Orlando City SC has exited the Leagues Cup competition. But did the league-wide boycott ever get into it?
Orlando City SC wasn’t one of the eight MLS teams retained for U.S. Open Cup competition. So the Lions went with the rest to the Leagues Cup. They won their group stage before narrowly missing an advance in the Round of 32.
The Leagues Cup pits MLS and Liga MX squads, starting with 45 teams in the group stage.
As the matches kicked off calls for a boycott were posted on social media. They were picked up on Web pages dedicated to soccer, including O-Town’s 11.
The calls are well-meant. The league's decision to reduce U.S. Open participation this year shocked and disappointed supporters of that competition.
The U.S. Open started in 1913. That makes it the oldest cup competition in United States soccer and among the oldest in the world. It’s open annually to all affiliated amateur and professional squads.
The problem started when MLS officials put a calculator to the return on league efforts to host matches. Then they asked what they could do to increase attendance.
Statement on Leagues Cup. pic.twitter.com/odp78FUGLY
— Iron Lion Firm (@IronLionFirm) April 2, 2024
Finally, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the Leagues Cup is a bid to capture the imaginations of the league’s sporting public. While not equaling MLS average attendance this year, the Leagues Cup does draw more than the U.S. Open Cup. It’s a dramatic difference in average attendance.
MLS drew 23,426 per match through June 24. That’s a 7% increase over last year.
The Leagues Cup has averaged 17,016 attendance so far. Orlando City SC drew just below that average, 16,251, in the Lions’ Leagues Cup matches.
Average U.S. Open Cup attendance is only 5,320 – or a 69% decrease in what the Leagues Cup is pulling.
The immediate boycott statement of Orlando supporters group Iron Law Firm didn’t specifically mention the U.S. Open Cup. Instead, it states that the Leagues Cup is members’ reason to believe that MLS has rejected their loyalty.
It then asked for all to opt out of Leagues Cup attendance. Supporter groups repeated these calls throughout MLS.
Loyalty to the U.S. Open Cup is not misplaced based on the history of this tournament. However, the structure of this boycott failed for two reasons.
The first is that it called for no attendance for the Leagues Cup, but never called for increased attendance to the U.S. Open Cup.
The second reason is that supporters responded in increased numbers because the Leagues Cup comes closer to capturing their imaginations.
That happens each edition of Leagues Cup among more Orlando City SC supporters and around MLS.