Ballard FC is proud to announce the club’s qualification and planned participation in the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer competition in the country’s history, with the first-ever edition taking place in 1914. After participating in 2024 and 2025, Ballard FC have qualified for the third time in just five years.
Ballard FC was one of nine USL League Two clubs to receive and accept an invitation. Ballard FC earned their invite with a 12-1-1 regular season record, the best in club history, en route to a fourth straight NW Division Title. The club’s 12-1-1 record included a perfect 7-0-0 home record, and Ballard FC will be hoping to host another Open Cup match at Interbay Stadium as they look for their first Open Cup win – or “cupset” – in club history.
Due to automatically qualifying for the 2027 edition of the Open Cup, Ballard FC will not be involved in Fall Open Cup Qualifying like they were in the fall of 2025. This means that the next Ballard FC match will take place after the new year.
The U.S. Open Cup is a single-elimination style tournament with teams from all divisions of American soccer. All professional teams across the U.S. Soccer pyramid receive automatic qualification while any amateuer/semi-professional teams (like Ballard FC) qualify through their league standing. Locally, the Seattle Sounders have won four Open Cup titles while many other Washington teams have participated in past editions. Perhaps the most notable Washington U.S Open Cup match took place in 2016 when Kitsap Pumas faced off against the Sounders at Starfire Stadium where the Sounders won 2-0. For more information on the Open Cup’s structure and history, head to their Wikipedia page.
In 2024 and 2025, Ballard FC suffered heartbreaking 1-0 defeats to USL League One’s Spokane Velocity. In 2024, the Velocity scored a late winner in stoppage time. Then in 2025 history seemed to repeat itself, Spokane got the deciding goal in stoppage time of extra time, just before a penalty shootout. In 2027, Ballard FC will be aiming for their first Open Cup goal and Open Cup win.
In the event that Ballard FC hosts their first round Open Cup match, 2027 Season Ticket Holders will have priority access to purchase Open Cup tickets. 2027 Season Tickets will go on sale at the end of this month. Fans can join the Season Ticket Holder Waitlist today and receive early access to purchase their season tickets.
After missing out on the 2026 edition of the U.S. Open Cup, Head Coach Mutanda Kwesele made qualification for the 2027 edition one of the biggest goals for this past season. The team responded well to the challenge, and the club cannot wait to experience the “magic of the cup” once again. The U.S. Open Cup is a huge opportunity. It is a chance for Ballard FC to make an imprint not just on USL 2, but the nation’s soccer landscape as a whole. The club invites all of their supporters and the entire community to enjoy and experience this incredible cup journey.
Details are still to come on the date, opponent, location, and more regarding the first round of U.S. Open Cup matches. Fans can stay in the loop by following @goballardfc on social media, or joining the club newsletter.
Written by Max Dresbach
