DC United draws Charleston Battery in U.S. Open Cup Round of 32
DC United is back in the U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2023 and seek to use the tournament as a chance to help spring their season back on the right track. Today, US Soccer held the draw for the Round of 32 of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, and DC United will host the Charleston Battery at Audi Field on May 6th. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm.
DC United was a pre-designated host for the Round of 32, learning back on April 1st that they would host their opening match in the tournament. They were pre-drawn into the Clint Dempsey Group alongside MLS side Charlotte FC and USL Championship sides Charleston Battery and North Carolina FC. North Carolina FC will host Charlotte FC in the other match in the group. DC United was drawn third in the draw for the Clint Dempsey Group, which means they will host the next round if they win and Charlotte FC beats North Carolina FC.
DC United has won the US Open Cup 3 times in their history: 1996, 2008, and 2013. The 2013 trophy over Real Salt Lake wa sthe most recent trophy for the Black-and-Red. They look to add to their trophy case by going on a run in the Open Cup to win another title.
Their first match is a revival of the Coffee Pot Cup rivalry with the Charleston Battery, which goes back to the early beginnings of the club. The two teams used to meet regularly in the preseason for the Coffee Pot Cup, and lined up against each other earlier this year. Arguably the most famous match between the two clubs was in the 2008 US Open Cup final at RFK Stadium. That final was a 2-1 win for the Black-and-Red, with goals from Luciano Emilio and Fred.
The US Open Cup Round of 32 matches (Round of 16 priority hosting order in parentheses):
Cobi Jones Group
Rhode Island FC (1) vs. New England Revolution (2)
Chicago Fire (3) vs. Detroit City FC (4)
Landon Donovan Group
Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2) vs. New York City FC (4)
Philadelphia Union (1) vs. Indy Eleven (3)
Clint Dempsey Group
North Carolina FC (1) vs. Charlotte FC (4)
DC United (3) vs. Charleston Battery (2)
Jeff Agoos Group
Tampa Bay Rowdies (3) vs. Orlando City (2)
Nashville SC (4) vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves (1)*
DaMarcus Beasley Group
Louisville City FC (2) vs. Minnesota United (1)
St. Louis FC (4) vs. Union Omaha (3)
Carlos Bocanegra Group
Phoenix Rising (2) vs. Houston Dynamo (4)
Austin FC (4) vs. El Paso Locomotive (1)*
Paul Caligiuri Group
Colorado Switchbacks (3) vs. New York Red Bulls (1)
FC Dallas (2) vs. AV Alta (4)
Kasey Keller Group
Tacoma Defiance (1) vs. Portland Timbers (4)
San Jose Earthquakes (3) vs. Sacramento Republic (2)
*Chattanooga Red Wolves and El Paso Locomotive do not have an available venue so they will be passed over in hosting priority
DC United season ticket holders will receive a ticket to the US Open Cup match on May 6th. The winner will advance to the Round of 16 on May 20-21.
I’m glad to see that our initial Open Cup match against Charleston on May 6 will be part of the season ticket package. I’ll be back from Buenos Aires by then.
I am off to Scotland the next day, so I am handing off my club tickets, but I will ty to watch on TV. I also nabbed two “endzone” seats for doing a survey, so I think I’ll circulate them all into a group of Hillstaffers….
I give credit to the authorities for coming up with a format that includes 16 MLS clubs, with each one meeting a lower level club. This provides a complete round giving us the Davy vs. Goliath contests that make these Cup competitions more fun! Also, gives DCU a better chance to win than if matched up against an MLS team?
Also, thanks to DW II for his great reporting!
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