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Phoenix Rising to Enter 2025 U.S. Open Cup in Third Round

January 28, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release


The 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off March 18-20 with a 32-game First Round featuring exclusively amateur vs. professional matchups. Phoenix Rising will enter the tournament in the Third Round, scheduled for April 15-16, along with 15 other USL Championship teams.

"The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest tournament in the country, and winning it means being the best," said Phoenix Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah. "This club is built on ambition-we aim to win trophies in every competition we enter. We're here to compete and leave our mark."

This year marks the 110th edition of this historic national club championship, which showcases elite amateur and professional soccer across communities nationwide, culminating in the Final on October 1. The Open Cup is unique among U.S.-based team sports, offering amateur teams the rare opportunity to compete directly against professional clubs.

For the second consecutive year, the First Round will consist solely of amateur teams from the Open Division facing professional sides. The tournament field includes 64 professional clubs: 14 from USL League One, 10 from MLS NEXT Pro, 24 from the USL Championship, and 16 from Major League Soccer (MLS).

The eight lowest-seeded USL Championship teams, along with USL League One and MLS NEXT Pro clubs, will compete in the First Round. The 16 higher-seeded USL Championship teams, including Phoenix Rising, will enter in the Third Round. MLS teams will join the competition in the Round of 32.

New for the 2025 Open Cup, eight seeded teams-four from the East and four from the West-will be predetermined to host matches in the Third Round and Round of 32. Conversely, the eight lowest-seeded teams entering those rounds will be predetermined to play on the road. This change aims to provide greater operational and financial certainty, while matchups will still be determined by random draw.

The teams guaranteed to host in the Third Round of U.S. Open Cup play, when Phoenix Rising enters the tournament, are Charleston Battery, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Detroit City FC, Indy Eleven, Las Vegas Lights, Louisville City FC, New Mexico United, and Sacramento Republic. Phoenix Rising's hosting status and its opponent will be determined by a random draw.

"The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a crucial connection point for all levels of soccer in the United States," said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson ahead of the tournament, first contested in 1913. "U.S. Soccer exists in service to soccer and this historic tournament allows us to lift up the people who are leading the charge to support soccer in their communities. We're pleased to continue working with and collaborating with all U.S. Soccer members to maximize the tournament's impact on the sport of soccer at all levels in this country."

Phoenix Rising reached the Round of 16 last season after defeating North Carolina FC on the road in its opening match, having entered the competition in the Round of 32. That run marked Rising's deepest advance in the tournament's history. The club last hosted a U.S. Open Cup match in 2023, defeating Greenville Triumph SC at home before falling to New Mexico United on the road in the Third Round.

2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule

First Round - March 18-20

Second Round - April 1-2

Third Round - April 15-16

Round of 32 - May 6-7

Round of 16 - May 20-21

Quarterfinals - July 8-9

Semifinal - Sept. 16-17

Final - Oct. 1

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is U.S. Soccer's Club Championship and has crowned a champion annually since 1914 (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19). The historic tournament is conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States and the world's third-longest continuously run national cup tournament.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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