Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer entered the competition as the three-time defending champions and appeared in their fourth consecutive U.S. Open Cup Final, losing to Sporting Kansas City on August 8, 2012.
This made the U.S. Open Cup very similar to other domestic knock-out competitions where all top-tier clubs earn automatic berths.
An amateur club, Cal FC of the USASA, won 1–0 away to MLS's Portland Timbers in a third round upset.
[1] The winner, Sporting Kansas City, received a cash prize of $100,000[2] and also qualified for the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League (placed in Pot B).
Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.