A total of 40 teams – 24 professional and 16 amateur – will compete
in the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as it kicks off during the first
week of June. After 34 teams participated in 2003, six additional
amateur teams will take part in the tournament this year marking the
most total teams since Major League Soccer began participating in
1996.
The additional amateur teams will hail from the United States Adult
Soccer Association's regional qualifiers as well as the Premier
Development League of the United Soccer Leagues. The four USASA
regional champions will be joined by the four runners up in the
tournament for the first time, while two additional PDL teams will
earn berths to bring the total number of teams representing the PDL
to eight.

First-round pairings will be announced on May 25 and the First Round
will be played on June 2 & 8. The defending champion Chicago Fire
(Major League Soccer) enter the tournament on July 20 in the fourth
round. The semifinals will be played Aug. 24 & 25, with the final
being played on Sept. 22, almost one month earlier than last year.

The 2004 Open Cup bracketing will be similar to 2003, but with an
expanded number of games in the first two rounds. The first round
will feature match-ups between USASA teams from the Premier
Development League and regional qualifiers. In the second round six
teams from the USL Pro Soccer League and two A-League teams join the
mix to take on the first round winners. The second round winners will
play six more A-League teams and the two non-playoff teams from the
2003 MLS standings (Columbus Crew & Dallas Burn) in the third round.
The balance of the MLS teams will face the third round winners in the
fourth round before the quarterfinals are set.

The U.S. Open Cup, which is recognized as U.S. Soccer's National
Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and
professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. Within the
U.S. Open Cup framework, teams shall compete in one of the following
four categories: professional outdoor Division I (Major League
Soccer), Division II (A-League) or Division III (USL Professional
Soccer League); or Amateur Division (USL Premier Development League &
U.S. Adult Soccer Association).

The U.S. Open Cup is a single-elimination tournament, with drawn
games being decided by two 15-minute sudden death ("Golden Goal")
overtime halves. If neither team scores during the two overtime
halves, the winner is decided on penalty kicks. The team that
advances the furthest from each level except Division I earns a
$10,000 cash prize. The runner-up takes home $50,000, while the
champion collects $100,000. The winner also will have the team's name
engraved on the historic Dewar Cup.

2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
Qualifying - Ends May 23*
Pairings Announcement - May 25
First Round - June 2 & 8 Eight USASA regional qualifiers vs. eight
PDL teams
Second Round - June 15 First Round winners vs. six USL PSL, two A-
League teams
Third Round - June 30 Second Round winners vs. two MLS, six A-League
teams
Fourth Round - July 20 Third Round winners vs. remaining eight MLS
teams
Quarterfinals - Aug. 4 Fourth Round winners
Semifinals - Aug. 24 & 25 Quarterfinal winners
Final - Sept. 22 Semifinal winners

*Qualifying for USASA Region III does not end until May 31

Composition of participating teams:
10 Major League Soccer
8 A-League
6 USL-PSL
16 USASA (8 PDL, 8 regional qualifiers)
40 Total Teams