CARSON, Calif. (Wednesday, May 28, 2014) – The LA Galaxy will begin their participation in the U.S. Open Cup on the road as they travel to face Arizona United SC at Peoria Sports Complex on Wednesday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. PT in the tournament’s fourth round.
Arizona qualified for the fourth round on Wednesday after defeating league rival OKC Energy FC 2-1 in a match that needed extra time to decide a winner. The fourth round marks the start of the tournament for the rest of the American-based clubs in MLS.
USL PRO affiliate LA Galaxy II saw their participation in the tournament come to an end on Wednesday with a 3-1 penalty kick defeat to PSA Elite following a scoreless 120 minutes.
The 101st edition of the tournament features 80 teams, an increase from the then-record 68 that took the field last year. The expansion results in both the largest number of amateur teams (42) in the tournament proper-exceeding the previous record of 34 set last year-as well as the largest contingent of pro clubs (38, surpassing last year's record of 34), with all Division I, II and III professional sides participating for the third consecutive year.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Club Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The tournament has crowned a champion for 100 consecutive years, dating back to 1914. D.C. United is the defending U.S. Open Cup champion after beating Real Salt Lake, 1-0, in the 2013 final.
The 2014 U.S. Open Cup will be conducted on a single-elimination, one-game-knockout basis utilizing a tiered-bracket format. Teams will be paired geographically. The fifth round is scheduled for June 24-25, the quarterfinals for July 8-9, the semifinals for August 12-13, and the final for September 30 or October 1.
Season tickets for the 2014 MLS season are still available, starting at $12.50 per game. Becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member gives fans the opportunity to see every Galaxy home game as well as a number of additional benefits such as access to the new LA Galaxy Locker Room Rewards program, extra savings on additional single and group tickets, early entrance into the stadium and much more. For more information about becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member, please call 877-3GALAXY (342-5299) or visit www.lagalaxy.com/tickets.
