CHICAGO – Four area teams will tussle in the first qualifying round of the 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup while a fourth, the N.Y. Pancyprian Freedoms, will get a bye.

U.S. Soccer determined the opening round pairings and announced them Wednesday.

Cedar Stars Academy will take on Jackson Lions FC at Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah, N.J. Sept. 22 at noon.

Clifton Elite FC (N.J.) will welcome Lansdowne Bhoys Sept. 22 at Althenia Steel Recreation Complex in Clifton, N.J. Sept. 22 at 8:15 p.m.

The annual tournament, entering its 107th year, is the only high-profile event in American team sports that grants amateur sides the opportunity, should they advance far enough, to face professional clubs in meaningful competition.

Eighty of 88 amateur sides approved to compete in local qualifying will see action at the first hurdle, scheduled for Sept. 21-22. The remaining eight teams have been issued byes to the second qualifying round, set for Oct. 19-20. The byes were determined by either geographical considerations (two clubs), the result of being randomly selected (five teams), or due to the ineligibility of an opponent (one team) after Izee Auto FC recently withdrew from the Maryland Major Soccer League prior to the start of the fall season.

The pairings for the second qualifying round and the matchups for each ensuing round will be determined and announced after each preceding round of games has taken place. One second qualifying round pairing has already been determined as Springfield FC (Ill.) will host Nashville United (Tenn.) in a game that was announced originally as a first qualifying round match.

For the 88 teams participating in Open Division Local Qualifying, the ultimate number of slots up for grabs into the First Round of the 2020 Open Cup will be determined by the Open Cup Committee in January 2020 after the pro team entry deadline on Dec. 17, 2019. For now, U.S. Soccer projects at least three, and perhaps four, local qualifying rounds will take place before the competition’s First Round next spring.

The local qualifying survivors will be joined by Newtown Pride FC (Newtown, Conn.), the 2019 U.S. Adult Soccer Association (USASA) National Amateur Cup champion in the tournament proper. The provision to automatically advance the Amateur Cup winner to the Open Cup proper began with the 2019 competition.

2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – Open Division Local Qualifying Schedule

First Qualifying Round

East Region

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
Sept. 21 Kendall Wanderers (Mass.) vs. Safira FC (Mass.) 12 p.m. ET Danehy Park, Field 3; Cambridge, Mass.
Sept. 21 Juve-Pro Soccer (Mass.) vs. Brockton FC United (Mass.) 7 p.m. ET Ashland High School; Ashland, Mass.
Sept. 21 SOCA (Va.) vs. World Class Premier Elite FC (Md.) 7 p.m. ET Charlottesville High School, Stadium Turf Field; Charlottesville, Va.
Sept. 21 Steel FC (Pa.) vs. Germantown City FC (Md.) 7:45 p.m. ET Shady Side Academy; Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sept. 22 CSA Westchester (N.J.) vs. Jackson Lions FC (N.J.) 12 p.m. ET Ramapo College of New Jersey; Mahwah, N.J.
Sept. 22 Steel Pulse FC (Md.) vs. Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (Pa.) 2 p.m. ET Troy Park; Elkridge, Md.
Sept. 22 Danubia Swabian (Pa.) vs. West Chester United (Pa.) 2:30 p.m. ET Rosemont College, Main Varsity Field; Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Sept. 22 Ukrainian Nationals (Pa.) vs. Vereinigung Erzgebirge (Pa.) 3 p.m. ET Ukrainian American Sports Center, Main Turf Field; North Wales, Pa.
Sept. 22 FC Millennium International (Md.) vs. CD Huateras (Va.) 6 p.m. ET Heurich Community Park, Turf Field; Hyattsville, Md.
Sept. 22 Doradus FC (Va.) vs. Alianza Futbol Club (Va.) 6 p.m. ET Howison Homestead Soccer Complex; Woodbridge, Va.
Sept. 22 Clifton Elite FC (N.J.) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.) 8:15 p.m. ET Athenia Steel Recreation Complex; Clifton, N.J.

First Round Byes (5): Christos FC (Md.); Federal City Wanderers (D.C.); New York Pancyprian Freedoms (N.Y.); United German Hungarians (Pa.); Virginia United (Va.)

