If you've been following the U.S. Open Cup or CONCACAF Champions League, you probably know that the Open Cup winners have earned spots in the CCL Preliminary Round for the past two years. In 2008, it was the New England Revolution. In 2009, it was the Seattle Sounders.
U.S. Open Cup Intrigue: Is A Berth In CONCACAF Champions League Up For Grabs?
With the Open Cup champion being decided tonight, there’s been some rumors floating around that this year’s champion is not guaranteed a spot in next year’s CCL.
Crew Technical Director Brian Bliss told the Columbus Dispatch that he believes this year’s Open Cup champion would not get an automatic spot in the tournament. This, understandably, caught many by surprise since the standard line up til now had been that, while not determined, this year’s champ was expected to get the same perks as previous winners.
Now, the folks at the Cup have said via twitter that the U.S. Soccer Federation has confirmed the Open Cup champion will receive one of the federation’s four automatic bids. Apparently, the big question is whether next year’s Open Cup champion will be afforded the same bonus.
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