City Stars to Host U.S Open Cup Match
Published on June 8, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Cleveland City Stars News Release
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland City Stars will host the St. Louis Lions of the PDL on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. in this year's first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The historic match will be the first U.S. Open Cup match hosted in Cleveland in the professional era of the tournament (1995-present).
The U.S. Open Cup is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. soccer. The tournament is composed of eight teams apiece from the MLS, USL-1, USL-2, PDL and USASA regional qualifiers. The tournament is a single-elimination format. Games that are tied after regulation time will have two 15-minute overtime halves. If the match remains undecided, the outcome is decided by penalty kicks.
The St. Louis Lions are currently in second place in the Premier Development League's Heartland Division with a 3-1-2 record. This is the second consecutive U.S. Open Cup appearance for the Lions, who fell 4-1 in the first round in 2008 to the Minnesota Thunder of the USL First Division.
The City Stars qualified for the Open Cup in 2008, as well as in the 2007 inaugural season. In 2007, Cleveland traveled to Kansas City, Missouri to take on the Kansas City Brass, also of the PDL's Heartland Division. The City Stars defeated the Brass 4-0, but lost 1-0 in the second round to the USL-2 Richmond Kickers.
In 2008 the City Stars took on the PDL's Michigan Bucks in the first round, and clinched a 2-1 victory. The second round pitted the City Stars against the USL-1 Minnesota Thunder, where Cleveland upset the Thunder in overtime with a 2-0 win. Cleveland's third round opponents proved to be more difficult however, and the City Stars fell 4-1 to the Chicago Fire of the MLS.
If the City Stars win against the Lions, they will continue on in the Open Cup next Tuesday to take on the winner of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds v. Rochester Rhinos match. The winner of the subsequent match will proceed to the third round to challenge a MLS team.
Tickets to the historic match are still on sale for only $5. Tickets are available by visiting www.clevelandcitystars.com or by calling 330-425-2003. Five dollar tickets will also be available at the gate on game day.
USL First Division Stories from June 8, 2009
- Aztex Game Notes for June 9 - Austin Aztex
- Timbers Open Road Stretch Tuesday With U.S. Open Cup Match - Portland Timbers
- Rhinos Kickoff Week With Open Cup Tilt - Rochester Rhinos
- RailHawks begin busy week with Richmond - North Carolina FC
- City Stars to Host U.S Open Cup Match - Cleveland City Stars
- Impact Organizes Soccer Clinic In Quebec City - Montreal Impact
- Caps Fall to Impact - Vancouver Whitecaps
- Impact Topple Vancouver 2-1 - Montreal Impact
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