Central Region

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
Sept. 21 Celtic Cowboys Premier (Texas) vs. Central Texas Lobos (Texas) 12 p.m. CT Onion Creek Soccer Complex, Field 8; Austin, Texas
Sept. 21 Atletico Miami CF (Fla.) vs. Miami United FC U23 (Fla.) 4:30 p.m. ET Kendall Soccer Park; Miami, Fla.
Sept. 21 NTX Rayados (Texas) vs. FC Fort Worth Soccer Club (Texas) 5 p.m. CT Premier Park, Field 1; Balch Springs, Texas
Sept. 21 Club ATLetic (Ga.) vs. Georgia Revolution FC Reserves (Ga.) 7 p.m. ET Dunwoody Springs Elementary School; Sandy Spring, Ga.
Sept. 21 Coyotes FC (Texas) vs. San Antonio Runners (Texas) 7 p.m. CT Holy Trinity Catholic High School, Field 1; Temple, Texas
Sept. 21 Louisiana Krewe FC (La.) vs. Northshore United (La.) 7 p.m. CT St. Thomas More Catholic High School; Lafayette, La.
Sept. 21 Hurricane FC (Fla.) vs. International Soccer Association (Fla.) 8 p.m. ET Seacrest Soccer Complex, Field 1; Delray Beach, Fla.
Sept. 22 Athletic Katy FC (Texas) vs. Houston FC (Texas) 11 a.m. CT San Jacinto College South Campus; Houston, Texas
Sept. 22 Lone Star Republic (Texas) vs. Inocentes Futbol Club (Texas) 2 p.m. CT The Greenhill School, Frankel Field; Addison, Texas
Sept. 22 Charleston United (S.C.) vs. Soda City Sorinex FC (S.C.) 4 p.m. ET Drayton Hall Elementary School; Charleston, S.C.
Sept. 22 Deportivo Lake Mary (Fla.) vs. Orlando FC Wolves (Fla.) 5:30 p.m. ET Sylvan Lake Park; Sanford, Fla.
Sept. 22 Florida Soccer Soldiers (Fla.) vs. Red Force FC (Fla.) 6 p.m. ET Miramar Regional Park; Miramar, Fla.
Sept. 22 Livonia City FC (Mich.) vs. Wayne County Sporting (Mich.) 8:30 p.m. ET Schoolcraft College; Livonia, Mich.

First Round Byes (3): Ann Arbor FC (Mich.); Nashville United (Tenn.); Springfield FC (Ill.)

West Region

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
Sept. 21 Chula Vista FC (Calif.) vs. Rebels Soccer Club (Calif.) 4:30 p.m. PT Terra Nova Park; Chula Vista, Calif.
Sept. 21 FC Denver (Colo.) vs. FC Boulder Harpos (Colo.) 7 p.m. MT Aurora Sports Park, Field 1; Aurora, Colo.
Sept. 21 Logroñes Denver Soccer Club (Colo.) vs. Colorado Rovers (Colo.) 7:30 p.m. MT North Stadium/1st Bank Field; Denver, Colo.
Sept. 21 USA Soccer Stars FC (Calif.) vs. Alta California Sol (Calif.) 7 p.m. PT Lake Forest Sports Park, Field B; Lake Forest, Calif.
Sept. 21 Newport FC (Calif.) vs. SC Trojans FC (Calif.) 7 p.m. PT Orange County Great Park, Field 15; Irvine, Calif.
Sept. 21 L.A. Monsters FC (Calif.) vs. Valley United SC (Calif.) 7:30 p.m. PT Orange County Great Park, Field 19; Irvine, Calif.
Sept. 21 Real San Jose (Calif.) vs. Outbreak FC (Calif.) 7:30 p.m. PT PAL Stadium; San Jose, Calif.
Sept. 21 Oakland Stompers (Calif.) vs. Contra Costa FC (Calif.) 8:30 p.m. PT Raimondi Park; Oakland, Calif.
Sept. 22 San Juan FC (Utah) vs. IPS/Marathon Taverna (Ore.) 1 p.m. MT Zions Bank Stadium; Herriman, Utah
Sept. 22 Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake (Colo.) vs. Azteca FC (Colo.) 2 p.m. MT Lakewood Memorial Field; Lakewood, Colo.
Sept. 22 Colorado Rush (Colo.) vs. Club El Azul (Colo.) 3 p.m. MT Addenbrooke Park; Lakewood, Colo.
Sept. 22 Quickening (Calif.) vs. Cal FC (Calif.) 2 p.m. PT Lancaster National Soccer Center, Field 33; Lancaster, Calif.
Sept. 22 Gam United FC (Colo.) vs. FC Union Jerez (Colo.) 4 p.m. MT Lowry Sports Complex Park, Turf Field 2; Denver, Colo.
Sept. 22 Oxnard Guerreros FC (Calif.) vs. Santa Monica United FC (Calif.) 6:30 p.m. PT Del Sol Stadium; Oxnard, Calif.
Sept. 22 Academica SC (Calif.) vs. PV United (Calif.) 7 p.m. PT Our Lady of the Assumption Park; Turlock, Calif.
Sept. 22 JASA RWC (Calif.) vs. Olympic Club (Calif.) 7 p.m. PT Red Morton Community Park, Bechet Field; Redwood City, Calif.

First Round Byes: None

Second Qualifying Round: Oct. 19-20
Third Qualifying Round: Nov. 23-24
Fourth Qualifying Round (if necessary): Dec. 21-22

 

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.