The “B” Word: Rebranding a Legend

The common criticism of “branding” is that’s corporate speak for soulless soccer. It’s the general feeling that branding indicates plastic, polished, disconnected and commercialized, rather than building an image that exhibits a sincere connection to the fanbase, the players on the field, the history of the club, or the local demographics. Most commonly, this happens because clubs hire consultants from outside the area, which leads to a mismatch of focus from the local populace. Granted in the grassroots space, this is less common due to budgetary constrictions.

Generally in this space, we see the opposite. We see clubs with so little budget or training that they settle for the cheapest, most generic options. Kits are off the rack from sporting goods store or ordered in bulk from online distributors to reduce costs. Oftentimes, little thought is put into crest creation, so youth logos are just recycled. Let’s be honest, youth logos can be a little boring and sophomoric. How many pixilated soccer balls do we need to see? We get it, you play soccer.

But in the last few years, we’ve seen a rise in great branding in lower league soccer. Kit designers and manufacturing have adjusted their business models in such a way that clubs can afford unique and attractive looks without going broke. Even local leagues have become hotspots of slick design, thanks to businesses like Icarus and Custom SC. And that shift is moving into other merchandise. Clubs are building inventory that’s well-designed and interesting. It’s a good time to buy merchandise if you’re a grassroots fan.

But branding is bigger than just merchandise, it’s also about consistency of message and style, particularly in social media. Use of hashtags and appropriate language (even if the social media manager is a volunteer!) is so important in conveying permanence and professionalism. And when I say appropriate language, I’m not saying language that doesn’t offend. Consider Northern Guard, DCFC’s supporter group, who regularly curses and uses aggressive language in their social media posts. It’s appropriate for their brand. It’s on point and what their supporters expect. It’s part of the club’s identity.

So for a short series of articles, I set out to talk to clubs who are embracing the goal of being well-branded, either in merchandise, social media, outreach, or a combination of all of those things. Yes, it’s a series about branding, but it’s more about reflecting the values of your fans, your club, and your city in everything that sees the light of day. Some get it, some don’t. I spoke to some that definitely get it.

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Legacy brands are ones that don’t require an introduction. They’ve been around for years and have made enough of an impact that they are recognizable to anyone in the field. Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern - you know them because they have defined soccer for 100 years. Soccer in the United States has no such history, at least not an unbroken history. While soccer has had moments of great impact, the vast majority of the last 100 years have progressed without soccer being in the top 4 sports in the country. Aside from the US Open Cup, there is very little connections between the modern game and the great leagues that dominated the American soccer landscape in the 20’s and 30’s. But that doesn’t mean the names are dead and buried, some still linger on the fringes of public awareness - names like Bethlehem Steel and Fall River Marksmen.

Andre’ Ruette knew the name Fall River Marksmen. Though he has lived in other parts of the country, his own origins and many of his family members live in the New York City/North Jersey area. That personal connection, combined with soccer history made the idea of reigniting the Fall River brand a task he was willing to take on. “The footballing history and legacies from this city are remarkable. For a city that could claim itself as the home of U.S. club soccer and along with having family in the area, the choice to revive the Marksmen and the city's footballing pulse was an all too easy choice to make.”

We asked Andre’ to discuss the difficulties in rebuilding the Fall River Marksmen brand and how he’s approached that task with respect for the history.

Reviving a brand is complicated - how do you walk the line on being authentic?

There's certainly a lot of variables to take into account but the simplest explanation is to represent the club in the way I as a football supporter would want to see & experience. Running a club certainly puts you in a position of having to make business decisions but you have to put the game first, it's the essence and soul of what any club is about. At the end of the day, for me at least, I always want to ensure our club is seen as a footballing brand and custodian of the game first with the commercial aspects hopefully being the back end of one's perspective of our organization. All in all, you have to allow the game and all of it's wonderful nuances to tell the story, you can't be authentic if you're forcing the story or flogging your brand & merchandise all the time. Embrace your players and those closest to the club & allow for their stories to be told. Humans love connecting or identifying with something, let your club talk, give it the ability to allow for connections & bonds. If you can convince a true fan of the sport that you're doing right by the game, they'll in return not only respect the club but hopefully also sell others into becoming a fan of the club.

How much do you lean on history in your branding?

Typical branding or marketing ideas/campaigns that could work with your normal club don't always apply to ourselves as we always have to be mindful of the past and ensure we are honoring it and not overlooking or tarnishing anything. Although trying to be true to our clubs original roots can be difficult at times, especially given the years that have lapsed since the club folded, we're lucky to have an ace up our sleeve thanks to our club historian Derek Gonsalves. When the initial plans to roll out this revival were drawn up, one of the key parts was ensuring we had a respected club historian. Fortunately for ourselves we were lucky enough to bring Derek into the position and he's been brilliant thus far. Having Derek around to help ensure the tales of yesteryear remain fresh and honored today in 2020 has been a true blessing and wonderful crutch to lean on.

In regards to an example of our branding that ties in the past, I'd say our home kit is a good start. It was important to me to present a home kit that tied our two worlds together and Icarus kit designs helped out a lot in bringing my ideas to reality. 

Another avenue for our branding that pulls in the past is our initiative to rekindle former bonds that the original Marksmen had with various clubs from across America and Europe. We've had some really interesting discussions recently with some clubs both home & abroad and we're working on a few items that we hope further ties the stories of yesteryear to today. We've also been fortunate enough to have some private conversations with relatives of former players and seek out their stories and approval of how we present & handle their loved one's legacy. It's important to me and to all of us that we place earning the respect of the family and fellow historians well before earning a buck.

