WINDSOR, Colo. — After making historic runs in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in both 2022 and 2023, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC will kick off their 2024 Open Cup campaign against Tulsa Athletic on Tuesday.
Tulsa Athletic, the 2023 NPSL National Champions, have something of an Open Cup legacy of their own, having taken down USL Championship side FC Tulsa, 1-0, in the second round last season before falling 3-0 to MLS club Sporting Kansas City.
“We know they had that upset against FC Tulsa last year so they’re not someone we should take lightly,” Hailstorm forward Irvin Parra said.
In their brief history, Hailstorm have three wins over teams from higher divisions in the Open Cup, with victories over in-state rival Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC of the USL Championship in each of the past two seasons and a famous win over MLS side Real Salt Lake in 2022.
It will not be as easy for Hailstorm, or Tulsa Athletic, to get a matchup with an MLS team in 2024, as just eight teams from the nation’s top league have entered the Open Cup and will not enter the tournament until the Fourth Round.
“The way MLS has treated the U.S. Open Cup this year is a disgrace,” Hailstorm head coach Éamon Zayed said. “I respect it, I want to go on and create a couple more shocks.”
The First Round match between Hailstorm and Tulsa Athletic kicks off at 6 p.m. Mountain time Tuesday in Tulsa and will be streamed live at USLSoccer.com/watch.
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The home of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, 118-acre Future Legends Complex will feature 6,500-seat TicketSocket Park, 2,500-seat 4Rivers Equipment Stadium, multiple baseball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, an indoor sports arena, lodging, and retail; and will host guests for major sports leagues, tournaments, events and more.
More information is available at HailstormFC.com and FutureLegendsComplex.com.