(Sports Network) - United States Soccer announced the groupings for the first two rounds of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Thursday.

Eight MLS teams - the Chicago Fire, Chivas USA, the Columbus Crew, defending champion D.C. United, the Houston Dynamo, the Kansas City Wizards, the New England Revolution and the Seattle Sounders - are among 40 teams in the event and have byes into the third round.

The Open Cup will kick off with first-round matches on June 9, with all 32 lower division teams competing in the first two rounds before advancing to the third round to play MLS teams.

The third round is scheduled for June 30, followed by the quarterfinals on July 7, the semifinals on July 21-22 and the final on Sept. 2.

Within the U.S. Open Cup framework, teams compete in one of the following four categories: professional outdoor Division I (Major League Soccer), Division II (USL First Division) or Division III (USL Second Division); or Amateur Division (USL Premier Development League and U.S. Adult Soccer Association).

Of the 16 amateur division teams representing the U.S. Adult Soccer Association and the Premier Development League, only two are returning for their second consecutive U.S. Open Cup, with the St. Louis Lions (PDL) and the Arizona Sahuaros (USASA) in the field for a second straight year. The Sahuaros have qualified for three of the last four U.S. Open Cups, the best record of any amateur team during that span.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which is recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The tournament has crowned a champion for 95 consecutive years dating back to 1914.



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