The 2023 U.S. Open Cup field is down to eight teams with all of them having aspirations of lifting the tournament trophy later this summer.
Thursday’s draw featured all eight winners from this week’s Round of 16 action, pitting Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy against one another. RSL defeated Rocky Mountain Cup rivals Colorado Rapids 1-0 away from home on Wednesday while the LA Galaxy defeated California rivals Los Angeles FC 2-0.
The other All-MLS tie will take place at SeatGeek Stadium as the Chicago Fire hosts the Houston Dynamo. Corey Baird’s hat trick led the Dynamo past Minnesota United in a 4-0 victory while the Chicago Fire defeated Austin FC 2-0 at Q2 Stadium.
Both the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Birmingham Legion FC pulled upsets in the Round of 16 and will aim to do the same against MLS opposition once again. Albert Dikwa’s lone goal boosted the Riverhounds past the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Wednesday, setting up a quarterfinal trip to FC Cincinnati.
Birmingham’s 1-0 home triumph over Charlotte FC will now see the USL Championship side host Inter Miami CF.
The quarterfinals will take place between June 6 and 7.
The 2023 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions League and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division takes home a $25,000 cash prize.
Here’s a full look at the Quarterfinal Matchups:
Real Salt Lake (MLS) vs. LA Galaxy (MLS)
Birmingham Legion FC (USL Championship) vs. Inter Miami (MLS)
FC Cincinnati (MLS) vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Championship)
Chicago Fire (MLS) vs. Houston Dynamo (MLS)