Headlines: USL Releases New Logo to Preview Shift to Pro/Rel

Goal: 

All of the things that had been either rumored, reported, or confirmed were consolidated. Yes, this thing will be split into three divisions. Yes, USL will implement promotion and relegation--that thing American soccer leagues have thus far strayed so vehemently away from. Yes, the top flight will be called the "USL Premier." And the logo appeared, too, all sharp edges, complete blue-and-white colorways. A step-ladder motif is there to reinforce the promotion-relegation system, the league claimed.

On Location: RSC HQ

 

Headlines: U.S. Open Cup Final Preview

TheCup.US:

The 111th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final features two teams on distinctly different paths. For the Columbus Crew, it is a chance to not only win their first Open Cup championship since 2002 but also may be their only chance to win a trophy in 2026 as they have been stuck in the bottom half of the MLS Eastern Conference standings all year. St. Louis City is not only aiming to win their first ever Open Cup but also to bring the trophy back to one of the cities that has historically been important to the competition. Add to the fact that St. Louis embarked on a historic 20-match unbeaten streak in MLS play that has them within reach of first place.

Headlines: U.S. Soccer to Launch New Women's Competition

 

The Athletic:

U.S. Soccer will launch a new national tournament that brings together women’s soccer clubs from different divisions nationwide to compete for a single championship, the federation announced Wednesday. The prize pool will exceed $1.5 million, the biggest in a domestic competition on the women’s side. The Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup will effectively serve as women’s soccer’s equivalent to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a 112-year-old men’s tournament that brings together professional and amateur clubs. Like the Open Cup, the Crest Cup is designed to eventually create opportunities for lower-division and amateur clubs, giving them national exposure and potentially lucrative matches against more established clubs.

Headlines: U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Round No. 2 Review

TheCup.US: 

The largest Open Division qualifying round in the Modern Era of the US Open Cup is in the books as 64 teams have advanced to the Third Round on Oct. 31 & Nov. 1. The round saw nine games go to extra time, two forfeits and a pair of record-setting scorelines. Remarkably, none of the 62 games played needed to be decided via penalty shootout.

Lists: Bucket List Soccer Stadiums

  

 (A series of lists of things.)

1. Stadion An der Alten Försterei (FC Union Berlin)
2. Camp Nou (FC Barcelona)
3. San Siro (AC Milan, Inter Milan)
4. Westfalenstadion (Borussia Dortmund)
5. Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia (Como 1907)
6. Millerntor-Stadion (FC St. Pauli)
7. Johan Cruyff Arena (Ajax)
8. La Bombonera (Boca Juniors)
9. Stade Vélodrome (Marseille)
10. Athletic Club Boise Stadium (AC Boise)

Headlines: U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Round No. 1 Review

The Cup.US:

With the Semifinals of the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup approaching in a few days, the road to the 2027 US Open Cup already got under way over the weekend. The opening round of the Open Division Local Qualifying tournament for the 2027 competition kicked off with 26 games and one more that was postponed.

Headlines: USL Announces Revenue-Sharing Model

ESPN:

The United Soccer League (USL) announced that it has agreed to a new revenue-sharing model with its men's professional clubs, allowing those teams to participate in the growth of the USL's national revenues.The proposal was approved by the USL Board of Directors at the end of August, with team owners in the USL Championship and USL League One approving the deal last Tuesday via a two-thirds super-majority of voters.

Headlines: All U.S.-Based MLS Teams to Compete in U.S. Open Cup

The Cup.US:

US Soccer has announced the format for the 2027 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament proper and it will feature all 27 US-based MLS teams for the first time since 2023, with a total of 64 pro teams and 32 Open Division teams. There have also been numerous changes to operations of the cup, with the hosting priority rules expanding from the last two years to include both the Round of 64 and the Round of 32. The dates have also drastically changed for 2027, with most of the rounds happening after Labor Day and the Final happening on December 15.

Headlines: U.S. Soccer, USYS Near Merger

The Athletic:

U.S. Soccer is nearing a takeover of the U.S. Youth Soccer Association, a move that some view as a significant step toward reform across the sport’s American landscape. At a momentous meeting Saturday in Dallas, members of USYS, the largest youth sports organization in the United States, will vote on a bylaw amendment that would essentially hand control of their organization over to the U.S. Soccer Federation. A dozen people close to the matter, including several members who will vote, told The Athletic over the past two weeks that they expect the amendment to pass comfortably.

Headlines: U.S. Open Cup Could Serve As Junction for MLS, USL

The Guardian:

USL’s introduction of promotion and relegation, and [USL president and CEO] McDonough’s comments about meaningful competition aren’t too far removed from [MLS commissioner Larry] Berg’s talk of games of consequence and jeopardy. MLS and USL will go down different routes to create this within their leagues, but the Open Cup will, again, rather uniquely in US sport, offer the chance for the respective leagues to test themselves against each other.

