Sporting KC to Host US Open Cup Fourth Round

For the fifth straight year, Sporting KC will host a US Open Cup game at Sporting Park, tonight was the draw to see which teams KC could be matched up with when KC enters the tournament in its fourth round.

As most fans expected, Sporting KC will match up against the winner of USL side St. Louis FC and NASL side, Minnesota United. Those two teams play next week in St. Louis at St. Louis Soccer Park. The winner will travel to play at Sporting Park on June 16th.

It could be the second straight year that KC and Minnesota meet in the Open Cup as KC won the match up last year 2-0 with two second half goals in a game that saw Sporting switch to their training jerseys at half time due to color conflicts with the visitors. It'll actually be the fourth time that KC will play a team from Minnesota, KC lost to the Minnesota Thunder in 2005, then defeated the Thunder in 2009 on penalty kicks 4-2 after a 3-3 draw before last year's game.

A match up against St. Louis FC would see KC play their first competitive game against a team from the opposite side of the state of Missouri. Sporting back when they were the Wizards played a home and away friendly series against then US Soccer D2 side, AC St. Louis in 2010 winning the two games 2-0 and 2-1 is the last time KC has played against a team from St. Louis.

It is a little disappointing with the regional set up of the tournament that KC could see themselves matched up with the team they played last year, but it's an understandable one. Sorry to my Minnesota friends, but I'm cheering for a match up against St. Louis FC.