New Orleans amateur soccer team earns chance to qualify for U.S. Open Cup in April, make history

Club Deportivo Motagua of New Orleans on Thursday learned who they have to defeat and when they have to do it to become the first amateur soccer team from Louisiana to qualify for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in its contemporary format.

The Motagua Blue Eagles will have the opportunity to secure their Open Cup qualification when they host the Dallas-based NTX Rayados at Pan American Stadium in New Orleans at 7 p.m. on April 2, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced. If Motagua triumphs, they would form part of a field including professional teams from Major League Soccer.

In its current format, amateur soccer teams across the United States can make into the 102-year-old Open Cup and measure themselves against MLS and lower-division professional sides by winning their local leagues and navigating a pre-tournament qualifying phase.

Counting on several players who have previously starred on the New Orleans Jesters and Baton Rouge Capitals developmental teams, Motagua advanced to the Open Cup’s three-round, preliminary qualifying phase after winning the inaugural Louisiana Premier League in 2014 over four other teams.

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