CHICAGO (Aug. 23, 2021) – Ninety-two amateur teams have been approved for entry into the qualifying rounds for the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - U.S. Soccer's National Championship.
A number of the entrants will see action in the first qualifying round, set for Sept. 18-19, with the matchups to be announced by U.S. Soccer on Aug. 25. The history-filled annual tournament, entering its 107th edition, is the only high-profile event in American team sports where amateur sides have the opportunity, should they advance far enough, to face professionals in meaningful national competition.
Several amateur clubs with notable pedigrees have thrown their hat into the ring for 2022, including Vereinigung Erzgebirge, a Philadelphia-area club that dates back to the 1930s, four-time Open Cup champions Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (1960-61, 1963, 1966) and New York Greek American SC (1967-69, 1974) as well as three-time champion New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982-83).
More recently, the Florida Soccer Soldiers became the 2019 Open Cup’s Cinderella story after coming from behind late in extra time during a Second Round matchup against Division II Charlotte Independence to prevail in penalty kicks.
Open Division Local Qualifying is conducted on a single-game, knockout basis. Matchups are determined geographically to minimize travel time and expense, with random selection used when practicable to determine opponent pairings. Home teams are determined by coin flip. Pairings for the second (Oct. 16-17), third (Nov. 20-21) and fourth (Dec. 18-19) qualifying rounds will be determined and announced after each preceding round of games has taken place. The survivors will advance to the 2022 Open Cup First Round, set for March 22-23.
Beyond the amateur teams in local qualifying, Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.), by virtue of winning the 2021 U.S. Adult Soccer Association National Amateur Cup on Aug. 7, has been awarded a direct slot into the First Round of next year's Open Cup and will not compete in local qualifying for the first time since U.S. Soccer instituted the Local Qualifying rounds for the 2016 competition.
In other Open Cup news, both the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two (USLL2) have opted to use the Open Division National Leagues track for qualifying. This election allows the two nationwide amateur leagues to use 2021 league results to determine their clubs that will advance to the Open Cup First Round in 2022, substituting league competition for the local qualifying process. As teams in the NPSL’s Golden Gate Conference were not able to participate in the league’s regular competition in 2021, they have been permitted to enter the Local Qualifying tournament.
The number of 2022 Open Cup First Round berths awarded to the various Open Division qualifying pools (i.e.: local qualifiers, NPSL, USLL2) will be announced at a later date.
First Qualifying Round: Sept. 18-19
Second Qualifying Round: Oct. 16-17
Third Qualifying Round: Nov. 20-21
Fourth Qualifying Round: Dec. 18-19
California (24)
National Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Contra Costa FC; Concord, Calif.
El Farolito; San Francisco, Calif.
FC Davis; Davis, Calif.
Oakland Stompers; Oakland, Calif.
National Soccer League (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
Real San Jose; San Jose, Calif.
San Francisco Soccer Football League (Calif. Soccer Assn.-North/USASA)
Inter San Francisco; San Francisco, Calif.
Metro FC; San Francisco, Calif.
Southwest Premier League (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
Capistrano FC; San Clemente, Calif.
Chula Vista FC; Chula Vista, Calif.
L.A. Monsters FC; Wilmington, Calif.
Outbreak FC; Long Beach, Calif.
Real Sociedad Royals; Irvine, Calif.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Davis Legacy SC; Davis, Calif.
Desert Communities SC Pathfinders; Helendale, Calif.
Escondido FC; Spring Valley, Calif.
Gremio FC San Diego; San Diego, Calif.
JASA RWC; Redwood City, Calif.
Modesto City Football Club; Modesto, Calif.
Rebels Soccer Club; Spring Valley, Calif.
Rose City FC; Arcadia, Calif.
San Fernando Valley FC; Glendale, Calif.
Sporting ID11; Lake Forest, Calif.
Trojans FC; Irvine, Calif.
White Tigers FC; Poway, Calif.
Colorado (10)
Colorado Premier League (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
Boulder United FC; Superior, Colo.
Colorado Rovers; Golden, Colo.
Colorado Super League (Colorado Soccer Assn./U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Athletic Club of Sloan's Lake; Wheat Ridge, Colo.
Azteca FC; Golden, Colo.
Colorado Rush; Arvada, Colo.
FC Denver; Denver, Colo.
FC Union Jerez; Arvada, Colo.
Gam United FC; Denver, Colo.
Peak Eleven Football Club; Boulder, Colo.
Harpos FC; Boulder, Colo.
Connecticut (1)
Connecticut Soccer League (Connecticut State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Newtown Pride FC; Newtown, Conn.
District of Columbia (2)
DC Premier League (Maryland State Soccer Assn./USASA)
DC Cheddar; Washington, D.C.
Woodbridge Soccer League (Asociacion Nacional Fútbol en USA)
Districtonia Futbol; Washington, D.C.
Florida (14)
National Soccer League (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
City Soccer FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
Florida Brothers; Miami Gardens, Fla.
Hurricane FC; Delray Beach, Fla.
Miami Soccer Academy; Miami, Fla.
Orlando FC Wolves; Orlando, Fla.
