer never took under consideration that the players of Cal FC could not afford road trips and still scheduled games cross country at times.

Eric Wynalda on Cal FC’s US Open Cup run

I remember when Cal FC had that magical run in the US Open Cup, and how it all came together. This was a time when I was in contact with the then ownership of the Chicago Fire.

In the Chicago Fire I still had some of my friends still there like Frank Klopas, CJ Brown, and Zach Thornton. Andrew Hauptman, their owner, who lived in California but he ran a team that was in Chicago.

Andrew Hauptman had a GM named Javier Leon, who was from Chivas USA, and at the time I had dinner with these guys, and we talked about how to make the club better. This is before the DP rule took off and there was still a lot of the rules in roster building, MLS was still penny pinching.

My attention initially was to create an offsite satellite academy for the Chicago Fire, and what that meant was that the club would be tapping into the California talent, now I started a team, we played in the local leagues, I started recruiting players and I called it CFC.

I protected it, I entered the club in league play, I had people at the Fire who sent me all of last year’s jerseys, so we actually played and participated as the Chicago Fire in California, to build the brand of the Chicago Fire in the area.

When people got wind of this there was a big problem, at the end of the day I did not get hired by the Chicago Fire and I was pissed off. So, I kept the jerseys, started my own team and entered the Open Cup.

A US Open Cup with all the roadblocks

The team that went into the competition thought we would be playing locally, and our goal was to play against the LA Galaxy. We were a California team based in Oxnard, we wanted to play against the Galaxy that was our opportunity.

So, the brackets came out from US Soccer and our first game was against 2012 PDL Champions Kitsap. Which was all the way up in Washington, they were the fourth division champions, and we had to participate in a nine-game qualification process.

We ended up beating Kitsap 3-1, we raised a few eyebrows, this group of amateurs, these “nobodies” just beat the champions of the fourth division. We came home and we thought we’d play against a local team in California and then US Soccer did their magic, and we were sent to play the Wilmington Hammerheads.

That game was impossible for us to get to, we had to get on seven different airplanes, couldn’t afford it, we had to go all the way to Wilmington. This was the second division champion (from USL). We beat them 4-0, and at that time a lot of people were saying, “how is this possible?”, we came home, and we thought “great now we get the LA Galaxy”. We really couldn’t afford to travel, and US Soccer spit out the next version of the bracket and we had to play against the Portland Timbers.

Which we couldn’t afford either, and the game was supposed to be on Tuesday, the Portland Timbers had a stadium conflict, called us and said, “could you move it to Wednesday?”. I agreed and I asked Merritt Paulson if they would share the revenues with us, he said “no problem”.

The game was moved to Wednesday, I called (then Timbers coach) John Spencer and told him “play your pros”, “play your first team”, I remember looking at the Timbers schedule they didn’t have another MLS game for 18 days.

Spencer said, “I’ll play my guys, you sure?”, and I said, “yeah, we’re not in this to win, we are in this to prove something. Let us get the opportunity “and Spencer said yes.

We won the game 1-0, Cal FC became the first amateur team to beat an MLS club without needing penalty kicks. And this was a big moment for a lot of us, sadly it would end in the fourth round because we lost to the Seattle Sounders.

It was a 5-0 game, by then Merritt Paulson backed tracked on his deal, never gave us a dime, and the entire tournament cost me personally $27,000 of my own money, to give some of my players some money, and a thank you for their gas money and their commitment.

Ultimately what I was introduced to was the realities of this tournament, now LA Galaxy was still in this competition when we beat Portland, and still after all that trouble and knowing we were amateur team, US Soccer still sent us to Seattle.

We had to pay for more airfare and more hotels which we did not have the funds for, and we were gassed by the end. We just ran out of gas. I took that team, nine of them, and when I was hired as the head coach of the Atlanta Silverbacks, we won the Spring Championship in 2013 in the NASL.

Seven of those kids ended up with professional careers, that’s the success story of Cal FC, was that ever embraced at all by MLS? No. Never. You thought that would impress somebody, and it didn’t.

