CHICAGO (Sept. 18, 2024) – The initial qualifying rounds draw has been completed for the 32 matches that will be played on Oct. 5 and 6 as part of the first match window of 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifying.
The historic annual tournament, entering its 110th edition, is the only high-profile event in American team sports where amateur sides have the potential opportunity to face professionals in meaningful competition. A record 114 teams have entered the competition via the Qualifying Rounds this fall, vying for 14 available slots in the Tournament Proper, which kicks off next spring.
With the goal of minimizing overall total travel distance across the Qualifying Rounds, groups (14 in total spread across the country), matchups, and byes for the Qualifying Rounds are determined by a combination of geographical considerations and by random selection. Host teams are determined by random selection.
Based on team counts and byes, only eight games are required in the First Qualifying Round on Oct. 5-6. To balance the remaining competition calendar, seven groups have been selected to play Second Qualifying Round Matches also on Oct. 5-6. These seven groups – Northeast, New York, Pennsylvania, DMV, Mid-Atlantic, East and Colorado – will play their Final Qualifying Round matches on Nov. 16-17. Seven remaining groups – Texas, West, California-North, California-South, Midwest and two from Florida will decide their Tournament Proper berths on Dec. 7-8.
The majority of the 114 teams – 92 in total – face a three-game path to the Tournament Proper. There will be 16 that face a four-game path to the Tournament Proper, and a lucky six teams with a draw that will require just two wins to advance to the Tournament Proper.
2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Schedule
- Match Day 1: October 5 & 6 – First & Second Qualifying Rounds
- Match Day 2: October 26 & 27 – Second & Third Qualifying Rounds
- Match Day 3: November 16 & 17 – Third & Fourth Qualifying Rounds
- Match Day 4: December 7 & 8 – Fourth Qualifying Rounds
Groups & Match Day One Pairings
CALIFORNIA-NORTH (10 teams)
QR1 Byes (6): Bay Valley Suns Sports Club (UPSL / Calif.), FC Folsom (UPSL / Calif.), JASA RWC (Southwest Premier League / USSSA / Calif.), Modesto City Football Club (NISA Nation / USASA) / Calif., Napa Valley 1839 FC (UPSL / Calif.), Valley 559 FC (UPSL / Calif.)
QR1 Matches (2):
Acoreano Sport (UPSL / Calif.) vs. Real Galt FC (UPSL / Calif.)
SF Vikings SC (San Francisco Soccer Football League / USASA / Calif.) vs. International San Francisco (San Francisco Soccer Football League / USASA / Calif.)
CALIFORNIA SOUTH (10 teams)
QR1 Byes (6): City SC San Diego (UPSL / Calif.), FC Balboa (UPSL / Calif.), Irvine FC (UPSL / Calif.), Laguna United FC (UPSL / Calif.), San Diego Internacional (UPSL / Calif.), Trojans FC (UPSL / Calif.)
QR1 Matches (2):
Chula Vista FC (Southwest Premier League / USSSA / Calif.) vs. Desert FC (Southwest Premier League / USSSA / Calif.)
Playmaker FC (Southwest Premier League / USASA / Calif.) vs. Independente Los Angeles Futbol Club (UPSL / Calif.)
COLORADO (7 teams)
QR1 Byes: All Teams
QR2 Bye (1): Harpos FC (Colorado Premier League / USSSA / Colo.)
QR2 Matches (3):
Peak Eleven Football Club (Mountain Premier League / USASA / Colo.) vs. FC Denver (Colorado Premier League / USASA / Colo.)
Boulder United FC (Colorado Premier League / USSSA / Colo.) vs. Azteca FC (UPSL Premier League / USSSA / Colo.)
Timbers SC (Mountain Premier League / USASA / Colo.) vs. Colorado Rovers (Colorado Premier League / USSSA / Colo.)
DMV (7 teams)
QR1 Bye: All Teams
QR2 Bye (1): Virginia Dream FC (Virginia Super Soccer League / USASA / Va.)
QR2 Matches (3):
Patuxent FA (EPSL / USASA / Md.) vs. MSI Pro (UPSL / Md.)
Aegean Hawks FC (American Premier League / USASA / D.C.) vs. DC Hyper (UPSL / D.C.)
Guerrilla FC (DC Premier League / USASA / D.C.) vs. Alexandria Reds (UPSL / Va.)
EAST (8 teams)
QR1 Bye: All Teams
QR2 Matches (4):
Bowling Green FC (UPSL / Ky.) vs. Southern Indiana Guardians FC (UPSL / Ind.)
Valhalla FC (Ohio Valley Premier League / US Club Soccer / Ohio) vs. Southern Indiana FC (UPSL / Ind.)
Dalton United (UPSL / Ga.) vs. Pre-College Development Academy (UPSL / Tenn.)
South Carolina United Heat (UPSL / S.C.) vs. Mint Hill FC (UPSL / N.C.)
FLORIDA (2 Slots, 18 teams)
QR1 Bye (14): Deportivo Lake Mary FC (UPSL / Fla.), FC America CFL Spurs (USSL / USSSA / Fla.), Harbor City FC (UPSL / Fla.), Hurricane FC (Florida Gold Coast League / USASA / Fla.), Inter Nona Soccer Club (USSL / USSSA / Fla.), International Soccer Association (UPSL / Fla.), Kissimmee Soccer Club (UPSL / Fla.), Miami United FC (UPSL / Fla.), Naples United U23 (Sunshine Conference Soccer League / USSSA / Fla.), O'Shea's FC (USSL / USSSA / Fla.), Palm Beach Flames SC (UPSL / Fla.), Pinecrest Premier SC (UPSL / Fla.), Red Force (Premier Futbol League / USASA / Fla.), River Miami FC (USSL / USSSA / Fla.)
