SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle Sounders FC will begin its run at a fourth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship on June 18 with a fourth round match against PSA Elite of the USASA. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash.
Tickets will go on sale Friday, May 30, at 10 a.m. PT and are available at SoundersFC.com/tickets. Tickets are general admission and priced at $16 for covered grandstand and $12 for uncovered bleachers.
PSA Elite beat the LA Galaxy II in a penalty shootout following a scoreless draw in the third round on May 28. PSA Elite advanced past the San Diego Flash (NPSL) in the second round on May 14 after ousting the LA Misioneros (PDL) in a penalty shootout in the first round on May 7.
Sounders FC will attempt to win its fourth championship in six years after reaching the final four straight seasons (2009-12). In 2011, Seattle became the first club in 42 years and fourth altogether to win the Open Cup three consecutive years.
Sounders FC defeated D.C. United in the 2009 final, the Columbus Crew in the 2010 final, and the Chicago Fire in the 2011 final before a record crowd of 35,615 on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Seattle fell in a penalty shootout to Sporting Kansas City in the 2012 final following a 1-1 draw.
The 101st edition of the tournament features 80 teams, an increase from the then-record 68 that took the field last year. The expansion results in both the largest number of amateur teams (42) in the tournament proper-exceeding the previous record of 34 set last year-as well as the largest contingent of pro clubs (38, surpassing last year's record of 34), with all Division I, II and III professional sides participating for the third consecutive year.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Club Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The tournament has crowned a champion for 100 consecutive years, dating back to 1914. D.C. United is the defending U.S. Open Cup champion after beating Real Salt Lake, 1-0, in the 2013 final.
The 2014 U.S. Open Cup will be conducted on a single-elimination, one-game-knockout basis utilizing a tiered-bracket format. Teams will be paired geographically. The fifth round is scheduled for June 24-25, the quarterfinals for July 8-9, the semifinals for August 12-13, and the final for September 30 or October 1.
