The 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final is just six days away, but teams are already making arrangements for next year’s tournament.
Today, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced the entries for the Open Division Local qualifying tournament for the 2020 US Open Cup.
The federation’s Open Division Local Qualifying tournament will feature 89 entries from across the country and the majority of them will begin play in the competition’s opening round on Sept. 21-22. The draw for the first round will take place on Monday, Aug. 26.
The teams will represent 18 different states and the District of Columbia (21 different state associations) and will feature teams from 26 different leagues. For the fifth year in a row, the most represented league is the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) which entered 33 teams, which is two fewer than the 35 they entered in last year’s competition, and six fewer than the 39 that participated for the 2018 qualifying tournament.
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 just need to register. 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 the 107th edition of the Open Cup next year.
Of the 89 teams, 53 of the teams have competed in the Open Division tournament before, leaving 36 new teams.
One team has already punched their ticket into the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Newtown Pride FC won the 2019 USASA Amateur Cup championship which earned them an automatic berth into next year’s Open Cup. The Connecticut-based club has qualified for the first time after being unsuccessful each year since 2013 to qualify, finally getting over the hump.
2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – Open Division Local Qualifying Schedule
First Qualifying Round: Sept. 21-23
Second Qualifying Round: Oct. 19-20
Third Qualifying Round: Nov. 23-24
Fourth Qualifying Round (if necessary): Dec. 21-22
2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Open Division Teams Entering via the Local Qualifying Track
Listed by State and League (Sanctioning Body) Affiliation
California (20)
LIGA NorCal (US Club Soccer)
Academica SC*; Turlock, Calif.
San Francisco Soccer Football League (Calif. Soccer Assn.-North/USASA)
Olympic Club; San Francisco, Calif.
SoCal Premier League (Calif. State Soccer Assn.-South/USASA)
Chula Vista FC; Chula Vista, Calif.
L.A. South Bay Monsters FC; Irvine, Calif.
Outbreak FC; Long Beach, Calif.
Quickening; Lancaster, Calif.
Rebels Soccer Club; Madison, Calif.
SC Trojans FC; Irvine, Calif.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Alta California Sol; Santa Barbara, Calif.
Cal FC*; Wilmington, Calif.
Contra Costa FC; Walnut Creek, Calif.
JASA RWC; Redwood City, Calif.
Newport FC; Lake Forest, Calif.
Oakland Stompers; Oakland, Calif.
Oxnard Guerreros FC; Oxnard, Calif.
PV United; Watsonville, Calif.
Real San Jose; San Jose, Calif.
Santa Monica United FC; Santa Monica, Calif.
USA Soccer Stars FC; Glendale, Calif.
Valley United SC; North Hills, Calif.
Colorado (10)
Colorado Premier League (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake; Lakewood, Colo.
Azteca FC; Broomfield, Colo.
Club El Azul; Broomfield, Colo.
Colorado Rovers; Broomfield, Colo.
FC Boulder Harpos; Boulder, Colo.
FC Denver*; Aurora, Colo.
FC Union Jerez; Broomfield, Colo.
Colorado Super League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Colorado Rush; Lakewood, Colo.
Logroñes Denver Soccer Club; Denver, Colo.
Mountain Premier League (US Club Soccer)
Gam United FC; Denver, Colo.
District of Columbia (1)
District Sports Premier League (Metro D.C-Virginia Soccer Assn./USASA)
Federal City Wanderers; Washington, D.C.
Florida (8)
Central Florida Soccer League (Florida State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Orlando FC Wolves; Winter Springs, Fla.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Atletico Miami CF; Miami, Fla.
Deportivo Lake Mary; Sanford, Fla.
Florida Soccer Soldiers*; Miramar, Fla.
Hurricane FC; Delray Beach, Fla.
International Soccer Association: Miami, Fla.
Miami United FC U23; Miami, Fla.
Red Force FC; Miami, Fla.
Georgia (2)
Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League (Georgia State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Club Atletic; Sandy Spring, Ga.
Georgia Revolution FC Reserves; Locust Grove, Ga.
Illinois (1)
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Springfield FC; Springfield, Ill.
Louisiana (2)
Gulf Coast Premier League (Louisiana Soccer Assn./USASA)
Louisiana Krewe FC; Lafayette, La.
Northshore United; Mandeville, La.
Maryland (5)
Maryland Major Soccer League (Md. State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Christos FC; Glen Burnie, Md.
Izee Auto FC; Columbia, Md.
Steel Pulse FC; Windsor Mill, Md.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
FC Millenium International; Hyattsville, Md.
World Class Premier Elite FC; Boyds, Md.
Massachusetts (4)
Bay State Soccer League (Mass. Adult State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Brockton FC United; Brockton, Mass.
Kendall Wanderers; Cambridge, Mass.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Juve-Pro Soccer; Ashland, Mass.
Safira FC; Sommerville, Mass.
