COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids will host USL League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC play in the third round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer announced today.
Entering its second season in USL League One, the Hailstorm qualified to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup after defeating USL Championship side Colorado Switchbacks FC 3-1 (AET) in their second round clash on Wednesday night.
Introduced in the 1913-14 season as the National Challenge Cup and rebranded in 1999, the U.S. Open Cup (USOC) is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. The competition enters its 108th edition after suspending play in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The single-elimination tournament includes clubs from different professional leagues including Major League Soccer (MLS), the United Soccer League (USL) and the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), as well as semi-pro and amateur teams who qualify through the first two rounds of the tournament. It spans across eight rounds, with the winner getting an automatic bid in the Concacaf Champions League.
In 2022, the format changed so only 17 MLS teams enter in the Third Round of the tournament—as opposed to all MLS teams—staggering the four MLS clubs competing in the Concacaf Champions League that season to enter the next round. Additionally, the next four best-seeded MLS teams also enter the competition in the Fourth Round. In 2023, there will be 18 MLS teams that enter the third round, while retaining the qualifiers for MLS teams entering the Round of 32. The Rapids saw a Round of 32 exit last year to Minnesota United FC in a 2-1 defeat.
The 2023 U.S. Open Cup Third Round will take place across April 25 and April 26. Final schedule and ticket information for the Rapids’ match against the Hailstorm will be announced at a later date.
