US Open Cup
The US Open Cup began in 1914 and is the
oldest tournament in American soccer competition. The tournament
is open to all United States Soccer Federation (USSF)affiliated teams,
from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League
Soccer. Winners of MLS, NASL, USL and other men's pyramid league
champions gave an invitation to compete each year.
In 1999, the USSF changed the official
title of the tournament to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, in honor
of the efforts of Lamar Hunt in bringing soccer in the US to the
mainstream.
Since 2008, the champion of the U.S. Open
Cup has earned the right to play the
CONCACAF Champions League.
The US Open Cup has been won a record
five times by
Bethlehem Football Club (1911 - 1930) near the campus of Lehigh University,
a NCAA Division I soccer program and women's 2010 Patriot League
Champion.
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