For those new to the game, here’s a quick overview of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
First held in 1914, the Open Cup is the oldest ongoing national soccer tournament in the United States and is open to professional or amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. Basically, teams from any league in the country (separate from their respective league matches) can compete in a one-game knockout competition with the aim of advancing to the finals. The Open Cup consists of a total of 8 rounds (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 32, Round 16, etc.).
This year, eight MLS teams participated in the Open Cup: FC Dallas, Atlanta United FC, Houston Dynamo FC, Los Angeles FC, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, and Sporting Kansas City. It was only.
FC Dallas is one of the most successful MLS teams in the history of the US Open Cup, having won the tournament twice (1997 and 2016) and been runner-up twice (2005 and 2007). In 1999, the tournament was renamed in honor of Lamar Hunt, who made a significant contribution to the growth of soccer in the United States. This year, the club advanced to the Round of 16, defeating Memphis 901 FC 1-0 in the Round of 32 thanks to a goal from newcomer Logan Farrington.
Fun fact: FCD legend and club ambassador Kenny Cooper is the second-highest goalscorer in modern Open Cup history (1995 to present) with 13 goals, three behind Sebastien Le Tou’s 16.
Open Cup history records: 37-23-6
open cup home record: 24-7-3
Open Cup away record: 13-16-3
FC Dallas’ opponent in the last 16 is the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship, the second tier of the US Soccer Pyramid. They advanced to the last 16 by defeating Birmingham Legion FC in a thrilling match that ended 6-4 in extra time. In league play, the Rowdies are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-4-2 record after defeating FC Tulsa 5-0 last time out. Tampa Bay has three FCD affiliates on its roster. Former Dallas Homegrown players Eddie Munjoma and Aaron Guillén are currently playing in the USL side, and FCD’s 2020 MLS SuperDraft selection Cal Jennings is the club’s second scorer with seven goals this year. .
