# 2012 U.S. Open Cup

The 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 99th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, the annual national soccer championship of the United States. It ran from May to August and was organized by the United States Soccer Federation. Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer entered the competition as the three-time defending champions and appeared in their fourth consecutive U.S. Open Cup Final, losing to Sporting Kansas City on August 8, 2012.
For the 2012 tournament, U.S. Soccer increased the main tournament from a 40-club tournament, to a 64-club tournament. All Major League Soccer clubs based in the U.S. received automatic berths. This made the U.S. Open Cup very similar to other domestic knock-out competitions where all top-tier clubs earn automatic berths.
The farthest advancing NASL teams were the Minnesota Stars FC, Carolina RailHawks, and San Antonio Scorpions (all beat 1 MLS team), while the farthest advancing USL Pro teams were the Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, and the Harrisburg City Islanders, who beat 2 MLS sides. All three USL Pro teams advanced a round past their division two NASL counterparts. The farthest advancing USL PDL team was the Michigan Bucks, who advanced to the 4th round after beating an MLS club. An amateur club, Cal FC of the USASA, won 1–0 away to MLS's Portland Timbers in a third round upset.
The winner, Sporting Kansas City, received a cash prize of $100,000 and also qualified for the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League (placed in Pot B).

## Qualification

For the first time, all 32 professional teams from the first 3 tiers of American Soccer will be participating. Additionally, 32 teams will also qualify from the USL Premier Development League, National Premier Soccer League, United States Adult Soccer Association, and US Club Soccer.
| Enter in first round | Enter in first round | Enter in second round | Enter in third round |
| NPSL/USASA/USCS 6 teams/9 teams/1 team | USL PDL 16 teams | NASL/USL-PRO All teams (6)/(10) | MLS All teams (16) |
| National Premier Soccer League Brooklyn Italians Fullerton Rangers Georgia Revolution Jacksonville United† Milwaukee Bavarians FC Sonic Lehigh Valley United States Adult Soccer Association Aegean Hawks ASC New Stars Cal FC Croatian Eagles Greek American Atlas Jersey Shore Boca KC Athletics NTX Rayados PSA Elite United States Club Soccer Stanislaus United Turlock Express* | Carolina Dynamo Chicago Fire Premier Des Moines Menace El Paso Patriots Fresno Fuego‡ Kitsap Pumas† Laredo Heat Long Island Rough Riders Michigan Bucks Mississippi Brilla Orlando City U-23 Portland Phoenix Portland Timbers U23's Reading United Real Colorado Foxes Ventura County Fusion | NASL Atlanta Silverbacks Carolina RailHawks‡ Fort Lauderdale Strikers Minnesota Stars† San Antonio Scorpions Tampa Bay Rowdies USL-Pro Charleston Battery Charlotte Eagles Dayton Dutch Lions Harrisburg City Islanders$ Los Angeles Blues Orlando City†‡ Pittsburgh Riverhounds Richmond Kickers Rochester Rhinos Wilmington Hammerheads | Chicago Fire Chivas USA Colorado Rapids Columbus Crew FC Dallas D.C. United Houston Dynamo Los Angeles Galaxy†‡ New England Revolution New York Red Bulls Philadelphia Union Portland Timbers Real Salt Lake San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders FC Sporting Kansas City |
† League Champions in 2011  ‡ League Premiers in 2011  * Stanislaus United Turlock Express defeated the Bay Area Ambassadors of the NPSL in a play-in game on April 28 to qualify for the first round.