The statement was clear but left a big question mark, what happens now? US Soccer’s statement read; “Major League Soccer has requested to allow MLS Next Pro teams to represent MLS in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

After thoughtful consideration, we have informed MLS that the US Soccer Staff recommendation, which was adopted by the Pro League Taskforce, is that the request be denied. As we move forward, we will continue our review of the Open Cup to ensure that it aligns with US Soccer strategic pillars. We remain committed to addressing the needs and concerns of all our members, including MLS, and other stakeholders to enhance and improve the US Open Cup.”

What now?

With US Soccer officially telling MLS to shove it, the question now lies in what happens next? Under US Soccer’s guidelines MLS cannot simply walk away from the tournament, if they do, without the consent of US Soccer, the league could lose its division 1 ranking, meaning MLS would not be considered the top league in the US Soccer pyramid.

MLS has no desire to play the US Open Cup, and heavy questions have been tabled as to just how important MLS views any other competition (Concacaf Champions Cup, Club World Cup, Copa Libertadores) that is not under their umbrella like Leagues Cup or their Apple TV deal.

Recently in an interview with Bolavip, former US Soccer presidential candidate Eric Wynalda stated that Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, most likely did not like the fact that Lionel Messi, MLS’ prize asset, was playing a semifinal or cup final away from the league’s prize Apple TV deal.

“When somebody came in from the outside (TyC Sports) and said, “I want to buy the rights (to the US Open Cup), I want to put this on television, I want to tell Messi’s story in the United States”, that must have scared the hell out of Don Garber. That’s the last thing in the world that he needs.”

The reality is, it would make no sense for US Soccer to not have a chance to sell rights to the US Open Cup abroad like they did in the case of TyC Sports and generate huge revenue for a tournament largely ignored nationally, let alone internationally.

Having a chance at seeing Messi lift the title would be a huge asset for the image of the tournament and US Soccer, who has struggled greatly to sell the US Open Cup to a larger audience than diehard niche soccer fans.

The ball is now in the court of MLS, who have stated before that the US Open Cup is not a priority moving forward. The breaking of the marketing deal between SUM and US Soccer seems to be the driving force behind the disconnect between the nation’s top league and federation.

One thing is for certain, amid the most important next 3 years in the history of soccer in the United States, MLS and US Soccer are at a crossroads of interests, relevancy, money, and ego.

UPDATE MLS FULL STATEMENT AFTER US SOCCER DENIES REQUEST

Major League Soccer recently proposed to U.S. Soccer a plan for MLS NEXT Pro teams to represent the League in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. MLS took that step because it believes that there are several essential goals and concerns that must be addressed in connection with the tournament, including developing young professional players and providing them with greater opportunity to play before fans in meaningful competition in a tournament setting, prioritizing player health and safety, reducing schedule congestion for MLS clubs, and enhanced investment from U.S. Soccer.

U.S. Soccer has subsequently notified MLS that the Federation is not prepared to grant the necessary waiver for MLS NEXT Pro clubs owned by MLS owners to participate in the Open Cup. Independently owned MLS NEXT Pro clubs such as Chattanooga FC and Carolina Core remain eligible for the 2024 Open Cup.

MLS is committed to finding a viable solution for the 2024 tournament and is working to find a pathway that addresses its goals and concerns. Moving forward, MLS will remain focused on increasing opportunities for up-and-coming players, a key component of the League’s player development strategy that ultimately benefits the U.S. national team program.

In his playing days Wynalda was fire on the pitch, from explosive goals to an explosive temper, he always played with a fire in his belly. By his own admission he bit off more than he could chew at times when he was a pundit, as the powers that be tried to silence his voice.

Eric Wynalda also knows that there are deep and dark issues in US Soccer, mostly managed by Major League Soccer, and which has caused him to even be blacklisted from visiting and chatting with the new USMNT stars.

In a sit down interview with Bolavip, the former all-time leading scorer for the USMNT talked about the recent events that saw MLS pull out of the US Open Cup, how MLS for a long time has been trying to bring all aspect of the sport “in house” and how Jay Berhalter continues to influence a lot of decisions in the MLS- US Soccer pyramid.

Bolavip: What are your thoughts on the recent news that MLS is pulling out of the US Open Cup?

