Sporting Kansas City will begin the club’s participation in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32 on the road at USL League One opponents Union Omaha. Kick off is set for 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 8 at Caniglia Field on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
U.S. Soccer conducted the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 and Round of 16 draw today, determining the match-ups and hosts for the next two rounds of the 109th edition of the competition. The winner between Sporting Kansas City and Union Omaha will host the winner between USL Championship sides FC Tulsa and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Round of 16.
Sporting Kansas City will be one of eight Major League Soccer teams entering a field that features 24 teams from leagues in the lower divisions of American soccer. Broadcasts of all matches will continue to be streamed live on usopencup.com, mlssoccer.com, and uslsoccer.com during the Rounds of 32 and 16.
2024 U.S. OPEN CUP ROUND OF 32
MLS (first division): 8 teams
USL Championship (second division): 19 teams
USL League One (third division): 4 teams
MLS NEXT Pro (third division): 1 team
Open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer, the 2024 U.S. Open Cup will crown a champion in September after eight rounds of single-elimination play and the winner will claim the Dewar Challenge Trophy along with $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the 2025 Concacaf Champions League.
2024 U.S. OPEN CUP MATCH DATES
Round of 32: May 7-8
Round of 16: May 21-22
Quarterfinals: July 9-10
Semifinals: Aug. 27-28
Final: Sept. 25
Union Omaha and Sporting Kansas City will meet for a second time after previously playing in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals when Sporting recorded a 6-0 victory at Children’s Mercy Park. Led by reigning USL League One Coach of the Year Dominic Casciato, Union Omaha won the Players’ Shield with a first-place finish in USL League One last season and prevailed in penalties over USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC on Wednesday to advance to the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32. Union Omaha’s roster includes former Sporting Kansas City defender Mechack Jerome, who is one of three MLS veterans in the squad along with PC and Missael Rodriguez.
The U.S. Open Cup, named in honor of former Kansas City Wizards owner Lamar Hunt, has crowned a champion since 1914 and Sporting KC (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017) are four-time winners of U.S. Soccer's national championship, tied for the most among MLS clubs. Sporting have prevailed in 25 U.S. Open Cup matches since 2012, more than any other team in American soccer, during a run that includes an active 13-match home unbeaten streak in U.S. Open Cup play since the start of 2015.
