TULSA – Tulsa Athletic will play host to Fort Worth Vaqueros in the first round of the 2020 U.S. Open Cup set for March 24 at 7 p.m. at Case Soccer Complex on the campus of Oral Roberts University.
Tulsa Athletic and Fort Worth Vaqueros most recently met last season in the South Central Region Semifinals of the 2019 NPSL Playoffs with Tulsa Athletic earning a 3-1 victory. Tulsa Athletic is 3-0 all-time at home against Fort Worth dating back to their days of playing in the NPSL South Central Conference from 2014-16.
The 2020 U.S. Open Cup appearance will mark the fourth time the club has played in the tournament with their last appearance in 2017. Tulsa Athletic took part in the 2015 event and advanced to the second round of the event in their first-ever appearance in 2014.
Tulsa Athletic earned a bid to play in the tournament due to their performance in the 2019 NPSL season where the green and yellow won the Heartland Conference championship and advanced to the South Region Final. During the regular season, Tulsa Athletic went unbeaten with a 7-0-3 record and won the conference by 11 points. During the postseason, Tulsa Athletic won three straight matches before their season ended with a 4-1 loss to Miami FC, the 2019 NPSL champion, in the regional final.
For the second consecutive year and as part of a four-year deal, ESPN+ will be the home for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The 2020 Final could take place as late as Sept. 24.
2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Competition Schedule
Jan. 22 First Round pairings announced
Jan. 29 Second Round pairings and possible pairings announced
March 24-25 First Round (Open Division teams enter)
April 7-9 Second Round (Division II and III teams enter)
April 10 Third Round Draw
April 21-23 Third Round (11 Division I teams enter)
April 24 Round of 32 Draw
May 19-20 Round of 32 (remaining 12 Division I teams enter)
May 21 Round of 16/Quarterfinal Draw
June 10 Possible Round of 16
June 23-24 Round or 16 or Quarterfinals
July 14-15 Quarterfinals or Semifinals
Aug. 11-12 Semifinals or Final
Sept. 22-24 Possible Final
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
In its 107th year, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer’s National Championship – is the only high-profile competition in American team sports where amateur sides can face professionals in meaningful competition. The history-filled tournament, conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer, has crowned a champion annually since 1914. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States and the word third-longest continuously open soccer tournament was renamed to honor United States soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