Eric Wynalda: Arrogant is the number one word that comes to mind. I think what I realized in my time as a player, commentator, or as a coach is that since Don Garber arrived, he has changed the business model dramatically.

It’s not about soccer, it never was, it was about building stadiums, it was about these land/ real estate deals which make sense to an owner and not to the soccer community, players, or fans.

(Garber) is not somebody who understands competition, but rather has a direct line or business plan that does not really include anybody else.

It’s either you work for us, or we isolate you and we destroy you, and that’s what it is in this particular case. The teams that play in MLS are the only teams that exist is incredibly short sided and sad.

BV: By excluding themselves from the US Open Cup, isn’t it only hurting themselves in the end? When Messi played against FC Cincinnati, TyC Sports in Argentina bought the rights to the US Open Cup, sent a reporter, did a pregame, a post-game, this is one of the most passionate soccer countries in the world, but they dedicated 48 hours of coverage for an American cup game. Isn’t that what MLS craves, worldwide recognition or exposure?

EW: It’s not actually, they did an Apple deal, the whole premise of Apple is to sign players, the league is going to sign Luis Suarez so people from Uruguay will subscribe to Apple TV in Uruguay.

(Note Apple TV is not available in Uruguay but many Uruguayans use VPN connections to watch Apple TV).

Same thing across the world, they are hoping to get some big names that would make Apple more accessible to people from multiple countries. That’s what the business plan is.

When somebody came in from the outside (TyC Sports) and said, “I want to buy the rights (to the US Open Cup), I want to put this on television, I want to tell Messi’s story in the United States”, that must have scared the hell out of Don Garber. That’s the last thing in the world that he needs.

BV: Sebastián Salazar came out recently and was really critical of MLS pulling out of the US Open Cup, even suggesting that division 1 status be pulled. How important is it that many conventional and online media personalities spoke out about this?

EW: Well, I really don’t put a lot of weight into what Sebastián Salazar has to say, am not a fan of his, I do think there is an ongoing lawsuit with the NASL with USSF because basically the USSF set standards that was a criteria where the objective was to build stadiums to achieve division 1 status, those criteria were almost unreachable unless you were an MLS franchise.

So, places like Louisville or Tampa Bay, some of the smaller teams, (US Soccer) opposed ways to figure out ways to be more inclusive and figure out ways to help those clubs do their business better and maybe create revenue streams that would allow them to build their business. This decision (pulling out of Open Cup) essentially is meant to prevent them from continuing to build their business.

Division 1 status is not based on merit at all, it’s based only on the environment or what the stadium looks like, those are the only things Don Garber cares about is what the stadium looks like.

What the perception of the reality is rather than there is a team in the USL that is better than your product… We celebrate stadiums not clubs. That’s the way this works.

BV: Isn’t this going against MLS original mission statement to promote soccer in the United States? Isn’t MLS isolating itself from not only their own country, but also creating these paper competitions (Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup), isolating itself from being relevant to the outside world?

EW: That’s what a franchise system is, it’s the same reason why there are 32 Football teams, 30 NBA teams, 30 MLB teams, and eventually there will be 32 MLS teams, once you’re in the club and the bubble is closed that’s it.

The only thing you can do is to wait for one of those franchises to fail and move it to somewhere else where you believe it can make it more successful.

We’ve seen that happen in MLS when San Jose moved to Houston and am sure it will happen again. San Diego is coming in with a $500 million price tag, which sets another precedent which (MLS) will have to continue to go after a big number in order to pay everybody else.

I know what that’s called, everybody else knows what that’s called. am not going to go on record to call it what it is. When you’re relying on Peter to pay Paul, we know what that business model is. It’s going to get to 32 and then that bubble will burst.

Then some ownership groups will be asking, “where’s the money?”, “when do I get paid back for my investment?”, and that will be the moment when Don Garber grabs his parachute and jumps out of the plane and doesn’t care if the plane crashes.

BV: In the end this is a business, and there have been many owners in MLS that helped saved the league from folding, many who have built stadiums and poured millions into their teams, are we entering a time where those owners are asking, “Hey were is our ROI? It’s time to make money from this soccer thing?”