Claiming the record of the past time (Open Cups and such) seems problematic. I'd love to hear your thoughts on that.

Short answer, we'll forever happily stand in the original Marksmen's shadows. 

We're here to ensure their legacy lives on and stories told and untold, continue to be brought into conversations about domestic & international football. How the carrying of the torch is perceived is up to the footballing God's, the family members of those who are associated with the original Marksmen and of course the public's perspective and in time we hope to earn their collective trust and respect.

If you want to start getting technical about carrying on a lineage, then a lot of other clubs would be in line well before ourselves. A great example is the large number of clubs that lay across the domestic levels which have some sort of brandishing to the effect of "Since XXXX" or "Est XXXX" and how it's presented.The reality of the matter is how many of these clubs are presenting their lineage is false (going dormant, changing names/identity, relocating,etc..) yet publicly they are accepted as the truth or in the very least an acceptable alteration of the truth. Largely those who are successful in navigating those waters are financially strong enough to provide an assortment of other variables that make up their identity and the altered aspect of their history is buffered or downed out. Then there's another small group of clubs, which I hope we fall into, who handle their history/story with enough transparency and care that the story of yesteryear is allowed to form a unique bond with the here and now. 

If it were all about the potential of cashing in on the name and using it for personal gains then that train would have departed the station by now. Most don't know outside of those I share my dinner table with, that not long after the club's revival was made public there were two separate offers from sources that wanted to finance & place the team in a national league. If it were about the coin and/or my own arrogance, I would have signed away. To delve even deeper, I grew up as a seriously passionate Hartford Whalers and Metrostars fan, I know all too well what it's like to have an identity taken away or altered, I'd never ever want to be a part of something like that. 

Without question though, we have a long way to go until we can prove we're worthy of holding the name, let alone the memories and accolades that come along with it. There's a certain way to take care of and respect this game, it's not always the same parts and pieces for each club but if you take the time to respect the game of football and all of it's wonderful components, such as our history, in time it will all take care of itself and that's my philosophy with this club and it's accompanying history.

Did that type of thinking influence your kit design?

I wanted to find a balance of yesterday and today with our match day kits. I decided that our home kits would be a link between the 1931 Marksmen (when they folded) and today, bring that hooped kit forward and give it a slight modern twist of today. The black drawstring collar and sponsor-less design hearkens to the days of yesteryear and compliments the vibrant red & white hooped design. The numbers on the back are simple black font a close look to the very few teams in that era that did wear uniform numbers. The original Marksmen to the best of our knowledge never adorned uniform numbers throughout their history. 

All in all, I was after a classic look that would stand out on the pitch and give us a unique look that matched our club's unique history. The red and white hoops really stand out, especially from the perspective of seeing these kits in action as a fan. To me a great kit is all about finding that aesthetic that provides a unique look from both close up and from afar while also being easily identifiable & respected. I can understand our home kit not being everyone's favorite cup of tea but I'm really pleased with how it looks. Having Robert w/IcarusFC around to help w/the process was also a great blessing too.

For the away kit, my vision was to give it a modern approach along with a salute to our city & community. The faded brick design that is present throughout the kit is an homage to the many brick lined buildings that are all too present in the Fall River & South Coast community. The city was once home to a quarry and many of the older buildings that remain standing today in Fall River & the South Coast are made from the very stones that were pulled from the Fall River quarry, so a bit of a nod to that as well. The red sash across running across the front and back, plus the one shoulder is one part visual and one part story. The red sash flowing into the shoulder and over the back breaks the norm of the usual front shoulder to waist sash designs, with the all red shoulder helping to give the jersey an overall bite to it's visual aesthetics. The story aspect to the sash depicts our bond with the community and that we as a club & community can't be divided. The uniform numbers are also unique as well, a collaboration of myself and Robert w/IcarusFC. All in all, I'm really proud of how each kit looks and how it represents our club.

We have a third jersey coming out towards the end of the summer as well. It's something different that speaks to the modern approach of our club and our desire to celebrate the artistic side of this sport and our community. Football, fashion and art all go hand in hand and I'm really excited to unveil this look later on in the year. 

How much research do you do on your branding decisions?

In regards to researching, there's certainly numerous avenue's to watch after or study, be it from the football world or outside of it. When I feel the need to lean on an outside influence, I've found myself gravitating to a few successful branding and marketers from Japan and have tried to incorporate their wisdom into my decision making. The Japanese marketing world to me in many ways represents the aura of our club image, a vibrant and fresh world with an understanding and respect for traditions and history. Kashiwa Sato would be one that I often look to for advice and clarity when mulling over a branding/marketing idea or strategy, he really understands the importance of branding & marketing like not many other's I've  been fortunate to come across.

Essentially, if our current branding of the club had to be boiled down to a sentence or two, it would be, not forgetting that our limitations are tradition and common sense.

Tradition is something you see all too often with club's from the highest to the lowest levels getting wrong. You have to sell the sport and the stories that come along with it and allow for the story and atmosphere to grow and play itself out. Be aware of what your goals are, who your audience and community are and adjust accordingly. Too often clubs try to push a vibe or an atmosphere that isn't conducive to the sport or their community. Demographics and analytics are a great guide for showing how the particular parts of your club are growing and how the public are reacting to your initiatives but it shouldn't be the first go to when trying to market your club. Sell the sport, the passion, the history, the intimacy of being a small club and give it plenty of time and air to grow. Be true to the game and it will be true to you. 

