The Seattle Sounders begin defense of their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship.

The Sounders will face the Portland Timbers in a third round match on June 30 at PGE Park. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. The match will be televised by FSN.

The Sounders-Portland winner advances to the quarterfinal round to meet the Chivas USA-Austin Aztex winner on either July 6 or 7.

A crowd of 16,382 filled PGE Park last year. The Sounders defeated the Timbers, 2-1.

Seattle proceeded to win the cup with victories over Kansas City, Houston and D.C. United.

Portland, a member of U.S. Soccer Division 2, advanced to the third round by beating the Kitsap Pumas of the PDL, 4-1, in Bremerton on Tuesday night. Seattle and the other seven MLS teams enter Open Cup play at the third round stage.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation's National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer.

It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world.

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