U.S. Open Cup won’t be held this spring

CHICAGO » The U.S. Open Cup will not be held this spring because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, a decision that follows the tournament’s cancellation last year.

The U.S. Soccer Federation’s Open Cup Committee cited logistical and financial challenges caused by the pandemic and said Friday it will evaluate holding the tournament “in some fashion later in the year.”

The committee had announced on Feb. 4 plans for a revised tournament format that cut the field from 101 teams to 24 and reduced the competition from eight rounds to five. On March 29 the committee said the first round would not be held as scheduled on May 4-5 but that it hoped to start on May 18-19.

The 2020 tournament was skipped entirely because of the pandemic.

MLS concludes Beckham’s Miami broke league budget rules

NEW YORK » David Beckham’s Inter Miami was found by Major League Soccer to have violated league budget rules with its signing of French midfielder Blaise Matuidi, and the team bought out the contract of Argentine midfielder Matías Pellegrini to get back in compliance.

MLS said Friday that final results of the investigation, including sanctions, will be announced “in the near future.”

The league said Pellegrini is being loaned to Fort Lauderdale, the affiliate of Miami in the third tier United Soccer League’s League One. That team is Miami’s reserve side.

The league announced its investigation on March 5.