Qualifying is underway to determine the 32 teams that will compete in the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, which begins in June. The format will be similar to last year, with eight D3 Pro League teams squaring off against four PDL and four USASA teams in the first round, which is set for June 9-13. The eight winners will face eight A-League teams in the second round, to be played June 23-27. Eight MLS clubs will enter in the third round, meeting the eight second-round winners over the weekend of July 12-14. Quarterfinals are set for Aug. 11-12, with the semifinals to follow on Sept. 1 and the championship to be held Sept. 14 at a site to be determined. Here’s a look at how qualifying is going in each division of play: MLS Five of the MLS entrants have been determined. Chicago (1998 champion), Columbus (1998 finalist), Dallas (1997 champion) and D.C. United (1996 champion) received automatic berths. Colorado’s April 17 win over Kansas City puts them into the tournament. This weekend, the MetroStars-Miami and Los Angeles-Tampa Bay games will serve as Open Cup qualifiers. The two winners will advance, and the play-in loser with the highest total of points in MLS play through June 1 (or the highest point-per-game average if the teams have not played an even number of games) will also advance as the eighth MLS club. San Jose and New England will not compete in the 1999 Open Cup. A-LEAGUE The eight A-League entrants — four from each conference — will be determined by total regular-season points through the teams’ first six games. 4 points are awarded for a regulation or overtime win, 2 points for a shootout win, 1 point for a shootout loss and a bonus point is awarded if a team scores three or more goals. Canadian teams Vancouver and Toronto are not eligible to play in the U.S. Open Cup, nor is U.S. Pro-40. Western Conference Standings: *San Diego 21 points; *Orange County 16; Indiana 10; El Paso, Minnesota 9; Seattle, San Francisco Bay 8; Milwaukee, Tennessee 5; New Orleans 4; Cincinnati 2; Sacramento 0. Eastern Conference Standings: Charleston 14 points; Raleigh 10; Hampton Roads, Jacksonville 9; Atlanta, Richmond, Long Island, Rochester 8; Boston 6; Staten Island, Pittsburgh, Connecticut 5; Lehigh Valley 2; Maryland, Hershey 0. *-denotes a team that has played all six games. D3 PRO LEAGUE In the D3 Pro League, the 26 teams have been broken into six regional groups, with each club competing within its group. The six group winners, along with two wild cards, advance. Chico has wrapped up the Pacific West group title and clinched an Open Cup berth, as has New Jersey, champions of the Northeast group. D3 teams receive 4 points for a regulation win, 3 points for an overtime win, 2 points for a shootout win and one point for a shootout loss, with a bonus point awarded if a team scores three or more goals. Atlantic Standings: Wilmington, Carolina 13 points; Charlotte 8; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 0. Mid-Atlantic Standings: Roanoke 9 points; No. Virginia 5; Delaware 4; Eastern Shore 3. New England Standings: Western Mass. 9 points; Rhode Island 7; Cape Cod 4; New Hampshire 0. Northeast Standings: *New Jersey 18 points; South Jersey 5; Reading, North Jersey 4. Pacific West Standings: *Chico 17 points; Arizona 13; California 10; Stanislaus County 5; Los Angeles 0. South Central Standings: Texas 9 points; Austin 8; Houston 4; Tulsa 0. *-clinched Open Cup berth. PDL PDL teams have been broken into three regional divisions, where each club will play four qualifying matches. The three group winners and the best overall second-place team advance. The four regional USASA champions round out the field. As in the D3 Pro League, PDL teams get 4 points for a regulation win, 3 points for an overtime win, 2 points for a shootout win and 1 point for a shootout loss, with teams receiving a bonus point for scoring three or more goals in a game. Eastern Conference Standings: Cocoa 15 points; Central Florida 14; Jackson, New York 9; Clarksville 7; Bradenton, Brooklyn, Vermont 5; Westchester 4; Miami B. 3; Miami T. 2; Central Jersey, Lexington 1; NY Capital Dist. 0. Central Conference Standings: Chicago, Colorado, Mid Michigan, Twin Cities, Des Moines 5 points; Wisconsin, Sioux City 4; Colorado Springs 2; Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Rockford, West Michigan, Indiana 0. Western Conference Standings: Spokane 11 points; Tucson 8; Silicon Valley, Yakima, Cascade, Central Coast, Seattle 5; San Fernando Valley, Nevada 4; San Gabriel Valley 1; Willamette Valley 0. USASA The U.S. Amateur Soccer Association divides the country into four regions, loosely categorized as Eastern (Region I), Midwest (Region II), South (Region III), and West (Region IV). Each state holds a Men’s Open Cup and declares a winner. The winners from each state meet in a regional tournament, and these four regional champions go on to play in Round One of the U.S. Open Cup, pitted against four D3 professional teams.