U.S. Soccer has determined the matchups and schedule for the third round of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as the draw took place on Friday.
Set to take place April 19-20, the third round pits the 31 winners that advanced from this week’s Second Round action against 17 lower seeded Division I (MLS) clubs. All 24 Third Round games can be seen live on ESPN+.
Among the 24 third round contests, a handful of matchups stick out for their potential to deliver rivalry drama or the chance to continue underdog runs. In the Northeast Region, FC Motown (NPSL) – one of only two amateur teams left in the competition – will travel to Rochester, N.Y. to take on Division III pros Rochester New York FC (MLSNP). Similarly, North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) will travel to face Richmond Kickers (USLL1), former U.S. Open Cup champions in 1995, in a tilt between an Open Division side and a Div. III pro club.
On the rivalry front, the regional rivalry between USL Championship clubs Phoenix Rising FC and New Mexico United will spice up the Mountain Region, while the Miami Clásico between Div. II host Miami FC (USLC) and Div. I Inter Miami CF (MLS) will also bring the heat in the Florida Region. Other regional rivalries with roots that extend beyond soccer will play out when Detroit City FC (USLC) host Columbus Crew SC (MLS), FC Dallas (MLS) welcome FC Tulsa (USLC) and Forward Madison FC (USLL1) welcomes Minnesota United FC (MLS).
American soccer icon Landon Donovan will return to the stadium that boasts his statue outside its gates when he leads San Diego Loyal SC (USLC) up the I-5 to visit LA Galaxy (MLS) at Dignity Health Sports Park.
DETERMINING THIRD ROUND MATCHUPS
With more than two-thirds of participating MLS clubs entering at this stage (one round earlier than in previous years), the 48 third round participants were pooled geographically into groups of four or six teams each, with the 31 second round winners and 17 Division I clubs distributed as evenly as possible among the groups
Once the geographic groups were established, a random draw determined the pairings within each group, with all Division I sides paired to face a Second Round winner.
THIRD ROUND SCHEDULE
NORTHEAST
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | Flower City Union (NISA) vs D.C. United (MLS) | 7 p.m. ET | Rochester Community Sports Complex; Rochester, N.Y. |
| 4/20 | Rochester New York FC (MLSNP) vs FC Motown (NPSL) | 6 p.m. ET | Monroe Community College; Rochester, N.Y. |
| 4/20 | Hartford Athletic (USLC) vs New York Red Bulls (MLS) | 7 p.m. ET | Dillon Stadium; Hartford, Conn. |
PIEDMONT
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/20 | Richmond Kickers (USLL1) vs North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) | 6:30 p.m. ET | City Stadium; Richmond, Va. |
| 4/20 | Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) vs Charlotte Football Club (MLS) | 7 p.m. ET | Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College; Greenville, S.C. |
SOUTHEAST
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) vs South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) | 7 p.m. CT | Alabama Soccer Stadium (Univ. of Alabama); Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
| 4/20 | Atlanta United FC (MLS) vs Chattanooga Football Club (NISA) | 7:30 p.m. ET | Fifth Third Bank Stadium; Kennesaw, Ga. |
FLORIDA
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | Miami FC (USLC) vs Inter Miami CF (MLS) | 7 p.m. ET | FIU Stadium; Miami, Fla. |
| 4/20 | Orlando City (MLS) vs Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) | 7 p.m. ET | Osceola County Stadium; Kissimmee, Fla. |
CENTRAL
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | FC Cincinnati (MLS) vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) | 7 p.m. ET | TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 4/19 | Detroit City FC (USLC) vs Columbus Crew SC (MLS) | 7:30 p.m. ET | Keyworth Stadium; Hamtramck, Mich. |
NORTH
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | Chicago Fire FC (MLS) vs Union Omaha (USLL1) | 7 p.m. CT | Soldier Field; Chicago, Ill. |
| 4/20 | Forward Madison FC (USLL1) vs Minnesota United FC (MLS) | 6 p.m. CT | Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis. |
| 4/20 | Louisville City FC (USLC) vs St. Louis CITY 2 (MLSNP) | 7:30 p.m. ET | Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky. |
TEXAS
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | FC Dallas (MLS) vs FC Tulsa (USLC) | 7:30 p.m. CT | Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas |
| 4/19 | Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) vs Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USLC) | 7:30 p.m. CT | PNC Stadium; Houston, Texas |
| 4/20 | San Antonio FC (USLC) vs Austin FC (MLS) | 7:30 p.m. CT | Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas |
MOUNTAIN
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/20 | Real Salt Lake (MLS) vs Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1) | 7:30 p.m. MT | Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah |
| 4/20 | Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs New Mexico United (USLC) | 7:30 p.m. MST | Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass; Chandler, Ariz. |
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) vs Bay Cities FC (NISA) | 7:30 p.m. PT | PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif. |
| 4/20 | Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs Central Valley Fuego FC (USLL1) | 7:30 p.m. PT | Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif. |
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
| Date | Game (home team listed first) | Time | Venue |
| 4/19 | FC Tucson (USLL1) vs California United Strikers FC (NISA) | 7:30 p.m. MST | Kino North Stadium; Tucson, Ariz. |
| 4/19 | LA Galaxy (MLS) vs San Diego Loyal SC (USLC) | 7:30 p.m. PT | Dignity Health Sports Park; Carson, Calif. |
| 4/20 | Los Angeles Football Club (MLS) vs Orange County SC (USLC) | 7:30 p.m. PT | Banc of California Stadium; Los Angeles, Calif. |
THE PATH AHEAD
The Third Round winners will be joined by the remaining eight Division I (MLS) clubs in the Round of 32 on May 10-11. The Round of 32 Draw to determine the exact matchups will be held Friday, April 22.
April 19-20 Third Round (17 lower-seeded Division I teams enter)
April 22 Round of 32 Draw (Eight higher-seeded Division I teams enter)
May 10-11 Round of 32
May 12 Round of 16/Quarterfinal draw
May 24-25 Round of 16
June 21-22 Quarterfinals
July 26-27 Semifinals
Sept 6, 7, 13 or 14 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
THE CHASE FOR THE CUP
The First Round of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup took place between March 22-23, with an even distribution of teams from various leagues punching their ticket to the next stage. Teams from the Local Qualifying track advanced in five instances, while the same number of USL League 2 clubs also earned the right to move on. The NPSL did one better when six of its teams qualified for the Second Round, which saw the introduction of pro teams.
Clubs from professional Div. III leagues USL League One and NISA as well as Division II (USL Championship) did very well against the 16 Open Division (amateur) sides in the Second Round, winning 29 of 31 matches, but were not immune from “cupsets” as North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) and FC Motown (NPSL) both beat Div. III pro sides to reach the Third Round where one of those two teams could earn the $25,000 award for being the amateur team to go farthest in the tournament.
The 2022 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally-contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the farthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize. Atlanta United of MLS are the reigning U.S. Open Cup champions, having won the crown in 2019, the last year the tournament was held before a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
