The second round of the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament wraps up this weekend with 14 games between open division amateur teams.
The previous weekend, four teams punched their ticket to Round 3. Christos FC (MD), GPS Omens (MA), Tartan Devils Oak Avalon (West PA), FC Motown (NJ) will represent the eastern part of the tournament in the third round which is scheduled to take place in late November.
Below you will find a brief preview of every game from this weekend.
You can follow updates from all qualifying games on Twitter @USOpenCup or with the hashtag #USOC2017. If you are attending any qualifying match, use #USOC2017 to share your photos and videos on Twitter or Instagram. You can also find the updates scores below in this article and on our home page scoreboard.
Supporter-owned Minneapolis City Soccer Club host Oakland County FC in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. The two clubs finished 3rd in the West and 4th in the East Divisions of Premier League of America teams respectively, thus placing them into the qualifying rounds of the 2017 US Open Cup.
Minneapolis received a first round bye, while Oakland County FC defeated fellow Michigan team Ann Arbor FC 3-1 behind goals from Julian Birge, Kyle Bretimeyer and Shawn Sloan.
Should Minneapolis City advance they will be the second Minnesota based team to qualify for the 2017 US Open Cup, the other being Minnesota United (although the format for 2017 has not been made official as of yet). Oakland County FC, on the other hand, is looking to become at least the third Michigan team expected to qualify for the tournament behind Grand Rapids FC (NPSL) and the Michigan Bucks (PDL).
Colorado Amateur Soccer League (CASL) champions Harpo’s FC face off against Colorado State Cup champions Azteca FC for a chance to advance in the 2017 US Open Cup qualifying tournament.
Read the full preview of the game HERE.
New Jersey’s Brick Lions FC face another Philadelphia area team in the second round after defeating Vereinigung Erzgebirge in September. This time they will host Junior Lone Star who ran through Rising Stars FC 5-1 in the opening round.
Junior Lone Star is a team founded by Southwest Philadelphia Liberian immigrants in 2001. Junior Lone Stars have been very successful over the past few years; including awards at the Under-23 level, friendlies against the Puerto Rican national team and are currently unbeaten in the Philadelphia Premier Soccer League.
Both teams are looking for their first entry to the US Open Cup.
In the first of two South Florida-based American Premier Soccer League US Open Cup qualifiers, reigning APSL champions Boca Raton FC meets Hurricane FC. As the league champion, Boca Raton FC reaches this round after a first round bye, while Hurricane FC advanced after Miami Dade FC forfeited their first round qualifier.
Boca Raton FC, founded in 2015 has kicked off their existence with instant success, winning the aforementioned title and signing Brazilian talents Luizao and Netto. They made their Open Cup debut in 2016 but fell in the opening round to the Miami Fusion FC (NPSL) 4-1 in extra time. Boca Raton recently crushed Hurricane FC 8-3 in a league match.
East of Dallas, two US Open Cup regulars, North Texas Rayados will host CD Motagua of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Rayados were planning on entering their fifth straight US Open Cup, an open division record for the Modern Era last year before they were disqualified due to sitting out the 2015 North Texas Premier Soccer League season. Healthy and prepared for their Open Cup return, the Rayados crushed Celtics Cowboys Premier 7-0 in the opening round of this year’s qualifying tournament.
CD Motagua of New Orleans, who shares the name of a popular Honduran team, is looking for their second entry into the US Open Cup. The Gulf Coast Premier League (USASA) team was the first amateur team from Louisiana in the Modern Era to qualify for the Open Cup last year. This year, they are looking to build on the success of the their 2015 USASA National Cup semifinal run and their previous 2016 Open Cup appearance where they fell to Mississippi Brilla.
Inland Valley clubs Ozzy’s Laguna FC and Moreno Valley FC enter this US Open Cup qualifier after victories over OC Crew SC and HD Rush, respectively. Neither team has ever qualified for the Open Cup but given the track record of unknown California teams, keep an eye on the outcome of this match.
Both teams compete in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) and are largely comprised of NCAA eligible players. That fact could make the rosters for Saturday’s game much different than fans are used to since college soccer is currently in season.
Colorado Rush make one of the longest road trips of the tournament when they travel to Portland, Oregon to take on International Portland Select (IPS)/Marathon Taverna. The Rush reached this game by cruising past FC Boulder with three first half goals from Nick Blanco, Griffen Dorsey and Jack O’Brian. IPS/Marathon Taverna enter this game after a first round bye earned by winning the Oregon Premier Soccer League.
