Sporting Kansas City at Los Angeles FC
2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final
Wed, Sept. 25 | 9:30 p.m. CT (9:50 kickoff)
BMO Stadium | Los Angeles, California
Broadcast Schedule:
Apple TV | Free on MLS Season Pass
English Radio | Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio | La Grande 1340 AM
5 Things | By the Numbers | Tune In on Apple TV | Watch Party | Pub Partners | Game Notes | SKC App | MatchCenter | SportingStyle | Scarf
Sporting Kansas City will play for a record-tying fifth U.S. Open Cup trophy on Wednesday as Sporting takes on Los Angeles FC in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
U.S. Soccer's national championship kicks off at 9:50 p.m. CT at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles and will be free to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV . Radio coverage will also air locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB in English and on La Grande 1340 AM in Spanish with live audio streams available in the Sporting KC App.
In addition, pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will show all of the action including the club's official watch party at No Other Pub in the KC Power & Light District. Doors will open at 9 p.m. CT and the initial 50 fans in attendance will receive their first drink on the club with food and drink specials available throughout the event as well as a raffle for premium prize giveaways.
Named in honor of former Kansas City Wizards owner Lamar Hunt, the U.S. Open Cup has crowned a champion since 1914. Sporting has reached this year's final with a 2-1 win in extra time at Union Omaha (USL League One) in the Round of 32, a 4-0 victory against FC Tulsa (USL Championship) in the Round of 16, a 2-1 win in extra time against FC Dallas (MLS) in the quarterfinals and a 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven (USL Championship) in the semifinals. Colombian centerback Dany Rosero scored in each of Sporting’s last two Open Cup matches, becoming the only player in this year's U.S. Open Cup to score in both the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.
LAFC qualified for the first U.S. Open Cup Final in the club’s seven-year history with a 3-1 win over Las Vegas Lights (USL Championship) in the Round of 32, a 3-0 victory against Loudoun United (USL Championship) in the Round of 16, a 3-1 triumph versus New Mexico United (USL Championship) in the quarterfinals and a 1-0 road result at the Seattle Sounders (MLS) in the semifinals.
Manager Peter Vermes has led Sporting to three of the team's four U.S. Open Cup titles - the most among active coaches and the second most in the modern era of the competition (1995-present) behind the late Sigi Schmid -- as Kansas City lifted the tournament trophy in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017. The four U.S. Open Cup triumphs are tied for most among active clubs and one shy of the all-time record held by Bethlehem Steel (1915, 1916, 1918, 1919, 1926) and Maccabi Los Angeles (1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981) in the competition's 109-year history.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Finals in Club History
2004: Kansas City 1, Chicago Fire 0 (golden goal)
2012: Kansas City 1, Seattle Sounders 1 (3-2 in PKs)
2015: Kansas City 1, Philadelphia Union 1 (7-6 in PKs)
2017: Kansas City 2, New York Red Bulls 1
2024: Kansas City at Los Angeles FC
Led by head coach Steve Cherundolo, LAFC will be seeking the club's first U.S. Open Cup title for a side that has played in five tournament finals in the past three seasons (MLS Cup in 2022, Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup in 2023, Leagues Cup and U.S. Open Cup in 2024). However, LAFC in winless in the team's last five matches (0-3-2) since advancing to the U.S. Open Cup Final on Aug. 28.
Designated Player and reigning MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga leads LAFC with 24 goals in all competitions in 2024, while Mateusz Bogusz is second on the team with 18 goals this season. On the opposite end of the field, 37-year-old goalkeeper Hugo Lloris leads MLS with 10 shutouts in his first season stateside. Lloris started in each of the last two FIFA World Cup finals, winning the 2018 edition of the competition and setting a record in 2022 for the most career World Cup appearances by a goalkeeper (20).
Sporting earned a scoreless draw at LAFC on March 9 in the only previous match-up this season as Tim Melia -- who has prevailed in 12 of his 13 career U.S. Open Cup appearances for Sporting -- made six saves for the clean sheet. LAFC has since added 13 players including World Cup winner Olivier Giroud and former MLS MVP Carlos Vela.
LAFC also features a pair of players who won U.S. Open Cup championships in Kansas City. Midfielder Ilie Sanchez began his MLS career with Sporting, making 171 appearances for the club from 2017-2021, while forward Kei Kamara -- who ranks second in MLS history with 147 goals -- also played five seasons in KC (2009-2013) with 126 appearances for the club.
Three Sporting KC players have previously played in, and won, a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final during their careers. Melia is the only two-time U.S. Open Cup champion (2015, 2017) in this year's final while Memo Rodriguez is the most recent champion after scoring three goals in Houston's run to the title in 2018. Similarly, Daniel Salloi -- Sporting’s all-time leading scorer in the U.S. Open Cup with eight goals -- scored three times in the club's U.S. Open Cup campaign in 2017, highlighted by the game-winning goal in the final at Children's Mercy Park.
Three-time MLS Referee of the Year finalist Armando Villarreal will have the whistle for LAFCvSKC, earning his second U.S. Open Cup Final assignment (2014, 2024) to go along with two MLS Cup finals (2021, 2023). The sold-out affair will feature more than 600 Sporting Kansas City supporters in attendance at BMO Stadium through the club’s longstanding tradition of offering complimentary tickets to away matches for both Season Ticket Members and supporters group members.
