For 32 amateur teams, their roads in the 2022 US Open Cup finally have a starting point. The United States Soccer Federation announced the pairings for the First Round of the 107th edition of the tournament. The 16 games between March 22-23 will be the earliest start the tournament has ever had in the Modern Era.
The hosts for the First Round, and all future rounds, are determined by random selection. If both teams apply to host and both teams meet the federation’s minimum venue standards, then the home team is decided by random draw.
The winners from the opening round will advance to the Second Round which is scheduled to be played April 5-7. This round will introduce professional teams into the competition as all Division II (USL Championship) and Division III (MLS Next Pro, National Independent Soccer Association, and USL League One) teams will enter.
Of note, many teams within Division III will need waiver forms signed either because their schedule was not announced to the public by January 31 or in the case of USL League One, their season does not begin at least 7 days prior to their first Open Cup match.
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ESPN+ will be the home of the US Open Cup again in the final year of the broadcasting deal. While every match in the tournament has been broadcasted on ESPN+ for the 2019 tournament (and would have for the 2020 tournament,) we should note that US Soccer now say a broadcast schedule is to be determined. We’re awaiting word from US Soccer on why a broadcast schedule is needed if every match is supposed to be on ESPN+ regardless.
Interesting Notes:
- There are 4 matches total between the same qualifying pools (allowed under the exception for the First Round to minimize travel costs)
- 1 USL League Two vs. USL League Two match
- 1 NPSL vs. NPSL match
- 2 LQ vs. LQ matches
- Shortest travel: D’Feeters Soccer Club to Denton Diablos (36 miles)
- Longest travel: Azteca FC to Tulsa Athletic (566 miles)
2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Competition Schedule
First Round
|
Date |
Game (home team listed first) |
Time |
Venue |
|
March 22 |
FC Motown (NPSL) vs. West Chester United SC (USLL2) |
7 p.m. ET |
MSU Soccer Park; Montclair, N.J. |
|
March 22 |
Hartford City FC (NPSL) vs. Oyster Bay United FC (N.Y.) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Dillon Stadium; Hartford, Conn. |
|
March 22 |
South Carolina United FC (USLL2) vs. NC Fusion U23 (USLL2) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
SEFL Soccer Complex; Columbia, S.C. |
|
March 22 |
The Villages SC (USLL2) vs. Orlando FC Wolves (Fla.) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
The Villages SC Complex; Summerfield, Fla. |
|
March 22 |
Denton Diablos FC (NPSL) vs. D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (Texas) |
7:30 p.m. CT |
UNT Soccer and Track & Field Stadium; Denton, Texas |
|
March 22 |
Southern States SC Stars (NPSL) vs. Georgia Revolution FC (NPSL) |
7:30 p.m. CT |
The Oakes; Hattiesburg, Miss. |
|
March 23 |
San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) vs. Escondido FC (Calif.) |
2:45 p.m. PT |
Sepulveda Basin Sports Complex; Encino, Calif. |
|
March 23 |
Lynchburg FC (Va.) vs. Nova FC (Va.) |
7 p.m. ET |
Lynchburg City Stadium; Lynchburg, Va. |
|
March 23 |
Ocean City Nor’easters (USLL2) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.) |
7 p.m. ET |
Carey Stadium; Ocean City, N.J. |
|
March 23 |
Cleveland SC (NPSL) vs. Chicago FC United (USLL2) |
7:15 p.m. ET |
George Finnie Stadium; Berea, Ohio |
|
March 23 |
Miami United FC (NPSL) vs. City Soccer FC (Fla.) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Ted Hendricks Stadium; Hialeah, Fla. |
|
March 23 |
Western Mass Pioneers (USLL2) vs. Brockton FC United (Mass.) |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass. |
|
March 23 |
Des Moines Menace (USLL2) vs. Minneapolis City SC (NPSL) |
7 p.m. CT |
Valley Stadium; West Des Moines, Iowa |
|
March 23 |
Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) vs. Azteca FC (Colo.) |
7 p.m. CT |
Case Soccer Complex (ORU); Tulsa, Okla. |
|
March 23 |
Portland Timbers U23 (USLL2) vs. Contra Costa FC (Calif.) |
7 p.m. PT |
John Chambers Field; Salem, Ore. |
|
March 23 |
Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) vs. Park City Red Wolves SC (USLL2) |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Peter Johanan Soccer Field (UNLV); Las Vegas, N.V. |
April 5-7 Second Round (Division II and III teams enter)
April 8 Third Round Draw
April 19-21 Third Round (18 lower-seeded Division I teams enter)
April 22 Round of 32 Draw
May 10-11 Round of 32 (6 higher-seeded Division I teams enter)
May 12 Round of 16/Quarterfinal Draw
June 24-25 Round of 16
June 21-22 Quarterfinals
July 26-26 Semifinals
Sept. 6-7 or Sept. 13-14 Final