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Due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the USA, which has impacted travel, limited or eliminated fans in the stands at games, and necessitated strict testing protocols, U.S. Soccer’s Open Cup Committee has been forced to cancel the 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Committee also cancelled 2021 Open Division qualifying, which was to be held this fall for teams from local amateur leagues looking to advance to next year’s tournament. The 38 Open Division teams from the Local Qualifying track and eligible National Leagues (National Premier Soccer League, USL League Two) who had qualified for the 2020 competition and who maintain Open Cup eligibility through next year will automatically be invited for 2021.
The 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was originally scheduled for eight rounds, opening on March 24 and concluding with the Final on Sept. 22 or 23. The reallocation of the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League berth awarded to the Open Cup champion will be determined in the future.
The cancelation of the tournament snaps a 106-consecutive-year run of crowning a national champion. The streak was the second-longest in soccer for national cup competitions worldwide, trailing only the Irish Cup in Northern Ireland.
