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When it was announced that Major League Soccer would not participate in the U.S. Open Cup in 2024, fans were angry and in shock. The oldest tournament should not be disrespected, but the league was doing just that. Eventually, some of the MLS teams played in the tournament, while others had their MLS Next Pro teams play. NYCFC II was one of the teams, and they did fairly well.
This year, 16 teams from MLS are competing in the U.S. Open Cup, including NYCFC. They will open the tournament against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, a team in the USL Championship. The Pennsylvania side sits in sixth place with a 2-4-1 record.
Since the Bronx team has not faced Pittsburgh, the players will enter the match with a clean slate. It does not matter that the opponents play in the division below as well. NYCFC has lost to teams in the lower divisions before. In fact, in their first two years in the Cup, they were eliminated by the New York Cosmos in the team’s opening round. Then, historically, the Bronx side has had more struggles than successes.
While May will be busy, fans should hope that Pascal Jansen fields a Starting XI that should compete to win. Rotation will be necessary, but the head coach could rotate a few players in the midweek game and a few over the weekend. That way, NYCFC will still have the majority of their starters, but maybe in each game, they can rotate a third of their players. Maxi Moralez and Hannes Wolf might be good options to rest, and maybe Matt Freese as well.
How to watch NYCFC’s game against Pittsburgh and more
Date
Time
7:00 PM ET, with an expected kickoff a little after 7:00 PM ET
How to watch on TV and streaming
CBS Sports Network on TV and Paramount+ for streaming
How to watch in person
Supporters would have to go to Pennsylvania
How to listen
newyorkcityfc.com/radio or via the NYCFC app
How to follow
If NYCFC fans cannot watch or listen to the game, then they can follow along via MLS Soccer’s timeline and NYCFC’s X account. Additionally, the club will post updates here and there on Facebook.
Final Notes
While it is vital to put out a strong Starting XI, Jansen should give one or two of the young bench players the chance to start. He already knows Nico Cavallo can play, but maybe someone like Drew Baiera could be given a shot.