2025 U.S. Open Cup
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Dates | March 17 – October 1 |
| Teams | 96 |
| Defending champions | Los Angeles FC |
The 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the 110th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, the knockout domestic cup competition of American soccer. It is organized by the United States Soccer Federation and will comprise 96 teams, 64 teams from all three professional tiers of the United States soccer league system and 32 amateur teams in the "Open Division". The competition is scheduled to begin on March 18 and culminate in the final on October 1. Los Angeles FC is the defending champion, having won the 2024 edition.[1]
The full format was announced on January 28, 2025.[1] Major League Soccer (MLS) will send 16 teams who enter in the Round of 32; teams that are playing in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup are excluded from the competition. Instead, eight affiliated MLS Next Pro reserve teams and two independent teams will participate beginning in the first round.[2] MLS previously sent eight teams in the 2024 edition of the U.S. Open Cup and ten MLS Next Pro teams after it had attempted to withdraw all of its senior teams from the competition and was rebuked by U.S. Soccer.[3][4] The USL Championship will send all 24 of its teams, with the highest sixteen rated teams entering the Third Round and the eight lower-seeded teams entering in the first round alongside the 14 teams from USL League One. The 32 amateur teams will enter in the first round.[1]
Of the 27 American clubs in MLS, 24 will participate in the U.S. Open Cup directly or be represented by their MLS Next Pro squad.[3] The 16 direct participants were determined by their non-qualification for other competitions or their placement in the 2024 Supporters' Shield standings.[5] Atlanta United FC, Colorado Rapids, and expansion San Diego FC will not have any representation from their club in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup. Defending champions Los Angeles FC will be among the teams represented by their MLS Next Pro affiliate instead of the first team.[6][7] Half of the MLS entrants in the Fourth Round will host their matches, while the rest will play away. The MLS Next Pro teams will be able to field players from their senior MLS team's supplemental roster via loans. U.S. Soccer also adopted new rules for the competition that restricts the use of alternative venues and has random draws for hosting beginning in the Round of 16.[8]
Schedule
[edit]| Round | Draw date | Match day | Entrants | Teams entered to date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | March 18–20 | 14 local qualifiers 1 National Amateur Cup 1 UPSL Spring Champion 7 National Premier Soccer League teams 9 USL League Two teams 14 USL League One teams 10 MLS Next Pro teams 8 USL Championship teams |
64 teams | |
| Second Round | April 1–2 | 32 winners from First Round | ||
| Third Round | April 15–16 | 16 winners from Second Round 16 USL Championship teams |
80 teams | |
| Round of 32 | May 6–7 | 16 winners from Third Round 16 Major League Soccer teams |
96 teams | |
| Round of 16 | May 20–21 | 16 winners from Round of 32 | ||
| Quarterfinals | July 8–9 | 8 winners from Round of 16 | ||
| Semifinals | September 16–17 | 4 winners from Quarterfinals | ||
| Final | October 1 | 2 winners from Semifinals |
Teams
[edit]Table
[edit]- Bold denotes team is still active in the tournament.
- $: Winner of $25,000 bonus for advancing the furthest in the competition from their respective divisions.[1]
- $$: Winner of $100,000 for being the runner-up in the competition.[1]
- $$$: Winner of $300,000 for winning the competition.[1]
Map
[edit]
MLS
USLC
Division 3 (MLSNP/USL1)- Open Division (USL2/NPSL)
- Open Division (USASA/USSSA)
- Multiple Teams
Metro areas with multiple teams:
- Boston: New England Revolution (MLS), CD Faialense (BSSL)
- Chattanooga: Chattanooga FC (MLSNP), Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL1)
- Charlotte: Charlotte FC (MLS), Charlotte Independence (USL1)
- Dallas: FC Dallas (MLS), Foro SC (UPSL)
- Denver: Flatirons FC (USL2), Harpos FC (CPL)
- Los Angeles: Orange County SC (USLC), Los Angeles FC 2 (MLSNP), Ventura County FC (MLSNP), Laguna United FC (UPSL), Ventura County Fusion (USL2)
- Louisville: Louisville City FC (USLC), Southern Indiana FC (UPSL)
- Miami: Inter Miami CF II (MLSNP), Miami United FC (UPSL)
- Naples: FC Naples (USL1), Naples United FC (NPSL)
- New York City: New York City FC (MLS), New York Red Bulls (MLS), Westchester SC (USL1), FC Motown (NPSL), New York Pancyprian-Freedoms (EPSL), NY Renegades FC (UPSL)
- Philadelphia: Philadelphia Union (MLS), West Chester United SC (USLPA)
- Phoenix: Phoenix Rising FC (USLC), FC Arizona (NPSL)
- San Francisco Bay Area: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS), Oakland Roots SC (USLC), El Farolito SC (NPSL), International San Francisco (SFSFL)
- Seattle: Ballard FC (USL2), Washington Athletic Club (SRATS)
- Tulsa: FC Tulsa (USLC), Tulsa Athletic (UPSL)
- Washington D.C.: D.C. United (MLS), Loudoun United FC (USLC), Virginia Dream FC (VSSL)
Number of teams by state
[edit]A total of 36 states and D.C. were represented by clubs in the U.S. Open Cup this year.
Open Cup debuts
[edit]26 teams made their Open Cup debuts in the 2025 tournament.
- MLSNP: Columbus Crew 2, FC Cincinnati 2, Los Angeles FC 2, Inter Miami CF II, Real Monarchs, Sporting Kansas City II
- USL1: AV Alta FC, FC Naples, Portland Hearts of Pine, Texoma FC, Westchester SC
- NPSL: Naples United FC, New York Shockers
- USL2: Corpus Christi FC, Flatirons FC, Little Rock Rangers, Sarasota Paradise
- Local: CD Faialense, Harbour City FC, Laguna Untied FC, New Jersey Alliance FC, NY Renegades FC, Soda City FC, Southern Indiana FC, Virginia Dream FC, Washington Athletic Club[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Pits 32 Amateur Teams Against 32 Pros in First Round; Format and 96-Team Field Finalized" (Press release). U.S. Soccer. January 28, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Hernandez, Cesar (January 28, 2025). "MLS doubles first-team presence in U.S. Open Cup to 16 clubs". ESPN. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ a b Tannenwald, Jonathan (January 28, 2025). "MLS and U.S. Soccer make progress toward peace over the U.S. Open Cup". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Carlisle, Jeff (March 1, 2024). "U.S. Open Cup revamp to feature just 8 MLS first teams". ESPN. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ "2025 US Open Cup: Which MLS teams are competing?". MLSsoccer.com. January 28, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Woitalla, Mike (January 29, 2025). "U.S. Open Cup: MLS participation doubles to 16 clubs". Soccer America. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
- ^ "North American cups: Where MLS teams will compete in 2025, qualification criteria". MLSsoccer.com. January 28, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Sillick, Jake (January 28, 2025). "2025 US Open Cup format revealed: More MLS teams return to competition". TheCup.us. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
- ^ Sillick, Jake (July 29, 2024). "2024 National Amateur Cup: New York Pancyprian Freedoms win first Amateur Cup, qualify for 2025 US Open Cup". TheCup.us. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
- ^ Battista, Michael (August 12, 2024). "2025 US Open Cup Qualifying: Soda City FC punches ticket with wild UPSL championship win". TheCup.us. Retrieved September 15, 2024.