Pittsburgh – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have been selected to host the opening round matchup of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Tournament on Tuesday, May 14, at 7:00 p.m. against Chicago-based Croatian side, RWB Adria. The game will take place at the new Highmark Stadium, located in Station Square.
The US Open Cup Tournament, established in 1914, features 68 teams from the various levels of US soccer from amateur to MLS, marking the largest field in the modern era (1995-present) and has an increased winner’s prize for the USSF-sanctioned side who eventually raises the Cup in October.
The tournament, which kicks off with ‘play-in’ games on May 7, is marking its 100th edition in style. Filled with 16 clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS), 12 from USL PRO, including the Riverhounds, and six from NASL, the field of teams will represent the different levels of professional soccer in the United States, and the tournament begins with matchups for these professional clubs against 34 different amateur competitors in a very exciting, single-elimination format with a lot on the line.
According to Riverhounds CEO and player, Jason Kutney, who advanced to the tournament’s semi-finals in 2004 as a member of then A-League side, Charleston Battery, the Open Cup is one of the most exciting events for a competitive soccer player in this country.
“This tournament is, in many ways, a David-and-Goliath event, where you truly see teams rise up and leave it all on the field for a chance to upset higher level clubs,” said Kutney. “From a fan’s perspective, it is amazing to watch amateur sides take on professionals, and to be able to do so with the sightlines at Highmark Stadium will make for an awesome experience on May 14.”
The 2013 Open Cup has raised the financial stakes for participating clubs as well, for their 100th edition. The amount of prize money distributed has increased across the board from 2012 to 2013, with the overall champion receiving $250,000 (up from $100,000 in recent years), runner-up receiving $60,000 (up from $50,000) and the team that advances the furthest from each lower division, including USL PRO, will win $15,000 (up from $10,000).
As part of the Riverhounds personal seat license (PSL) campaign, tickets for the opening round of the tournament are included in the ticket package. For more information on obtaining PSLs for the Riverhounds season, please call (412) 539-1191.
Ticket information will be released early next week. To purchase tickets for the May 14 game, visit riverhounds.com/tickets. For group ticket sales, please call the Highmark Stadium Box Office at (412) 224-4900.