U.S. Soccer has finalized the format and schedule for the 106th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer's National Championship. The 2019 tournament kicks off May 7-8 with 19 First Round games and features a total of 84 teams from all levels, culminating in August with America’s soccer champion lifting the Open Cup trophy after eight rounds of single-elimination play.
The 2019 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2020 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 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.
New York Cosmos B will enter the competition, along with 14 other National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) sides in the First Round of the competition on May 7-8.
A full run-down of the Open Cup schedule can be seen below:
2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule, Format and Other Key Dates:
Fourth Qualifying Round – April 6 & 7
First Round Pairings Announced – April 10
Second Round Pairings & Possible Pairings Announced – April 17
First Round – May 7 & 8*
Second Round – May 14 & 15*
Third Round – May 29*
Fourth Round Draw – May 30
Fourth Round – June 12*
Round of 16 Draw – June 13
Round of 16 – June 19* (also June 18-23 if home team chooses and visiting team has at least three non-game days on each side of chosen date, with any overlap of U.S. MNT Gold Cup games on June 18 and June 22 disallowed)
Quarterfinals – July 10*
Draw to Determine Hosts for Semifinals and Final – July 11
Semifinals – August 7*
Final – August 27 or 28
* Any game from the Fourth Round through to the Semifinal Round where one of the participants has a league game the following Friday will be moved up a day (exception to this occurs when the team's opponent is scheduled for a league game the preceding Sunday; in this case, the provisions in the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Handbook to determine the match date will prevail). In addition, any game chosen by U.S. Soccer to be broadcast nationally in any round is subject to being moved up a day. The Commissioner has the authority to set outside of the confirmed schedule the date for any match if such a change is in the best interests of the tournament.