As to the common sense part, you could say the above breakdown also covers this part. Not everyone is going to buy into your branding and some of your initiatives will fall flat but if you're allowing yourself just enough room to fall and get back up without losing a step, you're going to eventually find yourself on a path that lays itself out before you. It can't all be about making a dollar or moving items off your sales rack because before you know it that's going to overshadow your actual football and your players. To me personally, what's the point of running a club if it's main purpose is to sell merchandise and results in a vibe that overshadows the players and the game itself. Your aura turns from pitch to plastic and I just don't see the point. Sell the sport, your community and allow it some space to grow. 

Do you see your club as a tribute to the past?

I think the culmination of the answers above answers that question fairly clearly. For the sake of clarity and transparency though, the answer is yes.

One aspect to add into this conversation in how we honor and tribute the past would be the very man himself, founder/owner,Sam Mark. I think it gets lost in the conversation sometimes that Sam wasn't a football man, he was a businessman and certainly painted with a broader stroke than most other clubs owners.I'd like to think that taking the name and bringing it back to life is a very Sam'esque part of our club, along with our pro/rel structure and being vocally disenchanted with today's domestic club structure or lack there of it. 

Why is it important to keep the memory of the old club alive?

It's a wonderful reminder of the excellence that our sport in this country was able to produce, as well as a testament to the power of what our community can accomplish. The accomplishments of those who came before us should never be looked at with having an expiration date and I hope our club can continue honoring the achievements of those who once stood before us, community and club.

What are your long term goals with the club?

We want to be here in ten years enthusiastically talking about the next ten coming up.

With our club being run in the traditional fashion of honoring promotion and relegation, it's our goal to eventually get the club into the professional ranks, whichever league that may be at the given time. We're here to earn our promotion out of the amateur & semi-pro levels and not just pick a league from a pamphlet and cut a check. We have a very long journey ahead of us but I hope in time we're seen as an example of not only how a club can & should operate in this country but also worthy of one day earning our forefathers nickname & reputation of being the American Menace.

He ended the interview with one of my favorite quotes, one that shows his heart and character. “Wherever you happen to find yourself calling home at the moment, go find the closest FC and support the daylights out them, especially if they are a semi-pro or amateur club. Your attention, opinion and dollars truly matter, go make a positive difference.”

Branding is part of building a successful club. But it isn’t the only thing. It gives fans a connection, an impression, a preliminary welcome, but then builds beyond to deepen the tie and strengthen the relationship. Eventually is helps sustain the excitement and passion, reminding the supporters why they support, showing them what they love about their club. For Fall River, that means tying their club to a history that was almost forgotten. It’s a thread that goes back to their roots, what they are built on, their core identity. They are a textbook example that branding can be just as passionate and dedicated as the rest of grassroots soccer.

- Dan Vaughn

MPLS City's Return to the USOC

When the Uncorporate soccer club rolls into town, it brings with it a host of expectations both on and off the field. With a carefully crafted social media strategy, the club has created a fan base around the world. Paired with their innovative approach to merchandise and marketing, those fans can sustain their love and pride of the club by dressing in some of the coolest kits and tshirts in the game. And all that off the field success is being paired with a club stocked with some of the best talent in the country, all from their home state of Minnesota.

Now the Uncorporate machine prepares to take on the largest and longest running domestic soccer competition, the US Open Cup. We sat down with head coach Matt VanBenschoten and club co-founder Dan Hoedeman to discuss the upcoming match and what we can expect when the Crows fly into Chicago.

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It would be stupid if I didn’t ask about the last time MPLS City competed in the USOC, can you discuss what happened?

Dan: Back in 2017, we had qualified for the first round from the open qualifiers--first amateur team from Minnesota to do it near as we can tell--but we moved to the NPSL from the now-defunct PLA and USSF disqualified us from the tournament. You can't change leagues while in the tournament, though that only impacts amateur teams. For example, that same year Minnesota United moved from NASL to MLS and stayed in.

The next year, in 2018, we did the qualifier route as well. I was actually coaching the team for the qualifiers. We were drawn away to Sante Fe Wanderers in Kansas City but they had issues with international clearances for their players and forfeited. Then we were drawn away to Aurora Borealis in Chicago. We went there and won 3-2 in extra time. We really bossed the game, but knockouts are knockouts. Extra intense. And it's really hard to play away at this level, but our boys made it happen.

Then we had to travel to Rochester, NY. It was winter, snowing, we played on a park field, had an unheated bathroom as our "locker room" (but it wasn't open until the game started). Really frustrating because we had an indoor facility and an old NASL stadium lined up as options, but such was the draw. We scored in the first minute I think. Their goalie had an astonishingly good game and they had an excellent forward who hit us twice on the break. We had the run of play, but credit to Rochester. They did what they had to do. No surprise, that goalie ended up in USL Championship, he was fantastic. Anyway, win the game and we would have qualified but we missed out on the 2018 first round.

Did you take any lessons from your previous experience?

Dan: Traveling at this level is really, really hard--especially in the qualifiers or in March when you're dealing with proper amateurs with day jobs (and not college kids). Inevitably, some guys have to work or otherwise can't make it. The travel schedule has to account for their day jobs and not just the perfect travel experience. Pregame and all that happens in inexpensive hotels and often the pre-game kickaround is in the hotel parking lot, that's just how it is at that level. We have learned a lot about how to manage logistics, scheduling, players, and pre-game prep.

It's still a tall ask to win away in general and even moreso at this level, but we won't make the same mistakes we made in 2018.

The club has been very successful in the NPSL, so what does success look like in the USOC?