Travel was an issue for IPS last year in their attempt to qualify for the Open Cup. They received a free pass into Round 2 when the Kansas City Athletics were financially and logistically unable to make the trip from Missouri. As a reward, IPS earned a date with the North Texas Rayados in Round 2 in Dallas. Unfortunately, IPS were also unable to make the trip to North Texas, so they forfeited. The Colorado Rush had players all chip in to cover the travel cost.
The blue turf of Chaminade College Prep will be the venue for two US Open Cup veterans; Chula Vista FC and FC Hasental. Chula Vista FC missed the 2016 tournament after being eliminated at this stage but the year before they pulled off two consecutive upsets on the road beating FC Tucson (PDL) and Arizona United (USL) before falling to Sacramento Republic (USL). In the previous round of qualifying this year Chula Vista once again traveled to Arizona and won big, this time defeating Frontera United 5-1 in Yuma, AZ.
FC Hasental has also had their moments in the spotlight with victories over Orange County Blue Star, PSA Elite. Hasental reaches this match after defeating Del Rey City SC by scoring three consecutive goals after a Del Rey player was shown a second yellow.
A pair of American Premier Soccer League (APSL) teams from Florida will square off in Round 2 of the US Open Cup qualifying tournament as Uruguay Kendall will host Red Force. Red Force are looking to return to the tournament after they qualified in 2013 and 2014. Red Force reached the second round with a 3-0 weather-shortened win over Miami Nacional.
Uruguay Kendall were the runners-up in the APSL last year, falling to Boca Raton FC in the Final. Those two teams met in the 2016 US Open Cup qualifying tournament with Boca Raton advancing in penalty kicks. This year, UK received a first round bye, so this will be their opening match of the open division competition.
The San Fernando Valley (SFV) Scorpions will host Outbreak FC in a battle between two rival Southern California-based leagues. The Scorpions, representing the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), are seeking their first US Open Cup berth, but they will have to get past 2016 qualifier Outbreak FC of the SoCal Premier League to do it.
In their tournament debut last season, Outbreak traveled up to the Pacific Northwest and lost their opening match to the Seattle Sounders U-23s (PDL), 3-1
The Scorpions defeated Valley United 3-1 to kick off the 2017 qualifying tournament, while Outbreak had no trouble with Buena Park FC, 5-0.
La Maquina FC hope to duplicate a successful 2016 Open Cup run, where they became just the 12th amateur club in the Modern Era to reach the Fourth Round. They were eliminated after a brave performance against the Los Angeles Galaxy where they took the Major League Soccer power into extra time before falling 4-1. They made history as they were the first Modern Era amateur team to win three straight games by shutout. They advanced to this match by beating Orange County FC (SoCal Premier League) 3-0 in September. They currently sit in a three-way tie for first in the UPSL Southeast Division.
They will face intra-divisional foe Santa Ana Winds, who currently sit fifth in the UPSL Southeast. They faced UPSL Western Division opponent La Habra City FC in the first round of qualifying, rolling to a 5-0 victory. The two teams have played once in the league, with La Maquina winning 5-1.
El Farolito is the only remaining US Open Cup champion, having won under the name CD Mexico in 1993. After more than 20 years of being away from the tournament, they entered the qualifying tournament last year. They lost the opening game to San Francisco City, but this year, they rebounded by defeating one of San Francisco’s rivals: Davis Legacy. They won by the score of 2-1 to earn a date with Strikers FC.
The San Francisco Football League team will travel down to Lake Forest, Calif. to take on Strikers FC South Coast from the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL). Strikers provided one of the most one-sided victories in qualifying history. They thrashed AC Brea Steaua 11-0 in the opening round game.
Anahuac FC and MF 10 are the top two teams in the UPSL’s Nevada Division, with one point separating top side Anahuac from their opponent. MF 10 received a bye into the Qualifying Second Round, while the Las Vegas High Rollers from UPSL’s Western Division were supposed to play Anahuac, though the former forfeited the match. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw earlier this month in Nevada Division play.
There has never been a team from Nevada qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Era.
Inland Empire scored an upset to advance to Qualifying’s Second Round, beating Southeast Division co-leader Avalanche FC 3-2. The team sits seventh in the division, barely averaging over a point a game.
The LA Wolves are no stranger to the Open Cup, making the Third Round in 2016 before falling to fellow United Premier Soccer League side La Maquina. The side sits on top of UPSL Western Division play, claiming every point possible in eight games. They advanced to this match by beating the SoCal Premier League’s Real Sociedad Royals 4-1 in September.