FRISCO, Texas - FC Dallas advanced to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal Round after defeating the Miami FC Blues of the United Soccer Leagues First Division by the score of 2-1 Tuesday. FCD will next face the Charleston Battery (USL 1) in the Quarterfinals on Tuesday, July 8 at Pizza Hut Park (7:30 p.m. CT). Charleston advanced past the Third Round tonight by defeating the Houston Dynamo in penalty kicks.
Tickets for the general public, ranging from $18-$60, will be available on Wednesday, July 2 beginning at 10 a.m. CT through all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.FCDallas.com, or by calling the FC Dallas front office at 888.FCD.GOAL (888.323.4625). A special discount is available for groups of 10 or more. Parking is free for all FC Dallas games at Pizza Hut Park.
FC Dallas has advanced to the U.S. Open Cup Final on three occasions, claiming the 1997 title and losing to LA in 2005 and New England in 2007. This is the 11th time that Dallas has reached the Quarterfinals.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation's National Championship which dates back to 1914, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
For more information on the U.S. Open Cup, visit www.usopencup.com.
Composition of participating teams:
8 Major League Soccer
8 United Soccer Leagues First Division
8 United Soccer Leagues Second Division
16 Amateur (8 USL Premier Development League, 8 USASA regional qualifiers)
Total Number of Teams: 40
Total Number of Games: 39
2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
June 10: First Round - 32 lower division teams enter tournament
June 24: Second Round - 16 Round 1 winners face off
July 1: Third Round - Round 2 winners face eight MLS teams
July 8: Quarterfinals - Round 3 winners
Aug. 12: Semifinals - Quarterfinal winners
Aug. 26: Final - Semifinal winners
