Bradley University Athletics

Chicago Fire Plans Return to Shea Stadium

Fire has selected Bradley's Shea Stadium for Round of 16 game in 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Soccer 6/10/2017 1:00:00 PM

PEORIA, IL - For the fourth time since 2008, the Chicago Fire's path to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship could run through Peoria. Bradley University's Shea Stadium has been selected as the location for a potential Round of 16 match in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup if the Fire wins both its fourth-round play-in match Wednesday at Saint Louis FC and the subsequent coin toss June 15 to determine the Round of 16 host team, according to an announcement by Bradley Soccer Saturday.

Three times previously Chicago has selected Shea Stadium as its home game site during for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. For the first time in history, two teams from the top professional division in the United States played a meaningful game in Peoria when the Chicago Fire hosted Major League Soccer rival Columbus Crew SC in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying game June 10, 2008 at Shea Stadium and the Fire advanced with a thrilling, 3-2 victory after extra time. The Fire hosted a second-round play-in match versus the MLS Colorado Rapids March 30, 2011 at Shea Stadium and Chicago's 2-1 victory was an early step toward its runner-up Cup finish. Chicago also selected Shea Stadium as a host site for the Round of 16 during the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but the Fire was upset by the Charleston Battery in the third round.

Following next week's fourth-round games in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, US Soccer will redraw the bracket for the tournament's remaining 16 teams and will conduct coin flips to determine the Round of 16 host teams. If Chicago has advanced and wins the coin toss to host, tickets for the June 28 Round of 16 game at Shea Stadium will go on sale Thursday afternoon online via the Bradley Athletics website, www.BradleyBraves.com, or in person at the Bradley Athletics Ticket Office at Renaissance Coliseum (309-677-2625) with prices to be announced.

Dating to 1914, the U.S. Open Cup is the country's oldest cup competition for soccer and the oldest national championship competition for team sports. It is open to all teams sanctioned by the five divisions of U.S. Soccer. Since Major League Soccer's inception in 1996, only once has a MLS team not won the Cup. The Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders FC each have won four U.S. Open Cups to lead MLS for the most championships.

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