Dan: This tournament is a little bit of a blank slate because of when it starts. We're building our tournament roster right now and it hinges on who is available. Our college guys are out. We also have guys checking their work schedules too and trying to plan for that. Our team is in flux.

 Our scouting is in flux, too. Who will Chicago FC United play? It won't be their typical USL2 roster. Will they rely on their (very successful) academy? Chicago is full of elite ballers. Will they pull from them? We're not even sure what team we're playing.

It's hard to know what to expect. 

I can tell you that the guys who were there in 2017 when we were kicked out feel like there is unfinished business they have with the tournament. We're keen to get a win and move on. The dream is to face a pro team. Can you imagine us, say, hosting Forward Madison? Or playing Minnesota United at the Allianz? We can. Not saying we expect it! But this tournament is about dreaming a little bit and those are our dreams.

Matt: Success in the Open Cup for us is to make a run into the 2nd or 3rd rounds. It’s incredibly ambitious, but what every person in this club understands is that being part of MPLS City is a sacrifice and a privilege. It’s a bond that few other teams have. When you look around and know that every single person you see next to you is giving something up to be there with you fighting for the same thing, it’s indescribable. We will certainly play teams that are more talented than us, but they won’t have that same passion/dedication that I see on a weekly basis from our players. 

Round 1 you’ll be facing a USL2 side in Chicago FC United. Thoughts?

Matt: It’s definitely an intriguing draw. Chicago FC United has a very good reputation throughout the soccer community and if you look at their results the past few years, they are one of the best USL-2 teams. The biggest wildcard for all of these first round matchups is what non-college players will each team be able to field. Since US soccer made the ruling that all current college players can no longer participate in the Open Cup, it will have a drastic impact on how teams form their rosters.

Dan: Top to bottom, Chicago are a great organization in a city full of top players. Again, not sure what their team will look like given the time of year, but facing a top opponent is the point of the tournament. They're a top opponent.

How will you approach the match?

Matt: To be blunt, our approach is to prepare well and go win. There’s a history with MPLS City and the Open Cup. Given who we are and our propensity to ruffle feathers (no pun intended), we have to prove it on the field otherwise no one will take you seriously. It’s arguably the biggest game we’ve had as a club in our small history, therefore we’ll be preparing as such.

Do you feel like you have something to prove in this match?

Street art from last year’s MPLS City-coordinated visit from Dutch street artists, Kamp Seedorf

Dan: At our best, we're this traveling circus that likes to play soccer. We just want to have fun and play good teams. Our attitude is not that we have anything to prove.

That said, Minnesota isn't a big soccer state, this is our first run in the cup proper, we all remember 2017... We're punching up against Chicago. We're used to that, though, to punching above our weight-on-field and off. It's part of the fun.

You'll be playing in an MLS stadium, excited about that experience?

Dan: It's fantastic to play at a stadium of that quality.

We played our 2017 qualifier against Oakland County at the National Sports Center when Minnesota United had just moved out of it but before it had been converted. Playing on an NASL-qualify surface is something the guys all enjoy. And our fans loved being back at the NSC, it was nostalgic. But this is going to be a level up, and it's a dream scenario. We spend a lot of time playing in high school stadiums, so are we excited about playing in an MLS stadium? Hard to express how excited we actually are.

Any thoughts on the change to the USOC schedule by shifting round 1 matchups earlier? How will it affect your roster/potential players?

Matt: In years past this would have had a much bigger impact on us. As we’ve evolved as a club, we’ve had to rely less and less on college players or guys who are out of town. In year 5 we now have a solid core of very talented players who are all local guys. Players like Max Stiegwardt, Shae Bottum, Myles Norville and Justin Oliver (just to name a few) have all spent time in and around MLS/USL teams. So we know we have the pedigree to compete at a very high level.

Overall, what do you think about the USOC? Should it be more important to the average American soccer fan?

Dan: I have had a bumpy relationship with the U.S. Open Cup over the years, but I love it. I wish it was bigger, I think it has March Madness potential. It definitely has potential to encourage the growth of lower division clubs. I actually think that the structural changes made this year are positive. I wish it didn't start quite so early, but that's a Minnesota weather issue, not a college player issue. The calendar time between rounds, the ESPN+ deal, the number of "tier four" teams still in the tournament, and when the pro and MLS teams come into the tournament are all moves I've liked. If nothing else, USSF paying attention to and trying to improve the cup is a big thing. I like that it seems to matter to the Federation.

Personally, I like the lower divisions and the underdog stories. I always watch the early rounds of March Madness but haven't seen the Final Four games in maybe 15 years. Part of that is my alma mater does not threaten to make the Final Four, but the other part is the games matter in a different way earlier and I love that David vs Goliath thing. I can watch a league game whenever I want. This is something different.

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MPLS City heads to Chicago to take on Chicago FC United March 24th in their first round US Open Cup match. Follow them on twitter for updates and information.

- Dan Vaughn

The Man with The Cup: Josh Hakala

Since 1914, the US Open Cup has been a fan favorite for soccer fans at every level in the United States. One site has been a major source of coverage for many fans since 2003. That site is the one and only thecup.us. With the tournament just around the corner, I had the chance to talk to thecup.us Senior Editor Josh Hakala about the tournament, the awesome work they do, and their newest merchandise available.

How did thecup.us get started?

This article tells about the background of the site.

What all does the site do?

