# 2008 U.S. Open Cup

The 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 95th edition of the USSF's annual national soccer championship, running from June through early September.
D.C. United won the final 2–1 over the Charleston Battery on September 3 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on a pair of goals from Brazilians Luciano Emilio and Fred. It was United's second Open Cup title.
The Battery were the first USL club in the final since the Rochester Rhinos won the cup in 1999.
The Cup schedule was shortened in 2008, ending in September instead of October, so as to avoid interfering with Major League Soccer's end-of-season playoff drive in the fall and the new CONCACAF Champions League.
The 13 US-based MLS clubs participated, although only 8 competed in the main tournament (Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls). Qualifying was similar to the 2007 tournament, with the top 3 teams from each conference in 2007 qualifying automatically, and the other 7 playing off during the early part of the 2008 season for the remaining 2 spots.
United Soccer Leagues had a separate qualifying plan for each tier. The 8 US-based USL-1 teams qualified automatically (Puerto Rico has its own federation, thus the Puerto Rico Islanders are not eligible to participate in the Open Cup). 8 of the 9 US-based USL-2 teams qualified. The defending USL-2 playoff champions, the Harrisburg City Islanders, and the 2007 regular-season champion Richmond Kickers qualified automatically. The remaining 7 teams played off for 6 spots, based on early regular season results. The PDL used selected early regular-season games for qualification. The top two teams in the Eastern and Central conferences, and the top teams in the Mid-South, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest divisions qualified.
The tournament was rounded out by 8 amateur USASA clubs (Adria, Arizona Sahuaros, Boston Olympiakos, Clearwater Galactics, Eagles, Hollywood United, New Stars, New York Pancyprian-Freedoms). USASA qualifying began in the fall of 2007. Clubs from the NPSL enter the Cup through USASA qualifying.

## Matchdays

| Date | Round | Notes |
| June 10 | First | 32 USL and USASA clubs enter |
| June 24 | Second | |
| July 1 | Third | 8 MLS clubs enter |
| July 8 | Quarterfinals | |
| Aug. 12 | Semifinals | |
| September 3 | Final | |

## Participating teams

The tournament consists of 40 teams, according to the following distribution:
| Classification | Number of Teams |
| Major League Soccer | 8 |
| United Soccer Leagues First Division | 8 |
| United Soccer Leagues Second Division | 8 |
| Amateur | 16* |
*Includes 8 USL Premier Development League teams and 8 USASA regional qualifiers

## Qualified Clubs
### Tier 1: Major League Soccer (MLS)

* Chicago Fire
* Chivas USA
* D.C. United
* FC Dallas
* Houston Dynamo
* Kansas City Wizards
* New England Revolution
* New York Red Bulls

### Tier 5: United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA)

* RWB Adria
* Arizona Sahuaros
* Boston Olympiakos
* Clearwater Galactics
* A.A.C. Eagles
* Hollywood United
* New Stars
* New York Pancyprian-Freedoms

