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US Open Cup 2019 schedule set; Riverhounds SC, Erie Commodores FC will represent Western PA again

Earlier this week, U.S. Soccer set the schedule for the 106th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — as the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S — will kick off May 7-8 and feature 84 entrants.

In addition to the final round of qualifying in April, one round of the proper tournament will be played before the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC jump in the second round, beginning May 14.

The Riverhounds will not be the only team from Western Pennsylvania represented in the field, as the Erie Commodores will be represented once again, as the NPSL club qualified after finishing in first place in the NPSL’s highly competitive East Division of the Midwest Region.

In all, three rounds will be played before Major League Soccer teams enter the competition on June 12.  The final will be played Aug. 28 or 29.

2019 US Open Cup Schedule:

  • May 7-8: First Round (32 Open Division teams + 6 USL League One teams)
  • May 14-15: Second Round (19 first-round winners + 25 USL Championship teams)
  • May 29: Third Round (22 second-round winners)
  • June 12: Fourth Round (11 third-round winners + 21 MLS teams)
  • June 19: Round of 16
  • July 10: Quarterfinals
  • Aug. 7: Semifinals
  • Aug. 27 or 28: Final

The final entrants in the competition will be determined in April when seven local qualifiers are played. Three earlier rounds were played last fall. One local club, Tartan Devils Oak Avalon were eliminated in the second round of qualifying in October.

Tartan Devils fall in U.S. Open Cup qualifying rematch at Rochester

The field includes a modern-record 52 pro teams. Thirteen other pro teams — USL Championship or USL League One teams majority-owned or otherwise controlled by higher division pro clubs — are excluded from Open Cup competition.

All but one are MLS second teams: ATL UTD 2, Bethlehem Steel FC, LA Galaxy II, Loudoun United FC; New York Red Bulls II, Portland Timbers 2, Real Monarchs SLC, Rio Grande Valley FC, Swope Park Rangers and Tacoma Defiance, North Texas SC and Orlando City B. The other team is FC Tucson FC, owned by the Phoenix Rising.

The 2019 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2020 Concacaf Champions League. Its name will engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy now on 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.

MLS (21 teams)
Atlanta United FC
Chicago Fire
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew SC
D.C. United
FC Cincinnati
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
Los Angeles FC
LA Galaxy
Minnesota United FC
New England Revolution
New York City FC
New York Red Bulls
Orlando City SC
Philadelphia Union
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
San Jose Earthquakes
Seattle Sounders FC
Sporting Kansas City

USL Championship (25 teams):
Austin Bold FC
Birmingham Legion FC
Charleston Battery
Charlotte Independence
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
El Paso Locomotive FC
Fresno FC
Hartford Athletic
Indy Eleven
Las Vegas Lights FC
Louisville City FC
Memphis 901 FC
Nashville SC
New Mexico United
North Carolina FC
OKC Energy FC
Orange County SC
Phoenix Rising FC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Reno 1868 FC
Sacramento Republic FC
Saint Louis FC
San Antonio FC
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Tulsa Roughnecks FC

USL League One (6 teams);
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Forward Madison FC
Greenville Triumph SC
Lansing Ignite FC
Richmond Kickers
South Georgia Tormenta FC

Open Division (32 teams):
Local Qualifiers (8 teams)
Winner of Safira FC (Mass.) vs. West Chester Predators (Pa.)
Winner of Virginia United (Va.) vs. World Class Premier Elite FC (Md.)
Winner of Florida Soccer Soldiers (Fla.) vs. America SC (Fla.)
Winner of NTX Rayados (Texas) vs. FC Maritsa (Mo.)
Winner of Southwest FC (Texas) vs. FC Denver (Colo.)
Winner of Santa Ana Winds FC (Calif.) vs. Cal FC (Calif.)
Winner of Academica SC (Calif.) vs. IPS/Marathon Taverna (Ore.)
Bavarian SC (Wis.)

NPSL (14 teams)
AFC Ann Arbor (Mich.)
Duluth FC (Minn.)
El Farolito (Calif.)
Erie Commodores FC (Pa.)
FC Baltimore (Md.)
FC Motown (N.J.)
FCM Portland (Ore.)
Laredo Heat SC (Texas)
Little Rock Rangers (Ark.)
Miami FC (Fla.)
Midland-Odessa Sockers FC (Texas)
New York Cosmos B (N.Y.)
Orange County FC (Calif.)
Philadelphia Lone Star FC (Pa.)

USL League Two (10 teams):
Black Rock FC (Conn.)
Brazos Valley Cavalry FC (Texas)
Dayton Dutch Lions (Ohio)
Des Moines Menace (Iowa)
FC Golden State Force (Calif.)
Lakeland Tropics (Fla.)
New York Red Bulls U23
Reading United AC (Pa.)
South Georgia Tormenta FC 2
The Villages SC (Fla.)

 

 

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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