NPSL Proposes Direct Qualification To US Open Cup

The NPSL has approached the organizers of the oldest and one of the most prestigious club competitions in the USA, the US Open Cup, in order to gain berths directly into the knockout portions of the tournament. The US Open Cup is open to all professional and amateur clubs in the US Soccer Federation and often features "David vs. Goliath" type matchups between the nation's top professional clubs and thier amateur brethren. The NPSL teams must currently qualify through the United States Amateur Soccer Association's (USASA) qualifying process.

Rocket City United failed to qualify for this year's tournament, after finishing second in the group stages of the USASA's US Open Cup Region III qualifying tournament. The group's winner Atlanta FC went on to fall to USL 1 side Charleston Battery in the first round of the knockout stages.


If approved, the NPSL, the nationwide amateur league which is considered the 4th division of the US soccer pyramid, would use regular season matches as qualifiers for the US Open Cup. A similar qualification is also used in the PDL, the other nationwide 4th division league. The NPSL has asked for four berths and it is assumed that one team from each of the league's four regions would occupy the slot.

What is not certain at this time is if the proposal will affect the number of berths allotted to the USASA and/or the PDL? Presently, eight teams qualify from both the USASA and the PDL.

I'll let you know more, as the situation develops.