First Division B Overview

All 27 U.S.-based MLS clubs will participate in the 2027 U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer announced Wednesday morning. MLS participation in the competition has shrunk in recent years. A full slate of teams participated in 2023, but just 16 appeared in 2026. Participation might fit as an ideal run-up to the fall-spring calendar switch set for the 2027-28 campaign.

USL players will wear t-shirts calling for professional standards prior to U.S. Open Cup games Tuesday night, in a coordinated effort to put pressure on the U.S. Soccer amid tense negotiations with the league on a Collective Bargaining Agreement. The USLPA has been engaged in talks with the League office for months, and with no deal near, they have decided to take action.

Portland Hearts of Pine and Vermont Green are two of New England’s most compelling community-built clubs, and their U.S. Open Cup meeting brings a battle of brands to the pitch.

The oldest soccer tournament in the U.S. returns in March