The Open Cup Matters: Olive & York's protest tee

Every movement needs an icon.

The grassroots protests of Major League Soccer's decision last week to largely skip the 2024 US Open Cup may just have found theirs. The Open Cup Matters, a graphic slogan first introduced by STL Santos, a supporter group for St. Louis City, is now available on t-shirts from Olive & York, the footy clothing company based in Miami.

The Open Cup Matters shirts cost $28 plus shipping and are available in a range of colors. According to Olive & York, proceeds from sales will go to Marquette Park in St. Louis. The park is in Dutchtown South, which, according to Olive & York, is "one of the most densely populated and diverse neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis and the site of a futsal court and grass soccer field, used by many of the immigrant and minority communities that make Dutchtown South their home."

Protests over the MLS decision have been particularly strong in St. Louis, which has a deep relationshp with the US Open Cup. Teams from St. Louis have won the cup 10 times over the tournament's 101-year history. The first title came in 1920, when the Ben Millers, a team made up of workers from a local brewery, beat Fore River, a team made up of shipbuilders from Quincy, MA.

That legacy prompted St. Louis fans and supporters groups to hold protests before the St. Louis City vs New York City FC game last Saturday — and for the official X account of St. Louis City to amplify the message.

The STL Santos graphic is a good look. And now it can be yours.

This post was updated on March 7 to correct the T-shirt's price.