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Report: 2017 US Open Cup final penciled in for September 20

A heads up on an important USOC date from RBNY's NASL neighbors the New York Cosmos.

Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images

[Update: Nope.

USSF published dates for every round of USOC 2017 back in October. We're just waiting to see if the dates hold as the schedules unfolds. So nothing of note here.]

Empire Of Soccer has reported that the New York Cosmos' continuing efforts to soothe their tortured fanbase have uncovered information of broader interest to the US soccer-watching community: the 2017 US Open Cup final is penciled in for September 20.

At least, that is the understanding of Cosmos COO Erik Stover, who let the news slip in the context of reassuring his club's fans that the team won't be forced out of its latest home (MCU Park in Coney Island) if it reaches this season's USOC final (and has the right to host).

If there is one thing we know about US Open Cup, it is that the schedule is a near-constant work in progress. The US Soccer Federation is technically already running a little late with its promised announcement of the tournament format and schedule for the third qualifying round. The task of structuring this year's tournament was, in fairness, likely complicated by the promotion of USL to Division Two status. US Soccer now has two second divisions, so the usual practice of having NASL clubs drop in to the tournament in the round after USL teams make their debut might be regarded as contentiously promoting one D2 above the other.

FiftyFive.One reports that USSF has started to tidy up the sort of discrepancies that can arise when administrators allow months to go by between qualifying rounds: Minneapolis City SC has been disqualified from this year's tournament for changing leagues since it won its second qualifying round match against Oakland County FC back in October, 2016.

Scheduled dates in USOC are every bit as changeable as qualified teams, but if the New York Red Bulls were to be tasked with playing a September 20 Cup final, they should be able to fit it in. The team's 2017 MLS schedule requires it to play Philadelphia at home on September 17 and Columbus away on September 23. And having to fit a Cup final into the schedule would, of course, be a very nice problem for RBNY to have this year.