Minnesota United will open its U.S. Open Cup fourth-round pool play by hosting MLS rival Sporting Kansas City at Allianz Field in two weeks.

United is grouped in a four-team pool that also includes MLS' Colorado Rapids and the USL Championship's New Mexico United.

Fourth-round play begins June 12 and it's expected the Loons will play that day. Game times were expected to be released later Thursday.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a single-elimination tournament open to teams across the U.S. soccer system. This year, 84 teams from MLS, the USL Championship and other leagues will compete. MLS teams receive a bye until the fourth round.

United has faced Sporting KC three times in the tournament and lost each time: 2-0 in Kansas City in 2014, 2-1 in Blaine in 2016 and 3-0 in Kansas City in 2017, its first year in MLS.

A year ago United won at FC Cincinnati on penalty kicks, and in the next round it lost 1-0 at Houston, the eventual champion.

Jerry Zgoda