# 2009 U.S. Open Cup

The 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 96th edition of the USSF's annual national soccer championship, running from June through early September.
The tournament proper features teams from the top five levels of the American Soccer Pyramid. These five levels, namely Major League Soccer, the United Soccer Leagues (First Division, Second Division, and Premier Development League), and the United States Adult Soccer Association, each have their own separate qualification process to trim their ranks down to their final eight team delegations in the months leading up to the start of the tournament proper. The eight MLS clubs receive byes into the third round, while the remaining 32 teams play in the first two round with brackets influenced by geography.
Seattle Sounders FC defeated defending-champion D.C. United 2–1 in the final at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Both clubs had started in the MLS qualification tourney, and ended up playing 6 matches each.

## Matchdays

Match pairings were announced on May 27.
| Date | Round | Notes |
| June 9 | First round | 32 USL and USASA clubs enter |
| June 16 | Second round | |
| June 30/July 1 | Third round | 8 MLS clubs enter |
| July 7 | Quarterfinals | |
| July 21 | Semifinals | |
| September 2 | Final | |

## Teams

As in the previous tournament, forty teams qualified to the tournament. The qualifying process for MLS took the form of an eight-team play-off tournament. The top six finishers, regardless of conference, in 2008 were given six of the berths into the Third Round. The eight remaining U.S.-based clubs competed for the final two berths via a playoff.
Continuing the format of recent seasons, no qualification process was needed for USL-1 and USL-2 as each level has exactly eight U.S.-based clubs for the 2009 season. The PDL announced that four selected early season games will again double as qualifying matches, as they had in recent years. Each division received a berth, since there are eight divisions instead of the ten that existed in 2008. The qualifying process for the USASA took the form of four regional tournaments, with the two finalists in each region being awarded berths.

### USASA (8 teams)

* Region I: Aegean Hawks, Emigrantes das Ilhas
* Region II: 402 FC, Milwaukee Bavarians
* Region III: Atlanta FC (NPSL), Lynch's Irish Pub F.C.
* Region IV: Sonoma County Sol, Arizona Sahuaros

