Ventura County Fusion to Face MLS Club Chivas USA on Tues., May 29 in Third Round of U.S. Open Cup

May 23, 2012 - PRLog -- VENTURA, Calif. — May 23, 2012 — The Ventura County Fusion (www.vcfusion.com), the region’s first and only world-class, championship-caliber soccer franchise, the 2010 Southwest Division title holder, and the 2009 champions of the Premier Development League (PDL), today announced it will face Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Chivas USA (www.cdchivasusa.com) at 7:00 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, May 29, 2012, at the Ventura College Sportsplex in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (http://thecup.us).

Fusion executives, coaches, and players will discuss the match at a press conference on Friday, May 25, 2012, from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. PDT, at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel in Ventura.

The highly-anticipated game marks the first time the Fusion has ever reached the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the oldest soccer competition of its kind in the United States, and one of the longest-running in the world. Now in its third consecutive year of tournament qualification, the Fusion edged Chivas USA, 1-0, in a pre-season friendly on January 27, 2012, at Oxnard College. The prestigious national soccer tournament is open to all United States Soccer Federation (USSF)-affiliated teams, including MLS franchises and other prominent amateur and professional sides.

“The Ventura County Fusion’s advancement for the first time ever to the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, with its incredible history and excellent global reputation for top-notch competition, is a significant achievement for this organization,” said Ranbir Shergill, general manager of the Fusion. “We’re ecstatic about our performance thus far in the tournament, and we know our game next week against Chivas USA will be a very tough one. We will be prepared in the best way possible.”

In the first round of U.S. Open Cup play on May 16 in Santa Ana, Calif., the Fusion defeated the Fullerton Rangers of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), 6-2, with a tournament record four goals in overtime to seal the victory. In its second-round match, played on May 22 at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif., the Fusion avenged last year’s Cup loss to the Los Angeles Blues by soundly beating the United Soccer League (USL) Professional Division Club, 3-1.

The winner of the Fusion-Chivas USA contest will face either the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS or the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the fourth round (i.e., the round of 16).

Ticket Pricing and Availability
Tickets for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup third-round match between the Ventura County Fusion and Chivas USA are now available by contacting Fusion headquarters at (805) 830-8027, or by ordering online at www.vcfusion.com/tickets. Ticket prices are $10.00 each for adults, and $5.00 each for children ages 17 and under, if ordered in advance. At the gate, ticket prices are $15.00 each for adults, and $8.00 each for youths under the age of 17. All Fusion season ticket holders will be admitted free. Located at 4667 Telegraph Road in Ventura (93003), the Ventura College Sportsplex doors will open to fans at 6:15 p.m. PDT, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. PDT.

About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Dating back to 1914, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer competition of its kind in the United States soccer, and is among the oldest in the world. Open to all affiliated amateur and professional teams in the United States, the annual tournament is being played for the 99th time in 2012. The competition is similar to domestic cup tournaments popular throughout Europe, South America, and other parts of the world. Cup competitions, which usually run concurrent with a country’s league season, are open in the early stages to any club that can qualify, and give local amateur teams a chance to compete against the best clubs a country has to offer.

The U.S. Open Cup is named after Lamar Hunt (1932 – 2006), the well-known promoter of American professional sports, and one of the founders of the American Football League (AFL), the North American Soccer League (NASL), and MLS. He was also the founder and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Wizards, and the owner of both the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas when he passed away. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972; into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1982; and into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993.