CHICAGO (March 8, 2023) – Select games from the first three rounds of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will be streamed live for free to a global audience on the Bleacher Report (B/R) app and B/R Football YouTube channel.
The coverage begins by highlighting the country’s top amateur teams, who will go head-to-head with professional clubs in the next round. Six first round matches will take place over three nights from March 21st to March 23rd.
The “Cupset Season” begins two weeks later with the first matchups between the divisions of the tournament. Amateur teams from the Open Division have their first chance to knock out a professional team, and professionals from the third division have a chance against opponents from the second division. Eight second round matches will be shown between April 4th and 6th on B/R platforms.
Major League Soccer teams enter the 2023 Open Cup in the 18-club third round. The eight featured Round 3 games will be announced after the Round 3 draw on Thursday 6 April 2023.
B/R is a leading sports media brand, reaching over 175 million young sports fans every month across the world’s leading digital platforms. It is the #1 sports brand driving engagement and video views on social media, the Bleacher Report app and website. Viewers worldwide can stream the games for free via the B/R app (Android and iOS) and use the platform’s functionality to commentate the game’s greatest moments in real-time with other B/R app users. Bleacher Report will also cover and amplify all of the action on B/R Football’s social channels.
Coverage schedules for the Round of 32 – when the eight seeded MLS teams compete – and subsequent rounds will be announced at a later date.
Selected First Round Matches: LIVE on B/R (all times ET)
March 21st – 19:30 o’clock
West Chester United SC (USASA / USLP / Pa.)
vs. Ocean City Nor’easters (USL/USL2/NJ)
March 22 – 6 p.m
El Farolito (USASA / NPSL / California)
vs International San Francisco (USASA/SFSFL/California)
March 22 – 7 p.m
Appalachian FC (USASA/NPSL/NC)
vs. NC Fusion U23 (USL / USL2 / NC)
March 22 – 8 p.m
Chicago House AC (USASA / MWPL / Illinois)
vs. Bavarian United (USASA/WSL/Wisc.)
March 22 – 10 p.m
Ventura County Merger (USL/USL2/California)
vs. Capo FC (USASA/NISAN/California)
March 23 – 7:30 p.m
Hartford City FC (USASA/NPSL/Conn.)
v Lansdowne Yonkers FC (USASA / EPSL / NY)
Selected Round Two Matches: LIVE on B/R (All Times ET)
April 4 – 7:30 p.m
Detroit City FC (USLC)
vs. Goldstar Detroit (NISA)
April 4 – 10 p.m
Oakland Roots (USLC)
vs. El Farolito (USASA/NPSL/California) OR International San Francisco (USASA/SFSFL/California)
April 5 – 7 p.m
Louisville FC (USLC)
v Lexington Sporting Club (USLL1)
April 5 – 8 p.m
Des Moines Menace (USL / USL2 / Iowa) OR Beaman United FC (UPSL / UPSLP / Tennessee)
vs. Chattanooga FC (NISA)
April 5 – 9 p.m
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC)
vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1)
April 5 – 10 p.m
Orange County SC (USLC)
vs. Ventura County Fusion (USL/USL2/California) OR Capo FC (USASA/NISAN/California)
April 5 – 10:30 p.m
Phoenix Rising FC (USLC)
vs. Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1)
April 6 – 7 p.m
Richmond Kickers (USLL1)
vs. Cleveland SC (USASA/NPSL/Ohio) OR Lionsbridge FC (USL/USL2/Va.)
The first round of the Open Cup 2023 consists of 14 matches played by 28 teams – all from the Open Division.
The 14 winners then advance to the second round, where they play the role of underdog against professional opponents, with a further 16 second round matches between Division II (USL Championship) and Division III (MLS Next Pro, NISA and USL League One). ). professional clubs.
This threat to the favorites and the opportunity for the underdogs are the essence of the Open Cup, in which the Sacramento Republic, a USL second-tier championship team, defeated three Premier League (MLS) clubs to advance to the 2022 Open Cup finals against the latter Winner to reach Orlando city.
With similarities to the English FA Cup and many other domestic cup competitions around the world, the US Open Cup is the only tournament in American team sports where amateurs and professionals – and all levels in between – compete in major competitions.
About the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup
Now in its 108th seasonth th edition, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup — US Soccer’s National Club Championship — has crowned a champion every year since 1914 except for 2020 and 2021 for amateur teams associated with US Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States was renamed in honor of American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The 2023 US Open Cup winner will receive $300,000 in prize money, a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions League and their name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – which is now permanently on display at is the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. Runner-up will receive $100,000, while the team that advances furthest from each minor league will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
Orlando City SC are the defending Open Cup champions after earning the club’s first tournament title thanks to a 3-0 win over second division (USL Championship) Sacramento Republic FC in a packed final in Orlando on September 7, 2022, according to Exploria -Stadion.
usopencup.com is the official website of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Fans can also follow the competition on Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
About Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is a leading sports media brand, reaching more than 175 million hyper-connected young sports fans each month through the distribution of premium content. It is the #1 sports brand driving engagement and video views across all social platforms and the Bleacher Report app, while driving offline engagement through unparalleled experiences that blend sport with culture. Bleacher Report has a portfolio of brands that includes House of Highlights, B/R Football, B/R Kicks, B/R Gridiron, B/R Walk-Off, B/R Open Ice and B/R Betting and provides customized content services the unique passions of its fans through its owned and operated channels and the world’s leading social platforms. Bleacher Report is a division of Turner Sports that provides access to premium live content from the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NHL and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Find Bleacher Report on the industry-leading Bleacher Report app, www.bleacherreport.com and on Instagram @BleacherReport.