LA Galaxy and LA Galaxy II enter US Open Cup play

This year the LA Galaxy organization has two entries in the US Open Cup, with both the USL Pro LA Galaxy II side and the senior MLS side entering the tournament. Galaxy II enter the tournament in the second round, and will host Cal FC¹ on May 14th.

The Galaxy get to enter the tournament in the fourth round, which will take place between June 10-18. The round will feature the 16 winners of the third round against the 16 US based Major League Soccer teams.

Note that the World Cup is set to kick off during that fourth round period. With MLS and the NASL taking time off for the World Cup, the Open Cup plans to fill that void scheduling weekend matches for that round for the first time in the tournament's modern era.

This could mean Bruce Arena, for the first time in recent Galaxy history, using the Open Cup as a chance to keep his non-World-Cup-participating players² fit over the two week break. With LA Galaxy II doing it's own thing, we could see the likes of Robbie Keane and Stefan Ishizaki in the Open Cup tournament.

As has been the case in previous tournaments, getting through their fourth round tie³ would mean a fifth round matchup based on regional pairing. This could mean a fifth round facing one of Chivas USA or OC Blues. The schedule will be rearranged to ensure the Galaxy do not meet Galaxy II save for the final, so should GII make it to the fifth round they will not be paired together.

^{1. [Most famous for their association with Eric Wynalda and defeating the Portland Timbers in the US Open Cup.]↩}

^{2. [Everyone on the roster save Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez.]↩}

^{3. [Something LA failed to do in their previous two tries]↩}