Sounders FC 2 and seven other USL clubs owned by Major League Soccer teams will no longer be allowed to compete in the U.S. Open Cup, according to changes made by the U.S. Soccer Federation in September and revealed on Wednesday.
The amendment banning clubs like S2 and Portland Timbers 2 from the tournament states that “any Outdoor Professional League Team that is majority owned by a higher-level Outdoor Professional League Team shall be ineligible to participate in the Open Cup.”
The document was posted on the federation's Bylaws and Policies page on the USSF website, stating that the amendment was passed during a meeting of the Board of Directors on Sept. 8. The change was first reported on Wednesday by TheCup.us.
The current teams affected by the change include S2, Timbers 2, Real Monarchs, New York Red Bulls 2, LA Galaxy II and three new USL clubs set to debut next year: Orlando City B, Bethlehem Steel (Philadelphia Union) and Swope Park Rangers (Sporting Kansas City).
Although no reason was officially given for the change, MLS clubs have come under fire in the past for fielding weakend rosters on their USL affiliates because they don't want to cup-tie players with the USL team and make players unavailable for the senior team during the tournament.
S2 was eliminated in the fourth round of the USOC earlier this year after losing 2-1 to Real Salt Lake. They defeated the Kitsap Pumas (PDL) in the second round and Timbers 2 in the third round.
No MLS-affiliated clubs reached the fifth round of the tournament earlier this year. The Sounders were eliminated by the Timbers in the fourth round.
