FC Dallas continues its 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign this Wednesday, May 22 at 6:30PM against USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Here's everything you need to know before the match.
HOW TO WATCH
The match will be streamed on USSoccer.com, MLSSoccer.com and USLSoccer.com. Broadcasters Josh Eastern and Gary Bailey will call the game.
HOW TO LISTEN
English: You can listen to all the action on the FC Dallas app and Talk Radio 1190AM. Host Sam Hale will provide pregame and postgame coverage beginning at 6PM with broadcasters Owen Newkirk and Steve Davis calling the game.
Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon will call the game in Spanish on the FC Dallas app starting at 6:30PM.
Open Cup Overview
In case you're new around here, here's a brief overview of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
First played in 1914, the Open Cup is the U.S.'s oldest ongoing national soccer tournament and it's open to any professional or amateur team affiliated with U.S. Soccer. Basically, a team from any league in the country can compete (separate to its respective league play) in hopes of making it all the way through the single-game-knockout competition to reach the final. In all, the Open Cup features eight rounds (First Round, Second Round, Third Round, Round of 32, Round of 16, etc).
This year, only eight MLS entered the Open Cup: FC Dallas, Atlanta United FC, Houston Dynamo FC, Los Angeles FC, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC, and Sporting Kansas City.
FC Dallas in the Open Cup
FC Dallas is one of the most successful MLS teams in U.S. Open Cup history having won the tournament twice (1997 and 2016) and twice finished as runners-up (2005 and 2007). In 1999, the tournament was renamed in honor of Lamar Hunt for his immense contributions to growing soccer in the U.S. This year, the club has reached the Round of 16 after defeating Memphis 901 FC 1-0 in the Round of 32 thanks to a goal from rookie Logan Farrington.
Fun Fact: FCD Legend and Club Ambassador Kenny Cooper is the second-top scorer in modern Open Cup history (1995-present) with 13 goals, three behind Sébastien Le Toux's 16.
All-Time Open Cup Record: 37-23-6
All-Time Open Cup Home Record: 24-7-3
All-Time Open Cup Away Record: 13-16-3
Tampa Bay Rowdies Overview
FC Dallas' Round of 16 opponent is the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship, the second tier of the U.S. soccer pyramid. They reached the Round of 16 by defeating Birmingham Legion FC in a thrilling game that ended 6-4 in extra time. In league play, the Rowdies are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-4-2 record after defeating FC Tulsa 5-0 last time out. There are three FCD connections on Tampa Bay's roster: Former Dallas Homegrowns Eddie Munjoma and Aarón Guillén now ply their trade for the USL side while FCD's 2020 MLS SuperDraft pick Cal Jennings is the club's second-leading scorer this year with seven goals.
