The United States Soccer Federation announced the pairing and hosting scenarios for the 2011 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Semifinals Thursday, unveiling that Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City would host the winners from the opposite side of their bracket with victories in the Quarterfinals.
The USSF also officially revealed a schedule change for the Quarterfinals. The contest between the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles Galaxy was moved back one day to July 13 with the three other matches remaining on July 12.
The lone remaining lower division club Richmond Kickers learned that it will face another contest on the road should they register a second consecutive upset over an MLS team. The Kickers, currently coming off a road victory against the Columbus Crew, will travel to play either the Chicago Fire or New York Red Bulls if they defeat Kansas City.
The Kickers and the Galaxy are the only two clubs that are guaranteed to play away from home. The Galaxy will travel to play the winner of the quarterfinal between RSL and FC Dallas.
Of the six potential 2011 semifinal hosts, the Sounders will be the only club slated to utilize an alternate venue from league play. Seattle also played both semifinals in 2009 and 2010 at the Starfire Sports Complex en route to winning the championship.
Should the Red Bulls and Kickers fall Tuesday, it would mark only the third time in the Professional Era in which no club from the Eastern Time Zone advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. Dallas and the Galaxy were both members of the final four the previous two times in 2002 and 2005.
2011 Semifinal Host Scenarios – August 30
Chicago Fire / NY Red Bulls at Sporting Kansas City
8:30 pm – LIVESTRONG Sporting Park; Kansas City, Kan.
OR
Richmond Kickers at Chicago Fire
8:30 pm – Toyota Park; Bridgeview, Ill.
OR
Richmond Kickers at New York Red Bulls
8:00 pm – Red Bull Arena; Harrison, N.J.
———————————————————————
Seattle Sounders / LA Galaxy at Real Salt Lake
9:00 pm – Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
OR
FC Dallas at Seattle Sounders
10:00 pm – Starfire Sports Stadium; Tukwila, Wash.
OR
Los Angeles Galaxy at FC Dallas
9:00 pm – Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas
^All times ET. Schedule subject to change