
US Open Cup
About US Open Cup
US Open Cup History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage
The US Open Cup, also known as the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup or the USOC, is an annual knockout cup American soccer competition. Founded in 1914, it is the oldest national soccer competition in the USA and is organized by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). The tournament was renamed as the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in 1999 after Major League Soccer (MLS) and North American Soccer League (NASL) executive Lamar Hunt.
The competition is open to all amateur and professional teams associated with the USSF, but has become dominated by MLS sides since the 1990s. In fact, the last time a non-MLS team won the US Open Cup was back in 1999, when the Rochester Rhinos clinched the title, although USL team Sacramento Republic made major waves in 2022 by making a run all the way to the final, where they were ultimately beaten by Orlando City.
The winner of the US Open cup gains an opportunity to compete in the CONCACAF Champions League.
In general, MLS teams are allowed to receive several byes and start the competition at a later stage, with the highest-ranked MLS sides entering the competition in the round of 32. The tournament is played in a single-elimination format, with each match lasting 90 minutes plus any additional stoppage time. Should the score remain level after this, the game proceeds to 30 minutes of extra time and then penalties.
Media coverage
In the early 2020s, ESPN secured live-streaming rights for the US Open Cup to cover matches on its corresponding streaming platform in a multi-year deal.