The US Soccer Federation announced the 107 clubs that will take part in Open Division Local qualifying for the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The tournament will begin the weekend of Sept. 17-18. There are clubs from 25 states plus the District of Columbia, with the lion’s share coming from United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) with 46 teams from that league. Three or four rounds of single elimination matches will take place over the rest of 2022 with nine qualifiers being determined. Match-ups will be geographical to minimize travel for all teams. The schedule is as follows:
September 17-18, 2022 – First Qualifying Round
October 15-16, 2022 – Second Qualifying Round
November 19-20, 2022 – Third Qualifying Round
December, 17-18, 2022 – Fourth Qualifying Round
MORE: 2023 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule/Results
Along with the 107 teams, Bavarian United from Milwaukee, won the 2022 USASA National Amateur Cup on Aug. 8, bypassing qualifying fully and entering in the First Round of the 108th edition of the tournament next March. This makes for a total of 108 clubs playing for 10 slots in the First Round from the “local qualifying” track.
Two other Open Division national leagues will bypass qualifying and enter in the First Round as well, using 2022 season results to determine entrants. USL League Two (USL-2) and National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) will each receive their own slots in the competition. UPSL, although meeting the criteria for national league status, chose not to go down this route, letting each team in the league choose on its own if they want to participate or not.
The number of slots going to the Open Division qualifying track and the two national leagues is proportional to the number of clubs in each league or pool of teams. Based on the qualifying track receiving 10 slots for their 108 clubs, we can determine a rough estimate for the total number of Open Division qualifiers for the First Round next March.
As of today, either 28 or 30 Open Division teams will participate in the 2023 US Open Cup next March. If that was to change, the qualifying track would be locked into their number of teams and the increase or decrease in the number of teams would be added to or taken away from the two national leagues. The only exception to this would be if the change is very large, where at that point they could add or take away teams from the qualifying track as well. This will all be determined in January 2023 when the pro leagues finalize their teams for the 2023 season.
We can also say based on the projected number of teams for each professional league for next season, as of today, the Division 3 teams will enter in the Second Round along with the Division 2 teams. Here is the current projected format for 2023
Round 1: 28 or 30 Open Division teams enter, 14-15 winners advance
Round 2: 45-46 Division 2 and Division 3 teams enter, with the 14-15 winners of the First Round, 29-30 winners advance
Round 3: 18-19 unseeded MLS teams enter, with the 29-30 winners of the Second Round, 24 teams advance
Round of 32: 8 seeded teams* enter, with the 24 winners of the Third Round, 16 teams advance
Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final from there
* seeded teams are the 4 CCL participants with the 2 best remaining MLS Eastern Conference teams and 2 best remaining MLS Western Conference teams.
However, there is still a chance the Division 3 teams will enter in the First Round. Again, this will be determined in January 2023 when the pro leagues finalize their clubs for the 2023 season.
Using those projections, here is how the Open Division slots would be allocated to each “track” and the 311 total clubs involved in this process. USL League Two has 111 eligible US based clubs in the league and NPSL has 92 eligible US based clubs in the league. As a reminder, Bavarian United is counted in the local qualifiers pool and takes up one of the slots given to that pool of teams.
28 teams:
Local Qualifiers: (108/311) * 28 = 9.72 clubs (rounded up to 10)
USL League Two: (111/311) * 28 = 9.99 clubs (rounded up to 10)
NPSL: (92/311) * 28 = 8.28 clubs (rounded down to 8)
30 teams:
Local Qualifiers: (108/311) * 30 = 10.41 clubs (rounded down to 10)
USL League Two: (111/311) * 30 = 10.71 clubs (rounded up to 11)
NPSL: (92/311) * 30 = 8.87 clubs (rounded up to 9)
Here are the entries for the 2023 Open Division Local qualifying tournament:
ALABAMA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
FC Birmingham; Fultondale, Ala.
ARIZONA (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Coronado Athletic Club; Hereford, Ariz.
FC Arizona; Chandler, Ariz.
Olympians FC; El Mirage, Ariz.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
SC Union Maricopa; Gilbert, Ariz.
CALIFORNIA (21)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
A.S. Los Angeles; Los Angeles, Calif.
Davis Legacy SC; Davis, Calif.
Desert FC; La Quinta, Calif.
Elk Grove Blues; Elk Grove, Calif.
Escondido FC; Escondido, Calif.
Irvine FC; Irvine, Calif.
Laguna United FC; Laguna Niguel, Calif.
OC Kings FC; Tustin, Calif.
Orange County FC; Mission Viejo, Calif.
Rebels Soccer Club, Chula Vista, Calif.
Trojans FC; Los Angeles, Calif.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Capo FC; San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
San Francisco Soccer Football League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Inter San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
Southwest Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
LA Monsters FC; Redondo Beach
Modesto City Football Club; Modesto, Calif.
Olympiacos CA; Huntington Beach, Calif.
Outbreak FC, Long Beach, Calif.
Temecula FC; Temecula, Calif.
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
Marin County Union SC; San Rafael, Calif.
Real San Jose; San Jose, Calif.
West Coast Soccer Association (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
UC Davis Club Soccer; Davis, Calif.
