LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lexington Sporting Club will face Vermont Greens FC in the club’s second run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It was announced today, setting the stage for a battle of the greens in the Northeast.
The U.S. Open Cup is a knockout competition open to all professional leagues sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, including Major League Soccer (MLS), United Soccer League (USL) Championship and League One divisions, National Independent Soccer Association and MLS Next Pro, as well as amateur clubs that qualify through regional competitions.
The two sides meet in the event’s first round on Tuesday, March 19 at Virtue Field in Burlington, Vermont — With the opening rounds taking place March 19-21.
In a historic shift for the tournament, the upcoming First Round will mark the first time since 2008 that all 32 matchups will be exclusively between amateur and professional teams. Overall, this year’s edition of the tournament will feature the most First Round matchups between amateur and professional teams in the tournament’s 109-year history, more than doubling the previous amount of 16.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Now in its 109th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer’s National Championship – has crowned a champion since 1914 in every year except 2020 and 2021. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
About Lexington Sporting Club
Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.