Last week, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced the 95 teams that would take part in the Open Division Local Qualifying tournament for the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. After one team was removed from the field, the remaining 94 teams now know who they will play in their opening qualifying games. Of those 94 teams, 50 of them have competed in the Open Division tournament before, leaving 44 new teams trying to qualify for the 106th edition of U.S. Soccer’s national championship.
The tournament kicks off the weekend of Sept. 22-23 with 38 games on the schedule. While 76 teams will begin in Round 1, the remaining 18 received a bye into the second round (Oct. 20-21). According to the USSF, 13 of them received a bye due to travel considerations, and the other five were randomly selected. Eight of the teams with byes meet each other and so they already know their Round 2 opponents.
The teams will represent 25 different states and the District of Columbia (30 different state associations) and will feature teams from 28 different leagues. The most represented league is the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) which entered 35 teams, down from the 39 the UPSL entered a year ago.
The federation also announced that the field was reduced to 94 teams as Naples United FC 2 was not eligible because they were “found not to be affiliated with a U.S. Soccer Organization Member, namely the U.S. Specialty Sports Association, by the deadline for local amateur sides to participate in sanctioned league competition.”
The Open Division Local Qualifying tournament was launched in 2016 as an alternative to holding state and regional qualifying tournaments. Now, all teams from any US Soccer-affiliated leagues all enter the same tournament. The competition begins in the fall and all entrants are divided up regionally to minimize travel, with the teams that advance the furthest qualifying for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup which will begin in the spring. The number of teams that will qualify for the tournament, and the number of rounds that will be required, is yet to be determined as it will depend on the number of professional teams that will take part in next year’s tournament.
2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – Open Division Local Qualifying Schedule
First Qualifying Round
Northeast Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Sept. 22 | Southie FC (Mass.) vs. GPS Omens (Mass.) | 12 p.m. ET | Madison Park High School – Upper Field; Roxbury, Mass. |
Sept. 22 | Kendall Wanderers (Mass.) vs. Boston Siege FC (Mass.) | 2 p.m. ET | Danehy Park – Field 3; Cambridge, Mass. |
Sept. 22 | Safira FC (Mass.) vs. Mass United FC (Mass.) | 7 p.m. ET | Dilboy Stadium; Somerville, Mass. |
Sept. 22 | Jackson Lions FC (N.J.) vs. Newtown Pride FC (Conn.) | 7:30 p.m. ET | Jackson Justice Complex – Soccer Turf Field; Jackson, N.J. |
Sept. 22 | Lansdowne Bhoys FC (N.Y.) vs. New York Pancyprian Freedoms (N.Y.) | 8 p.m. ET | Tibbett’s Brook Park – Field 3; Yonkers, N.Y. |
Sept. 23 | Ukrainian Nationals (Pa.) vs. United German Hungarians (Pa.) | 2:30 p.m. ET | Ukrainian American Sports Center – Field 1; North Wales, Pa. |
Sept. 23 | Vereinigung Erzgebirge (Pa.) vs. West Chester Predators (Pa.) | 2:30 p.m. ET | Vereinigung Erzgebirge Clubhouse; Warminster, Pa. |
Sept. 23 | Boston City FC II (Mass.) vs. Juve-Pro Soccer (Mass.) | 6 p.m. ET | Brother Gilbert Stadium; Malden, Mass. |
Mid-Atlantic Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Sept. 22 | Tigres FC (Va.) vs. Cville Alliance FC – Reserves (Va.) | 6 p.m. ET | Charlottesville High School; Charlottesville, Va. |
Sept. 22 | Izee Auto FC (Md.) vs. World Class Premier Elite FC (Md.) | 7 p.m. ET | Blandair Regional Park; Columbia, Md. |
Sept. 23 | Steel Pulse FC (Md.) vs. Aegean Hawks (Md.) | 2 p.m. ET | Milford Mill Academy; Windsor Mill, Md. |
Sept. 23 | Christos FC (Md.) vs. Rockville Soccer Club (Md.) | 3 p.m. ET | Troy Park – Field 2; Elkridge, Md. |
Sept. 23 | DC Cheddar (D.C.) vs. Super Delegates Football Club (Md.) | 6 p.m. ET | Jelleff Recreation Center; Washington, D.C. |
Sept. 23 | Centro America FC (Va.) vs. Virginia United (Va.) | 7 p.m. ET | Howison Homestead Soccer Complex – Field 1; Manassas, Va. |
First Round Bye: Rochester River Dogz (N.Y.), Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (Pa.)
Southeast Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Sept. 22 | America Soccer Club (Fla.) vs. Orlando FC Wolves (Fla.) | 8:30 p.m. ET | West Orange High School; Winter Garden, Fla. |
Sept. 22 | Miami Sun FC (Fla.) vs. Florida Soccer Soldiers (Fla.) | 8:30 p.m. ET | Kendall Soccer Park – Field 2; Miami, Fla. |
Sept. 23 | Deportivo Lake Mary (Fla.) vs. Sporting Orlando Soccer Club (Fla.) | 1 p.m. ET | Johnson University; Kissimmee; Fla. |
Sept. 23 | Soda City FC Sorinex (S.C.) vs. FC Cardinals (N.C.) | 3 p.m. ET | CIU University; Columbia, S.C. |
Sept. 23 | Red Force FC (Fla.) vs. FC Kendall (Fla.) | 5 p.m. ET | Tropical Park; Miami, Fla. |
First Round Bye: Central Florida FC Spartans (Fla.), Hurricane FC (Fla.), Shahin Atlanta FC (Ga.)