The goal of the site is to give the tournament the full coverage that it deserves from the first round of qualifying to the US Open Cup Final. One of the biggest goals of the site has always been to educate people on the rich history of the tournament, so we've spent countless hours digging through newspaper and magazine archives, interviewing former players and coaches in an effort to put together a complete history of this tournament so that future generations can look back at how this country's soccer culture began and how it has evolved. The goal has always been, and we've been pushing for this more in the last year or so, to provide more ways for people to learn about the tournament and its history. I'm hoping to re-launch the radio show that got this site started and do more with social media and I'm hoping I can find some people to help create some special features with our website and possibly create a mobile app down the road. We have so many great ideas of how to grow our coverage, so we launched a Patreon account to fund it.  

What do you do in the offseason?

In recent years, we've seen the qualifying tournament for next year's tournament begin before the current tournament is over. In our early days, state qualifying for the following year would often begin within a month or so of them crowning a champion. So we don't really have an offseason, and our amount of downtime in the fall and early spring keeps getting reduced as the tournament, and its qualifying tournament, expands.

But during the, we'll call it the "less busy" time, I use it to catch up, and to work on features, historical research and recruiting help with the site. I do so much of my statistics and historical research manually, so much of the offseason is spent catching up on the previous tournament's results and updating my numerous spreadsheets. The hope is to some day create a database for all of the info in these spreadsheets. Under normal circumstances, my plan is usually to spend the "offseason" catching up on historical research and feature stories. I've got dozens of stories on the back-burner, but I just don't have the bandwidth. In a perfect world, I would find someone, or ideally, a team of people, to handle the site and its coverage of the current tournament, so that I can focus on historical research, feature stories and getting the radio show back up and running again. I've worked in broadcasting for 20 years and would love to create more US Open Cup multimedia for fans to enjoy and to learn from.

Tell me about those super cool shirts.

As I mentioned before, between part-time jobs, freelance broadcasting work, and being a husband and a father of three, I don't have a lot of free time. One of the projects that kept getting pushed to the back-burner was to create some revenue streams for the site. We don't aim to get rich doing this, but if we can at least get paid for our time, and have the ability to pay freelancers to help us to improve our coverage of the tournament, then it can make a big impact. So I had always wanted to create some shirts that we can sell to raise some money. In recent years, I noticed that during the NCAA college basketball tournaments, teams have these themed shirts. I thought, what "theme" could we come up with that exists across all the teams and fans in the competition? We've been using the "We Want The Cup"  hashtag for a while now and I thought since we've adopted that as our site's tag line, and thought it would be a perfect way to do it. Since we don't have the rights to put team logos on a shirt, we thought, why not take the approach of the college basketball teams and have a similar themed shirt and we would make them available in every team's color scheme. Because every team "wants the cup". It seemed like a perfect rallying cry for every team in the competition. We've had a lot of really great feedback from them so far and I have to give a shout out to Zac Freeland (Twitter/IG: @ZacFreeland) for designing the shirt. 

One of those cool shirts.

And my personal favorite is the "national champions" shirt in the style of the "John, Paul, George and Ringo" Beatles shirts, only with ours, we are featuring the five pre-MLS teams that won four or more US Open Cup titles: Steelmen (Bethlehem Steel), Marksmen (Fall River Marksmen), Ukrainians (Ukrainian Nationals), Greeks (New York Greek Americans), and Maccabees (Maccabee AC). Much like the Beatles shirt, if you see someone with that shirt, and know your soccer history, you'll get the reference. It's also a good opportunity to give someone a brief history lesson about how soccer has been around for more than a century in this country. A little soccer evangelism opportunity.

What are you looking forward to most in the USOC this year?

Every year, since I don't have a rooting interest, I just root for the tournament to be dramatic and compelling. Another thing I'm looking forward to is seeing the tournament grow using their digital streaming partner, ESPN+. I think putting every game on ESPN+ last year was a huge boost to the US Open Cup and I'm looking forward to watching games from Round 1 to the Final on my TV and on a variety of devices. 

What lower league (USL L2/NISA or below) do you think will make the biggest splash?

With the new schedule change, I have a feeling we're not going to see as many upsets from USL League Two and NPSL teams. I would love to be proven wrong. Although, it's impossible to know because we've never seen teams from those leagues try to operate in the US Open Cup without the use of college players. So I'm curious to see, most of all, what those rosters even look like.  

What first round matchup intrigues you the most?

I know they're probably not happy about playing each other again, because they've played a lot recently in league and cup play, but VE and West Chester United will be an interesting Philly-area matchup. They know each other really well, so that should be a fun rivalry game. The Pancyprian Freedoms against FC Motown will be interesting as well. Out west, the matchup that looks the most interesting is Ventura County Fusion, who has been one of the top USL League Two teams over the years, against Cal FC, who always brings a lot of young talent to the US Open Cup.  

What can people do to support what you guys do at thecup.us?

The best way to support the site is to join our Patreon team (www.patreon.com/usopencup). If we can continue to add to our Patreon team, we'll be able to meet so many of the goals we have to expand our coverage of the tournament. That includes a site redesign, create a mobile app, a March Madness-style bracket contest, create a studio show to recap the tournament or other video features, and to re-launch a US Open Cup podcast. Anyone who is familiar with the National Public Radio funding model knows that if enough supporters each contribute a small amount, then you can make a big difference. Patreon is an ideal way to provide long-term support for the site, but fans can also purchase one of our "We Want The Cup" shirts. If a financial contribution is not in the cards, then sharing our fundraising efforts with your circle of soccer friends is always helpful. We're also always looking for people to help out with the site if you are a writer, editor, have skills in audio and video editing, graphic design, or website design, then I encourage people to reach out to the site.