QR1 Matches (2):
Fenix United (USSL / USSSA / Fla.) vs. Hodler Miami FC (UPSL / Fla.)
City Soccer FC (UPSL / Fla.) vs. Miami Soccer Academy (USSL / USSSA / Fla.)
MID ATLANTIC (8 teams)
QR1 Bye: All Teams
QR2 Matches (4):
Steel Pulse FC (Maryland Super Soccer League / USASA / Md.) vs. Maryland Bobcats II (EPSL / USASA / Md.)
VA Revolution Pro (UPSL / Va.) vs. Nova FC (EPSL / USASA / Va.)
Alloy Soccer Club (EPSL / USASA / Pa.) vs. Oaklyn United FC (EPSL / USASA / N.J.)
New Jersey Alliance FC (UPSL / N.J.) vs. SC Vistula Garfield (EPSL / USASA / N.J.)
MIDWEST A (5 teams, .5 slots)
QR1 Bye (3): Chicago Strikers (UPSL / Ill.), United SC (Greater Chicago Soccer League / USASA / Ill.), Wisloka Chicago (UPSL / Ill.)
QR1 Matches (1):
Chicago House AC (Midwest Premier League / USASA / Ill.) vs. Edgewater Castle FC (Midwest Premier League / USASA / Ill.)
MIDWEST B (3 teams, .5 slots)
QR1 Bye (3): FC Bartlesville Buffaloes (UPSL / Okla.), Tulsa Athletic (UPSL / Okla.), Woodland Football Club (The Select League / US Club Soccer / Kan.)
NEW YORK (8 teams)
QR1 Bye: All Teams
QR2 Matches (4)
Leros SC (Long Island Soccer Football League / USASA / N.Y.) vs. NY Empire FC (UPSL / N.Y.)
New York Greek American SC (EPSL / USASA / N.Y.) vs. NY Renegades FC (UPSL / N.Y.)
Zum Schneider FC 03 (EPSL / USASA / N.Y.) vs. Central Park Rangers FC (EPSL / USASA / N.Y.)
Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL / USASA / N.Y.) vs. KidSuper Samba AC (EPSL / USASA / N.Y.)
NORTHEAST A (4 teams, .5 slots)
QR1 Bye: All teams
QR2 Matches (2):
FC Omens (Bay State Soccer League / USASA / Mass.) vs. Project Football (UPSL / Mass.)
Boston Street FC (UPSL / Mass.) vs. CD Faialense (Bay State Soccer League / USASA / Mass.)
NORTHEAST B (3 teams, .5 slots)
QR1 Bye: All teams
QR2 Bye (1): Pittsburgh Dynamo (Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League / USASA / Pa.)
QR2 Matches (1):
Roc City Boom (NISA Nation / USASA / N.Y.) vs. FCY New York (UPSL / N.Y.)
PENNSYLVANIA (7 teams)
QR1 Bye: All teams
QR2 Bye (1): Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (United Soccer League of Pennsylvania / USASA / Pa.)
QR2 Matches (3):
Colonial SC (United Soccer League of Pennsylvania / USASA / Pa.) vs. Vereinigung Erzgebirge (United Soccer League of Pennsylvania / USASA / Pa.)
Kensington Soccer Club (EPSL / USASA / Pa.) vs. Vidas United FC (EPSL / USASA / Pa.)
West Chester United SC (United Soccer League of Pennsylvania / USASA / Pa.) vs. United German Hungarians (United Soccer League of Pennsylvania / USASA / Pa.)
TEXAS (7 Teams)
QR1 Bye: 210 FC (UPSL / Texas), ASC New Stars (Houston Football Association / USASA / Texas), Austin Thunder (Austin Men's Soccer Association / USASA / Texas), D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (Dallas Soccer Alliance / USSSA / Texas), FORO SC (UPSL / Texas), Houston Regals SCA / USSL / USSSA / Texas), StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club (Dallas Soccer Alliance / USSSA / Texas)
QR2 Matches: Will be played Oct. 26 & 27, Draw Announced at Later Date
WEST A (5 teams, .5 slots)
QR1 Bye: Deportivo Rose City (UPSL / Ore.), Holac FC (UPSL / Wash.), Sharktopus Football Club (Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer / USSSA / Wash.)
QR1 Matches:
Washington Athletic Club (Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer / USASA / Wash.) vs. Bellevue Athletic FC (UPSL / Wash.)
WEST B (4 teams, .5 slots)
QR1 Bye: Las Vegas Legends FC (NISA Nation / USASA / Nev.), Next Level Soccer (UPSL / Ariz. ), Soccer Academy Nevada (NISA Nation / USASA / Nev.), UDA Soccer (UPSL / N.M.)
QR2 Matches: Will be played Oct. 26 & 27, Draw Announced at Later Date
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer's Club Championship – has crowned a champion since 1914 in every year except 2020 and 2021. The 109th edition of the tournament will conclude on September 25 when LAFC and Sporting Kansas City battle for the title in Los Angeles, which will be followed this fall with a record 114 amateur squads beginning their journey towards the 2025 U.S. Open Cup Proper in the Open Division Qualifying Rounds.
The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the Concacaf Champions Cup 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 furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
usopencup.com is the official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
