CHICAGO (April 4, 2024) – Pairings and hosting scenarios for the 16 games comprising the Third Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, were determined earlier today via a draw conducted by U.S. Soccer.
In all Third Round contests, sides from the Division II USL Championship will enter the 109th edition of the tournament against a Second Round winner in matches to be contested April 16-17. That latter group includes three Open Division amateur squads – El Farolito and Lubbock Matadors from the NPSL and the USSSA’s Miami United FC – and 13 Division III professional teams spanning USL League One (8), MLS NEXT Pro (3), and NISA (2).
Broadcasts of all matches will continue to be streamed live on usopencup.com, uslsoccer.com, and MLSSoccer.com during the Third Round as well as the Rounds of 32 and 16. This unparalleled access to the tournament ensures soccer fans across the country will have access to every action-packed match - including the entrance of USL Championship and Major League Soccer sides - in the nation's oldest and most prestigious soccer competition. Broadcast details for the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final will be announced later in the tournament.
Home teams listed first; visit usopencup.com for full schedule details including venues and times
Tuesday, April 16
Louisville City FC (USL Championship) vs. Greenville Triumph SC (USL League One)
Detroit City FC (USL Championship) vs. Michigan Stars FC (NISA)
Charlotte Independence (USL League One) vs. Rhode Island FC (USL Championship)
New Mexico United (USL Championship) vs. Lubbock Matadors (USASA / NPSL)
Oakland Roots SC (USL Championship) vs. El Farolito (USASA / NPSL)
Wednesday, April 17
Hartford Athletic (USL Championship) vs. New York City FC II (MLS NEXT Pro)
North Carolina FC (USL Championship) vs. Carolina Core FC (MLS NEXT Pro)
Memphis 901 FC (USL Championship) vs. Miami United FC (USSSA-S / USSL)
Richmond Kickers (USL League One) vs. Loudoun United FC (USL Championship)
Miami FC (USL Championship) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL League One)
FC Tulsa (USL Championship) vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USL League One)
Birmingham Legion FC (USL Championship) vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL League One)
Chicago Fire FC II (MLS NEXT Pro) vs. Indy Eleven (USL Championship)
Union Omaha (USL League One) vs. El Paso Locomotive FC (USL Championship)
Monterey Bay FC (USL Championship) vs. Irvine Zeta FC (NISA)
Las Vegas Lights FC (USL Championship) vs. Spokane Velocity FC (USL League One)
Round Three includes a quartet of local derbies and intriguing in-state showdowns, highlighted by a rematch of last year’s all-Bay Area Second Round tilt that saw Oakland Roots SC defeat El Farolito. Joining the 1993 Open Cup champions on the road this round are the other two amateur sides still standing, with Lubbock Matadors and Miami United FC trekking to face New Mexico United and Memphis 901 FC, respectively.
The Motor City clash between Detroit City FC and Michigan Stars FC, a Tarheel State tussle pitting North Carolina FC against Carolina Core FC, and an Old Dominion donnybrook for Richmond Kickers and Loudoun United FC round out the regional rivalries that will bring some added bragging rights to the Third Round. In addition, a NoCal/SoCal matchup with Monterey Bay FC and Irvine Zeta FC will bring heavy potential for more must-see “Open Cup After Dark” action.
Rhode Island FC is the lone club making its Open Cup debut in the Third Round. The USL Championship expansion side starts its tourney ledger with an away affair at Charlotte Independence – the lone team that advanced out of the Second Round via a penalty shootout – a 4-3 triumph in PKs over South Carolina United Heat on Tuesday following a scoreless draw. Meanwhile, six other squads will be looking to extend their maiden Open Cup voyages with a third win on the trot: Carolina Core FC, Chicago Fire II, Irvine Zeta FC, Lubbock Matadors FC, NYCFC II, and Spokane Velocity FC.
USL Championship (Div. II) (16): Birmingham Legion FC, Detroit City FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, FC Tulsa, Hartford Athletic, Indy Eleven, Las Vegas Lights FC, Loudoun United FC, Louisville City FC, Memphis 901 FC, Miami FC, Monterey Bay FC, New Mexico United, North Carolina FC, Oakland Roots SC, Rhode Island FC
USL League One (Div. III) (8): Charlotte Independence, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Greenville Triumph SC, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, Richmond Kickers, South Georgia Tormenta FC, Spokane Velocity FC, Union Omaha
MLS NEXT Pro (Div. III) (3): Carolina Core FC, Chicago Fire FC II, NYCFC II
NISA (Div. III) (2): Irvine Zeta FC, Michigan Stars FC
Open Division (3): El Farolito (NPSL), Lubbock Matadors (NPSL), Miami United FC (USSL)
Third Round pairings were created by placing equal numbers of USL Championship sides and Second Round winners into pools based on geography and drawing randomly from those groups. Home teams for each round were determined by random selection among those who applied to host. Clubs whose venue meet minimum tournament standards were given priority.
The remaining eight Div. II USL Championship sides (champions Phoenix Rising FC and the next seven best teams from the 2023 regular-season standings) enter in the Round of 32 (May 7-8) alongside the eight competing Div. I Major League Soccer clubs. The Round of 32 draw is slated to take place on Thursday, April 18.
Now in its 109th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer's Club Championship – has crowned a champion since 1914 in every year except 2020 and 2021. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally-contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
Houston Dynamo are defending Open Cup champions, having earned the club's second tournament title thanks to a 2-1 victory against fellow MLS club Inter Miami CF on September 27, 2023 in a Final played before a capacity crowd at Miami’s Chase Stadium.
usopencup.com is the official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Fans can also follow the competition on Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
