January 24, 2025 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Phoenix Rising FC News Release
PHOENIX – The 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off March 18-20 with a 32-game First Round featuring exclusively amateur vs. professional matchups. Phoenix Rising will enter the tournament in the Third Round, scheduled for April 15-16, along with 15 other USL Championship teams.
“The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest tournament in the country, and winning it means being the best,” said Phoenix Rising Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah. “This club is built on ambition-we aim to win trophies in every competition we enter. We’re here to compete and leave our mark.”
This year marks the 110th edition of this historic national club championship, which showcases elite amateur and professional soccer across communities nationwide, culminating in the Final on October 1. The Open Cup is unique among U.S.-based team sports, offering amateur teams the rare opportunity to compete directly against professional clubs.
For the second consecutive year, the First Round will consist solely of amateur teams from the Open Division facing professional sides. The tournament field includes 64 professional clubs: 14 from USL League One, 10 from MLS NEXT Pro, 24 from the USL Championship, and 16 from Major League Soccer (MLS).
The eight lowest-seeded USL Championship teams, along with USL League One and MLS NEXT Pro clubs, will compete in the First Round. The 16 higher-seeded USL Championship teams, including Phoenix Rising, will enter in the Third Round. MLS teams will join the competition in the Round of 32.
New for the 2025 Open Cup, eight seeded teams-four from the East and four from the West-will be predetermined to host matches in the Third Round and Round of 32. Conversely, the eight lowest-seeded teams entering those rounds will be predetermined to play on the road. This change aims to provide greater operational and financial certainty, while matchups will still be determined by random draw.
The teams guaranteed to host in the Third Round of U.S. Open Cup play, when Phoenix Rising enters the tournament, are Charleston Battery, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Detroit City FC, Indy Eleven, Las Vegas Lights, Louisville City FC, New Mexico United, and Sacramento Republic. Phoenix Rising’s hosting status and its opponent will be determined by a random draw.
“The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a crucial connection point for all levels of soccer in the United States,” said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson ahead of the…