Despite LAFC beating the Portland Timbers 3-2 on Wednesday, its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup status remains in doubt because of a dispute over the eligibility of midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye.
The draw for the semifinals of the competition has been delayed while U.S. Soccer considers an official protest from the Timbers on the grounds that LAFC fielded too many international players.
The tournament rules state a professional team “may have no more than 5 foreign players listed,” similar to Major League Soccer’s rules requiring a team may have a maximum of eight international players on its roster.