1933 National Challenge Cup
The 1933 National Challenge Cup marked the 20th edition of the tournament currently known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a knockout domestic cup competition of American soccer. The New Bedford Whalers did not defend their title, as the club had folded by the fall of 1932.
As of 1931, ASL teams competed in a round-robin format instead of direct knockout matches. The five New York teams formed the Metropolitan Group, while the New England group consisted of the three remaining ASL teams and Victoria Mills of the Southern New England Association, who qualified by defeating the Fairlawn Rovers. The round-robin format was considered somewhat unpopular due to the methods used.
Despite the league-style setup, matches tied at the end of regulation proceeded into overtime. In the event of a tie in the standings, goal average served as the tiebreaker. A minor controversy occurred when a match between the Boston team and Fall River was stopped in the 78th minute with the score at 0–0. Fall River later forfeited the replay, leaving Boston tied for first place with the Pawtucket Rangers. The Rangers advanced due to a higher goal average, which left Boston unable to make up the difference either in a replay with Fall River or in a playoff with Pawtucket.
In the Western division, the tournament followed the traditional knockout format, with the Stix of St. Louis making the second of their six consecutive appearances in the national final. Other highlights included Bert Patenaude's five-goal performance against Fairhill in the First German Club's first-round match on January 14.
Western Division
a) aggregate after 3 gamesb) replayed after protest
Round Robin Groups