Friday, May 16, 2014

Sporting to Host Des Moines or Minnesota in the US Open Cup

US Soccer today announced the draw for the fourth round of the US Open Cup, when MLS teams will enter the tournament. For the fourth straight year, Sporting KC will be hosting a home game in the tournament proper. This year Kansas City will take on the winner of the Des Moines Menace who qualified through the USASA and the NASL's Minnesota United.

While the Menace didn't qualify through the PDL, they beat one, Real Colorado to get to the third round. If they are able to pull the upset of Minnesota again this year they'd earn a rematch with Sporting, who beat them 2-0 last year. It'd also be the fourth time KC and Des Moines will have met in the Open Cup, KC has won all three of the prior match ups with a goal difference of 10-2.

Minnesota enters the tournament in the third round and will be looking for revenge themselves against the Menace, who knocked them out last year. While this would be the first time Sporting would play United, it'd be the third time they'd play a team from Minnesota. KC has twice played the Minnesota Thunder in the tournament, losing to them 3-1 at Park University in 2005 and then beating them on penalty kicks 4-2 after a 3-3 draw.

The two teams meet up at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday May 28th. The winner will travel to Kansas City sometime between June 10th and 18th for their game against KC. The Menace have games on Friday June 13th and Saturday June 14th, which would rule out a potential weekend match up for the Open Cup in KC. Meanwhile, Minnesota doesn't have a league game at all during that stretch, which could open the door for a Saturday game if United were to advance.

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