Sporting Kansas City will face the Houston Dynamo at 7:30 p.m. CT on June 29 at BBVA Compass Stadium in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16, U.S. Soccer announced Thursday.
U.S. Soccer unveiled the Round of 16 as well as the potential quarterfinal pairings and host scenarios for the U.S. Open Cup on Thursday. A regional bracket placed Sporting Kansas City, Houston, Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas into the Plains Region. The remaining field consists of 14 MLS sides plus the New York Cosmos and Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the NASL.
Sporting Kansas City progressed to the Round of 16 with a 2-1 extra time victory at Minnesota United FC on Wednesday at National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota, receiving a penalty kick from Benny Feilhaber and a late winner from Diego Rubio. The club is a three-time U.S. Open Cup winner and the defending champion of American soccer’s longest-running tournament.
Manager Peter Vermes’ men will continue their U.S. Open Cup title defense in two weeks’ time against rivals Houston, who defeated Sporting Kansas City 2-0 in the MLS regular season on May 7 at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamo are currently last in the Western Conference with 13 points from 14 games.
Houston advanced to the Open Cup Round of 16 after defeating San Antonio FC 4-0 on Wednesday. Sporting Kansas City has played the Dynamo twice all-time in Open Cup play, most recently claiming a 3-1 quarterfinal victory last season en route to the 2015 championship. The sides also met in a 2011 qualifying match as Sporting KC notched a 1-0 road win in extra time.
The winner between Sporting Kansas City and Houston will earn a berth in the tournament quarterfinals and meet the victor from the Colorado Rapids - FC Dallas matchup. If Sporting Kansas City prevails, the quarterfinal contest would be played on July 19 or 20 at Children’s Mercy Park.
2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
- Round of 16: June 28-29
- Quarterfinals: July 19-20
- Semifinals: Aug. 9-10
- Final: Sept. 21
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has been held annually since 1914 and is open to all professional and amateur soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The 2016 edition boasts the largest field in the modern era (1995-present) with 91 teams in contention when the first round began last month. This year’s winner will earn $250,000 and a spot in the 2017-18 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
