U.S. Soccer has announced the third-round possible pairings and locations for the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the 100th edition of the tournament. D.C. United will face the winner of Richmond Kickers-Icon FC on Tuesday, May 28.
The Kickers will host Icon FC (USASA) at Richmond City Stadium on Tuesday, May 21 (7 p.m. ET) for the right to face D.C. United. Should Icon FC advance, United would play host at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Md., on May 28 at 7 p.m. ET. The cost of attending this match is $20 for general admission and $10 for D.C. United ticketplan holders with an ID card. Youth ages 16 and under will be able to enter for free with a purchase of an adult ticket (must be 1 for 1).
If Richmond – D.C. United’s USL PRO affiliate club – defeats the amateur side, then the Black-and-Red would travel south to face the Kickers on Richmond’s home turf. A total of five United players – Andrew Dykstra, Taylor Kemp, Michael Seaton, Conor Shanosky and Casey Townsend – are currently on loan with the Kickers and can be recalled by United for MLS play at any time. For the Open Cup, those who play minutes with Richmond in the tournament will be Cup-tied. Final roster decisions will be made this week.
D.C. United has won the U.S. Open Cup twice in its 18-year history. In 1996, D.C. United pulled off the first ‘double’ in League history, winning both MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. The Black-and-Red beat the second division Rochester Raging Rhinos 3-0 in the 1996 Open Cup final, on the strength of goals from Eddie Pope, Jaime Moreno and Raul Diaz Arce. In 2008, United captured its second Open Cup title when it beat the second division Charleston Battery 2-1, with goals from Fred and Luciano Emilio.
The 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup includes a random selection process for determining home teams from the first round through the finals among clubs that have applied to host. The process, conducted by a coin flip, gives participating teams with venues meeting tournament standards an equal chance at hosting their possible opponent. In years past, the two semifinal matches and the final game were determined through a sealed-bid process.
The first round concluded on Tuesday, May 14, featuring 32 amateur sides – including six NPSL teams, 16 USL PDL squads, eight USASA regional qualifiers and two play-in teams. The 2013 tournament features 68 teams, an increase from the 64 that competed last year, marking the largest field in the modern era (1995-present). This year also marks the second-consecutive year in which all U.S.-based Division I, II and III teams will participate in the tournament proper: 16 from Major League Soccer, six from the North American Soccer League and 12 from USL PRO. All Division II clubs and eight of the Division III sides will enter the competition in the second round. Division I teams receive a bye to the third round.
