# 2021 U.S. Open Cup qualification

The 2021 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament proper was to feature teams from all five tiers of the men's American soccer pyramid.
Qualification for the 2021 tournament was drastically altered due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament itself was downsized to 16 teams, before ultimately being canceled for the second consecutive season due to the pandemic.

## Major League Soccer

The top eight American-based teams based in the regular season standings after three weeks of the season, taken on a points-per-game (PPG) basis, were set to qualify for the tournament before its cancellation. Qualification began on April 16, 2021, and concluded on May 2, 2021.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
| 1 | Real Salt Lake | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | 3.00 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 7 | 2.33 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 3 | New England Revolution | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 | 2.33 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 4 | New York City FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 6 | 2.00 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 5 | San Jose Earthquakes | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | 2.00 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 6 | Austin FC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 | 2.00 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 7 | LA Galaxy | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 6 | 2.00 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 8 | Orlando City SC | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 5 | 1.67 | 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 9 | Los Angeles FC | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 5 | 1.67 | |
| 10 | FC Dallas | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 | 1.33 | |
| 11 | Atlanta United FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 4 | 1.33 | |
| 12 | Inter Miami CF | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1.33 | |
| 13 | Houston Dynamo FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1.33 | |
| 14 | Sporting Kansas City | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | 1.33 | |
| 15 | Colorado Rapids | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 | 1.33 | |
| 16 | New York Red Bulls | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 1.00 | |
| 17 | Nashville SC | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1.00 | |
| 18 | Columbus Crew SC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.00 | |
| 19 | Portland Timbers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3 | 1.00 | |
| 20 | D.C. United | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 3 | 1.00 | |
| 21 | Philadelphia Union | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 | 0.33 | |
| 22 | Chicago Fire FC | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 1 | 0.33 | |
| 23 | FC Cincinnati | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | −8 | 1 | 0.33 | |
| 24 | Minnesota United FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 0 | 0.00 | |

## USL Championship

The four semifinalists from the USL Championship playoffs qualified. Qualification retroactively began on October 10, 2020, and ended on October 17, 2020.

### Groups A and B

| Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals |
| A1 | Reno 1868 | 4 | | | |
| B2 | LA Galaxy II | 1 | | | |
| B2 | LA Galaxy II | 1 | A1 | Reno 1868 | 2 (4) |
| | | | B1 | Phoenix Rising (p) | 2 (5) |
| B1 | Phoenix Rising (a.e.t.) | 1 | B1 | Phoenix Rising (p) | 2 (5) |
| A2 | Sacramento Republic | 0 | | | |
Phoenix Rising qualify

### Groups C and D

| Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals |
| C1 | El Paso Locomotive (p) | 2 (4) | | | |
| D2 | FC Tulsa | 2 (2) | | | |
| D2 | FC Tulsa | 2 (2) | C1 | El Paso Locomotive (p) | 1 (5) |
| | | | C2 | New Mexico United | 1 (3) |
| D1 | San Antonio FC | 0 | C2 | New Mexico United | 1 (3) |
| C2 | New Mexico United (a.e.t.) | 1 | | | |
El Paso Locomotive qualify

### Groups E and F

| Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals |
| E1 | Louisville City | 2 | | | |
| F2 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 0 | | | |
| F2 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 0 | E1 | Louisville City | 2 |
| | | | E2 | Saint Louis FC | 0 |
| F1 | Hartford Athletic | 0 | E2 | Saint Louis FC | 0 |
| E2 | Saint Louis FC | 1 | | | |
Louisville City qualify

### Groups G and H

| Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification semi-finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals | Qualification finals |
| G1 | Charlotte Independence | 1 | | | |
| H2 | Charleston Battery (a.e.t.) | 2 | | | |
| H2 | Charleston Battery (a.e.t.) | 2 | H2 | Charleston Battery | 0 |
| | | | H1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 |
| H1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 4 | H1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1 |
| G2 | Birmingham Legion | 2 | | | |
Tampa Bay Rowdies qualify

### Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 10 | Finalists; 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 2 | Phoenix Rising | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 6 | Finalists; 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 3 | Louisville City | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | Semi-finalists; 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 4 | El Paso Locomotive | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | Semi-finalists; 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 5 | Reno 1868 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 4 | Quarter-finalists |
| 6 | New Mexico United | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | Quarter-finalists |
| 7 | Charleston Battery | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | Quarter-finalists |
| 8 | Saint Louis FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 | Quarter-finalists |
| 9 | FC Tulsa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Round of 16 |
| 10 | Charlotte Independence | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 11 | Sacramento Republic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 12 | Hartford Athletic | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 13 | San Antonio FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 14 | Birmingham Legion | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 15 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 16 | LA Galaxy II | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 0 | Round of 16 |
* ↑ Professional teams that are owned by teams playing in a higher division are ineligible for the U.S. Open Cup.

## Division III
### NISA

The NISA Fall Champion, Detroit City FC, retroactively qualified on October 2, 2020.

#### Bracket

| Semifinals September 30, 2020 | Semifinals September 30, 2020 | Semifinals September 30, 2020 | Finals October 2, 2020 | Finals October 2, 2020 | Finals October 2, 2020 |
| A1 | Oakland Roots SC | 3 | | | |
| B2 | Chattanooga FC | 2 | | | |
| B2 | Chattanooga FC | 2 | A1 | Oakland Roots SC | 1 |
| | | | A2 | Detroit City FC | 2 |
| B1 | Los Angeles Force | 0 | A2 | Detroit City FC | 2 |
| A2 | Detroit City FC | 1 | | | |
Bold = winner * = after extra time, ( ) = penalty shootout score Source: nisaofficial.com

#### Matches
##### Final
### USL League One

The 2020 USL League One champion, Greenville Triumph SC qualified.
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
| 1 | Greenville Triumph SC | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 11 | +13 | 35 | 2.19 | Final, 2021 U.S. Open Cup |
| 2 | Union Omaha | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 15 | +5 | 29 | 1.81 | Final |
| 3 | North Texas SC | 16 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 27 | 19 | +8 | 27 | 1.69 | |
| 4 | Richmond Kickers | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 26 | 1.63 | |
| 5 | Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 17 | +4 | 22 | 1.47 | |
| 6 | FC Tucson | 16 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 22 | 1.38 | |
| 7 | Forward Madison FC | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 14 | +6 | 21 | 1.31 | |
| 8 | Tormenta FC | 16 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 22 | −3 | 19 | 1.19 | |
| 9 | New England Revolution II | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 19 | 26 | −7 | 18 | 1.13 | |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale CF | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 19 | 28 | −9 | 15 | 0.94 | |
| 11 | Orlando City B | 15 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 29 | −19 | 6 | 0.40 | |
* 1 2 3 4 Professional teams that are owned by teams playing in a higher division are ineligible for the U.S. Open Cup.

#### Final

The game was canceled the day before because several Union Omaha players tested positive for COVID-19. Greenville was awarded the title based on points per game average (2.188 to 1.825), and reached the Open Cup.

## Open Division (IV and V)

Two slots will be selected from the Open Divisions:
* One Open Division Local Qualifier drawn randomly from among 12 eligible
* One National Premier Soccer League team drawn randomly from among 13 eligible
* One USL League Two team drawn randomly from among 10 eligible
* 2019 U.S. Adult Soccer Association National Amateur Cup champion Newtown Pride FC (Conn.)
The draw awarded the slots to Newtown Pride FC (NAC) and FC Golden State Force (USL2).