EW: Actually, it will be the new owners, they are far more into this than the older owners, the ones who started MLS, they got their money back. If you look at Colorado and from Stan Kroenke’s viewpoint, he must say, “Why do I have to put more into this? I broke even, I did my part, I have no intention of making this any better than I’ve done.”

Colorado is one of those franchises that could end up like the Indianapolis Colts, they get moved in the middle of the night and everyone gets the memo the next day.

Five years ago I was in a meeting, what was interesting to me back then, I was running for US Soccer president at the time, when the idea of the US Open Cup came up and enhancing the property came up, and finding money, Riccardo Silva (owner of Miami FC and AC Milan) was ready to go, he wanted to raise $100 million to make an insertion that would give the competition the kind of exposure it needed with television rights and move the meter there.

In that meeting Jay Berhalter, who was at that time a part of US Soccer, put himself in that conversation and said, “your lucky MLS is even a part of that”, meaning the US Open Cup. Which didn’t strike me until I thought about it later, by saying am lucky MLS teams are even in the US Open Cup, when pushed on it and when we said, “isn’t this an opportunity to grow the game, it’s US Soccer, wouldn’t MLS want to take part in that growth?” (Berhalter)’s next response was “am not MLS.”

Well let me remind everybody Jay Berhalter is now MLS, he was then a part of US Soccer, he now works for Major League Soccer, so we really got to start pointing the finger or throwing darts at the people who make the final decisions, some are really horrible decisions like this one, it’s not all Don Garber, Jay Berhalter is the mastermind behind this, he is the mastermind behind a lot of things.

That’s what we have to remember. He does work for MLS now, he is the one pulling the strings, and he never wanted MLS to be involved (with the US Open Cup) in his time in US Soccer and now in his position in Major League Soccer.
Let’s make sure the real names are exposed.

BV: So in the end this all comes down to the end of the contract between MLS/SUM and USSF?

EW: It all comes down to, regardless of Don Garber or Jay Berhalter, who have offices next to each other in MLS, both of those individuals sit/sat on the board of US Soccer, and our current president (of US Soccer) who is not going to make a decision. Cindy Parlow Cone is not making decisions at all for US Soccer, it’s not like she is doing anything.

Matt Crocker was brought in by Jay Berhalter, who doesn’t work for US Soccer. Mike Ford, the man responsible for finding our next USMNT coach, ask yourself where his office is, right next to Jay Berhalter which is right next to Don Garber.

When these decisions were made and Matt Crocker was brought in to do absolutely nothing, he was brought in by Jay Berhalter, who is still the puppet master in this entire operation, and his brother happens to be our national team coach.

BV: What do you make of Jesse Marsch’s comments about the USMNT? It’s one thing if a pundit says it, but a coach who is realistically in the running for the position, was that ethical?

EW: You’re talking to the wrong person; I worked for ESPN and Fox and was almost fired numerous times for stating my opinion on things. My only goal as a pundit was to progress, and if you are the national team coach be it Bruce Arena or Bob Bradley you have to know there will be criticism.

I watched all our national team coaches fight the media and fight with me about my opinions, being critical is not the be all and end all of our relationship. If I think that’s a bad sub, well to me that’s a bad sub.

In my time with Fox, I was brought into a room numerous times and told “you must stop being critical of the US, they are our partners, and in that agreement we do not criticize each other.”

Then my job is impossible, if I really believe that’s not the right course of action, I have to say that, and I was almost fired a couple of times.

I am currently not allowed to speak to the national team, not because the national team coach doesn’t want to talk to me, it’s because their PR director has put me on a blacklist. It is what it is.

Am just trying to help but they don’t want help.

BV: The Copa America is right around the corner, it’s a huge tournament for the USMNT and their future plans in 2026, what is a success for this team, given everything that is going on around them in MLS, at US Soccer. Am sure the players know all that is going on.

EW: Of course, they do, playing for the national team is not easy, it’s an immense responsibility, it’s an honor, and people would argue in the past, this is the best team we ever had, the most talented, because of where they are playing.

