The Columbus Crew found out Friday that they will be heading to Michigan to faceoff against USL Championship side Detroit City FC in the latest edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. After a two-year hiatus, the tournament resumes and now introduces MLS Clubs to begin the third round of play.

What is the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup?

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which is commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing soccer tournament in the United States. The competition was first held in 1913-1914 season, when it was known as the National Challenge Cup. The name changed in 1999 to honor MLS and NASL pioneer Lamar Hunt.

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the 106 year run came to a halt in 2020 and 2021. This year, the single elimination tournament continues in all its glory.

Since its inception, MLS has dominated the tournament, except in one year where the Rochester Rhinos won the tournament in 1999. No lower division team has made the final since 2008, claimed by the Charleston Battery. Because of the hiatus, the current winners of the Cup is Atlanta United.

The Crew’s history in US Open Cup

The Crew have won the U.S. Open Cup once in their club history in 2002. They were runners-up in 1998 and 2010, but have not made any other significant progress since. Fans may remember the heartbreaking loss to rival FC Cincinnati, before the I-71 South team became an MLS franchise.

With the tournament now making a return, and the Columbus Crew now looking different than in recent years, it’s no question that Caleb Porter and the Black & Gold are looking to make a good run in the tournament.

Who is Detroit City FC?

So who exactly is Detroit City FC? DCFC is a club that now plays in the USL Championship. Previously, Detroit played in the National Premiere Soccer League (NPSL) from 2012-2019 and the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) from 2020-2021.

Le Rouge, as they are nicknamed, play their matches at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, which is an enclave of Detroit. They are managed by Trevor James.

Columbus will travel to Detroit, with the game being played the week of April 19-21. A date is set to be announced in the future.