Philadelphia Union to Compete in 2025 U.S. Open Cup
Philadelphia Union Return to U.S. Open Cup, Facing a Packed May and July Schedule if They Advance Throughout The Competition.
The Philadelphia Union WILL participate in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after a year-long hiatus from the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States.
On Tuesday, January 28, MLS announced the Cup competitions their clubs would participate in during the 2025 season and noted that the current qualification format would last through the 2026 season. MLS is set to reevaluate the format for 2027.
Each MLS club will participate in at least one Cup competition in 2025, with no club competing in more than two competitions.
How Teams Qualify for Each Competition
Concacaf Champions Cup:
Five MLS teams qualify via:
Supporters’ Shield Winner
Supporters’ Shield Standings (3 teams)
MLS Cup Winner
MLS teams can also qualify via the Canadian Championship, U.S. Open Cup, or Leagues Cup.
Leagues Cup:
The top nine teams in each MLS conference from the prior season qualify.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup:
16 teams from MLS and 10 teams from MLS Next Pro will participate.
MLS teams not competing in Leagues Cup or Concacaf Champions Cup automatically qualify.
The remaining teams are determined by Supporters’ Shield standings, excluding teams competing in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Union’s Involvement in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
This will mark the Union’s 11th season participating in the U.S. Open Cup and the first time since 2018 that they will host a knockout game. Their last home knockout game was a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Fire in the 2018 semifinal.
All 16 MLS clubs participating in the U.S. Open Cup will enter play in the Round of 32, scheduled for May 6-7.
In a press release, U.S. Soccer stated the following regarding hosting in the Round of 32:
"New for the 2025 edition of the Open Cup, there will be eight seeded teams – divided into four teams from the East and four teams from the West – predetermined to host from the teams entering in the Third Round and Round of 32, respectively. The eight lowest-seeded teams entering in the Third Round and Round of 32 will be predetermined to be away. This change was made to add operational and financial certainty, while the opponents will still be determined by random draw."
The following MLS clubs were selected to host:
Austin FC
Chicago Fire FC
D.C. United
FC Dallas
Nashville SC
Philadelphia Union
San Jose Earthquakes
St. Louis CITY SC
Philadelphia Union’s Busy Schedule
The Union’s May schedule was already packed, with seven MLS games scheduled, making it their busiest month for league play. Four of those seven games are away, with trips to Montréal, Atlanta, Toronto, and Dallas. The Union will host Columbus, LA Galaxy, and Miami. Now, with the Round of 32 added, the Union will play eight games in May. If they advance to the Round of 16, they would add a ninth game, scheduled for May 20-21, meaning they would be playing almost every three days. With 20% of their MLS season occurring in May alone, it has the potential to derail their season. How head coach Bradley Carnell manages the schedule will be an intriguing storyline—but that’s a topic for another article.
The Union are already scheduled to play five MLS games in July. If they advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, they would play a total of six games that month. Their July schedule includes home matches against New York Red Bulls, CF Montréal, and Colorado Rapids, with away games at Nashville SC and Houston Dynamo.
The semifinals are scheduled for September 16-17. The Union’s September MLS schedule is as follows:
Vancouver Whitecaps (Away) – September 13
U.S. Open Cup Semifinals – September 16-17
New England Revolution – September 20
D.C. United (Away) – September 27
The U.S. Open Cup Final is scheduled for Wednesday, October 1. The Union’s final two MLS games in October are:
NYCFC – October 4
Charlotte FC (Away) – October 18
2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
First Round: March 18-20
Second Round: April 1-2
Third Round: April 15-16
Round of 32: May 6-7
Round of 16: May 20-21
Quarterfinals: July 8-9
Semifinals: September 16-17
Final: October 1
The Union have enjoyed significant success in the U.S. Open Cup throughout their history, winning 18 of their 28 matches. They have reached the quarterfinals five times, the semifinals four times, and the final three times (2014, 2015, and 2018) but have never won the competition.