On Tuesday, April 19, the San Jose Earthquakes will open their 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign against Bay Cities FC at PayPal Park (7:30 p.m.). The match is part of the Third Round of the competition and marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing national cup competition in the country, dating back to 1913. It has not been played since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The competition features a single-elimination format and both professional and amateur teams from all corners of the United States. The overall champion is awarded $300,000 in prize money and a berth in the Concacaf Champions League, while the runner-up receives $100,000, and the furthest-advancing team from each lower-division league receives $25,000.
While San Jose has never won the competition, the club did reach the semifinals in 2017 after consecutively defeating the San Francisco Deltas, Seattle Sounders FC, and LA Galaxy. Unfortunately, the dream run was ended in a penalty shootout vs. Sporting Kansas City following a 1-1 draw.
Bay Cities FC, based in Redwood City, competes in the National Independent Soccer Association. The team advanced to the Third Round by defeating Monterey Bay F.C. of the USL Championship at PayPal Park on April 6.
While MLS teams do not generally play a first-choice lineup until later in the competition, the Quakes’ young core should get time to shine. Ousseni Bouda (21), Will Richmond (22), and Niko Tsakiris (16) could possibly feature against Bay Cities FC.
Earthquakes Season Ticket Holders can use the Bonus Match A tickets included in their season package for all 2022 U.S. Open Cup matches at PayPal Park, excluding the tournament semifinal and final. Season Ticket Holders will also get an exclusive presale for additional tickets beginning Tuesday, April 12 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets will then be made available to the general public on Wednesday, April 13 at 10 a.m. PT and will be available by visiting Ticketmaster.com. Group tickets of 10 or more can be purchased by calling the Earthquakes Front Office at (408) 556-7700.
