CHICAGO, Ill. (May 21, 2013) - The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Tuesday that the club will begin the journey for its fifth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy when they travel to take on the Charlotte Eagles (USL-PRO) on Wednesday, May 29 at 6:00 p.m. CT at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. The match will be available via a live webcast on www.Chicago-Fire.com.
The Eagles defeated PDL side Seattle Sounders at Queens University of Charlotte Sports Complex in Charlotte, N.C. Tuesday evening.
Recognized as U.S. Soccer’s National Championship, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
Since 1998 the Fire have compiled an impressive 29-11-4 record in Open Cup play, reaching the semifinal round eight out of 15 times and the final six times. The Fire have previously hoisted the coveted Dewar Trophy four times, in 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. The 2006 title marked the ninth time a team from Chicago won the Open Cup and made the Fire one of six teams to capture the crown at least four times in the tournament's 99-year-long history.
The 100th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup features a field of 68 teams, the largest field in the modern era (1995-present). Another significant change for 2013 is the process for determining the site for the Open Cup tournament semifinals and final. In past years, the sites for the final three matches of the tournament had been determined through a sealed-bid process, but this year the hosts of those games will be determined by a coin flip. Home teams throughout the entire tournament will be determined by random selection.
WATCH: The Fire's Four U.S. Open Cup Titles
