Hounds begin Open Cup with all-Pittsburgh matchup
- Jonathan Turner
- Jan 27
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
PITTSBURGH (Jan. 27, 2026) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will begin their quest in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a historic, all-Pittsburgh showdown, as the Hounds are set to face Steel City FC in a First Round matchup on Tuesday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Duquesne University’s Rooney Field.
The matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the Riverhounds and Steel City FC, a local amateur side competing in USL League Two and making just its second appearance in the Open Cup. For the Hounds, the tournament opener adds another chapter to a long and successful Open Cup history.
Pittsburgh enters the 111th edition of U.S. Soccer’s national championship as the reigning USL Championship title holder and a two-time Open Cup quarterfinalist, having reached that stage in 2001 and again in 2023. The Hounds have also been the farthest-advancing team from outside Major League Soccer in two of the past three editions of the tournament.
Last season, the Hounds made another memorable run by defeating Columbus Crew 2 of MLS Next Pro and MLS side New York City FC — the third MLS team Pittsburgh has eliminated over the past three years — before their journey ended in the Round of 16 with a road loss to the Philadelphia Union.
Despite the city’s deep soccer roots, the Riverhounds have rarely faced fellow Western Pennsylvania clubs in Open Cup play. The only previous occurrence came in the 2018 Second Round, when Pittsburgh earned a 2-1 road victory over the amateur Erie Commodores.
In fact, two Pittsburgh-area teams have not met in the Open Cup in nearly 70 years. The last such meeting occurred in the 1957 Quarterfinals, when defending champion Harmarville Hurricanes defeated Bridgeville-based Morgan Strasser, 2-1, at Consumer Field in Harmarville. Harmarville’s 1956 Open Cup title remains the last time a Western Pennsylvania team lifted the historic trophy.
The 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will be broadcast across multiple CBS Sports platforms, with additional coverage available via Paramount+ and U.S. Soccer’s official YouTube channel. Further details regarding tickets and broadcast information for the First Round matchup will be announced at a later date.
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