It’s official: Steel City FC enter 2024 U.S. Open Cup proper tournament for first time in club history

The 32 Open Division underdogs will kick off the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup First Round between March 19 and 21 have been confirmed by U.S. Soccer this week — and one of those clubs is from the Pittsburgh area, as Steel City FC, coming off an impressive 2023 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) campaign, have qualified and accepted their bid to participate in the 109th U.S. Open Cup, the oldest soccer event in the country.

By advancing to the Midwest conference Final, the Men's team earned a spot in the 109th U.S. Open Cup, the oldest soccer event in the country

Save the date. We play in March!

For more information about the tournament, click the link below:https://t.co/tOLr1hErfu pic.twitter.com/WpzqeVrYXS

— Steel City FC (@SteelCityFC) December 12, 2023

Steel City FC, the Midwest Region runner-up and Rust Belt Division Champions, will be part of a 32 team group that includes 11 victorious Open Division Local Qualifiers – who survived four Qualifying Rounds between September and November of this year – are joined by 2023 USASA National Amateur Cup winner SC MesoAmerica, AS Frenzi (the 2023 Spring champions of the United Premier Soccer League), even other teams from the National Premier Soccer League and 11 more from USL League 2.

This is a welcome change in procedure from past year's which let's these teams start planning for their first round matches now, even if they don't know their opponent yet.

Bravo. https://t.co/PvCpMElsxA

— TheCup.us (@usopencup) December 11, 2023

The opponent and date of their match — most likely in the first round of the tournament — has not been finalized, as U.S. Soccer will announce after completing the draw for the first round along with second round allocations in the near future. The First Round matches are slated to be played between March 19-21, 2024.  It’s very likely that Steel City FC’s opponent will come from a region draw, but will likely not include another NPSL side, as some of the other nearby clubs entered into the tournament include:   Christos FC (Maryland), Vereinigung Erzgebirge (West Chester, PA), West Chester United (West Chester, PA)

The second round, scheduled to be played Tuesday, April 3 and Wednesday, April 4, will likely see the addition of eligible clubs from Division II and III leagues (MLS Next Pro, NISA, USL League One and USL Championship), as that’s when it’s anticipated that the Pittsburgh Riverhounds will enter the tournament.

Last season, the Riverhounds made one of their most remarkable runs in the Open Cup in club history, advancing to the Quarterfinal Round on the strength of two victories vs MLS opponents: New England and eventual MLS Cup winners, Columbus.

There is a possibility that the Riverhounds and Steel City FC could meet in a second round match, but we’ll have to wait to see if we’ll see a first-ever all-Pittsburgh match-up in the Open Cup in the modern era can come to fruition.

COMPLETE OPEN DIVISION FIELD FOR 2024 U.S. OPEN CUP

USASA National Amateur Cup Winner (1)
SC MesoAmerica (California / Liga Deportiva Morazan / USASA)

UPSL (Spring Champion) (1)
AS Frenzi (Florida / UPSL)

Open Division Local Qualifiers (11)
Azteca FC (Colorado / Colorado Premier League / USSSA-Soccer)
Chicago House AC (Illinois / Midwest Premier League / USASA)
Christos FC (Maryland / Maryland Super Soccer League/ USASA)
FC America CFL Spurs (Florida / United States Soccer League / USSSA-Soccer)
FORO SC (Texas / UPSL)
SCU Heat (South Carolina / UPSL)
Brockton FC United (Massachusetts / UPSL)
Vereinigung Erzgebirge (Pennsylvania / United Soccer League of Pa. / USASA)
Miami United FC (Florida / United States Soccer League / USSSA-Soccer)
FC Folsom (California / UPSL)
Irvine Zeta FC (California / UPSL)

NPSL (8)
Tulsa Athletic (Oklahoma / USASA)
Apotheos FC (Georgia / USASA)
West Chester United SC (Pennsylvania / USASA)
El Farolito (California / USASA)
Steel City FC (Pennsylvania / / USASA)
FC Motown (New Jersey / USASA)
Lubbock Matadors (Texas / USASA)
Duluth FC (Minnesota / USASA)

USL League 2 (11)
Ballard FC (Washington)
Chicago City (Illinois)
Asheville City (North Carolina)
Salem City (Formerly NC Fusion, North Carolina)
Brave SC (Formerly The Villages SC, Florida)
Redlands SC (California)
South Carolina United (South Carolina)
Des Moines Menace (Iowa)
Western Mass Pioneers (Massachusetts)
Vermont Green FC (Vermont)
Hudson Valley Hammers (New York)

2024 LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP SCHEDULE

First Round                 Tuesday, March 19 – Thursday, March 21
Second Round            Tuesday, April 2 – Wednesday, April 3
Third Round                Tuesday, April 16 – Wednesday, April 17
Round of 32                 Tuesday, May 7 – Wednesday, May 8
Round of 16                 Tuesday, May 21 – Wednesday, May 22
Quarterfinal                Tuesday, July 9 – Wednesday, July 10
Semifinal                     Tuesday, Aug. 27 – Wednesday, Aug. 28
Final                              Wednesday, Sept. 25