PITTSBURGH (Jan. 27, 2026) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds will begin their journey in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a historic, all-Pittsburgh First Round matchup against Steel City FC out of USL League Two on Tuesday, March 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Duquesne University’s Rooney Field.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the Hounds and the local amateur side, which is making is second-ever appearance in the Open Cup. The Hounds, Open Cup quarterfinalists in 2001 and 2023 and the reigning USL Championship title holders, have been the farthest-advancing team from outside of MLS in two of the past three editions of U.S. Soccer’s national championship.
Last season, the Hounds defeated Columbus Crew 2 out of MLS Next Pro and MLS side New York City FC — the third MLS team the Hounds have beaten over the past three years — to advance to the Round of 16 before falling on the road at the Philadelphia Union.
The Hounds have only faced another Western Pennsylvania team once before in the Open Cup, which this year is in its 111th edition. They defeated the amateur Erie Commodores, 2-1, on the road in the 2018 Second Round.
Two Pittsburgh-area teams have not met in the Open Cup in nearly 70 years. The last occurrence came in the 1957 Quarterfinals, when the defending champion Harmarville Hurricanes defeated Bridgeville-based Morgan Strasser, 2-1, at Harmarville’s Consumer Field. Harmarville’s 1956 title stands as the last time a Western Pa. team lifted the trophy.
This year’s U.S. Open Cup matches will be shown on multiple CBS networks, as well as streaming via Paramount+ and U.S. Soccer’s official YouTube channel. Additional information about the First Round match, including broadcast and ticket details, will be announced soon.
To see the complete First Round matchups, visit ussoccer.com.
