When the Colorado Rapids face Orlando City SC of the USL PRO Tuesday night at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando in the Third Round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, it will be the club's fourth match against a Florida team in the 100-year-old U.S. Soccer Federation tournament. Colorado's previous three Open Cup meetings against teams from Florida were also played in the Sunshine State.
On May 2, 1998 the Rapids played Major League Soccer side Miami Fusion in a regular season meeting which also doubled as an Open Cup qualifier. Colorado lost the match 3-2 at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, falling behind 3-0 before a late rally with goals from Wolde Harris and Marquinho fell short.
On August 13, 1999, Colorado defeated the Tampa Bay Mutiny, also of MLS, 1-0 in an Open Cup Quarterfinal match played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay with a 90th minute goal by Jorge Dely Valdez. The Rapids went on to play in their only Open Cup final that year, losing to Rochester 2-0 in the club's first title match.
READ: Rapids all-time Open Cup results
On May 29, 2012, the Rapids defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies - of the second-tier North American Soccer League (NASL) - 3-1 at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla., with goals from Edu, Andre Akpan, and Kamani Hill. The Third Round match was Colorado's first match in the Open Cup proper since 2007. The Rapids would end up bowing out in the Fourth Round with a 2-0 loss to Sporting KC.
Outside the Open Cup, the Rapids' other meetings against Florida teams were in MLS play against the Mutiny and Fusion from 1996-2001, before both clubs were contracted.
Against the Mutiny, Colorado posted a 8-7-0 all-time record including 3-4 in road matches. The Rapids struggled against Miami, which entered MLS in 1998, posting a 3-7-0 record including 0-5-0 in South Florida.
The winner of Colorado-Orlando (5:30 MT, LIVE STREAM) will advance to the Fourth Round to meet the winner of the Third Round match between Sporting KC-Des Moines Menance on June 12.
