Dude come on this argument is ridiculous.
The ongoing discussion about the US Open Cup is less about the tournament itself and more about who governs soccer in the United States. Despite differing individual opinions on whether the USL poses a threat to the MLS, it is plausible that in the next decade, the USL could compete for D1 status. Successful USL teams like Orange County have been signing players from MLS academies and transferring them to Europe. This trend indicates that promising young players are not solely dependent on MLS teams or the USMNT youth setup to get noticed by European clubs. The logical progression for USL would be to improve their player development program to enable more profitable transfers, as this market could serve as a significant revenue source for them.
The D1 status does not necessarily reflect the quality of a team, but rather it is indicative of the financial strength of its owners. For USL clubs to achieve this status, they must meet two key criteria: an ownership group with a net worth of $70 million and a stadium that can hold at least 15,000 spectators. These requirements were established by US Soccer to make D1 qualification challenging for NASL clubs, which led to an antitrust lawsuit. However, these prerequisites may be subject to change in the future. The pro/reg model of USL could potentially become a more appealing model to US Soccer if it results in more teams, the construction of new stadiums, more soccer academies and an expanded fan base. If the USL is awarded D1 status, MLS would have no say over this decision and would either need to merge with or compete against this league. This explains why MLS is striving for control over soccer in the U.S, even going so far as establishing MLS Next Pro in order to try to inhibit USLs growth.
MLS is not only focused on its growth but also aims to remain as the top US league. As noted, owners have made significant investments in franchise fees but a tournament like the US Open Cup exposes the league because MLS teams often lack balance and depth, making them vulnerable without their star players. They could potentially lose to USL teams, which would negatively impact their image. Consider Inter Miami as an example; while they may currently be drawing attention and selling tickets, a continued losing streak to MLS or USL clubseven with star player Messicould tarnish their appeal. People pay to see Messi play not Inter Miami but if Messi's performance doesn't meet expectations or he is frequently benched due to health issues, it might affect spectator turnout despite his star power.
Do you really think people will stop going to Inter Miami games to see Messi if they played in the Open Cup (which nobody attends or watches) and lost to some random USL team?
Miami could lose every game this year and their matchups still will be the highest attended in the league.