2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
Teams102
Final positions
ChampionsCanceled

The 2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was planned to be the 107th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, a knockout cup competition in American soccer. After the 2020 competition was suspended and ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Soccer Federation announced that qualification for the 2021 Open Cup would be canceled and all 100 teams that had qualified for that competition would be invited back.[1] On February 8, 2021, the U.S. Soccer Federation backtracked and stated that only 24 teams would be allowed to participate in a new abbreviated tournament, with the exact qualification details still being determined.[2]

On March 29, US Soccer announced the tournament would be downsized to 16 teams who would play four rounds. The opening round was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Open Cup Committee convened to decide whether the competition could proceed. This version of the tournament was to feature eight Major League Soccer teams, four USL Championship teams, one National Independent Soccer Association team, one USL League One team, and two teams from the Open Division determined by a random draw.[3]

On April 16, US Soccer announced that the tournament would not be held in the spring due to a combination of financial and logistical issues, and that they were evaluating holding the tournament later in the year.[4]

On July 20, US Soccer finally announced that the tournament would be cancelled for 2021 and would resume in 2022.[5]

Atlanta United FC won the previous tournament after defeating Minnesota United FC in the 2019 final.

Qualification

The list of eligible teams for the 2021 tournament features 102 teams including 64 professional sides. Two professional teams became eligible since the 2019 tournament (Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and FC Tucson) and two have folded (Reno 1868 FC and 2019 quarterfinalists Saint Louis FC). Entrants include the American clubs from across the soccer leagues system, with timing determined by league division. These include the 24 American clubs of Major League Soccer, as well as the teams in the USL Championship and USL League One that are not owned or operated by an MLS and USL Championship (in case of USL League One). ; MLS-affiliated clubs from these leagues are eligible. In addition, clubs from the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), a sanctioned Division III league, are set to take part. This would be the first time two professional leagues from the same tier have both competed in the tournament since 2017.

Both Crossfire Redmond and GPS Portland Phoenix qualified for the 2020 tournament through league results in the National Premier Soccer League and USL League Two respectively. However, neither were listed as eligible in U.S. Soccer's announcement.

The four participating USL Championship teams will be the USL Championship 2020 semifinal playoff teams: El Paso Locomotive FC, Louisville City FC, Phoenix Rising FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies.[3]

Eligible teams
Open Division Division III Division II Division I
ANFEEU/USASA/USCS/USSSA
13 teams		 NPSL/USL League Two
24 teams		 NISA/USL League One
17 teams		 USL Championship
24 teams		 MLS
24 teams
ANFEEU
USASA
USCS
USSSA
NPSL
USL League Two
NISA
USL League One

Number of teams by state

The eligible 2021 field represents a total of 34 states and the District of Columbia.

States Number Teams
1  California 17 ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC, Chula Vista FC, FC Davis, FC Golden State Force, LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Force, Oakland Roots SC, Olympic Club, Orange County SC, Sacramento Republic FC, San Diego Loyal SC, San Diego 1904 FC, San Jose Earthquakes, Ventura County Fusion
2  Texas 11 Austin Bold FC, Austin FC, Corpus Christi FC, Denton Diablos FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, FC Dallas, Fort Worth Vaqueros FC, Houston Dynamo FC, NTX Rayados, Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, San Antonio FC
3  Florida 7 Inter Miami CF, Miami FC, Miami United FC U23, Naples United FC, Orlando City SC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, The Villages SC
4  Tennessee 5 Chattanooga FC, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Memphis 901 FC, Nashville SC, Nashville United
5  North Carolina 4 Charlotte Independence, North Carolina FC, North Carolina Fusion U23, Stumptown AC
 Pennsylvania Philadelphia Union, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Vereinigung Erzgebirge, West Chester United SC
7  Arizona 3 FC Arizona, Phoenix Rising FC, FC Tucson
 Colorado Colorado Rapids, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, FC Boulder Harpos
 Georgia Atlanta United FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC 2
 Minnesota Med City FC, Minneapolis City SC, Minnesota United FC
 New Jersey Atlantic City FC, FC Motown, New York Red Bulls
 New York New Amsterdam FC, New York City FC, New York Pancyprian-Freedoms
 Ohio Cleveland SC, Columbus Crew SC, FC Cincinnati
 Oklahoma FC Tulsa, OKC Energy FC, Tulsa Athletic
 South Carolina Charleston Battery, Greenville Triumph SC, SC United Bantams
16  Connecticut 2 Hartford Athletic, Newtown Pride FC
 Illinois Chicago FC United, Chicago Fire FC
 Maryland Christos FC, Maryland Bobcats FC
 Massachusetts New England Revolution, Western Mass Pioneers
 Michigan Detroit City FC, Michigan Stars FC
 Virginia Richmond Kickers, Virginia United
22  Alabama 1 Birmingham Legion
 District of Columbia D.C. United
 Indiana Indy Eleven
 Iowa Des Moines Menace
 Kansas Sporting Kansas City
 Kentucky Louisville City FC
 Louisiana Louisiana Krewe FC
 Nebraska Union Omaha
 Nevada Las Vegas Lights FC
 New Mexico New Mexico United
 Oregon Portland Timbers
 Utah Real Salt Lake
 Washington Seattle Sounders FC
 Wisconsin Forward Madison FC

States without a team in the Open Cup: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Broadcasting

All matches from the first round to the final were expected to be streamed on ESPN+. U.S. Soccer and ESPN signed a 4-year deal to air the tournament in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Cancelled Due to COVID-19" (Press release). United States Soccer Federation. August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  2. ↑ "U.S. Soccer's Plans for an Abbreviated 2021 U.S. Open Cup". Sports Illustrated. February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Open Cup Committee Decides Not to Play Opening Round of U.S. Open Cup Due to Challenges Surrounding Covid Pandemic; Teams Will Enter Tournament at Round of 16" (Press release). United States Soccer Association. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Open Cup Committee Determines 2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Will Not Be Held This Spring". ussoccer.com. April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
  5. ↑ "SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR NEXT EDITION OF LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP IN 2022". ussoccer.com. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
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