The Crew will host New York City FC at 7:30 p.m. May 20 in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and they’ve now got a path to stay at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field through the tournament’s conclusion in October.
Following an impressive 4-1 victory over One Knoxville SC on April 29 in the Round of 16, also played at home, things stacked up nicely for the Crew in the USOC’s draw for the remaining three rounds. Specific dates, locations and times are being determined, but the Crew has a chance to stay on their field by winning each remaining stage.
That starts against NYCFC, and a victory would send the Crew into the semifinals in September with further hosting rights for a match against the quarterfinal winner of Orlando City SC and Atlanta United FC. The other two quarterfinals feature MLS teams, as well.
St. Louis City SC plays Houston Dynamo FC, while the Colorado Rapids face the San Jose Earthquakes.
The U.S. Open Cup championship will be held in October, and hosting rights belong to whichever MLS Eastern Conference team advances. If it’s the Crew, who are competing in the tournament for the first time since 2023, they’ll host their fifth championship at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, formerly Lower.com Field, since the venue opened in 2021.
The Crew have won the U.S. Open Cup one time, defeating the L.A. Galaxy 1-0 in 2002 at historic Crew Stadium while Lamar Hunt owned the club.
The single-elimination tournament, which is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer, has crowned a U.S. club champion since 1914. Hunt’s name is now honored as part of the official title.
This year’s winner receives $600,000 in prize money, an invitation into the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup and will have its club engraved on the prestigious Dewar Challenge Trophy that sits on display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The runner-up gets $250,000 and teams that go furthest in each lower division receive a $50,000 cash prize.
This story was updated with date and time of game.
Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew to host New York City FC in U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal
Reporting by Brian Hedger, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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