The Kansas City Wizards will host a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in game Wednesday, June 4 at 7 p.m. CT at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kan. Kansas City will face the Colorado Rapids, who defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 Tuesday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. The winner of next Wednesday's match will advance to the round of 16.
Season ticket holders will use their ticket for "Special Game A." All other individual tickets will be $20 general-admission seats, and group tickets will be available for $15. Season ticket holders will also be able to use their "Special Game A" parking passes for reserved parking adjacent to the field at the intersection of Johnson Drive and Metcalf Lane on a first-come, first-served basis. High school students, faculty and staff in the Shawnee Mission School District will receive one free ticket with their student and/or district I.D. and will be able to purchase additional tickets at the group rate. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com here. Gates will open at 6 p.m. for the event.
Six MLS teams qualified automatically to the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup based on their 2007 regular-season finish. The remaining seven U.S.-based MLS teams square off in a play-in tournament for the chance to be one of the final two teams to represent MLS in the Open Cup. Beginning this year, the Open Cup winner advances automatically to the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League (formerly the CONCACAF Champions Cup) that takes place from August 2008 to April 2009.
Kansas City won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2004, defeating the Chicago Fire 1-0 on a late goal from forward Igor Simutenkov. The Wizards did not qualify for the Open Cup last year, falling to Real Salt Lake 2-1 in extra time of a play-in match.
