‘We’re going to embrace it.’ Lexington Sporting Club plays Louisville City for first time.

The first “Kentucky Derby” between Lexington Sporting Club and Louisville City FC is only days away.

LSC and Lou City will meet in the second round of the 108th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 5, at Lynn Family Stadium in downtown Louisville.

The U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation.

Lexington SC — which plays in USL League One, the third tier of men’s professional soccer in the United States — will have its first match in the competition against in-state rival Louisville City, which plays in the USL Championship (second tier).

This will be the first-ever meeting between LSC and Lou City.

“When it comes time to shift to the Open Cup, we’re going to embrace it,” LSC head coach and men’s sporting director Sam Stockley told the Herald-Leader last month. “It’s a great opportunity for two clubs to sell a lot of tickets, sell merchandise and all of that. It’s going to be an extremely tough game for us. ... But it’s a great opportunity for us and our club to go down there and do what we can and show them what we’re able to do.”

Louisville City’s best finish in a U.S. Open Cup came in 2018 when it reached the quarterfinals.

Since Major League Soccer debuted in 1996, MLS clubs have won the U.S. Open Cup every year but one.

The winner of the 2023 U.S. Open Cup will receive $300,000 in prize money, with the runner-up getting $100,000. The team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home $25,000.

The best showing in 2022 by a USL League One franchise was by Union Omaha, which reached the quarterfinals.

Wednesday

Lexington Sporting Club at Louisville City FC

What: U.S. Open Cup second-round match

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville

Tickets: Seatgeek.com/lexington-sporting-club

Streaming: B/R Football YouTube page

This story was originally published March 30, 2023 at 11:48 AM.

Cameron Drummond

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-242-5257

Cameron Drummond works as a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader with a focus on Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting and the UK men’s basketball team, horse racing, soccer and other sports in Central Kentucky. Drummond is a second-generation American who was born and raised in Texas, before graduating from Indiana University. He is a fluent Spanish speaker who previously worked as a community news reporter in Austin, Texas. Support my work with a digital subscription