COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids will host USL League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC in the third round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday, April 26 (7 p.m. MT kickoff). Rapids season ticket members will receive complimentary admission to the match; tickets will be made available to the general public in the coming week.
Entering its second season in USL League One, the Hailstorm qualified to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup after defeating USL Championship side Colorado Switchbacks FC 3-1 (AET) in their second-round clash on Wednesday night.
Formed in 2021, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC made its competitive debut last year, earning its first win as a club in the second round of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup—a 1-0 upset of Switchbacks FC despite playing with only 10 men for most of the match. In their first season of play, the Hailstorm reached the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 after a 1-0 win over MLS side Real Salt Lake before falling to fellow USL League One side Union Omaha in a 2-0 loss.
Introduced in the 1913-14 season as the National Challenge Cup and rebranded in 1999, the U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States. The competition enters its 108th edition after suspending play in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The single-elimination tournament includes clubs from different professional leagues including MLS, the United Soccer League (USL) and the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), as well as semi-pro and amateur teams who qualify through the first two rounds of the tournament. It spans across eight rounds, with the winner getting an automatic bid in the Concacaf Champions League.
In 2022, the format changed so only 17 MLS teams enter in the third round of the tournament—as opposed to all MLS teams—staggering the four MLS clubs competing in the Concacaf Champions League that season to enter the next round. Additionally, the next four best-seeded MLS teams also enter the competition in the Fourth Round. In 2023, there will be 18 MLS teams that enter the Third Round, while retaining the qualifiers for MLS teams entering the Round of 32.
The 2023 U.S. Open Cup Third Round will take place across April 25 and April 26. The Rapids will play their U.S. Open Cup game midweek after facing St. Louis CITY SC at home in league play on April 22. Fans can sign up to the club’s Single-Game Priority List to be notified when tickets become available and secure pre-sale access.