## Open Cup bracket

Second Round winners advance to play one of 8 clubs in 16-team knockout tournament Home teams listed on top of bracket
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | Harrisburg City Islanders | 4 | | | |
| Reading Rage | Reading Rage | 1 | | | |
| Reading Rage | Reading Rage | 1 | Harrisburg City Islanders (aet/pso) | Harrisburg City Islanders (aet/pso) | 0 (4) |
| | | | Western Mass Pioneers | Western Mass Pioneers | 0 (3) |
| Western Mass Pioneers (aet) | Western Mass Pioneers (aet) | 3 | Western Mass Pioneers | Western Mass Pioneers | 0 (3) |
| Emigrantes das Ilhas | Emigrantes das Ilhas | 2 | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Ocean City Barons | Ocean City Barons | 3 | | | |
| Crystal Palace Baltimore | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 0 | | | |
| Crystal Palace Baltimore | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 0 | Ocean City Barons (aet) | Ocean City Barons (aet) | 1 |
| | | | Real Maryland Monarchs | Real Maryland Monarchs | 0 |
| Real Maryland Monarchs | Real Maryland Monarchs | 1 | Real Maryland Monarchs | Real Maryland Monarchs | 0 |
| Aegean Hawks | Aegean Hawks | 0 | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Carolina RailHawks | Carolina RailHawks | 2 | | | |
| Richmond Kickers | Richmond Kickers | 1 | | | |
| Richmond Kickers | Richmond Kickers | 1 | Carolina RailHawks (aet/PSO) | Carolina RailHawks (aet/PSO) | 3 (3) |
| | | | Wilmington Hammerheads | Wilmington Hammerheads | 3 (4) |
| Wilmington Hammerheads | Wilmington Hammerheads | 2 | Wilmington Hammerheads | Wilmington Hammerheads | 3 (4) |
| Charlotte Eagles | Charlotte Eagles | 0 | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Miami FC | Miami FC | 2 | | | |
| Lynch's FC | Lynch's FC | 1 | | | |
| Lynch's FC | Lynch's FC | 1 | Miami FC | Miami FC | 0 |
| | | | Charleston Battery | Charleston Battery | 1 |
| Charleston Battery | Charleston Battery | 2 | Charleston Battery | Charleston Battery | 1 |
| Atlanta FC | Atlanta FC | 0 | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Rochester Rhinos | Rochester Rhinos | 1 (4) | | | |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 1 (2) | | | |
| Pittsburgh Riverhounds | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 1 (2) | Rochester Rhinos (aet) | Rochester Rhinos (aet) | 2 |
| | | | Cleveland City Stars | Cleveland City Stars | 1 |
| Cleveland City Stars | Cleveland City Stars | 3 | Cleveland City Stars | Cleveland City Stars | 1 |
| St. Louis Lions | St. Louis Lions | 0 | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Minnesota Thunder | Minnesota Thunder | 3 | | | |
| 402 FC | 402 FC | 2 | | | |
| 402 FC | 402 FC | 2 | Minnesota Thunder | Minnesota Thunder | 4 |
| | | | Chicago Fire Premier | Chicago Fire Premier | 0 |
| Chicago Fire Premier | Chicago Fire Premier | 3 | Chicago Fire Premier | Chicago Fire Premier | 0 |
| Milwaukee Bavarians | Milwaukee Bavarians | 1 | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Austin Aztex | Austin Aztex | 2 | | | |
| Mississippi Brilla | Mississippi Brilla | 0 | | | |
| Mississippi Brilla | Mississippi Brilla | 0 | Austin Aztex | Austin Aztex | 2 |
| | | | El Paso Patriots | El Paso Patriots | 0 |
| El Paso Patriots | El Paso Patriots | 2 | El Paso Patriots | El Paso Patriots | 0 |
| Arizona Sahuaros | Arizona Sahuaros | 1 | | | |
| First Round | First Round | First Round | Second Round | Second Round | Second Round |
| Orange County Blue Star | Orange County Blue Star | 2 | | | |
| Sonoma County Sol | Sonoma County Sol | 5 | | | |
| Sonoma County Sol | Sonoma County Sol | 5 | Sonoma County Sol | Sonoma County Sol | 0 |
| | | | Portland Timbers | Portland Timbers | 3 |
| Kitsap Pumas | Kitsap Pumas | 0 | Portland Timbers | Portland Timbers | 3 |
| Portland Timbers | Portland Timbers | 3 | | | |
| Third Round | Third Round | Third Round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Final | Final | Final |
| D.C. United | D.C. United | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ocean City Barons | Ocean City Barons | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ocean City Barons | Ocean City Barons | 0 | D.C. United | D.C. United | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Harrisburg City Islanders | Harrisburg City Islanders | 1 | | | | | | | |
| New England Revolution | New England Revolution | 1 | Harrisburg City Islanders | Harrisburg City Islanders | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 | | | | D.C. United | D.C. United | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Rochester Rhinos | Rochester Rhinos | 1 | | | | |
| Rochester Rhinos | Rochester Rhinos | 1 (5) | | | | | | | Rochester Rhinos | Rochester Rhinos | 1 | | | | |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew | 1 (3) | | | | | | | | | | |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew | 1 (3) | Rochester Rhinos | Rochester Rhinos | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Wilmington Hammerheads | Wilmington Hammerheads | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Wilmington Hammerheads | Wilmington Hammerheads | 1 | Wilmington Hammerheads | Wilmington Hammerheads | 1 | | | | | | | |
| Chicago Fire | Chicago Fire | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Chicago Fire | Chicago Fire | 0 | | | | | | | | D.C. United | D.C. United | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Seattle Sounders FC | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 |
| Portland Timbers | Portland Timbers | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | Seattle Sounders FC | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Seattle Sounders FC | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Kansas City Wizards | Kansas City Wizards | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Minnesota Thunder | Minnesota Thunder | 3 (2) | Kansas City Wizards | Kansas City Wizards | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Kansas City Wizards | Kansas City Wizards | 3 (4) | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kansas City Wizards | Kansas City Wizards | 3 (4) | | | | Seattle Sounders FC (aet) | Seattle Sounders FC (aet) | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Houston Dynamo | Houston Dynamo | 1 | | | | |
| Austin Aztex | Austin Aztex | 0 | | | | | | | Houston Dynamo | Houston Dynamo | 1 | | | | |
| Houston Dynamo | Houston Dynamo | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Houston Dynamo | Houston Dynamo | 2 | Houston Dynamo | Houston Dynamo | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Charleston Battery | Charleston Battery | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Charleston Battery | Charleston Battery | 3 | Charleston Battery | Charleston Battery | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Chivas USA | Chivas USA | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |

## Schedule

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