Chester — Philadelphia Union fans who were clamoring for the club to return to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this upcoming season got some good news on Tuesday.

U.S. Soccer, which runs the tournament, announced that 32 Open Division/amateur clubs and 64 professional sides will compete for the 110th title, set to kick off March 18-20, with the final scheduled for Oct. 1.

“The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a crucial connection point for all levels of soccer in the United States,” U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said in a press release. “U.S. Soccer exists in service to soccer, and this historic tournament allows us to lift up the people who are leading the charge to support soccer in their communities. We’re pleased to continue working with and collaborating with all U.S. Soccer members to maximize the tournament’s impact on soccer at all levels in this country.”

What Does This Mean for the Philadelphia Union?

Per the announcement by MLS, U.S. Soccer, and the club, the Union will enter the tournament in the Round of 32, which will be held May 6-7. After not playing in the tournament in 2024, the club is set to return this year. According to U.S. Soccer’s announcement, the Union will host the Round of 32 matchup.

While Philadelphia has never won the cup, the team made the finals in 2014, 2015 and again in 2018. Perhaps 2025 is the year they lift the cup?

Potential Schedule Congestion?

While the Union will only play in the U.S. Open Cup this year, it does not come without potential scheduling congestion. Should the Union make a deep run in the tournament, here’s what its schedule could look like alongside the MLS regular season:

Round of 32

• May 3 — at Montreal
• May 6-7 — U.S. Open Cup
• May 10 — Columbus

Round of 16

• May 17 — at Atlanta
• May 20-21 — U.S. Open Cup
• May 24 — at Miami

Quarterfinals

• July 5 — at Nashville
• July 8-9 — U.S. Open Cup
• July 12 — New York Red Bulls

Semifinals

• Sept. 13 — at Vancouver
• Sept. 16-17 — U.S. Open Cup
• Sept. 20 — New England

Final

• Sept. 27 — at D.C. United
• Oct. 1 — U.S. Open Cup
• Oct. 4 — NYCFC

With as many as five additional matches and what could become a crowded May and September, it will be interesting to see how Bradley Carnell and company navigate those windows should the Union advance to the final.

MLS Shaking Things Up Again?

On Tuesday, MLS also announced how the league will navigate the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Canadian Championship in the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

Per the league’s announcement:

“MLS club participation in North American cup competitions rewards club performance, manages player workload and ensures every MLS club can compete in at least one, but no more than two, North American competitions that run concurrently with the MLS league season.”

The league outlined which clubs will participate in which tournaments in 2025, with a few key details:

• Leagues Cup: The top nine teams in each MLS conference from the prior season qualify.
• U.S. Open Cup: MLS teams not competing in Leagues Cup or Concacaf Champions Cup automatically qualify. For the 2025 tournament, this accounts for nine of the 16 MLS teams. The tournament will also feature 10 MLS Next Pro clubs.

MLS mentioned that it will reevaluate this format again in 2027. But for now, fans can rejoice in the fact that the Union are back in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for 2025.