By: Herceny Del Cid
@herceny
IRVINE, CA- The Orange County Blues will participate in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 2014. The Blues will play their first knockout game against Fresno Fuego from Premier Development League (PDL), at Chukchansi Park on May 14, at 6 P.M. P.T. in Fresno California.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a national tournament open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club to Major League Soccer (MLS) teams.
The Open Cup was first held in 1913 when it was called the National Challenge Cup. The name was changed in honor of Lamar Hunt in 1999. Lamar Hunt is one of American Soccer’s most important patrons. The US Hall Of Fame members love for soccer bloomed after visiting Dublin, Ireland and then assisting the 1966 England World Cup. Hunt became one of the original funding investors in MLS.
The cup awarded to each winner was called the Dewar Cup, donated by Scotland’s Sir Thomas Dewar in 1912. The trophy was retired do to poor condition and is on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in New York. From then on, each team has been awarded a new trophy, but the team name is added at the base of the original Dewar Cup.
The overall champion of the Open Cup will earn a total of $250,00 in prize money. The tournament runner-up will receive $60,000 and the team that advances furthest from each lower division will win $15,000.
The 2013 defending champions are DC United of Major League Soccer. The then Los Angeles Blues lost in third round to Chivas USA of MLS.
The newly rebranded Blues look forward to represent Orange County in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and have OC Blues FC added at the base of the Dewar Cup.
Follow the Blues versus Fuego on twitter @ocblesfc and @fresnofuego on May 14th for live updates. Use hashtag #myocblues for comments and questions regarding the Blues.
Join the rest of Orange County at the Blues next home game on May 31st against Arizona SC, 7:00 P.M. P.T. at UC Irvine’s Anteater Stadium.
Call (714) 738-8011 or email seats@bluessoccerclub.com to obtain your very own tickets for you and your family. Visit www.ocbluesfc.com for more information on the OC Blues or hashtag #myocblues on social media.
Orange County Blues FC 