ORLANDO, Fla. (April 27, 2023) – Orlando City SC is set to begin its defense of its 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Championship on the road against fellow MLS-side Charlotte FC on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m., it was announced today.
The match will be played at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews.
The Lions are set to begin their 2023 Open Cup run as reigning champions after winning the 2022 edition of the competition. City hosted all six of its Open Cup matches at Exploria Stadium in 2022, including the Final in which it took down Sacramento Republic FC 3-0 to claim the Club’s first trophy in its MLS era.
The Open Cup is the oldest ongoing soccer competition in the United States and had been played 106 consecutive years since 1913 until the cancellation of the 2020 edition. The Lions are set to enter the 108th edition of the competition in the Round of 32. City currently holds a 17-9-5 record in the competition dating back to the 2011 campaign.
Charlotte FC is currently 11th in MLS’ Eastern Conference standings with a record of 2-4-3 and nine points in the regular season. Charlotte joined the Open Cup in the Third Round, defeating USL League One’s South Georgia Tormenta FC by a 4-1 scoreline.
