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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.

Number of teams by state

The eligible 2021 field represents a total of 34 states and the District of Columbia.

	States	Number	Teams
1	California	17	ASC 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 Fusion
2	Texas	11	Austin 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 FC
3	Florida	7	Inter Miami CF, Miami FC, Miami United FC U23, Naples United FC, Orlando City SC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, The Villages SC
4	Tennessee	5	Chattanooga FC, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Memphis 901 FC, Nashville SC, Nashville United
5	North Carolina	4	Charlotte Independence, North Carolina FC, North Carolina Fusion U23, Stumptown AC
	Pennsylvania		Philadelphia Union, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Vereinigung Erzgebirge, West Chester United SC
7	Arizona	3	FC Arizona, Phoenix Rising FC, FC Tucson
	Colorado		Colorado Rapids, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, FC Boulder Harpos
	Georgia		Atlanta United FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC 2
	Minnesota		Med City FC, Minneapolis City SC, Minnesota United FC
	New Jersey		Atlantic City FC, FC Motown, New York Red Bulls
	New York		New Amsterdam FC, New York City FC, New York Pancyprian-Freedoms
	Ohio		Cleveland SC, Columbus Crew SC, FC Cincinnati
	Oklahoma		FC Tulsa, OKC Energy FC, Tulsa Athletic
	South Carolina		Charleston Battery, Greenville Triumph SC, SC United Bantams
16	Connecticut	2	Hartford Athletic, Newtown Pride FC
	Illinois		Chicago FC United, Chicago Fire FC
	Maryland		Christos FC, Maryland Bobcats FC
	Massachusetts		New England Revolution, Western Mass Pioneers
	Michigan		Detroit City FC, Michigan Stars FC
	Virginia		Richmond Kickers, Virginia United
22	Alabama	1	Birmingham Legion
	District of Columbia		D.C. United
	Indiana		Indy Eleven
	Iowa		Des Moines Menace
	Kansas		Sporting Kansas City
	Kentucky		Louisville City FC
	Louisiana		Louisiana Krewe FC
	Nebraska		Union Omaha
	Nevada		Las Vegas Lights FC
	New Mexico		New Mexico United
	Oregon		Portland Timbers
	Utah		Real Salt Lake
	Washington		Seattle Sounders FC
	Wisconsin		Forward 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

1. "2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Cancelled Due to COVID-19" (Press release). United States Soccer Federation. August 17, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
2. "U.S. Soccer's Plans for an Abbreviated 2021 U.S. Open Cup". Sports Illustrated. February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
3. ^ "Open Cup Committee Decides Not to Play Opening Round of U.S. Open Cup Due to Challenges Surrounding Covid Pandemic; Teams Will Enter Tournament at Round of 16" (Press release). United States Soccer Federation. March 29, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
4. Hakala, Josh (April 1, 2021). "USASA calls for 2021 US Open Cup cancelation due to COVID costs". TheCup.us. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
5. "Open Cup Committee Determines 2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Will Not Be Held This Spring". United States Soccer Federation. April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
6. "SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED FOR NEXT EDITION OF LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP IN 2022". United States Soccer Federation. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.

External links

• U.S. Open Cup at U.S. Soccer
• TheCup.us, an independent news site covering the U.S. Open Cup

• 2021 U.S. Open Cup
• U.S. Open Cup
• 2021 domestic association football cups
• 2021 North American domestic association football cups
• Association football events cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic