Charleston Battery News Release -- www.charlestonbattery.com
Monday, June 13, 2011
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Charleston Battery (USL PRO) kick off their 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign on Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium with a first round match against Regals FC (USASA-Texas); gates open at 6 p.m. with kick off set for 7:30 p.m. The Battery enjoyed a strong Open Cup run in 2010 that included an away victory against Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire; the Battery eventually lost to MLS’s Columbus Crew in a quarterfinal match played in Columbus, Ohio.
Regals FC advanced to the 2011 competition by finishing second in the USASA Region III tournament played over the Memorial Day weekend.
The winner of the Battery-Regals FC match will face off against the winner of the Orlando City (USL PRO) vs. ASC New Stars (USASA) match in a second round fixture next Tuesday night (June 21). If the Charleston Battery advances it will host that game at Blackbaud Stadium (7:30 p.m.).
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
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 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.
At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team that advances deepest into the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels. The winner of the U.S. Open Cup also receives an automatic berth into the CONCACAF Champions League.
U.S. Open Cup Tickets
Tickets for the Charleston Battery vs Regals FC match are available for $5 (bleacher) and $10 (Club). 2011 Season Ticket holders receive complimentary tickets to this match. To purchase tickets, for directions, group orders, or for more information please call (843) 971-GOAL (4625) or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.