Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

The Cup Heads North

Duluth FC vs. Dakota Fusion
James S. Malosky Stadium | Duluth, MN
5.9.18 | USOC Round #1

Current 2018 League Records (W-L-T):
Duluth: 0-0-0; 0-0-0 at home/on the road
Dakota: 0-0-0; 0-0-0 at home/on the road

Duluth FC’s first official match of 2018 comes in the form of the U.S. Open Cup, where Duluth find themselves facing off against a familiar foe in Dakota Fusion. The matchup will also be the BlueGreens first time playing in the Open Cup, a historic footballing competition in the United States which dates back to the soccer season of 1913-1914, at which point it was known as the National Challenge Cup. This year will be the 105th iteration of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Dakota Fusion will also be making history as the first club based in North Dakota of any level to play in the competition.

The two meetings between the sides in 2017 were unfortunate for the home side, with both Duluth and Dakota winning on the road. Duluth managed to thrash Dakota early in the season in a six goal game that featured two braces, one for Charlie Crane and one for Joe Watt. Dakota would reap their revenge however in a close 1-2 win at Public Schools Stadium later in the season. This will however be the two clubs’ first time playing each other at James S. Malosky Stadium on the University of Minnesota Duluth campus. Regardless of the home location change, this will be Duluth’s only home game for a few weeks aside from the potential second round game, as our next home game isn’t until the 26th of May.

Coming off of a series of practices, tryouts, and the first waves of player signings, Duluth FC is ready to begin its season with a historic win in a historic game. The match’s winner will go on to face Saint Louis FC of the United Soccer League (USL). Saint Louis finished 12th of 15 in the Eastern Conference last season, missing the cutoff for playoffs by eight points. We hope to see you at Malosky Stadium this Wednesday supporting the BlueGreens!

 

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