Central Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Sept. 22 | Celtic Cowboys Premier (Texas) vs. San Antonio Runners (Texas) | 3 p.m. CT | Onion Creek Soccer Complex – Field 4; Austin, Texas |
Sept. 22 | Motagua New Orleans (La.) vs. Port City FC (Miss.) | 7 p.m. CT | Pan American Stadium; New Orleans, La. |
Sept. 22 | Dallas Elite FC (Texas) vs. NTX Rayados (Texas) | 7:30 p.m. CT | Lions Stadium; Plano, Texas |
Sept. 23 | Ann Arbor FC (Mich.) vs. Livonia City FC (Mich.) | 3 p.m. ET | Saline High School – Stadium Field; Saline, Mich. |
Sept. 23 | Bay Area Oiler FC (Texas) vs. Leon FC (Texas) | 6 p.m. CT | San Jacinto College South; Houston, Texas |
First Round Bye: Aurora Borealis Soccer Club (Ill.), FC Maritsa (Mo.), FC Minnesota (Minn.)
Mountain Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Sept. 23 | Indios Denver FC (Colo.) vs. FC Denver (Colo.) | 3:45 p.m. MDT | Manuel High School; Denver, Colo. |
Sept. 23 | Colorado Rush (Colo.) vs. Harpos FC (Colo.) | 5 p.m. MDT | Shea Stadium; Highlands Ranch, Colo. |
Sept. 23 | Gam United Football Club (Colo.) vs. Northern Colorado FC (Colo.) | 5 p.m. MDT | Adams City High School Stadium; Commerce City, Colo. |
Sept. 23 | Colorado Rovers (Colo.) vs. Club El Azul (Colo.) | 7 p.m. MDT | Broomfield Commons – Championship Turf; Broomfield, Colo. |
First Round Bye: Boise Cutthroats FC (Idaho), San Juan FC (Utah), Southwest FC (Texas), Sporting AZ FC (Ariz.)
Southern California Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Sept. 22 | Outbreak FC (Calif.) vs. L.A. South Bay Monsters FC (Calif.) | 7 p.m. PT | Long Beach State University – George Allen Field; Long Beach, Calif. |
Sept. 22 | L.A. Wolves FC (Calif.) vs. Santa Ana Winds FC (Calif.) | 7 p.m. PT | Lake Forest Sports Park – Field B; Lake Forest, Calif |
Sept. 22 | Cal FC (Calif.) vs. San Nicolás FC (Calif.) | 7:30 p.m. PT | Calabasas High School; Calabasas, Calif. |
Sept. 23 | Buena Park FC (Calif.) vs. Valley United SC (Calif.) | 3 p.m. PT | Kennedy High School – Varsity Field; La Palma, Calif. |
Sept. 23 | Real Sociedad Royals (Calif.) vs. Quickening (Calif.) | 4 p.m. PT | St. John Bosco High School – Stadium Field; Bellflower, Calif. |
Sept. 23 | Lionside FC (Calif.) vs. SC Trojans FC (Calif.) | 7 p.m. PT | Lake Forest Sports Park; Lake Forest, Calif. |
Sept. 23 | CaliGators FC (Calif.) vs. California United FC II (Calif.) | 6:30 p.m. PT | Lake Forest Sports Park; Lake Forest, Calif. |
First Round Bye: Chula Vista FC (Calif.)
West Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Sept. 22 | Academica SC (Calif.) vs. Davis Legacy Soccer Club (Calif.) | 7 p.m. PT | Academica Fields – East Field; Turlock, Calif. |
Sept. 22 | Oakland FC Leopards (Calif.) vs. Oakland Stompers (Calif.) | 7 p.m. PT | Castlemont High School; Oakland, Calif. |
Sept. 22 | San Ramon Dynamos FC (Calif.) vs. JASA RWC (Calif.) | 7 p.m. PT | Dougherty Valley High School; San Ramon, Calif. |
First Round Bye: Contra Costa FC (Calif.), IPS/Marathon Taverna (Ore.), Napa Sporting SC (Calif.), Nevada Coyotes FC (Nev.), Real San Jose (Calif.)
Second Qualifying Round
Mid-Atlantic Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Oct. 21 | Rochester River Dogz (N.Y.) vs. Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (Pa.) | 5 p.m. ET | Basket Road Rectangle Field; Webster, N.Y. |
Mountain Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Oct. 21 | Boise Cutthroats FC (Idaho) vs. San Juan FC (Utah) | 3 p.m. MDT | Boise State Recreational Field; Boise, Idaho |
Oct. 21 | Sporting AZ FC (Ariz.) vs. Southwest FC (Texas) | 7 p.m. MST | John Riggs Stadium (Mesa Community College); Mesa, Ariz. |
West Region
Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
Oct. 21 | IPS/Marathon Taverna (Ore.) vs. Nevada Coyotes FC (Nev.) | 7 p.m. PT | Buckman Field Park; Portland, Ore. |
First Qualifying Round: Sept. 22-23
Second Qualifying Round: Oct. 20-21
Third Qualifying Round: Nov. 17-18
Fourth Qualifying Round: March 9-10 or April 6-7, 2019 (if necessary)