Michigan (3)
Ann Arbor Premier Development League (Michigan Soccer Association/USASA)
Ann Arbor FC; Ann Arbor, Mich.
Michigan Premier Soccer League (Michigan Soccer Association/USASA)
Livonia City FC; Livonia, Mich.
Wayne County Sporting; Riverview, Mich.
New Jersey (3)
Cosmopolitan Soccer League (New Jersey Soccer Assn./USASA)
CSA Westchester; Tinton Falls, N.J.
Garden State Soccer League (New Jersey Soccer Assn./USASA)
Clifton Elite FC; Clifton, N.J.
Jackson Lions FC; Jackson, N.J.
New York (2)
Cosmopolitan Soccer League (Eastern New York State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Lansdowne Yonkers FC; Yonkers, N.Y.
New York Pancyprian Freedoms^; Queens, N.Y.
Oregon (1)
Oregon Premier Soccer League (Oregon Adult Soccer Assn./USASA)
International Portland Select (IPS)/Marathon Taverna; Portland, Ore.
Pennsylvania (7)
Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League (Pa. West Soccer Assn./USASA)
Steel FC; Pittsburgh, Pa.
Tartan Devils Oak Avalon; Pittsburgh, Pa.
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (Eastern Pa. Soccer Assn./USASA)
Danubia Men’s Soccer; Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Ukrainian Nationals; North Wales, Pa.
United German Hungarians; Oakford, Pa.
Vereinigung Erzgebirge; Warminster, Pa.
West Chester United*; West Chester, Pa.
South Carolina (2)
Central League (South Carolina Amateur Soccer Assn./USASA)
Soda City FC Sorinex; Columbia, S.C.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Charleston United; Charleston, S.C.
Tennessee (1)
Middle Tennessee Soccer Alliance (Tennessee State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Nashville United; Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Texas (10)
Austin Men’s Soccer Association (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
Celtic Cowboys Premier; Austin, Texas
Gulf Coast Premier League (Louisiana Soccer Assn./USASA)
Central Texas Lobos; Austin, Texas
North Texas Premier Soccer Association (North Texas Soccer Assn./USASA)
NTX Rayados*; Balch Springs, Texas
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Athletic Katy FC; Houston, Texas
Coyotes FC; Temple, Texas
FC Fort Worth Soccer Club; Forth Worth, Texas
Houston FC; Houston, Texas
Inocentes Futbol Club; Forth Worth, Texas
Lone Star Republic; Addison, Texas
San Antonio Runners; San Antonio, Texas
Utah (1)
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
San Juan FC; Herriman, Utah
Virginia (6)
Soccer Organization of the Charlottesville Area (Metro D.C-Virginia Soccer Assn./USASA)
SOCA; Charlottesville, Va.
Woodbridge Soccer League (Asociacion Nacional Fútbol en USA/U.S. Soccer)
Alianza Futbol Club; Woodbridge, Va.
CD Huateras; Woodbridge, Va.
Doradus Futbol Club; Woodbridge, Va.
Germantown City FC; Woodbridge, Va.
Virginia United*; Woodbridge, Va.
* Advanced to 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
^ Three-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1980, 1982-83)
Facts and Figures of Open Division Teams Entering via the Local Qualifying Track:
- 26 different leagues represented (including two new leagues added this year)
- 18 different states plus the District of Columbia represented (one new state added this year: Tennessee)
- 20 teams entering from California alone
- 10 teams each from Colorado and Texas
- 8 teams from Florida
- 7 teams from Pennsylvania
- 6 teams from Virginia
- 5 teams from Maryland
- 4 teams from Massachusetts
- 3 teams each from Michigan and New Jersey
- 2 teams each from Georgia, Louisiana, New York and South Carolina
- 1 team each from the District of Columbia, Illinois, Oregon, Tennessee and Utah
- 53 teams are veterans of Open Division local qualifying, having participated in at least one of the four previous competitions
- 14 teams have entered all four previous years of Open Division local qualifying: Calif. (3): Chula Visa FC, Outbreak FC, Valley United; Colorado (3): Colorado Rovers, Colorado Rush, FC Boulder Harpos; Florida (1): Red Force FC; New York (2): Lansdowne Yonkers FC, New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Oregon (1): IPS/Marathon Taverna; Pennsylvania (3): Tartan Devils Oak Avalon, Vereinigung Erzgebirge; West Chester United SC; Texas (1): NTX Rayados
- 36 teams are entering Open Division local qualifying for the first time
- 74 teams are from U.S. Adult Soccer Association-affiliated leagues
- 8 teams are from U.S. Specialty Sports Association-affiliated leagues
- 5 teams are from Asociacion Nacional Fútbol en USA-affiliated leagues
- 2 teams are from US Club Soccer-affiliated leagues
- 7 teams entering 2020 Open Division local qualifying reached the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup first round; five of these reached the second round; one of these (Florida Soccer Soldiers) reached the third round
- New York Pancyprian Freedoms are a three-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1980, 1982-83)