- Aarik Long

NISA Clubs may be Ineligible for USOC 2020

This fall, NISA launched as the newest sanctioned US men’s pro soccer league and qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Open proper began. But, because NISA is so new, do its teams qualify for the upcoming USOC?

Let’s first start with what teams automatically qualify for the USOC proper. All US-based teams in sanctioned pro leagues must participate in the USOC in the year in which they compete in that league. Team are ineligible if they are owned and/or run by a club that is a member of a higher level league. Basically, most reserve sides in pro leagues are ineligible.

Set aside NISA for now. We can definitely expect all 23 US-based MLS teams (with the additions of Miami and Nashville) in 2020. And, estimate 25 USL Championship plus 8 USL League One teams. That totals an estimated 56 teams that will get automatic entry into USOC. For reference, 52 pro teams automatically qualified for the USOC proper. The deadline for pro teams playing in 2020 leagues to get USOC paperwork and entry fees is December 31. The number of slots for non-professional teams, designated as Open Division teams, that get entry into the USOC proper gets determined by the USSF a week after the pro deadline.

Open Division teams can enter USOC qualification through two tracks: National League and Local Qualifying. A league qualifies as a National League if it has, basically, 50 active US-based teams, in at least 10 states among at least three time zones. A league that meets those requirements can choose the National League track. If it does so, it commits all its teams to that path. In 2019, the NPSL and USL League Two chose the National League track for its teams. The league determines how its teams qualify for entry into the USOC’s First Round proper. Deadline for National Leagues for teams who may qualify for the USOC is December 11.

Local Qualifying is available for all teams outside the National League track. And consists of a single-game, knockout basis. The entry deadline for teams that want to qualify via Local Qualifying was August 12. Finally, one Open Division team, Newtown Pride FC, has qualified for the First Round by winning the 2019 National Amateur Cup.

The number of Open Division slots is determined by a fairly complicated process based on the number of Open Division teams entered into Local Qualifying, the number of teams entered via the National League track and the anticipated number of pro division teams based on when that league’s teams will enter the tournament bracket. The simple answer is that we won’t know anything until early January.

Now, back to NISA. It’s not just curiosity that makes the question of its teams eligibility for USOC important. More important, the number of pro teams that are eligible directly affects the number of Open Division slots available in the First Round proper. In 2019, the six Division III USL League One teams entered the First Round with the 32 Open Division teams that qualified (14 from NPSL, 10 from USL League Two, seven through Local Qualifying, and the 2018 National Amateur Cup champion).

CFC Qualified for the 2019 US Open Cup but chose to not participate.

We contacted the USSF’s U.S. Open Cup staff to ask if NISA teams will be eligible for the 2020 cup. We also requested clarification if current NISA teams are not eligible, if teams who might be eligible through the National League track, specifically, Atlanta SC, Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, and Miami FC. They responded that the U.S. Open Cup Committee will make a decision closer to the December 31 pro team deadline. In addition, they pointed us to the Federation’s U.S. Open Cup Policy for official language of team eligibility

The rules for a team’s USOC eligibility is set forth in Policy 102(4)-1 of the U.S. Soccer Federation Policy Manual. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll refer to that as the USOC Policy.

Section 202 of the USOC Policy covers team eligibility. Subsection 202(a) requires a team be a member of good standing playing in an ongoing competition of USSF. Fairly basic stuff, but the final sentence is important for our question about eligibility of NISA teams.

“The league competition must consist of at least four (4) teams, with each playing at least (10) league matches (excluding any pre-season and/or post-season playoff or cup matches) each calendar year.”

Here’s where things start to get confusing about NISA and USOC qualification. As far as we know, NISA will run on a traditional fall-winter-spring schedule that spans calendar years. Most modern US pro soccer leagues run on a spring-summer-fall schedule that does not span calendar years. USOC Policy language assumes the latter so it makes determining eligibility of teams in a league that follows a traditional schedule a bit tricky.

Pro teams qualify for that year’s USOC if they play in that same year’s league. And, subsection 202(a) requires that all teams play at least 10 league games “each calendar year”. For NISA, the current fall half is happening in 2019 which is definitely not in the 2020 calendar year. I would assume that NISA’ would need to schedule at least 10 league games in 2020 for its teams to meet that requirement. But, since, again, as far as we know, it runs a traditional schedule will those 10 games need to be in the league’s spring half? Because, it would be practically impossible for any league to offer a 2020-2021 schedule by the end of December 2019.

USOC Policy 202(b) specifically relates to teams in pro leagues. Subsections 202(b)(1)(i) and (ii) state that a team must be a member in good standing from December 31 of the competition year through the USOC final and the team’s league must be in operation for that same time. NISA meets that requirement. NISA clubs taking part in the fall season meet that requirement (as long as they don’t fold before December 31). I would assume future NISA clubs must officially join the league before December 31 to meet that requirement.

USOC Policy 202(b)(2) relates to NISA because it covers teams whose league is starting its first season. Subsections 202(b)(2)(i) and (ii) state that the league must set and announce its schedule to the public by January 31 of the competition year and the first league game is scheduled at least a week before the first scheduled USOC round of competition involving that team’s sanctioned Division.

The latter wouldn’t seem to be an issue but the former, again, causes confusion based on NISA’s competition. NISA can set and announce its spring schedule by January 31, but any schedule for the fall couldn’t practically be considered as “set” because the league runs on that traditional schedule. Does NISA need to have a spring schedule of at least 10 games for its teams to be eligible?

