MLS teams have a better idea of who they'll be playing when they enter the U.S. Open Cup in the third round.
U.S. Soccer released the draw of possible matches for the third round, with the completion of the first round taking place on Tuesday. Unlike in past years, the host sites for the third-round games were determined by random coin flip as opposed to a bidding process, giving every team an equal shot at hosting a match.
Here are the possible pairings for the third round of the tournament (all games May 29):
U.S. OPEN CUP THIRD ROUND
Houston Dynamo at either Laredo Heat or San Antonio Scorpions
Chicago Fire at Michigan Bucks or vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Sporting Kansas City vs. KC Athletics or Orlando City SC
D.C. United at Richmond Kickers or vs. Aegan Hawks
Columbus Crew vs. Dayton Dutch Lions or Chicago Fire PDL
FC Dallas vs. Charlotte Eagles or El Paso Patriots
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Fresno Fire or Fort Lauderdale Strikers
Philadelphia Union vs. Brooklyn Italians or Rochester Rhinos
New England Revolution at Harrisburg City Islanders or vs. Long Island Rough Riders
New York Red Bulls at Charleston Battery or vs. Reading United
Chivas USA at Los Angeles Blues or vs. Ventura County Fusion
Los Angeles Galaxy at Carolina RailHawks or vs. PSA Elite
Colorado Rapids at Tampa Bay Rowdies or vs. Jacksonville United
Portland Timbers at Wilmington Hammerheads or vs. Cal FC
Seattle Sounders at Atlanta Silverbacks or vs. Georgia Revolution
Real Salt Lake at Minnesota Stars or vs. Des Moines Menace
DC vs Richmond is always fun!
have you seen atlanta play this year? doing fine for them is finishing a game with 10 men on the pitch.
It actually sucks that no one else cares, according to b
It would be rad if California had its own pro state league, vis a vis Sao Paulo’s Campeonato Paulista.
4, four, quatro, IV, vier….
The Silverbacks can do fine no matter what team Seattle brings.
Go Se4ttle Sounders 2007 part II!
Its like Seattle is Liverpool of MLS. =P
I love the new USOC set up….I wish MLS can incorporate this tourney into their season. Attendance is generally awful for MLS sides. The only question mark, all games on Tuesday’s? oh well.
Based on the injuries suffered so far this season there won’t really be a whole lot of guys that haven’t seen action with the first team in the line up.
You will get a full line up, because after May 26th the Sounders don’t play until June 16th.
It sucks that is all “we” have in three years of existence in the MLS is 3 cups. wow that is terrible
This I agree with
hey, go easy on them; it’s all they’ve got. 🙂
love that they did the coin flip. Really think all of the MLS teams should have to travel for their first round and help promote lower division sides. Successful lower divisions will help everyone involved with Soccer in the states.
Viva El Fuego!
I believe the Open Cup final still belongs to FSC. NBC has the MLS rights, which has nothing to do with the Open Cup.
wow.. The loss must still sting
Random coin flip to determine the home team?
Interesting.
Which TV outfit will get the final?
NBC Sports Network?
or FOX Soccer?
As a Silverbacks fan and Atlanta native, really pumped to see the Sounders come to town. I really hope they underestimate us and bring a weakened side and we can sneak a result.
I’m actually going to be at the Sounders vs. Crew match a in Seattle next week, didn’t know it was going to be in a scouting capacity. Go Silverbacks!
The Georgia Revolution play less than 10 minutes from my house, so I will go see them lose to the Silverbacks. Can’t wait to see the Sounders come to Atlanta. It’s a rare treat to see a MLS team down here in the south. (Fingers crossed)
The one from the famous youtube vid?
“They’ll give him the goal… and TWO assists!”
Right so “we win the same one trophy every year” because no one else cares about it and we can buy our way to the final.
Trophies, as in the plural of trophy, as in the three trophies we won from the Open Cup. But good one.
You win the USOC. Not “Trophies”. Trophies is the SS, the MLS Cup, the Champions League… not “Trophies”. Silly Sounders people.
More commenting on last year’s All-Home game Open Cup run.
Good on you for filling the seats and high bidding, just glad this year’s tourney is more equitable
I yawn at your rebuttal of 1 meaningful road game.
San Jose Earthquakes
Chivas USA
Fresno Fuego
Cal FC
PSA Elite
Ventura County Fusion
LA Blues
LA Galaxy
Wow California is very Well Represented
Like when they won the cup in DC? I yawn at your comment.
Quakes vs. Strikers… old NASL re-match. One of the last times they played George Best scored one of the best goals of his career.
Let’s go Silverbacks! (Purely for forcing Seattle to play away from home)
interesting.. so these games will be a 1 game elimination right? not a 2 leg series?
We win trophies, so it’s easy to forget the early round matches.
Haha. But seriously, it is so great that the bidding process was removed from the earlier rounds.
I thought Seattle just bought their way to the final and didn’t have to play these early rounds.
Sounders in Atlanta?
I just got hard.
Sweet. There are a few fantastic potential matchups between MLS and NASL sides that (with some proper advertising) could draw decent crowds at non-MLS venues. I’ll be hoping for Houston at San Antonio, Colorado at Tampa Bay, and RSL at Minnesota.