I think the perception of the American player has changed greatly, over the last couple of decades, and that comes from some of our goalkeepers, Clint Dempsey, John Harkes, Tab Ramos, Michael Bradley. These are guys who did well in Europe. Some guys like Jozy Altidore didn’t.

I think the point is the Tab Ramos’ of the world or the John Harkes’ of the world and the guys who didn’t play for the best teams were as good or better than the players today.

Tab Ramos in his best days would walk into this team and it wouldn’t even be a contest. For someone to say to me that they think Yunus Musah or Pulisic or an Aaronson are so much better than Tab Ramos are out of their minds.

A lot of these people think soccer started in 2002 and we just have to deal with that. To go back to the original question in our case, we did it backwards we had a great World Cup in 1994, then we did very well in the US Cup in 1995, before going to Copa America in 1995 and beating Chile, the first US team to beat a South American team in South American soil, Argentina, and then eliminating Mexico only to lose to Brazil in the semifinals by a small margin.

Hey, we in two tournaments (94 and 95) were eliminated by Brazil, the current world champions at the time only for in 1997 to defeat them in the Gold Cup, the USMNT first official win over Brazil. Then we were a shell of ourselves by 1998, I think we learned a lot of lessons in France 98. How you can get it really really wrong.

What am saying is the team can build off of this Copa America experience and take it to the World Cup. And continue to learn how to win, have they had a signature win yet? No. In my opinion, no, in my time we were beating Russia, Argentina, England, Mexico a bunch of times, Poland, there were a lot of games that we could hang our hat on and say, “That’s a step in the right direction”.

I really don’t know if we have a signature win yet (currently). So going all the way back Jesse Marsch isn’t wrong he’s just pointing out the obvious. If you’re going to say something on TV, you better back it up with a stat.

• Interview adjusted for time and context
  ** Later this week Bolavip will showcase an article about Cal FC’s US Open Cup run and how Eric believes MLS and US Soccer didn’t do much to help his team’s cause.

During the summer, Inter Miami made arguably the most ambitious decision in MLS history. The Florida-based team secured a highly lucrative deal, signing Lionel Messi and bringing one of the greatest players in history to the United States.

This decision swiftly paid dividends for the club. Lionel Messi led the team to victory in the 2023 Leagues Cup, claiming his first title in the US and dispelling any notion that he came to the MLS just to retire.

MLS clubs have decided not to participate in the 2024 US Open Cup

Huge changes are set for the US Open Cup next year. Following numerous rumors, Major League Soccer (MLS) has officially confirmed that its clubs will not participate in the tournament for 2024, a decision that has caught everyone by surprise.

On Friday, the league announced that MLS teams have chosen not to participate in the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Instead, representation will come from MLS NEXT Pro clubs, set to compete for the title.

As per the MLS, this decision aims to foster the growth of young talent and provide emerging professional players with opportunities to compete at a higher level. Additionally, it’s geared towards reducing schedule congestion, affording players more rest time between games.

The decision has surprised everyone. Earlier this year, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami came close to securing the US Open Cup title but were defeated by the Houston Dynamo. Now, they won’t even have the chance to compete for the trophy.

Naturally, this decision has sparked differing opinions. Some fans believe that MLS is undervaluing the tournament, while others argue that this change will provide young talents with more opportunities to play, potentially securing a spot in the main club.

What is MLS NEXT Pro?

MLS NEXT Pro is a league affiliated with the MLS, launched in 2022 as a project to support the main clubs. A total of 27 teams are part of this competition and is classified as part of the third tier of US Soccer.

MLS clubs often utilize these teams to test young talents and subsequently promote them to the main roster. Sending them to the US Open Cup could be a remarkable opportunity to enhance competitiveness and cultivate better players.

The Argentine star has been struggling with muscle fatigue since the September break. After asking to be subbed off in La Albiceleste’s win over Ecuador, Messi only saw 36 minutes of action against Toronto FC until he had to leave the field.

Leo even missed the derby against Orlando City hoping to show up in the final, but he still needs more time to recover. With this loss, his side not only missed out on its first ever domestic cup title, but also on a monetary reward.