COLORADO (7)
Colorado Super League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake; Golden, Colo.
Azteca FC; Denver, Colo.
Boulder United FC; Boulder, Colo.
Colorado Rovers, Golden, Colo.
FC Denver; Denver, Colo.
Harpos FC; Longmont, Colo.
Mountain Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Peak Eleven Football Club; Broomfield, Colo.
CONNECTICUT (1)
Connecticut Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Newtown Pride FC; Sandy Hook, Conn.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (3)
American Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Aegean Hawks FC; Washington, D.C.
DC Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
DCFC, Washington, D.C.
Team Tevez; Washington, D.C.
FLORIDA (19)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Clearwater Chargers SC; Clearwater, Fla.
Doral SC; Doral, Fla.
Florida Premier FC, Odessa, Fla.
Florida Soccer Soldiers; Medley, Fla.
Gainesville City FC; Ocala, Fla.
International Soccer Association; Boca Raton Fla.
Juventus Academy; Miami, Fla.
Naples City FC; Naples, Fla.
O’Shea’s FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
City Soccer FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
Florida Brothers; Dania Beach, Fla.
Hurricane FC; Boynton Beach, Fla.
Miami Soccer Academy; Miami Beach, Fla.
Miami United FC; Miami Beach, Fla.
Naples United FC; Naples, Fla.
West Palm Beach Academy CF; West Palm Beach, Fla.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Club de Lyon; Orlando, Fla.
Deportivo Lake Mary FC; Lake Mary, Fla.
Central Florida Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Orlando FC Wolves; Longwood, Fla.
GEORGIA (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Kalonji Pro-Profile; Dacula, Ga.
TCSA; Ailey, Ga.
INDIANA (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Club Soccer)
1927 SC; Fort Wayne, Ind.
ILLINOIS (1)
Midwest Premier League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Chicago House AC; Chicago, Ill.
KENTUCKY (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Bowling Green FC; Bowling Green, Ky.
Metro Louisville FC; Louisville, Ky.
MASSACHUSETTS (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Boston Street FC; Revere, Mass.
Unations FC; Worcester, Mass.
Bay State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Brockton FC United; Brockton, Mass.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Ruggles Pro FC; Framingham, Mass.
MARYLAND (3)
Maryland Super Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Christos FC, Gambrills, Md.
Steel Pulse FC; Windsor Mill, Md.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Germantown City FC; Gaithersburg, Md.
NORTH CAROLINA (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Mint Hill FC; Mint Hill, N.C.
Triangle Adult Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Tobacco Road FC; Durham, N.C.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Santa Cruz FC; Nashua, N.H.
NEW JERSEY (5)
Garden State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Jackson Lions FC; Toms River, N.J.
SC Vistula Garfield; Garfield, N.J.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
New Jersey Alliance FC; Lyndhurst, N.J.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Real Central NJ Soccer; Lawrenceville, N.J.
Scots-American Athletic Club; Nutley, N.J.
NEW MEXICO (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
UDA Soccer; Las Cruces, N.M.
NEVADA (1)
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
BattleBorn FC; Carson City, Nev.
NEW YORK (8)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Oyster Bay United FC; Sea Cliff, N.Y.
Queensboro FC II; Queens, N.Y.
Sahara Gunners FC; Buffalo, N.Y.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Lansdowne Yonkers FC; Yonkers, N.Y.
New York Greek American SC; Astoria, N.Y.*
New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Astoria, N.Y.^
Rochester District Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
IASC Boom; Rochester, N.Y.
Cosmopolitan Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Manhattan Kickers FC; Flushing, N.Y.
OHIO (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Club Soccer)
Valhalla FC; Cincinnati, Ohio.
PENNSYLVANIA (8)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals; North Wales, Pa.**
United German Hungarians; Ambler, Pa.
Vereinigung Erzgebirge; Warminster, Pa.
West Chester United SC; Chester Springs, Pa.
Lancaster City FC; Lancaster, Pa.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Lancaster Elite; Lancaster, Pa.
Philadelphia Lone Star FC, Philadelphia, Pa.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Kensington Soccer Club; Philadelphia, Pa.
SOUTH CAROLINA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
South Carolina United Heat; Lexington. S.C.
TENNESSEE (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Beaman United FC; Nashville, Tenn.
TEXAS (6)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Alamo City Soccer Club; San Antonio, Texas
D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club; Desoto, Texas
FC Fort Worth; Fort Worth, Texas
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
D10 Lions FC; Spring, Texas
Galveston Pelicans FC; Galveston, Texas
Houston FC; Pasadena, Texas
VIRGINIA (1)
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Nova FC; Centreville, Va.
WASHINGTON (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Bellevue Athletic FC; Snohomish, Wash.
Federal Way Men’s Open Sunday (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Legend Football Gold; Lake Forest Park, Wash.
* Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1967-69, 1974)
^ Three-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1980, 1982-83)
** Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1960-61, 1963, 1966)
FACTS AND FIGURES
23 different leagues represented
25 different states plus the District of Columbia represented
5 teams have entered all five previous years of Open Division local qualifying: California (1): Outbreak FC; Colorado (2): Colorado Rovers, Harpos FC; New York (1): New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Pennsylvania (1): Vereinigung Erzgebirge