## Open Cup bracket

Second Round winners advance to play one of 8 MLS clubs in 16-team knockout tournament Home teams listed on top of bracket
| First round June 10 | First round June 10 | First round June 10 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USL-2 | Western Mass Pioneers | 2 | | | |
| USASA | Boston Olympiakos | 0 | | | |
| USASA | Boston Olympiakos | 0 | USL-2 | Western Mass Pioneers | 1 |
| | | | USL-2 | Richmond Kickers | 2 |
| USL-2 | Richmond Kickers | 3 | USL-2 | Richmond Kickers | 2 |
| PDL | Fredericksburg Gunners | 0 | | | |
| First round June 10 | First round June 10 | First round June 10 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USL-2 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 5 | | | |
| PDL | Yakima Reds | 1 | | | |
| PDL | Yakima Reds | 1 | USL-2 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 2 (1) |
| | | | USL-2 | Crystal Palace Baltimore (p) | 2 (3) |
| PDL | Los Angeles Legends | 1 | USL-2 | Crystal Palace Baltimore (p) | 2 (3) |
| USL-2 | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 2 | | | |
| First round June 10 | First round June 10 | First round June 10 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USL-1 | Rochester Rhinos (aet) | 2 | | | |
| USASA | RWB Adria | 1 | | | |
| USASA | RWB Adria | 1 | USL-1 | Rochester Rhinos | 3 |
| | | | USL-2 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 0 |
| USASA | A.A.C. Eagles | 0 | USL-2 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 0 |
| USL-2 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 4 | | | |
| First round June 10 | First round June 10 | First round June 10 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USL-1 | Minnesota Thunder | 4 | | | |
| PDL | St. Louis Lions | 1 | | | |
| PDL | St. Louis Lions | 1 | USL-1 | Minnesota Thunder | 0 |
| | | | USL-2 | Cleveland City Stars (aet) | 2 |
| PDL | Michigan Bucks | 1 | USL-2 | Cleveland City Stars (aet) | 2 |
| USL-2 | Cleveland City Stars | 2 | | | |
| First round June 10 | First round June 10 | First round June 10 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USL-1 | Miami FC | 4 | | | |
| PDL | Bradenton Academics | 2 | | | |
| PDL | Bradenton Academics | 2 | USL-1 | Miami FC | 1 |
| | | | USL-1 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 0 |
| PDL | Austin Aztex U23 | 2 (4) | USL-1 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 0 |
| USL-1 | Atlanta Silverbacks (p) | 2 (5) | | | |
| First round June 10 | First round June 10 | First round June 10 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USL-1 | Charleston Battery | 3 | | | |
| USASA | New Stars | 0 | | | |
| USASA | New Stars | 0 | USL-1 | Charleston Battery | 2 |
| | | | USL-2 | Charlotte Eagles | 1 |
| USL-2 | Charlotte Eagles | 5 | USL-2 | Charlotte Eagles | 1 |
| USASA | Clearwater Galactics | 2 | | | |
| First round June 10 | First round June 10 | First round June 10 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USASA | Arizona Sahuaros | 0 | | | |
| USL-1 | Seattle Sounders (aet) | 1 | | | |
| USL-1 | Seattle Sounders (aet) | 1 | USL-1 | Seattle Sounders | 6 |
| | | | USASA | Hollywood United | 0 |
| USL-1 | Portland Timbers | 2 | USASA | Hollywood United | 0 |
| USASA | Hollywood United | 3 | | | |
| First round June 10/13 | First round June 10/13 | First round June 10/13 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 | Second round June 24 |
| USL-1 | Carolina RailHawks | 1 | | | |
| PDL | Brooklyn Knights | 0 | | | |
| PDL | Brooklyn Knights | 0 | USL-1 | Carolina RailHawks | 1 |
| | | | USL-2 | Real Maryland Monarchs | 0 |
| USL-2 | Real Maryland Monarchs (aet) | 3 | USL-2 | Real Maryland Monarchs | 0 |
| USASA | New York Pancyprian-Freedoms | 2 | | | |
| Third round July 1 | Third round July 1 | Third round July 1 | Quarterfinals July 8 | Quarterfinals July 8 | Quarterfinals July 8 | Semifinals August 12 | Semifinals August 12 | Semifinals August 12 | | Final September 3 | Final September 3 | Final September 3 |
| MLS | D.C. United | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL-1 | Rochester Rhinos | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL-1 | Rochester Rhinos | 0 | MLS | D.C. United (aet) | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | Chicago Fire | 1 | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Chicago Fire | 4 | MLS | Chicago Fire | 1 | | | | | | | |
| USL-2 | Cleveland City Stars | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL-2 | Cleveland City Stars | 1 | | | | MLS | D.C. United | 3 | | | | |
| | | | | | | MLS | New England Revolution | 1 | | | | |
| MLS | New England Revolution | 3 | | | | | | | MLS | New England Revolution | 1 | | | | |
| USL-2 | Richmond Kickers | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL-2 | Richmond Kickers | 0 | MLS | New England Revolution (p) | 1 (5) | | | | | | | |
| | | | USL-2 | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 1 (3) | | | | | | | |
| USL-2 | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 2 | USL-2 | Crystal Palace Baltimore | 1 (3) | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New York Red Bulls | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | New York Red Bulls | 0 | | | | | | | | MLS | D.C. United | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | USL-1 | Charleston Battery | 1 |
| MLS | FC Dallas | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | USL-1 | Charleston Battery | 1 |
| USL-1 | Miami FC | 1 | | | | | | | | | | |
| USL-1 | Miami FC | 1 | MLS | FC Dallas | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | USL-1 | Charleston Battery | 3 | | | | | | | |
| USL-1 | Charleston Battery (p) | 1 (4) | USL-1 | Charleston Battery | 3 | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Houston Dynamo | 1 (3) | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Houston Dynamo | 1 (3) | | | | USL-1 | Charleston Battery (p) | 1 (4) | | | | |
| | | | | | | USL-1 | Seattle Sounders | 1 (3) | | | | |
| USL-1 | Seattle Sounders | 2 | | | | | | | USL-1 | Seattle Sounders | 1 (3) | | | | |
| MLS | Chivas USA | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Chivas USA | 0 | USL-1 | Seattle Sounders (p) | 0 (6) | | | | | | | |
| | | | MLS | Kansas City Wizards | 0 (5) | | | | | | | |
| USL-1 | Carolina RailHawks | 2 | MLS | Kansas City Wizards | 0 (5) | | | | | | | |
| MLS | Kansas City Wizards (aet) | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |

## Schedule

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

### Final

| Charleston Battery | D.C. United |
* Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 2008 Champion
* D.C. United 2nd title

## Top scorers

| Position | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Sébastien Le Toux | Seattle Sounders | 5 |
| 2 | Darren Spicer | Charleston Battery | 4 |
| | Alex Afonso | Miami FC | 4 |
| 4 | Emilio | D.C. United | 3 |