Palm Beach Breakers; West Palm Beach, Fla.
Red Force FC; Miami Gardens, Fla.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Deportivo Lake Mary FC; Lake Mary, Fla.
Florida Soccer Soldiers; Miami Beach, Fla.
International Soccer Association: Boca Raton, Fla.
Miami Beach Club de Futbol; Miami Gardens, Fla.
Miami Sun FC; Miami, Fla.
Naples City FC; Naples, Fla.
Oceanway FC; Jacksonville, Fla.
Georgia (3)
Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League (Georgia State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Georgia Revolution FC Reserves; Locust Grove, Ga.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Atletico Atlanta; Milton, Ga.
Georgia Storm FC; Carrollton, Ga.
Illinois (1)
Metro East Football Association (Illinois State Soccer Assn./USASA)
FC Maritsa; O’Fallon, Ill.
Kentucky (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Club Soccer)
Lexington Landsharks; Lexington, Ky.
Maryland (2)
Maryland Major Soccer League (Maryland State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Rockville Soccer Club; Gaithersburg, Md.
Washington Premier League (Maryland State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Aegean Hawks FC; Boyds, Md.
Massachusetts (3)
Bay State Soccer League (Massachusetts Adult State Soccer Assn./USASA)
Brockton FC United; Brockton, Mass.
Kendall Wanderers; Malden, Mass.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Unations FC; Marlborough, Mass.
New Jersey (3)
Garden State Soccer League (New Jersey Soccer Assn./USASA)
Jackson Lions FC; Jackson, N.J.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
EFA Metro; Clifton, N.J.
New Jersey Alliance FC; Clifton, N.J.
New York (6)
Eastern Premier Soccer League (USASA Region I)
New Amsterdam FC ll; Warwick, N.Y.
New York Greek American SC*; Bronx, N.Y.
New York Pancyprian Freedoms^; Queens, N.Y.
Rochester District Soccer League (Western New York Soccer Assn./USASA)
IASC Boom; Irondequoit, N.Y.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Oyster Bay United FC; Rockville Centre, N.Y.
Westchester United F.C.; Yonkers, N.Y.
Nevada (2)
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
BattleBornFC; Minden, Nev.
Villarreal Las Vegas; Las Vegas, Nev.
Pennsylvania (5)
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Philadelphia Lone Star FC; Philadelphia, Pa.
Pittsburgh City United FC; Monroeville, Pa.
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Assn./USASA)
Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals**; North Wales, Pa.
United German Hungarians; Ambler, Pa.
Vereinigung Erzgebirge; Warminster, Pa.
South Carolina (1)
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
South Carolina United Heat; Columbia, S.C.
Texas (6)
Dallas Soccer Alliance (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
Lone Star Republic; Dallas, Texas
National Soccer League (U.S. Specialty Sports Assn.)
Athletic Katy FC; Katy, Texas
Houston Hotshots - GPFC; Katy, Texas
San Antonio Runners; San Antonio, Texas
The Roja League (US Club Soccer)
D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club; Dallas, Texas
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Southwest Football Club; El Paso, Texas
Virginia (8)
Eastern Premier Soccer League (USASA Region I)
Nova FC; Leesburg, Va.
Virginia United FC; Woodbridge, Va.
United Premier Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Lynchburg FC; Lynchburg, Va.
Woodbridge Soccer League (Asociacion Nacional Fútbol en USA)
Alianza Futbol Club; Woodbridge, Va.
C.A. United; Woodbridge, Va.
Corinto FC; Woodbridge, Va.
Springfield FC; Woodbridge, Va.
Toros FC; Woodbridge, Va.
* Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1967-69, 1974)
^ Three-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1980, 1982-83)
** Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1960-61, 1963, 1966)
23 different leagues represented
17 different states plus the District of Columbia represented
24 teams entering from California alone
14 teams from Florida
10 teams from Colorado
8 teams from Virginia
6 teams each from New York and Texas
5 teams from Pennsylvania
3 teams each from the District of Columbia, Georgia, Massachusetts and New Jersey
2 teams from Nevada
1 team each from Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland and South Carolina
50 teams have previously participated in Open Division local qualifying in the five competitions since the track was launched in 2016
8 teams have entered all five previous years of Open Division local qualifying: California (2): Chula Vista FC, Outbreak FC; Colorado (3): Colorado Rovers, Colorado Rush, Harpos FC; Florida (1): Red Force FC; New York (1): New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Pennsylvania (1): Vereinigung Erzgebirge
42 teams are entering Open Division local qualifying for the first time
66 teams are from 16 different U.S. Adult Soccer Association-affiliated leagues
19 teams are from four different U.S. Specialty Sports Association-affiliated leagues
6 teams are from one Asociacion Nacional Fútbol en USA-affiliated league
2 teams are from two different US Club Soccer-affiliated leagues
6 teams entering 2022 Open Division local qualifying were to have played in the ultimately canceled 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup First Round: Chula Vista FC, Harpos FC, New York Pancyprian Freedoms, Newtown Pride FC, Vereinigung Erzgebirge and Virginia United FC