PAPILLION, Neb. (January 29, 2020) – Union Omaha will host the winner of the Des Moines Menace (USLL2) v. Med City FC (NPSL) match in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup. The match will take place on Thursday, April 9, 2020 at Caniglia Field at the University of Nebraska Omaha at 7:00 PM CT.
Caniglia Field is located at 6001 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68184.
The Second Round teams are: 25 from the USL Championship (Division II), six from USL League One (Division III) and eight from the National Independent Soccer Association (Division III). Professional teams await the First Round winners in the only major American team sports competition in which amateurs can earn the chance at meaningful games against professional clubs and players.
“Union Omaha is proud to add our name to the century-old competition that determines our national champion here in the United States. We are incredibly excited to bring professional soccer to Caniglia field at UNO. We are looking forward to a special night with our fans at this historic college field,” said Chief Operating Officer Matt Homonoff.
The First Round teams include 13 local qualifiers, 14 National Premier Soccer League clubs and 11 USL League Two sides. The teams, which constitute the best amateur sides from across the country, will each battle another Open Division club during one of the opening two days of the single-elimination tournament. As part of a First Round provision that allows avoidance of extensive travel at this stage of the competition, five of the 19 matches are between teams from the same qualifying pool.
Watch U.S. Open Cup Matches on ESPN+
For the second consecutive year and as part of a four-year deal, ESPN+ will be the home for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Information about purchasing tickets will be available on our website and social media at a later time. Season ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase tickets 24 hours before the general public.
Home teams for each round are determined by random selection among those who apply to host. Clubs whose venue meets minimum tournament standards are given priority.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
In its 107th year, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer’s National Championship – has crowned a champion annually since 1914. 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 and the world’s third-longest continuously running open soccer tournament was renamed to honor United States soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The 2020 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2021 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 furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
Atlanta United FC is the defending Open Cup champion, having earned the club’s first tournament title thanks to a 2-1 victory against Minnesota United FC on Aug. 27, 2019, in front of an Open Cup Final record 35,709 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
usopencup.com is the official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Fans can also follow the competition on Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
