Chicago Fire FC will continue its quest for a fifth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title against Austin FC in the Round of 16 at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, May 24 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. Broadcast information will be announced at a later date.
Beginning in the Round of 16 draw, the tournament pairings are determined by a bracket, with the winners of each match advancing to play other match winners on their side of the bracket. The winner of the match between the Chicago Fire and Austin FC will advance to face the winner of Houston Dynamo versus Minnesota United FC.
It will be the first encounter between the Fire and Austin FC in the U.S. Open Cup. Austin advanced to the Round of 16 with a 2-0 win against New Mexico United (USL Championship) on Wednesday, May 10, in the Round of 32. Austin scored twice within 12 minutes in the first half of the match, with goals from Rodney Redes and Maximiliano Urruti. Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff is no stranger to the tournament, having captured the 1998 and 2000 U.S. Open Cup titles as a member of the Chicago Fire.
The Fire have won four U.S. Open Cup trophies in Club history, winning the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 editions of the tournament. Chicago’s four titles are tied with Seattle Sounders FC and Sporting KC for the most championships won by an MLS team, and the second-most in the history of the tournament. Additionally, the Fire have appeared in the semifinals on 13 occasions, including six times in an eight-year period (2011-2018), tallying a 45-16-7 all-time record in the annual competition.
A knockout style competition, the Open Cup is the second-oldest continually operating soccer tournament in the world. This year’s champion will automatically secure a berth in the 2024 Concacaf Champions League. For more information on the U.S. Open Cup, click here.
