In conjunction with U.S. Soccer,
Columbus Crew SC today announced that it has been drawn to face the winner of Jacksonville Armada FC (NASL) vs. Richmond Kickers (USL) for its Fourth Round match in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the 102
nd
edition of the tournament. The Black & Gold are slated to travel to either Jacksonville or Richmond, depending on the winner of the May 27 Third Round contest between the two sides.
Crew SC's Fourth Round match will be held on Wednesday, June 17. Should Jacksonville defeat Richmond, the Black & Gold would play at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida at 7:30 p.m. ET. If Richmond wins, Columbus would play at Richmond City Stadium with a kickoff of 7:00 p.m. ET.
Columbus enters the tournament in the Fourth Round along with all other United States-based clubs in Major League Soccer. This year, the tournament is being contested between 91 clubs, the highest-ever in the modern era (1995-present) and 11 more sides than the 80 that competed in 2014. The expansion from 80 to 91 teams includes both the largest number of amateur teams (44) in the tournament proper – exceeding the previous record of 42 from last year – as well as the largest contingent of professional clubs (47, surpassing last year’s record of 38).
Columbus was crowned 2002 U.S. Open Cup champion as the Black & Gold defeated the LA Galaxy 1-0 to win the club’s first-ever tournament title in front of its home fans at MAPFRE Stadium on October 24, 2002. The Black & Gold also reached the Open Cup Final in the club’s first appearance in the tournament in 1998 and most recently in 2010.
