The 103rd version of the U.S Open Cup, recognized as the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup since 1999, is set to begin on May 11, 2016, with the draw for the first and second rounds to be announced on April 6.
This year, there will be a record amount of clubs taking part in the competition, as 92 organizations have thrown their name in the hat to take part in the most prestigious and oldest soccer competition in the United States.
Last year’s tournament provided many upsets and surprises, with many of the lower tier clubs taking out the NASL and MLS clubs left and right, and this year we can likely expect more of the same.
Sporting Kansas City came away with their third Open Cup trophy in 2015, after a crazy shootout that saw each and every player that was on the field to end extra time eventually getting a shot on net. The goalkeepers not only decided who won, but ended up taking the final two shots in the event that decided the winner.
Let’s break down the format for this year’s competition and, as the tournament unfolds, we can add our picks and predictions throughout the event.
The first round will see the 48 Open Division (USASA, USSSA, and USCS) and amateur (NPSL, PDL) clubs drawn into 24 matches.
The opening round will be played on May 11 and will feature these clubs:
US Club Soccer
San Francisco City FC
USASA
Aromas Café FC
Boca Raton Football Club
Lansdowne Bhoys FC
L.A. Wolves FC
La Máquina FC
Motagua New Orleans
New York Pancyprian-Freedoms
Outbreak FC
NTX Rayados
San Nicolas FC
Southie FC
West Chester United
USSSA
Harpo’s FC
NPSL
AFC Cleveland
Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves
CD Aguiluchos USA
Chattanooga FC
Chesterfield United FC
Clarkstown SC Eagles
Corinthians FC of San Antonio
Detroit City FC
FC Wichita
Fredericksburg FC
Indiana Fire
Kraze United
Miami Fusion FC
Myrtle Beach Mutiny
Sacramento Gold
PDL
Albuquerque Sol FC
Burlingame Dragons FC
Charlotte Eagles
Cincinnati Dutch Lions
Des Moines Menace
FC Tucson
GPS Portland Phoenix
Jersey Express
Kitsap Pumas
Long Island Rough Riders
Michigan Bucks
Mississippi Brilla
New York Red Bulls U-23
Portland Timbers U-23
Reading United
Seacoast United Phantoms
Seattle Sounders FC U-23
Ventura County Fusion
The Villages SC
The second round will be played on May 18, and will have the 24 First Round winners and the 18 USL clubs drawn into 21 matches. Each of the USL clubs will face a First Round winner and the other six First Round winners will be drawn against each other.
The clubs entering the tournament at this stage will be:
USL
Arizona United SC
Charleston Battery
Charlotte Independence
Colorado Springs Switchbacks
FC Cincinnati
Harrisburg City Islanders
Louisville City FC
Oklahoma City Energy FC
Orange County Blues FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Richmond Kickers
Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
Rochester Rhinos
Sacramento Republic FC
Saint Louis FC
San Antonio FC
Tulsa Roughnecks
Wilmington Hammerheads FC
The third round will be held on June 1, with the draw being announced on May 19. This round will feature the 21 Second Round winners and the 9 North American Soccer League clubs to be drawn into 15 matches. Each of the NASL clubs will face a Second Round winner, and the other 12 Second Round winners will be drawn against each other.
Entering the tournament at this stage will be:
Carolina RailHawks
Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Indy Eleven
Jacksonville Armada FC
Miami FC
Minnesota United FC
New York Cosmos
Rayo OKC
Tampa Bay Rowdies
The fourth round will be played on June 15 with the draw being announced on June 2. The 15 Third Round winners and the 17 MLS clubs will be drawn into 16 matches, while 15 of the MLS clubs will face a Third Round winner, with the remaining two MLS clubs will play each other.
17 MLS sides will enter the tournament in the fourth round consisting of:
Chicago Fire
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew
D.C. United
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
LA Galaxy
New England Revolution
New York City FC
New York Red Bulls
Orlando City SC
Philadelphia Union
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders FC
Sporting Kansas City
The Fourth Round winners will be drawn into four 4-team brackets, with the teams in each bracket drawn against each other to make up the Round of 16.
The Round of 16 will get underway on June 29, with the draw being held on June 16.
The brackets will also be paired off for the semifinals during the draw.
The Quarterfinals will be held on July 20, and he Semifinals will be held on August 10.
The Finals will be held on September 21, with the site to be determined among the two winners of the semifinals.
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The cash prizes awarded will be the same as it was in 2015, with the champion receiving $250,000 and the runner-up $60,000.
The champion of the tournament will also receive a birth in the 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League tournament.
In addition, the team from each lower division that advances the furthest will receive $15,000.
Here are your last 10 Finals results, with clubs, location, and attendance figures included.
2006 – Chicago Fire 3–1 Los Angeles Galaxy @ Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois – Attendance: 8,185
2007 – New England Revolution 3–2 FC Dallas @ Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas – Attendance: 10,618
2008 – D.C. United 2–1 Charleston Battery @ RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. – Attendance: 8,212
2009 – Seattle Sounders 2–1 D.C. United @ RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. – Attendance: 17,329
2010 – Seattle Sounders 2–1 Columbus Crew @ Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington – Attendance: 31,311
2011 – Seattle Sounders 2–0 Chicago Fire @ CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington – Attendance: 35,615
2012 – Sporting KC 1–1 (3–2 pen.) Seattle Sounders @ Livestrong Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas – Att: 18,873
2013 – D.C. United 1–0 Real Salt Lake @ Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah – Attendance: 17,608
2014 – Seattle Sounders 3–1 *AET Philadelphia Union @ PPL Park, Chester, Pennsylvania – Attendance: 15,256
2015 – Sporting Kansas City 1–1 (7–6 pen.) Philadelphia Union @ PPL Park, Chester, Pennsylvania – Attendance: 14,463
Who will take home the Cup in 2016? Time will tell!
