The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the oldest soccer cup competition in the United States and the country’s oldest annual tournament for team sports, has been around since 1914.
U.S. Open Cup, or as it was originally known from 1914-1999, National Challenge Cup, is a 103-year-old competition.
While various professional soccer leagues in the United States came and went, the competition has crowned a victor since its inception.
Teams from 17 different states have won the title, including 19 teams from the New York Metropolitan region for a total of 29 Open Cup championships in the region.
In 1999, the competition was renamed and dedicated to American soccer pioneer, Lamar Hunt, and from then on it became the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
In 2017, a record 99 clubs participated in the competition, 22 MLS clubs, six participants from the North American Soccer League (NASL), 18 teams from the United Soccer League (USL), and many more semi-professional and amateur clubs.
The New York Red Bulls have qualified for the U.S. Open Cup Final for just the second time in club history, and hope to clinch its first Open Cup title against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, September 20 at Children’s Mercy Park (TV: ESPN 2, STREAM: Watch ESPN, RADIO: New York Red Bulls Radio on Tunein).