The monetary prize Messi’s Inter Miami failed to secure

With their loss to Houston, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami missed out on $300,000, which is the purse for the US Open Cup champions. Other competitions offer much bigger prizes, but it would have been a nice compensation regardless.

This time, it was the Dynamo who took home the check. Next year, Gerardo Martino’s men will have another opportunity to go after the trophy. But first, they’ll try and push for a place in the 2023 MLS Playoffs.

When is Inter Miami’s next game?

Inter Miami return to action on Saturday, September 30, when they welcome New York City FC to DRV PNK Stadium at 7:30 PM (ET). Messi remains questionable for this clash.

How many goals has Messi scored for Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi has so far scored 11 goals in 12 appearances for Inter Miami.

Drake Callender did everything he could to keep a clean sheet but it took only 24 minutes for the visitors to take the lead thanks to Griffin Dorsey. Nine minutes later, Amine Bassi extended Houston’s lead from the penalty spot.

Just like Dallas FC or Atlanta United did in the past, the social media team of the away side made sure to take a subtle jab at Messi’s side as Dynamo were paving the way towards the title.

Houston Dynamo troll Messi, Inter Miami on social media

“Messi? Nah, we got Bassi,” wrote the club on X (Twitter). There was still a lot left to play for in the game, but with Messi on the sidelines, the Houston Dynamo admin didn’t seem to be worried.

Some users replied pointing out the fact that they were poking fun at a player who wasn’t even on the field, but others understood it was just a joke.

Either way, it was a night to remember for the Houston Dyanmo, who secured the trophy for the second time, with minority owner James Harden cheering on them at the stadium. The Herons, on the other hand, really missed Messi’s magic.

How many goals does Lionel Messi have with Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi has scored 11 goals in 12 appearances for Inter Miami so far.

The 36-year-old has been struggling with muscle fatigue since he came back from the September international break with Argentina. Though he got to see the field against Toronto FC, it only took 36 minutes for Messi to ask for the substitution.

He missed the Herons’ following game against Orlando City hoping to recover on time for the domestic cup decider, but it wasn’t possible. Unsurprisingly, ticket prices for this clash have plummeted since the news broke.

Ticket prices for Inter Miami-Houston Dynamo drop as Messi is not playing

Messi has made a significant impact in US soccer not only on the field, but also off it. Ticket prices for Inter Miami games have gone through the roof since he joined the club, and the US Open Cup final was no exception.

Only a few days ago, when Messi was still expected to play, the cheapest seat for the final cost $220. When people found out Messi wouldn’t play, tickets became available for less than $70.

Something similar happened a few weeks ago, when fans found out Messi wasn’t traveling with Inter Miami for the road game against Atlanta United. At the end of the day, it’s clear that many people are only interested in watching Messi in action.

How many games has Lionel Messi missed with Inter Miami?

The US Open Cup final will be the fourth game Lionel Messi will miss since joining Inter Miami in July 2023.

The Argentine superstar has completely turned the franchise around since the moment he set foot in the United States. Not only did Leo increase the club’s popularity, but he also made the Herons improve on the field.

The 7x Ballon d’Or winner put the team on his back from day one, leading Inter Miami to their first ever trophy in the Leagues Cup. Messi also helped them reach the domestic cup final, but he won’t take part in the tournament decider.

The reason Messi is not playing in the US Open Cup final

Lionel Messi is not playing for Inter Miami in the 2023 US Open Cup final against Houston Dynamo due to muscle fatigue.

The 36-year-old has been carrying this problem for weeks, as he barely saw the field since returning from international duty with Argentina. Messi asked to be subbed off in the final minutes of the 1-0 win over Ecuador before resting in the visit to Bolivia.

Back in the US, the former Barcelona star didn’t join Inter Miami for the road game against Atlanta United and only played 36 minutes against Toronto FC. Messi didn’t take part in the latest derby with Orlando City (1-1) and now he’s not even on the bench for this massive clash. Therefore, Inter Miami have to find a way to succeed without their biggest star.

How many goals has Lionel Messi scored for Inter Miami?

Lionel Messi has so far scored 11 goals in 12 games for Inter Miami.