U.S. Soccer announced considerable adjustments to the 2021 U.S. Open Cup format on Monday, and MLS announced the format for teams to qualify for the tournament as a result. The gist for the LA Galaxy? You better start the season hot if you want to play in the Open Cup.
U.S. Soccer slashed the Open Cup tournament format in half, reducing the entire thing down to 16 teams. That does not decrease the number of MLS entrants, but the league confirmed what had been reported about Open Cup qualification this year: The 24 eligible teams will battle for one of the eight slots out of MLS by picking up points in the first three matchdays of the 2021 season.