The 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 105th edition of the
U.S. Open Cup, a knockout cup competition in American soccer. It is the oldest ongoing competition in the United States and was contested by 97 teams from leagues in the
U.S. system.
The 97 entrants included the 20 American clubs from
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
and 22 non-affiliated American clubs in the
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...
. The
qualification tournament, held in 2017, determined the 13 teams from local amateur leagues. The 20 entrants from the
Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...
and 19 of the 22 from the
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The league is officially affiliated to the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and has automatic qualification for the U.S. Open Cup. ...
were determined based on results achieved in those leagues in 2017. Cash prizes and travel reimbursement costs were also increased for the 2018 edition.
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The ad ...
was the defending champion but were not able to successfully defend the title, losing in the quarterfinals to
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
.
The 2018 tournament initially excluded clubs from the
North American Soccer League
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to
1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
, which
suspended operations for the year, but a decision by the Open Cup Committee in March 2018 allowed for the entry of NPSL teams
Jacksonville Armada FC
Jacksonville Armada FC is an American professional soccer team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were founded in 2013 as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of American soccer, and played unt ...
,
Miami FC 2
Miami FC is an American professional association football, soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.
The club began play in the North American Soccer League (201 ...
, and
New York Cosmos B
New York Cosmos B were an American soccer team based in the New York metropolitan area that played in the National Premier Soccer League, the fourth tier of the United States soccer league system, as the reserve team of New York Cosmos.
History
...
as part of an added play-in round, which brought the total number of NPSL teams participating in the tournament to 22.
Qualification
* $: Winner of $25,000 bonus for advancing the furthest in the competition from their respective divisions.
* $$: Winner of $100,000 for being the runner-up in the competition.
* $$$: Winner of $300,000 for winning the competition.
Brackets
Host team listed first
Bold = winner
* =
after extra time
Overtime (OT) or extra time (ET) is an additional period of play to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a Tie (draw), tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only if the game is ...
, ( ) =
penalty shootout score
Match details
''All times local to game site.''
Play-in round
Draw announced April 4.
First round
Draw announced April 4.
Second round
Draw announced April 11.
Third round
Draw announced May 14.
Fourth round
Draw announced May 24.
Round of 16
Draw announced June 7.
Quarterfinals
Draw announced June 7.
Semifinals
Draw announced July 23.
Final
Top goalscorers
References
External links
* at
U.S. Soccer
U.S. Open Cup match centerat
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...
TheCup.us an independent news site covering the U.S. Open Cup
{{2018–19 in North and Central America, and Caribbean football (CONCACAF)
U.S. Open Cup
U.S. Open Cup