USOC Policy 202(d) states:

“For the purpose of this Policy, any team having not played in its league’s regular competition for the full season ending immediately prior to the entry deadline for its respective competition division (e.g. Open Division, Outdoor Professional League) shall be considered a team starting its first season, whether in an existing or new league.”

This entire subsection is new language for the 2020 USOC Policy. And, it may have been added knowing NISA would begin play in time for the 2020 USOC. I would assume this language means that the teams joining NISA for the spring 2020 half will have the same eligibility as the teams that played in NISA’s fall half. In addition, I would also assume that voids eligibility that may have been gained through NPSL For example, Miami FC would normally have qualified for the First Round but because they moved to NISA that qualification is gone. But, 202(d) still doesn’t clarify the questions above about how NISA’s traditional schedule conforms with the other requirements such as games per calendar year and having a set schedule by January 31.

The NASL days, still the best kit EVER.

The last similar situation was in 2011 when the now-defunct Division II NASL launched. In that case, the Federation did not allow NASL teams to enter the USOC because the league’s provisional sanctioning was not settled in time for the teams to be included.

As far as NISA, we’ll know about those teams when the USOC Committee announces the cup schedule and structure in January. NASL and USSF had an antagonistic relationship from the jump which, no doubt, entered into the USOC Committee’s decision-making back in 2011. Whatever conclusion is reached on the NISA teams, it will at least give an indication about the tenor of the relationship between that league and the Federation.

- Dan Creel

A Place at the Table

Why are there no women’s clubs in the U.S. Open Cup? I’m not talking about a separate U.S. Women’s Open Cup (let’s stick a pin in that). I’m literally wondering why no women’s clubs are in the tournament including qualifying. As an aside, I’d love to know if anyone has information on any women’s clubs that may have taken part in the tournament in the past.

Your immediate reaction might be that the USOC is only for men’s clubs. That might be practically the situation on the pitch but the cup is literally open to any club that is affiliated with an Organization Member of USSF and specific participation criteria in the federation’s U.S. Open Cup policy. Beyond what I’ve just noted, that section (§202 to be precise) states that the club must be playing in a league of four or more teams and that league play consist 10 or more competitive games during the year. The other subsections demarcate specifics about eligibility for clubs in Divisions I, II and III leagues and the Open Division. The Open Division includes any club not part of a Division I, II or III league. The language of the federation makes no distinction beyond those. That’s it. It’s an “Open” cup with a few eligibility criteria.

It can’t be a competitive issue because, again, it’s an open competition. Baked into that definition is the opportunity for all who are eligible can take part. The USOC has qualification procedures set up for Open Division clubs to determine if those non-Division I, II or III clubs meet eligibility via competition. Why would women’s clubs be not allowed to determine their eligibility on the pitch as the rules allow?

Women’s clubs are eligible to take part in the U.S. Open Cup. Period.

So why aren’t they? A big one might be finances. It’s difficult for smaller clubs to put together the resources to take part in the competition. And, for those who do have those resources, it may be impossible for them to justify the use of those funds. But, the financial barriers from smaller clubs taking part are universal.

Are women’s clubs less financially secure than men’s clubs? Likely on the whole that is true. But we also know that many organizations have both women’s and men’s clubs as part of the whole. It would be easy to list men’s clubs who have taken part in the USOC while the women’s clubs of the same organization have never taken part.

We have the notable exceptions to this possible issue. None of the top division clubs of the NWSL have ever taken part in the USOC. And, whatever you may think of the financial resources available to them, the definitely have the resources available to take part in the USOC relative to the amateur and semi-pro clubs who take part every year. Not only that, none of the former WUSA, WPS or, even, WPSL Elite clubs ever took part in the USOC.

What about desire? Is it possible that no women’s clubs have ever wanted to take part in the U.S. Open Cup? Of course not. Should we survey all those clubs just to make sure? I’ll wait just here while that absurd mental exercise is taking place.

Done? Great.

What does that leave us with? Well, gender and/or sex discrimination. Is that uncomfortable? OK, how about gender inequity? Is that nicer?

Imagine what Mallory Pugh could do against an amateur men’s side. (Image courtesy of The Washington Post)

Those are the obvious but they are so serious and heavy that we don’t like to think, much less talk about it. It’s easy to throw out other more “practical”, surface reasons and just move on. It’s simpler to rely on competitive balance, lack of desire, lack of resources than deal with the actual underlying issues.

Remember when we stuck a pin in the idea of a U.S. Women’s Open Cup? Let’s talk about that. The usual push back is that women’s clubs should have their own open cup. That’s the practical reason, even those who are well-meaning, that women’s clubs don’t belong in the USOC. That’s not true, but, for the sake of argument, let’s say that the USOC rules disallow women’s clubs.

Then, where is this USWOC? What’s stopping it from happening? If the argument is that there isn’t enough desire, resources or competition out there to support it, then, please, let me refer you to the entire history of American soccer. Somehow the USOC was able to survive and be held every single year with small clubs, scant resources and little attention. But, a USWOC? That’s obviously something that needs to be justified before it can happen.

This year is the eighth FIFA Women’s World Cup. There will be huge interest in the women’s game this summer. A perfect time to ride the wave of that and launch a USWOC. No?

A U.S. Women’s Open Cup would be “making do” when women’s clubs should be taking part in the actual USOC. Even though that’s not good enough, the USWOC would be at least something better than nothing. But even that lesser competition is not a thing at all. That’s the issue. The finish line keeps getting moved farther and farther away as the gatekeepers throw up hurdle after hurdle.