## Brackets

Home team is listed first, winners are in bold.
| First round (May 15) | First round (May 15) | First round (May 15) | Second round (May 22) | Second round (May 22) | Second round (May 22) | Third round (May 29 and 30) | Third round (May 29 and 30) | Third round (May 29 and 30) |
| PDL | Michigan Bucks | 6 | USLP | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 0 | PDL | Michigan Bucks (aet) | 3 |
| USASA | Jersey Shore Boca | 0 | PDL | Michigan Bucks | 1 | MLS | Chicago Fire | 2 |
| NPSL | FC Sonic Lehigh Valley | 0 | USLP | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 | USLP | Harrisburg City Islanders (aet) | 3 (4) |
| PDL | Long Island Rough Riders | 2 | PDL | Long Island Rough Riders | 0 | MLS | New England Revolution | 3 (3) |
| PDL | Kitsap Pumas | 1 | USLP | Wilmington Hammerheads | 0 | MLS | Portland Timbers | 0 |
| USASA | Cal FC | 3 | USASA | Cal FC | 4 | USASA | Cal FC (aet) | 1 |
| PDL | Portland Timbers U23's | 1 | NASL | Carolina RailHawks | 6 | NASL | Carolina RailHawks | 2 |
| USASA | PSA Elite | 3 | USASA | PSA Elite | 0 | MLS | Los Angeles Galaxy | 1 |
| USCS | Stanislaus United Turlock Express | 0 | NASL | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 7 | MLS | San Jose Earthquakes | 2 |
| PDL | Fresno Fuego | 2 | PDL | Fresno Fuego | 2 | NASL | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1 |
| PDL | Real Colorado Foxes | 1 | USLP | Orlando City | 7 | MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 3 |
| USASA | KC Athletics | 3 | USASA | KC Athletics | 0 | USLP | Orlando City | 2 |
| PDL | Reading United | 2 | USLP | Charleston Battery | 2 | USLP | Charleston Battery | 0 |
| USASA | Greek American Atlas | 1 | PDL | Reading United | 1 | MLS | New York Red Bulls | 3 |
| PDL | Portland Phoenix | 2 | USLP | Rochester Rhinos | 3 | MLS | Philadelphia Union | 3 |
| NPSL | Brooklyn Italians | 3 | NPSL | Brooklyn Italians | 0 | USLP | Rochester Rhinos | 0 |
| PDL | Orlando City U-23 | 1 | NPSL | Jacksonville United | 0 | NASL | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 |
| NPSL | Jacksonville United | 2 | NASL | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 3 | MLS | Colorado Rapids | 3 |
| USASA | Aegean Hawks | 3 | USASA | Aegean Hawks | 0 | USLP | Richmond Kickers | 1 |
| PDL | Carolina Dynamo | 1 | USLP | Richmond Kickers | 4 | MLS | D.C. United (aet) | 2 |
| NPSL | Georgia Revolution (aet) | 1 | NPSL | Georgia Revolution | 0 | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 5 |
| PDL | Mississippi Brilla | 0 | NASL | Atlanta Silverbacks | 1 | NASL | Atlanta Silverbacks | 1 |
| PDL | Laredo Heat | 4 | NASL | San Antonio Scorpions | 2 | NASL | San Antonio Scorpions | 1 |
| USASA | ASC New Stars | 2 | PDL | Laredo Heat | 0 | MLS | Houston Dynamo | 0 |
| PDL | Chicago Fire Premier | 1 | PDL | Chicago Fire Premier | 1 | MLS | Columbus Crew | 1 |
| USASA | Croatian Eagles | 0 | USLP | Dayton Dutch Lions | 2 | USLP | Dayton Dutch Lions | 2 |
| NPSL | Milwaukee Bavarians | 1 | PDL | Des Moines Menace | 0 | MLS | Real Salt Lake | 1 |
| PDL | Des Moines Menace (aet) | 3 | NASL | Minnesota Stars | 2 | NASL | Minnesota Stars | 3 |
| PDL | El Paso Patriots | 3 | PDL | El Paso Patriots | 0 | MLS | FC Dallas | 0 |
| USASA | NTX Rayados | 1 | USLP | Charlotte Eagles | 1 | USLP | Charlotte Eagles | 2 |
| NPSL | Fullerton Rangers | 2 | USLP | Los Angeles Blues | 1 | PDL | Ventura County Fusion | 0 |
| PDL | Ventura County Fusion (aet) | 6 | PDL | Ventura County Fusion (aet) | 3 | MLS | Chivas USA | 1 |
| Fourth round (June 5) | Fourth round (June 5) | Fourth round (June 5) | Quarterfinals (June 26) | Quarterfinals (June 26) | Quarterfinals (June 26) | Semifinals (July 11) | Semifinals (July 11) | Semifinals (July 11) | | Final (August 8) | Final (August 8) | Final (August 8) |
| MLS | D.C. United | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Philadelphia Union (aet) | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Philadelphia Union (aet) | 2 | MLS | Philadelphia Union | 5 | | | | | | | |
| | | | USLP | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 | | | | | | | |
| USLP | Harrisburg City Islanders (aet) | 3 | USLP | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New York Red Bulls | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New York Red Bulls | 1 | | | | MLS | Philadelphia Union | 0 | | | | |
| | | | | | | MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 2 | | | | |
| MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 2 | | | | | | | MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 2 | | | | |
| MLS | Colorado Rapids | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Colorado Rapids | 0 | MLS | Sporting Kansas City | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | USLP | Dayton Dutch Lions | 0 | | | | | | | |
| PDL | Michigan Bucks | 1 | USLP | Dayton Dutch Lions | 0 | | | | | | | |
| USLP | Dayton Dutch Lions (aet) | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| USLP | Dayton Dutch Lions (aet) | 2 | | | | | | | | MLS | Sporting Kansas City (aet) | 1(3) |
| | | | | | | | | | | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 1(2) |
| MLS | San Jose Earthquakes | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 1(2) |
| NASL | Minnesota Stars FC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| NASL | Minnesota Stars FC | 0 | MLS | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 5 | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| USASA | Cal FC | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| USASA | Cal FC | 0 | | | | MLS | Seattle Sounders FC | 4 | | | | |
| | | | | | | MLS | Chivas USA | 1 | | | | |
| NASL | Carolina RailHawks | 1 | | | | | | | MLS | Chivas USA | 1 | | | | |
| MLS | Chivas USA | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Chivas USA | 2 | MLS | Chivas USA | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | USLP | Charlotte Eagles | 1 | | | | | | | |
| NASL | San Antonio Scorpions | 1 | USLP | Charlotte Eagles | 1 | | | | | | | |
| USLP | Charlotte Eagles (aet) | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |

## Schedule

Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.

### First round

32 Teams from USL PDL, NPSL, and USASA begin competition.

### Second round

16 teams from NASL and USL Pro enter.

### Third round

16 teams from MLS enter.

### Final
## Top scorers

Statistics current through the Cup Final.
| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Brian Shriver | Carolina RailHawks | 5 |
| 2 | Danny Barrera | Cal FC | 4 |
| 2 | Osvaldo Alonso | Seattle Sounders FC | 4 |
| 2 | Frankie López | Ventura County Fusion | 4 |
| 5 | Artur Aghasyan | Cal FC | 3 |
| 5 | Nate Thornton | Charlotte Eagles | 3 |
| 5 | Aly Hassan | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 3 |
| 5 | Brian Ombiji | Harrisburg City Islanders | 3 |
| 5 | Sainey Touray | Harrisburg City Islanders | 3 |
| 5 | Freddy Adu | Philadelphia Union | 3 |
| 5 | Sammy Ochoa | Seattle Sounders FC | 3 |