Union will host Chicago in Open Cup semifinal, travel for final if they win

Talen Energy Stadium will host one more Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match this year after the Philadelphia Union were drawn as the host for the semifinal against the Chicago Fire on August 8th.

The Union will, however, have to travel if they make it past the Fire to the club’s third final after being drawn fourth in the priority order for the final. Chicago Fire finished first, followed by the Houston Dynamo and Los Angeles FC in the priority order.

The Union lost two previous finals at home in 2014 and 2015. If they advance to the final, it will be played on September 26th.

The Union faced the Fire in a semifinal in 2015 at home and won 1-0 behind a Sebastien Le Toux goal. The Fire have won the Open Cup four times, including for the first time in their first season as a club in 1998.

The game on August 8th will be the fourth semifinal for the Union. They lost to Sporting Kansas City at home in 2012, advanced on penalties over FC Dallas in Frisco in 2014 and beat Chicago Fire at home in 2015.

The Union have played nearly 70 percent of their Open Cup games at home, losing only twice and falling on penalties once in the final against Sporting Kansas City. Their overall record in the competition is 15-4-7. They have advanced three times out of seven penalty shootouts.