The tournament drops its proverbial anchor in the middle of the MLS season, a mixture of distraction and opportunity. And therein lies a club’s conundrum in the U.S. Open Cup.
Should it rest its starters with an eye toward the back half of the MLS schedule, or should it attempt to win at nearly all costs?
A year ago, in his rookie season, Sporting Kansas City winger Connor Hallisey entered his first Open Cup tournament with an assumption — it’s a tournament in which MLS clubs take an opportunity to play their backups and give their starting lineup some time off.