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US Soccer has released the match-ups for the first round of the 2017 US Open Cup, to be played on May 10, and the second round, which will be played on May 17.
The first round features 17 "Open Division" (i.e. local amateur sides from around the country) entrants, plus 21 representatives from PSL and 18 from NPSL - creating a 56-team, mostly-amateur opening round of the tournament. In the second round, six NASL clubs and 18 teams from USL join the USOC party - add them to the 28 survivors from the first round and you get a 52-team jamboree.
The full details of the draw are on the US Soccer website, but Once A Metro is most interested in those teams local to the New York Red Bulls (who will jump into USOC in the fourth round, to be played in June).
There are three first round match-ups on OaM's radar: NPSL's Clarkstown SC Eagles will travel to play PDL's Reading United; PDL side Ocean City Nor'easters will host Open Division contender Junior Lone Star; NPSL's New Jersey Copa FC will host FC Motown, another Open Division qualifier and a team OaM has been following closely in this tournament to date.
NJ/NY teams in 2017 USOC Round 1 - all games played on May 10:
7:00 pm, Eastern: New Jersey Copa FC vs FC Motown - Saint John Vianney High School, Holmdel, NJ
7:30 pm, Eastern: Ocean City Nor'easters vs Junior Lone Star - Carey Stadium, Ocean City, NJ
7:30 pm, Eastern: Reading United vs Clarkstown SC Eagles - Exeter Township Senior High School, Reading, PA
In the second round, USL's Rochester Rhinos and NASL's New York Cosmos enter the tournament.
NJ/NY teams in 2017 USOC Round 2 - all games played on May 17:
7:00 pm, Eastern: Rochester Rhinos vs NJ Copa FC or FC Motown - Capelli Sport Stadium, Rochester, NY
7:00/7:30 pm, Eastern: NY Cosmos vs Clarkstown Eagles OR Reading United vs NY Cosmos - Rocco B Commisso Stadium, New York NY (Cosmos) OR Exeter Township Senior High School, Reading, PA (Reading United)
7:30 pm, Eastern/TBD: Ocean City Nor'easters or Junior Lone Star vs Harrisburg City Islanders - Carey Stadium, Ocean City, NJ (if Ocean City plays second round; home team TBD if Junior Lone Star is the qualifier for this match).
So on May 10, NJ Copa and FC Motown are playing for a tough trip to Rochester on May 17. Clarkstown's reward for getting by Reading United in the first round would be an away game against New York Cosmos. Ocean City Nor'easters will carry home advantage to the second round and a game against Harrisburg City Islanders, if they can first get past Junior Lone Star.