Headlines: U.S. Open Cup Attracts Record-Setting Number of Teams

TheCup.US:

The US Soccer Federation has announced the 155 teams that will enter qualifying for the 2027 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. 16 teams will emerge from qualifying for spots in the First Round proper next March, joining 16 other amateur teams directly entered in the First Round for a total of 32 Open Division teams.

40/40 Bankroll: Saturday, August 15 (Day No. 1)

                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This series will feature a $1 Double and a $1, 2-leg parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer respectively over a 40-day period.)

*Soccer*

Men's Coppa Italia (Italy)

Game No. 1 (2:45p)

Venezia (-190)

Men's USL Championship (United States)

Game No. 2 (7p)

Detroit City FC (-180)

Soccer Hit Rate: 0% (0/0)

Soccer Bankroll: $40.00 (+/-0.0%)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course (Saratoga, NY)

Race No. 9 (5:06p)

#1: Ancient Egypt (5-1 ML)

Race No. 10 (5:44p)

#3: Oscar's Encore (6-1 ML)

Horse Racing Hit Rate: 0% (0/0)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $40.00 (+/-0.0%)

*Total*

Total Hit Rate: 0% (0/0)

Total Bankroll: $80.00 (+/-0.0%)

Headlines: U.S. Soccer, Pochettino Extend USMNT Contract

The Athletic:

Mauricio Pochettino will return as U.S. men’s national team head coach after agreeing to a new contract with U.S. Soccer, the federation announced Monday. The deal runs through the 2030 World Cup. Pochettino, whose first contract with U.S. Soccer expired after the 2026 World Cup, had been engaged in discussions with the federation about a renewal, with both parties publicly keeping the door open for such an outcome. It officially became a reality on Monday.

Lists: Favorite Sporting Events

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(A series of lists of things.)

1. U.S. Open Cup
2. Maine Sire Stakes
3. Kentucky Derby
4. Men's World Cup
5. Women's World Cup
6. March Madness
7. Breeders' Cup
8. Hambletonian
9. Breeders' Crown
10. The Masters
11. Wimbledon

Headlines: USL Pro/Rel Plan Allows Clubs 'A Chance to Dream'

Boston.com:

There are still many questions about what the format will look like, including the standards the league will require from its teams. To help, former English Premier League chief football officer Tony Scholes has been hired as president of the newly-created top division of the USL, called USL Premier. The Championship and League One will play below that. [Portland Hearts of Pine founder and co-owner Gabe] Hoffman-Johnson said that promotion and relegation could be "fantastic" for this country because it creates captivating storylines. "I think it’s extremely positive and exciting for us as a club that has aspirations," Hoffman-Johnson said. "It allows you a chance to dream."

Headlines: USSF VP Critical of FIFA 'Faustian Bargain' with Trump Administration

The Guardian:

All of FIFA's members have a duty to protect the integrity of the sport and save FIFA from itself, even at the risk of retaliation. In the short term, I hope federations around the world find the courage to oppose [Gianni] Infantino's vision for the sport; in the long term, I urge them to pursue structural governance reforms that take power away from the role of the FIFA president and shift it toward the Council, the Congress, and the Secretary General, so that no single individual can ever act unilaterally to soccer's detriment again. Perhaps then the greatest legacy of this World Cup will be that it spurred us to speak up for and defend the values that make soccer the people's game.

40/40 Bankroll: Friday, July 17 (Day No. 31)

                              

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This series will feature a $1 Double and a $1, 2-leg parlay wagers in horse racing and soccer respectively over a 40-day period.)

*Soccer*

Men's 2. Deild (Iceland)

Game No. 1 (3:15p)

Haukar (-320)

Men's USL League Two (United States)

Game No. 2 (4p)

Steel City FC (-185)

Soccer Hit Rate: 63% (38/60)

Soccer Bankroll: $38.11 (-4.7%)

*Horse Racing*

Saratoga Race Course

Race No. 8 (5:11p)

#7: Santorini (5-1 ML)

Race No. 9 (5:45p)

#9: Deep Satin (5-1 ML)

Horse Racing Hit Rate: 21% (12/57)

Horse Racing Bankroll: $23.79 (-40.5%)

*Total*

Total Hit Rate: 43% (50/117)

Total Bankroll: $61.90 (-22.6%)

Lists: Favorite Soccer Podcasts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(A series of lists of things.)

1. Protagonist Podcasts
2. The Away End
3. Friggin' Soccer Show
4. Call It What You Want
5. The USL Show
6. Men In Blazers
7. The Blizzard

Headlines: U.S. Soccer Announces U.S. Open Cup Updates

U.S. Soccer:

U.S. Soccer has announced the Open Division details for the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup including entry details and dates for the Qualifying Rounds. The Open Division will again produce 32 teams for the Tournament Proper, including 16 squads that will emerge from the Qualifying Rounds and 16 that will receive direct entry based on performances in select competitions.