DETROIT, Michigan – After knocking off its first-ever MLS opponent earlier this week, Detroit City Football Club will welcome fellow USL Championship side Louisville City to Keyworth Stadium for the round of 32 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Date and time of the fixture is to be announced.
Detroit City hosted the Columbus Crew in round three, marking the Club’s first match against an MLS side. The Crew jumped out to an early lead as Columbus’ Gyasi Zardes – who has 67 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team since 2015 – slotted a penalty kick past the outstretched Nate Steinwascher in the 7th minute. Le Rouge – who has outscored its opponents in 8-1 in the second half this season, tallied two-unanswered goals in the second 45 minutes of play – both coming from midfielder Maxi Rodriguez – to earn a place in the next round.
Louisville City needed penalties to knock off St. Louis II to advance into round four. After a scoreless 120 minutes, Louisville won 9-8 in PKs.
Louisville City is currently first in the USL Championship Eastern Conference – with DCFC sitting fourth. Louisville is unbeaten this season with a mark of 5-2-0 in league play and a league best +10 goal differential.
This won’t be the first meeting between the sides in Cup play, as Louisville City ended Detroit City’s run in the 2016 U.S. Open Cup, defeating Le Rouge in the second round in penalties (3-1) after ending extra time knotted at 1-1. That match was played at Louisville City.
The Open Cup matchup will be the first of three matches between the clubs this season. DCFC and Louisville will meet on August 20 at Keyworth and October 5 at Lynn Family Stadium as part of the 2022 USL Championship slate.
The round of 32 is to take place between May 10-11. Eight more MLS clubs enter the tournament at this stage. Twenty one MLS sides remain along with five USL Championship clubs (Detroit City FC, Louisville City, San Antonio FC, Sacramento Republic and Phoenix Rising), four USL League one sides, and one from both MLS Next and NISA.
Detroit City was placed into the East Central region of this round’s draw with New England Revolution, FC Cincinnati and Louisville City. Le Rouge has played both FC Cincinnati and Louisville City in previous Open Cups – losing to both after extra time.
Le Rouge continues its deepest run into the U.S. Open Cup, having previously been knocked out in round two in 2016 and 2018 while still an amateur club.
Open Cup matches played at Keyworth Stadium are not included with season ticket purchases. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.detcityfc.com and will go on sale Tuesday, April 26.
Matches from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup return to ESPN+ in 2022.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Heading into its 107th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer’s National Championship – is the only high-profile competition in American team sports where amateur sides can face professionals in meaningful competition. The history-filled tournament, conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer, crowned a champion annually from 1914 until 2019, with a hiatus for the last two years due to the pandemic.
In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States and the world’s third-longest continuously running open soccer tournament was renamed to honor United States soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The 2022 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally-contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
Atlanta United FC is the defending Open Cup champion, having earned the club’s first tournament title thanks to a 2-1 victory against Minnesota United FC on Aug. 27, 2019, in front of an Open Cup Final record 35,709 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
