U.S. Soccer News Release
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
CHICAGO – U.S. Soccer has announced the groupings for the first round and second round possibilities for the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which kicks off on June 14 with 16 first round matches.
The first and second rounds will be made up exclusively of lower division and amateur teams and will be played on June 14 and June 21, respectively, with eight teams advancing to play eight MLS teams on June 28 in the third round.
The quarterfinals will be played on July 12 and the semifinals will be played on Aug. 30. All 2011 U.S. Open Cup matches are scheduled to be played on Tuesdays.
The tournament has crowned a champion for 97 consecutive years beginning in 1914. Every winning team’s name is engraved on the base of the Dewar Challenge Trophy which dates to the first year of the tournament and currently resides at U.S. Soccer House in Chicago. This year’s final will take place on Oct. 4.
Thirty-nine of the 40 teams are now qualified for the tournament proper, narrowed down from more than 155 teams that entered the competition in the initial stages. The remaining team is in the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League where the Kitsap Pumas and the Portland Timbers U-23s finished with an identical 3-0-1 record in Open Cup qualifying games and also finished even in all tiebreakers. The teams played to a 0-0 draw on May 21, and finished with identical goal differentials and goals scored. These two teams already had a regularly scheduled game for June 3, which will now also serve as the winner-take-all match to secure the Northwest Division qualifying spot for the Open Cup.
Participating Teams
Major League Soccer (Division I – Eight teams): Six automatic qualifiers based on the 2010 regular season standings and two qualifiers from a play-in competition that features 10 teams.
Automatic Qualifiers (Six berths): Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders
Play-in Qualifiers (Two berths): Chicago Fire, Sporting Kansas City
United Soccer Leagues PRO (Division III – 11 teams): All U.S.-based clubs automatically qualify.
Automatic Qualifiers (11 berths): Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, Harrisburg City Islanders, Los Angeles Blues, FC New York, Orlando City, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Rhinos, Wilmington Hammerheads
United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League
(Amateur – Nine teams): The top U.S.-based club from each of nine PDL divisions qualified based on the results of four pre-selected 2011 regular season games. Each of the 54 teams eligible played two home and two away matches that served as qualifiers.
Qualifiers (Nine berths): Carolina Dynamo, Central Florida Kraze, Chicago Fire Premier, Chivas El Paso Patriots, Reading United A.C., Real Colorado Foxes, Ventura County Fusion, Western Mass Pioneers, Kitsap Pumas or Portland Timbers U-23s
U.S. Adult Soccer Association (Amateur – Eight teams): The first- and second-place teams from each of the four U.S. Soccer regions advanced to the tournament. Approximately 50 teams entered qualifying at the local or state level.
Qualifiers (Eight berths): AAC Eagles, Doxa Italia, DV8 Defenders, Iowa Menace, ASC New Stars, New York Pancyprian-Freedoms, Phoenix SC, Regals FC
National Premier Soccer League (Amateur – Four teams): The NPSL elected to give one berth to each of its four divisions, either by qualifying tournaments or division standing.
Qualifiers (Four berths): Brooklyn Italians, Chattanooga FC, Hollywood United Hitmen, Madison 56ers
2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup First Round
All Games Tuesday, June 14, 2011
1 - Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) at N.Y. Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA) 7:30 p.m. ET Belson Stadium, St. Johns University; Queens, N.Y.
2 - Western Mass. Pioneers (PDL) at FC New York (USL PRO) 7 p.m. ET Adelphi University; Garden City, N.Y.
3 - Reading United A.C. (PDL) at Harrisburg City Islanders (USL PRO) 7 p.m. ET Skyline Sports Complex; Harrisburg, Pa.
4 - Phoenix SC (USASA-Pa.) at Rochester Rhinos 7:35 p.m. ET Sahlen's Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.
5 - Chattanooga FC (NPSL) at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL PRO) 7 p.m. ET Chartiers Valley Stadium; Bridgeville, Pa.
6 - Dayton Dutch Lions (USL PRO) at Richmond Kickers (USL PRO) 7 p.m. ET Richmond City Stadium; Richmond, Va.
7 - Charlotte Eagles (USL PRO) at Carolina Dynamo (PDL) 7 p.m. ET Macpherson Stadium; Browns Summit, N.C.
8 - Central Florida Kraze (PDL) at Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO) 7:30 p.m. ET Legion Stadium; Wilmington, N.C.
9 - ASC New Stars (USASA-Texas) at Orlando City Soccer Club (USL PRO) 7:30 p.m. ET Rollins College; Winter Park, Fla.
10 - Regals FC (USASA-Texas) at Charleston Battery (USL PRO) 7:30 p.m. ET Blackbaud Stadium; Charleston, S.C.
11 - AAC Eagles (USASA-Ill.) at Madison 56ers 7 p.m. CT Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis.
12 - Chicago Fire PDL (PDL) at Iowa Menace (USASA) 7:30 p.m. CT Valley Stadium; West Des Moines, Iowa
13 - DV8 Defenders (USASA-Calif.) at Real Colorado Foxes (PDL) 7 p.m. MT Shea Stadium; Highlands Ranch, Colo.
14 - Kitsap Pumsa (PDL) or Portland Timbers U-23s (PDL) at Chivas El Paso Patriots (PDL) 8 p.m. MT Patriots Stadium; El Paso, Texas
15 - Hollywood United (NPSL) at Los Angeles Blues (USL PRO) 5:30 p.m. PT Riverside Community College; Riverside, Calif.
16 - Doxa Italia (USASA-Calif.) at Ventura County Fusion (PDL) 7:05 p.m. PT Ventura College; Ventura, Calif.
2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Second Round Possible Pairings
17 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
18 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
19 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
20 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
21 - Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10
22 - Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12
23 - Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14
24 - Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16