HARRISON, NJ– The New York Red Bulls will host FC New York (USL PRO) at Red Bull Arena June 28 at 8:00 PM ET in the third round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
All Red Bulls Full Season and Partial Plan Holders, as well as Basic Members, will have an exclusive four-hour pre-sale window to purchase seats starting on Monday, June 20 at 10:00 AM. Open Cup tickets, all priced at $15 apiece, will go on sale to the general public on June 20 at 2:00 PM by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.
CLICK HERE for ticket information
FC New York defeated NY Pancyprian Freedoms, 6-5 in penalty kicks after regulation ended at 0-0 in a second round showdown at Belson Stadium in Queens, NY on June 21 for the right to take on the Red Bulls. New York automatically qualified for the third round of the competition, along with five other MLS teams, by virtue of its final standing in the 2010 MLS Regular Season.
Last year, the Red Bulls, which had to win three MLS Play-In Matches in order to qualify for the tournament proper, defeated the Philadelphia Union, New England Revolution and Colorado Rapids. Once joining the main bracket, New York was eliminated in overtime in the third round of the competition by USL-2 side, the Harrisburg City Islanders, 1-0, at Skyline Sports Complex in Harrisburg.
The Red Bulls, which has never faced the Pancyprians or FC New York in the tournament, are undefeated (3-0-0) in Open Cup play at Red Bull Arena. Created in 1914, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer competition in the United States. The single-elimination tournament, which is similar to the prestigious English FA Cup, is open to all amateur and professional teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (U.S.S.F). The competition was re-named the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 1999, in honor of the late Columbus Crew and FC Dallas owner-operator Lamar Hunt. New York began its participation in the Cup in 1997 and made it to the final in 2003.
