Las Vegas Lights FC will host USL League One’s Spokane Velocity on Wednesday, April 17, in the third round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Here is everything you need to know:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. PT at Cashman Field (PURCHASE TICKETS HERE).
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be available to stream nationally HERE.
ABOUT THE OPEN CUP: 2024 marks the 109th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which is U.S. Soccer’s Club Championship. The single-elimination tournament is open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer.
WHAT’S AT STAKE: The winner will receive $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
HOW IT WORKS: Las Vegas joins 15 other USL Championship sides in the third round, to go along with eight teams from USL League One, three from MLS NEXT Pro, two from NISA and three from Open Division. Matchups for the third round were determined by placing equal number of USL Championship sides and second round winners into pools based on geography and drawing randomly from those groups. Home teams were determined by random selection.
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS: Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo are the title-holders after defeating Inter Miami 2-1 last September.
LIGHTS FC OPEN CUP HISTORY: Las Vegas has never made it past the third round of the Open Cup since the club’s inception in 2018. The Open Cup was not played due to COVID-19 in two of the past six years (2020, 2021). Lights FC fell 3-1 to MLS side Real Salt Lake in the third round last season.
ABOUT SPOKANE VELOCITY: Located in Spokane, Wash., the Velocity are in their inaugural season as a club. They are managed by England native Leigh Veidman, who was previously an assistant with Charleston Battery in the USL Championship. Spokane is currently third of 12 teams in USL League One with six points from four matches.
Some notable names on the roster include former Minnesota United defender Romain Métanire and former USL Championship midfielder Morgan Hackworth, the son of former Philadelphia Union and Louisville City Head Coach John Hackworth.
WHAT’S NEXT: The remaining eight USL Championship sides, led by 2023 champion Phoenix Rising and the next best seven teams from the 2023 regular season standings, enter in the Round of 32 alongside eight Major League Soccer clubs. The draw for the Round of 32 will take place on Thursday, April 18.
