Once, twice, three — and now four times, too — a rival.
Minnesota United, already slated to face Sporting Kansas City three times in Major League Soccer, will add another meeting with the fellow Midwestern squad in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Loons will travel to Kansas City on June 14 to compete in the fourth round of the tournament, which pits all levels of U.S. soccer against each other. More details to be announced at a later date.
United and Kansas City have faced off in recent years of the tournament when United was still in the North American Soccer League. In 2014, a 2-0 victory for Kansas City against a 10-man United. Last season, a 2-1 victory for Kansas City in extra time that also saw 11 yellow cards.
The Loons have already defeated Kansas City this year, however, in a 2-0 victory on May 7 at TCF Bank Stadium. United travels to Kansas City for another MLS regular-season meeting on June 3. The Loons have that next week off before again traveling to Kansas City for the Open Cup.
The teams will meet for a fourth time, on Oct. 7 at TCF Bank Stadium, in MLS play for the Loons' last home match of the regular season.
United will have to win five matches en route to a U.S. Open Cup title. Winners receive $250,000 and a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. The competition is single elimination, with regional proximity determining matchups. Kansas City is the closest Western Conference MLS team geographically to United, at about 435 miles. The Eastern Conference's Chicago Fire is about 408 miles away.
