The 102nd edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will wrap up on Wednesday evening when the Philadelphia Union host Sporting Kansas City (7 pm ET; ESPN2, UDN),. Given its age, it boasts a long and diverse history, with teams from all over the country writing their own unique stories across all eras of the tournament.
For the 2015 final, the Philadelphia Union will be looking to bring the cup back to Pennsylvania for the first time since 1966, and bring the Keystone State level with California on the list of most Open Cups won. Kansas City, on the other hand, will be looking to add to a rich Midwestern tradition of success in the nation's oldest soccer tournament.
But which state has been the most successful in the Open Cup? The graphic below will show you that one is head and shoulders above the rest, but even then, there's a caveat. And below the chart, check out a region-by-region breakdown of US Open Cup winners throughout history.
Correction: The state of Missouri has won 11 US Open Cup titles, not 12. Numbers courtesy of TheCup.us and RSSSF.
THE NORTHEAST
New York is comfortably the most successful state in US Open Cup history, with 26 titles to its name. The Empire State’s dominance comes down to the strength of the New York City soccer scene over the years – only one winning team from the Empire State, the Rochester Rhinos, hails from outside the five boroughs.
However, New York has been shut out of Open Cup success since the Rhinos became the last non-MLS team to win the tournament, in 1999. But with New York City FC now in the MLS mix and the ambitious New York Cosmos making waves in the lower divisions, don't be surprised if USOC success comes back to the Big Apple.
Here's a more detailed look at the Northeast:
Pennsylvania, with five wins from the legendary Bethlehem Steel, comes in a comfortable second in this region, but is currently enduring a 49-year drought. Further north, the New England Revolution brought the trophy back to Massachusetts after 60 years. Among other MLS notables, D.C. United have accounted for three of the District of Columbia's four titles.
THE SOUTH
No matter where you delineate the South, this part of the country is clearly on the outside looking in when it comes to Open Cup success. The modern era has been kinder to the region, with Virginia's Richmond Kickers (1995) and FC Dallas (1997) both capturing titles. Prior to this, only the St. Petersburg Kickers in 1989 were able to win the cup.
There will certainly be increased opportunities for some of the southern states to make their mark on the US Open Cup roll of honor, though. With Orlando already in the league and expansion plans in motion in both Atlanta and Miami, it may only be a matter of time before we see a few more southern sides etch their names on the Dewar Cup.
THE MIDWEST
Much like the Northeast, the Midwest brings a long soccer tradition to the table, fielding competitive teams in the Open Cup throughout the tournament's history. The epicenter of American soccer in years past was St. Louis, whose teams have won 10 of Missouri's 11 titles, the last in 1988.
Chicago has also maintained a strong presence in the USOC record books, accounting for all of Illinois' nine titles. Five of those were won between 1938 and 1990, and the Chicago Fire have almost matched that number with four MLS-era titles. Elsewhere, Kansas City (as the Wizards in 2000 and Sporting in 2012) have contributed one for Missouri and one for Kansas, while the Columbus Crew also got in on the party with their 2002 win.
THE WEST
It's indisputable that the most successful cities and states in the US Open Cup have come from east of the Mississippi River, but California nonetheless comes in second among the states with 15 titles. For you NorCal vs. SoCal partisans, L.A. teams have the upper hand with ten of the state's wins compared to the Bay Area's five, thanks in large part to five-time winners Maccabi Los Angeles, while the LA Galaxy have added two titles of their own in the modern era.
In the past six years, the success of the Seattle Sounders – winners in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 – has shot Washington right up the list of Open Cup-winning states. Outside of Washington and California, Open Cup success has eluded the western states despite some close calls.
