SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes will hit the road to face the Charleston Battery in the third round of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup onTuesday, May 28 at Blackbaud Stadium.
The Battery defeated the Portland Timbers U-23s 1-0 Tuesday night at JELD-WEN Field, setting up the first-ever meeting between Charleston and San Jose.
Last year, the Earthquakes won their first two U.S. Open Cup games at Stanford’s Cagan Stadium. They opened with a 2-1 comeback victory against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (NASL) and knocked off Minnesota Stars FC (NASL) 1-0 in the fourth round before bowing out 1-0 against Seattle Sounders FC in the quarterfinals at San Francisco’s Kezar Stadium.
San Jose is 12-9 all-time in U.S. Open Cup play with a 9-3 mark on the road. The club has yet to face the Battery or Portland’s U-23s in nine years of participation in the tournament.
The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest annual team tournament in American sports, dating back to 1914. The single-elimination competition began Tuesday and continues until the final on Oct. 1 or 2. The field includes teams from seven junctures of American soccer, including MLS, NASL, USL Pro, PDL, NPSL, USASA and US Club Soccer.
