ORLANDO, Fla. (April 8, 2022) – Orlando City SC will host the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the 107th edition of the cup competition. The Lions are set to face USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies on Wed., April 20 at 7 p.m. ET, bringing the historic I-4 Derby back in front of fans for the first time since 2014. Tickets are available here and the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Rowdies are currently fourth in the USL Championship standings and undefeated through five matches in the regular season. Tampa Bay previously defeated The Villages SC of USL League Two 6-0 in the Second Round to advance.
The competition is set to take place for the first time since 2019, after the 2020 and 2021 editions were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.
City holds a 13-9-3 record in the competition dating back to the 2011 campaign. The Lions’ best run in the Open Cup came in their last appearance in 2019, making it to the semifinals, falling to eventual champions Atlanta United. City’s run included the legendary “Running of the Wall” game against New York City FC at Exploria Stadium.