It’s fine if you don’t care about women’s soccer. It’s fine if you don’t feel the need to promote women’s soccer. It’s fine if you don’t want to watch women’s soccer. Just don’t get in the way of those who do.

- Dan Creel

Begging ESPN+

If you’re like me, and watched the opening round of the US Open Cup these last couple of days, you had to be struck may the excellence of the matches. In just two nights of matches, we had:

1. 5 matches out 19 ended in penalty kicks. That’s almost 25% of the matches played were even for 120 minutes!

2. A second-year UPSL side beat the reigning champion of the NPSL and who will be going pro in just a few months.

3. A club from a tiny regional league in the Denver area knocked off a strong NPSL club with a winning shot by a defender in the last 2 minutes of the match.

4. A club get cheated out of a match-tying goal on a bogus off sides call.

5. Forward Madison, one of the most talked about expansion sides in recent memory, make their Open Cup debut.

And all of this was seen through the lens of ESPN+, an online channel available for single digit monthly costs, with announcers, multiple camera angles, and a level of professionalism rarely seen in the home-made broadcasts most of the clubs in the first round are typically viewed. It was glorious, top to bottom, every match had a storyline, a great ending, or some other element that made it worth watching. So after this first round is finally complete, I only have one question. Why didn’t ESPN+ air the qualifiers?

GOAL! 🚨@FC_Denver have their second goal and it's come in the 89th minute! What a time to get it. Sockers fail to clear a long ball and it falls to Kyle Crouse who shoots from outside of the box and finds the far post bottom corner. 2-1! #USOC2019 pic.twitter.com/mMIwoHJfan

— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) May 9, 2019

If you missed seeing those matches, they were, in some instances broadcasted by the clubs themselves. But many were not, leaving interested fans scrambling to social media for updates on matches. The final round of qualifiers were actually banned from broadcasting, leaving the only option for updates to follow someone at the match online. I was one of the lucky ones to be at one of those matches and saw FC Denver come back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 over Southwest FC in extra time. So watching that same Denver club finish off the Laredo Heat had a tremendous amount of context. When that defender hit that swirling, curving game-winner, I recognized him from that 4th round qualifier. I knew his quality and the quality of his club so I watched their first round match against Laredo, knowing they were capable of coming back later in a match.

So please, ESPN+, make the investment and air the qualifying matches. Need a list of reasons? Allow me to offer mine.

1. The matches are entertaining and will bring viewers into the Cup proper because they will be rooting for the underdogs.

2. There’s an audience for those matches! People are fans of lower league soccer, they will watch the matches.

3. It’s good for the game. Maybe that’s not ESPN+ driving idea, but the more soccer matches there are, the better it is for the growth of the sport. It drives interest and sparks young fans to get involved in the game.

So that’s my plea, ESPN+, next year give us the qualifying rounds as well. We’ll be thankful forever.

- Dan Vaughn

Player Profile: Carlos Herrera

Laredo Heat SC put together a massively successful year in 2018. It’s first year in the NPSL, the club went undefeated in the regular season finishing 10-0. The key to their run was a stalwart defense that only gave up 4 goals in 10 matches, leading to a +33 GD. A principle part of that backline was Regional XI, goalkeeper Carlos Herrera. A college standout at Texas A&M International, Herrera has decided to return to Laredo for 2019. We sat down with Carlos and asked him questions about his approach to keeping, Founders Cup, and which cookie he’s munching.

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When did you decide to become a keeper and what drew you to goalkeeping? 
I was born in México and moved to California at the age of 4. I have very few memories, but one of the most vivid is playing soccer in the streets with my cousins. Eventually there was just a love I developed for the position. I wouldn’t say there was a particular age, it just happened for me.

Seems like a lot of pressure would rest on you during matches, how do you deal with that?

I absolutely love the pressure. I believe I have gotten better at managing pressure, and use it as motivation instead of panicking. It also helps enormously when you trust every single one of your teammates and coaches.

Last season was pretty spectacular, ending the regular season undefeated, how do you top it?

I believe the main goal of this team is to make a good USOC Run and to win silverware in the NPSL. Of course the undefeated is incredible, but what the team wants is a national title. Personally I don’t care for a blemish or two, as long as we can go as far as possible in the run for a national championship. 

You were pretty instrumental in that success, earning all region honors, what have you worked on to be even better this season?

I have been working on decision making on top of keeping my technical work sharp. I also try and watch as many professional matches and observe the keepers and take notes on their decision making, positioning, and their distribution. 

What kind of training routines do you do on a daily basis?

Currently I have been lifting weights 3 days a week, and doing some type of intense cardio the other 3. On top I do core and pushups every day.

When you are facing a PK, do you look for clues or just pick a side and dive?

For a Pk I look for body language, their approach to the ball on their run up, body positioning, and their visual cues.

Much has been made of the Founders Cup roll out, as a NPSL player how do you view that expansion?

The Founders Cup seems like an interesting addition to the NPSL, but I am curious as to how it would work since many teams have a base of college players, who happen to be in season during those months. 

Do you see playing professionally in your future?

Yes, I aspire to play professionally as soon as possible. I believe that is every kids dream as they begin to play.

While from California, you've played college and league ball in Texas, so what about the state explains the massive expansion of soccer here?

With so many schools in Texas, all which have talented players, it is understandable that there is constant league expansion in Texas, since the demands for teams to partake in over the summer is very high.

Chips ahoy: crispy or chewy?

Unpopular choice, but chewy all the way.

What music are you listening to lately?

I am a huge fan of Electronic Dance Music.