If the Seattle Sounders are to defend their US Open Cup crown this year, they’ll have to again go through the Portland Timbers.
US Soccer announced the potential pairings and hosting scenarios for the USOC fourth round on Thursday, with the Sounders and Timbers – who met in the quarters of the 2014 tournament, with the Sounders winning 3-1 after extra time – set for a rare early round matchup on June 16 in Seattle.
With an uneven amount of MLS clubs entering the competition in the fourth round, 15 of 17 MLS teams were paired geographically to a specific third round matchup, while Seattle and Portland were paired to complete the bracket. Instances where a geographic fit didn’t exist were resolved by random selection.
Seattle and Portland are the only two MLS teams that will meet in the fourth round of the tournament, with the other 15 US-based MLS clubs set to begin their USOC runs against a lower-division foe on June 16 or 17.
The US Open Cup second round was completed on Wednesday night, with 16 USL teams – including three clubs owned and operated by MLS sides – advancing to the third round, which will be played on May 27. Teams with an ownership affiliation – Portland and Portland Timbers 2, Real Salt Lake and Real Monarchs SLC and Seattle and Seattle Sounders 2 – are precluded from meeting until the final.
Home teams for all US Open Cup games are determined by a random selection process among those clubs that have applied to host and whose venues meet minimum tournament requirements. Thursday’s draw was attended by longtime Chicago Fire player and current club executive Logan Pause.
All of the potential fourth round pairings are listed below:
June 16:
- New York City FC at New York Cosmos (NASL), 7:30 pm ET OR Jersey Express (PDL) at New York City FC, 7 pm ET
- Rochester Rhinos (USL)/Harrisburg City Islanders (USL) at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 pm ET
- Atlanta Silverbacks (NASL)/Chattanooga FC (NPSL) at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 pm ET
- Minnesota United FC (NASL)/Saint Louis FC (USL) at Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 pm ET
- Louisville FC (USL)/Indy Eleven (NASL) at Chicago Fire, 8:30 pm ET
- Oklahoma City Energy FC (USL)/Tulsa Roughnecks at FC Dallas, 9 pm ET
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL)/Real Monarchs SLC (USL) at Colorado Rapids, 9 pm ET
- Chula Vista FC (USASA)/Sacramento Republic FC (USL) at San Jose Earthquakes, 10:30 pm ET
- Portland Timbers at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 pm PT
June 17
- Orlando City SC at Charleston Battery (USL), 7:30 pm ET OR Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL) at Orlando City SC, 7:30 pm ET
- Charlotte Independence (USL)/Carolina RailHawks (NASL) at New England Revolution, 7:30 pm ET
- Columbus Crew SC at Richmond Kickers (USL), 7 pm ET OR Columbus Crew SC at Jacksonville Armada (NASL), 7:30 pm ET
- D.C. United at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL), 7 pm ET OR D.C. United at Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL), 7:30 pm ET
- Portland Timbers 2 (USL)/Seattle Sounders 2 (USL) at Real Salt Lake, 10 pm ET
- PSA Elite (USASA)/Ventura County Fusion (PDL) at LA Galaxy, 10:30 pm ET
Date TBD
- Austin Aztex (USL)/San Antonio Scorpions (NASL) at Houston Dynamo, 9 pm ET
Match would be played at St. John's University's Belson Stadium in Queens, N.Y.
Match will be played at TCU Soccer Stadium in Ft. Worth, Texas
Match will be played at Harvard University's Soldiers Field in Boston
