The 2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was planned to be the 107th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, a knockout cup competition in American soccer. After the 2020 competition was suspended and ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Soccer Federation announced that qualification for the 2021 Open Cup would be canceled and all 100 teams that had qualified for that competition would be invited back. Atlanta United FC won the previous tournament after defeating Minnesota United FC in the 2019 final.
On February 8, 2021, the U.S. Soccer Federation stated that only 24 teams would be allowed to participate in a new abbreviated tournament, with the exact qualification details still being determined. On March 29, U.S. Soccer announced the tournament would be downsized to 16 teams who would play four rounds. The opening round was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Open Cup Committee convened to decide whether the competition could proceed. This version of the tournament was to feature eight Major League Soccer teams, four USL Championship teams, one National Independent Soccer Association team, one USL League One team, and two teams from the Open Division determined by a random draw.
The United States Adult Soccer Association recommended that the 2021 edition of the tournament be cancelled due to the additional travel expenses needed to comply with COVID-19 distancing and safety requirements, which would place an undue burden on amateur teams. U.S. Soccer announced in April that the tournament would not be held in the spring due to a combination of financial and logistical issues, and that they were evaluating holding the tournament later in the year. On July 20, U.S. Soccer finally announced that the tournament would be canceled for 2021 and would resume in 2022.
Qualification
The list of eligible teams for the 2021 tournament features 102 teams including 64 professional sides. Two professional teams became eligible since the 2019 tournament (Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and FC Tucson) and two have folded (Reno 1868 FC and 2019 quarterfinalists Saint Louis FC). Entrants include the American clubs from across the soccer leagues system, with timing determined by league division. These include the 24 American clubs of Major League Soccer, as well as the teams in the USL Championship and USL League One that are not owned or operated by an MLS and USL Championship (in case of USL League One). MLS-affiliated clubs from these leagues are eligible. In addition, clubs from the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), a sanctioned Division III league, are set to take part. This would be the first time two professional leagues from the same tier have both competed in the tournament since 2017.
Both Crossfire Redmond and GPS Portland Phoenix qualified for the 2020 tournament through league results in the National Premier Soccer League and USL League Two respectively. However, neither were listed as eligible in U.S. Soccer's announcement.
The four participating USL Championship teams will be the USL Championship 2020 semifinal playoff teams: El Paso Locomotive FC, Louisville City FC, Phoenix Rising FC, Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Eligible teams Open Division Division III Division II Division I ANFEEU/USASA/USCS/USSSA13 teams NPSL/USL League Two24 teams NISA/USL League One17 teams USL Championship24 teams MLS24 teamsANFEEU Virginia United FC USASA Cal FC Christos FC Louisiana Krewe FC Miami United FC U23 Nashville United Newtown Pride FC(2019 NAC champion) New York Pancyprian-Freedoms NTX Rayados Olympic Club Vereinigung Erzgebirge USCS Chula Vista FC USSSA FC Boulder HarposNPSL ASC San Diego Atlantic City FC Cleveland SC Denton Diablos FC FC Arizona FC Davis FC Motown Fort Worth Vaqueros FC Med City FC Minneapolis City SC Naples United FC Tulsa Athletic West Chester United SC USL League Two Chicago FC United Corpus Christi FC Des Moines Menace FC Golden State Force North Carolina Fusion U23 SC United Bantams South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 The Villages SC Ventura County Fusion Western Mass PioneersNISA California United Strikers FC Chattanooga FC Detroit City FC Los Angeles Force Maryland Bobcats FC Michigan Stars FC New Amsterdam FC San Diego 1904 FC Stumptown AC USL League One Chattanooga Red Wolves SC Forward Madison FC Greenville Triumph SC North Carolina FC Richmond Kickers South Georgia Tormenta FC FC Tucson Union Omaha Austin Bold FC Birmingham Legion Charleston Battery Charlotte Independence Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC El Paso Locomotive FC FC Tulsa Hartford Athletic Indy Eleven Las Vegas Lights FC Louisville City FC Memphis 901 FC Miami FC New Mexico United Oakland Roots SC OKC Energy FC Orange County SC Phoenix Rising FC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Sacramento Republic FC San Antonio FC San Diego Loyal SC Tampa Bay Rowdies Atlanta United FC Austin FC Chicago Fire FC Colorado Rapids Columbus Crew SC FC Cincinnati FC Dallas D.C. United Houston Dynamo FC Inter Miami CF LA Galaxy Los Angeles FC Minnesota United FC Nashville SC New England Revolution New York City FC New York Red Bulls Orlando City SC Philadelphia Union Portland Timbers Real Salt Lake San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders FC Sporting Kansas City
Number of teams by state The eligible 2021 field represents a total of 34 states and the District of Columbia.
StatesNumberTeams117ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC, Chula Vista FC, FC Davis, FC Golden State Force, LA Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, Los Angeles Force, Oakland Roots SC, Olympic Club, Orange County SC, Sacramento Republic FC, San Diego Loyal SC, San Diego 1904 FC, San Jose Earthquakes, Ventura County Fusion211Austin Bold FC, Austin FC, Corpus Christi FC, Denton Diablos FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, FC Dallas, Fort Worth Vaqueros FC, Houston Dynamo FC, NTX Rayados, Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, San Antonio FC37Inter Miami CF, Miami FC, Miami United FC U23, Naples United FC, Orlando City SC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, The Villages SC45Chattanooga FC, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Memphis 901 FC, Nashville SC, Nashville United54Charlotte Independence, North Carolina FC, North Carolina Fusion U23, Stumptown ACPhiladelphia Union, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Vereinigung Erzgebirge, West Chester United SC73FC Arizona, Phoenix Rising FC, FC TucsonColorado Rapids, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, FC Boulder HarposAtlanta United FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC 2Med City FC, Minneapolis City SC, Minnesota United FCAtlantic City FC, FC Motown, New York Red BullsNew Amsterdam FC, New York City FC, New York Pancyprian-FreedomsCleveland SC, Columbus Crew SC, FC CincinnatiFC Tulsa, OKC Energy FC, Tulsa AthleticCharleston Battery, Greenville Triumph SC, SC United Bantams162Hartford Athletic, Newtown Pride FCChicago FC United, Chicago Fire FCChristos FC, Maryland Bobcats FCNew England Revolution, Western Mass PioneersDetroit City FC, Michigan Stars FCRichmond Kickers, Virginia United221Birmingham LegionD.C. UnitedIndy ElevenDes Moines MenaceSporting Kansas CityLouisville City FCLouisiana Krewe FCUnion OmahaLas Vegas Lights FCNew Mexico UnitedPortland TimbersReal Salt LakeSeattle Sounders FCForward Madison FC
States without a team in the Open Cup: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Broadcasting All matches from the first round to the final were expected to be streamed on ESPN+. U.S. Soccer and ESPN signed a 4-year deal to air the tournament in 2019.
References
External links at U.S. Soccer TheCup.us, an independent news site covering the U.S. Open Cup