Sporting Kansas City II will start their 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run in the First Round at home against the Des Moines Menace, U.S. Soccer announced today. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 19 at Children's Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Mo.
Tickets for the cup clash will be available to purchase for $10 online via SeatGeek starting on Tuesday, Feb. 11 and Sporting Kansas City Season Ticket Members may request complimentary tickets through their Membership Services Executive.
Sporting KC II is one of 10 MLS NEXT Pro teams competing in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup with all 10 MLS Next Pro sides entering in the First Round. For a second year running, the 32 games of the First Round will be played exclusively between amateur teams from the Open Division and professional sides.
The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions League and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize.
2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
First Round: March 18-20
Second Round: April 1-2
Third Round: April 15-16
Round of 32: May 6-7
Round of 16: May 20-21
Quarterfinals: July 8-9
Semifinal: Sept. 16-17
Final: Oct. 1
The Open Cup fixture between SKC II and the Menace marks the first meeting between the two sides. Sporting KC's first team has three previous matches with Des Moines Menace, all coming in Open Cup play. Sporting boasts a 3-0-0 record against Des Moines, most recently knocking them out in the 2013 Round of 32 with a 2-0 win at home.
The U.S. Open Cup, named in honor of former Kansas City Wizards owner Lamar Hunt, has crowned a champion since 1914 and Sporting KC (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017) are four-time winners of U.S. Soccer's national championship, tied for the most among MLS clubs.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned a champion since 1914 in every year except 2020 and 2021. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions League and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The runner-up will earn $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $25,000 cash prize. Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024 with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.
The official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
