February 16, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Indy Eleven News Release
INDIANAPOLIS – U.S. Soccer has announced the pairings and hosting scenarios for the Second Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer’s National Championship. Twenty-four Division II and 22 Division III pro teams will see their first tournament action between April 4-6, joining 14 First Round winners in a Second Round that will feature 30 matches across the country.
Indy Eleven learned it will begin its run in the 108th edition of the tournament with a home contest at IUPUI Carroll Stadium against NISA side Michigan Stars FC. Date, kickoff time, and ticketing details surrounding the Second Round affair at “The Mike” will be announced in the coming weeks.
After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup returned with a memorable tournament in 2022. Indy Eleven will be searching for its fourth victory in LHUSOC play when it hosts MSFC, with its last triumph coming via a 1-0 Second Round win over Lansing Ignite FC of USL League One in 2019 at Butler University’s Sellick Bowl.
The 46 professional teams entering in the 2023 tournament’s Second Round include 24 from the USL Championship (Division II), including Indy Eleven, debutants Loudoun United FC, and last year’s Open Cup runners-up Sacramento Republic FC. There’s one representative from MLS NEXT Pro (Division III), nine from the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) (Division III) and 12 from USL League One (Division III). They’ll be joined in the Second Round by the 14 Open Division winners from the First Round, set for March 21-23. Match dates and times for all Second Round affairs will be announced at a later date.
Competition rules for the Second Round require First Round winners to be paired against either a Division II or Division III club. Additionally, the tournament has a universal provision to preclude teams from the same qualifying pool playing their first Open Cup game from facing each other. Each pro division is considered a unique qualifying pool regardless of the number of leagues in the division.
Pairings were made on a geographical basis within the parameters listed above. If three or more teams/pairings were from the same proximity, matchups for these teams were made by random selection. Instances where a logical geographic fit did not exist were resolved by random selection. Home teams for each round are determined by random…