Pioneers And Green Excited That U.S. Open Cup Will Continue

Brandon Smith: “I think as the top league in the United States soccer right now, why wouldn't you want to participate with U.S. Soccer and the other leagues to make everything stronger?"

The Western Mass Pioneers hosted the Chicago Fire in 2005 — Photo Provided by Brandon Smith

Lower-division soccer clubs in New England are excited that the U.S. Open Cup will seemingly continue.

In mid-December, Major League Soccer announced that it wouldn’t participate in the tournament, opting instead to enter teams from MLS NEXT Pro. This plan was apparently nixed, leading to conversations between MLS and the U.S. Soccer Federation.

On Saturday, Michael Battista of Hudson River Blue reported that the 2024 U.S. Open Cup was at risk of being canceled. Two days later, Jeff Carlisle of ESPN reported that there will be a tournament, though it will look different than previous versions.

This is a positive for the Western Massachusetts Pioneers, a storied club that currently plays in USL League Two.

“The biggest soccer memory for the Pioneers came from having an MLS team come visit Lusitano Stadium,” said Brandon Smith, Director of Communications for the Pioneers. “I think it just generates a lot of buzz for our team, the league too, and the fans. There are new fans that come in and follow events because it's the U.S. Open Cup through U.S. Soccer.”

On July 13, 2005, the Pioneers hosted the Chicago Fire in the third round of the tournament. Approximately 4,000 fans were there to witness Neil Krause score in the fifth minute to give the Pioneers an early lead.

The Fire would go on to win 3-1, dashing the Pioneers’ hopes of playing the New England Revolution in the next round. 

Still, that night remains a special one in club history. In fact, a framed autographed Fire jersey hangs in the pavilion at the soccer stadium.

“Fans, even to this day, they come up and say, ‘Hey, remember that?’” Smith said. “For our team, people don't always remember the playoff appearances and everything, but they do remember the Open Cup games, especially if we advance far enough to get an MLS team to come in.”

While the Pioneers have experienced the magic of the cup, Vermont Green FC is set to get their first taste this year.

Vermont Green FC 2024 Schedule Released

The Green view their upcoming tournament game as the fulfillment of all the hard work that went into starting the club in 2022.

“Participating in the U.S. Open Cup is such a massive opportunity for Vermont Green FC, and for clubs like ours –I am not exaggerating when I tell you that when we formed this club – part of the dream was competing in the Cup,” Patrick Infurna, Vermont Green FC co-founder stated.

“We knew that not only would it be a sporting achievement, but it would be an entirely new, elevated medium from which we could promote our environmental justice mission, too. It’s that important to us on a sentimental level.”

The Pioneers and Green both play in USL League Two, which is a pre-professional league. This means that many of its players are in college. 

For both teams, the roster that plays in the tournament isn’t necessarily the same as the one that plays in the league. College players usually arrive closer to the start of the USL League Two season which kicks off in May.

In general, it’s a lot of work to plan for an Open Cup game. The head coach has to recruit players while the merchandising team has to order shirts, scarfs, and other items. A home game means securing workers while an away game means organizing travel.

But lower-division teams are happy to do the work because Open Cup games can attract new fans and serve as a showcase for the players. 

“But it’s also a massive chance for us to grow, we’re fortunate to have a dedicated fanbase that we know will show up in the thousands if we host this game,” Infurna added.

“For grassroots clubs, the revenue of another meaningful game is nothing to sneeze at. Not to mention we’ve already invested time and resources into preparing for this game since the day it was announced. Whether we host it or otherwise, these things take a lot of planning from clubs like ours and it’s a difficult position to put us in to be one month from playing the game still waiting for information.”

The Green are scheduled to play their first-ever Open Cup match in the window of March 19th-21st. They have received zero information about who or where they will be playing. The Pioneers are also waiting to hear the details of their game.

While little is known, the Green, Pioneers, and other lower-division clubs are plenty excited for the tournament.

The fact that the oldest cup competition in United States soccer will live on means that these teams can continue to dream that they will be the next Rochester Rhinos–who won the trophy in 1999–or Sacramento Republic—who made it to the final in 2022.

“If people are interested in soccer, it's good for everybody,” Smith said. “I think as the top league in the United States soccer right now, why wouldn't you want to participate with U.S. Soccer and the other leagues to make everything stronger? 

“Like I said, you get people that might not be aware of our local team or an MLS team, but they see it, and it just generates more fans and more interest, and that helps everybody.”