
The first team heading to July’s national championship is now known. FC Arizona punched their ticket to play for the National Amateur Cup, and a US Open Cup spot, in the 100th anniversary of the competition. Meanwhile the Midwest narrowed its field and the South set its own.
Since 2018, the champion of the National Amateur Cup, the highest tournament in the United States Adult Soccer Association, receives direct qualification to the following year’s U.S. Open Cup. For the last few years, TheCup.us has tracked the National Amateur Cup from its regional stages all the way up until the national final. These updates have been provided on Twitter / X and stats have been kept internally.
USASA is broken into four regions, each holding their own amateur cup tournament respectively. The champions of these four tournaments qualify for the national finals later this summer.
You can find a brief summary of every from this past weekend below. Additionally, here are links to the Twitter threads and articles made over the two months regarding other results:
- April 7 (Region I)
- April 14 (Region I & Region II)
- April 20 (Region II)
- April 27 to May 5
- May 11 to 25
FULL 2024 NATIONAL AMATEUR CUP SCHEDULE/RESULTS
USASA Region II (Midwest)
Quarterfinals
TUESDAY, MAY 28
FC Milwaukee Torrent (WI – National Premier Soccer League)
6:1
Chicago House AC (IL – Midwest Premier League)
Catholic Memorial High School – Waukesha, WI
FC Milwaukee Torrent beat Chicago House AC, 6-1. Back-to-back goals in the first ten minutes was followed up with five unanswered by the Torrent. House’s Eduardo Aguilera was red carded for a bad tackle from behind twenty minutes into the second half, all but sealing the visiting team’s fate. Milwaukee received a bye to the Quarterfinals as a member of the NPSL based on last year’s league results.
(Full Recap by TheCup.us’ Joe Chatz on the NPSL website)
Goal scorers
FCMT:
- Angel Gongora 8’, 34’
- Sam Abreu 28’
- Gabe Voung 50’
- Zakaria Daaou 83’
- Paco Piscaglia 90+2’
CHAC:
- Nico Williams 9’
THURSDAY, MAY 30
Bavarian United SC (WI – Midwest Premier League)
2:0
Wisloka Chicago (IL – Premier Soccer League of Chicagoland)
Bavarian Soccer Park – Glendale, WI
Bavarian United SC beat Wisloka Chicago, 2-0, as it continues the hunt for a seventh National Amateur Cup title. Two late goals helped the Bavs get the momentum over Wisloka. Since USSF began awarding a place in the USOC to the national champion, the Wisconsin side is the only team to win the Amateur Cup multiple times (2018, 2022). United received a bye to the Quarterfinals as a regional finalist from last year’s tournament.
Goal scorers
BUSC:
- Buran Huseini (Ivan Cuellar) 78′
- Paco Gutierrez (Logan Andryk) 86′
SUNDAY, JUNE 2
RWB Adria (IL – Midwest Premier League)
1:4
Vlora FC (MN – Minnesota Amateur Soccer League)
Bridgeview Sports Fields – Bridgeview, IL
In a huge upset, Vlora FC beat defending Region II champion RWB Adria, 4-1, in the shadow of Seatgeek Stadium. Vlora took the lead in the first half before RWB equalized. In the second half, the Minnesota amateurs scored three unanswered to secure a spot in the regional semifinals for the first time. RWB had received a bye to the last eight as defending champion.
Goal scorers
RWB:
- Peri Marošević
VFC:
- Hesham Samir Al-Julani (x2)
- Franklin Schwendimann
- Robert Cooper
Match broadcast:
Akron City FC (OH – National Premier Soccer League)
4:2
Northern Indiana FC (IN – Midwest Premier League)
After Extra Time
St. Vincent-St. Mary High School – Akron, OH
Akron City FC advanced past Northern Indiana FC, 4-2 after extra time, to lock up a spot in the Semifinals. NIFC had two leads in the game but the hosts equalized twice, including a late goal in the last few minutes of regulation. A controversial penalty kick call early in extra time gave Akron the lead for the first time and a counter attack sealed the win. Akron received a bye into the quarterfinals as a member of the NPSL. The team is looking to be the second Akron team to win the National Amateur Cup after Akron Goodyear lifted the trophy back in 1931.
(Full match recap by the NPSL)
Goal scorers
ACFC:
- Samuel Sarver 63′
- Ryan Kingsford 85′, 94′ (PK)
- Jackson Herbert 127′
NIFC:
- Eduardo de Silva 33′
- Andres Maza 72′
Match broadcast:
USASA Region III (South)
Region III, encompassing 11 states and 12 associations across the southern United States, will hold its tournament on June 7–9 at MESA Soccer Complex in Greer, South Carolina.
Teams taking part are:
Group A
- Tobacco Road FC (NC)
- NTX Black Ice (TX) – North Texas
- OFC Wolves (FL)
- Terminus FC (GA)
Group B
- ASC New Stars (TX) – South TX
- Majestic FC (SC)
- Cobb United FC (GA)
- Naples United FC (FL) – NPSL
Note: Two teams were previously announced for the tournament but were unable to compete. Those teams were FC Brownsville (TX) and Los Migos (TX). They were replaced by Cobb United FC (GA) and NTX Black Ice (TX).
USASA Region IV (West)
Semifinals
SATURDAY, JUNE 1
Temecula FC (CA – NISA Nation)
1:2
FC Arizona (AZ – National Premier Soccer League)
Cheyenne Sports Complex – North Las Vegas, NV
FC Arizona beat former NPSL rival Temecula FC, 2-1, after a long day. Saturday’s semifinals were originally scheduled to be played at Sandstone Ridge Park in North Las Vegas in the morning (Prior to THAT the games were going to be held at Tropical Breeze Park but the venue was changed earlier in the week). The morning of, the venue was changed to Cheyenne Sports Complex due to field conditions at Sandstone. USASA and the teams also decided to move the semifinal matches to later in the day. Arizona scored five minutes after the first whistle and didn’t look back. A late goal by Temecula cut the deficit in half but it wasn’t enough to force extra time.
Goal scorers
TFC:
- Eddie Perez
FCA:
- Marco Afonso
- Cade Williams
JM United FC (UT – Utah Adult Soccer League)
1:5
Azteca FC (CO – Colorado Soccer Association)
Cheyenne Sports Complex – North Las Vegas, NV
Azteca FC knocked off upstarts JM United FC, 5-1, in the second semifinal. The 2024 US Open Cup participant used its vast experience to overpower a much younger Jersey Mike’s throughout. JM, a second team to USL League Two side Salt City SC, has a roster mostly made up of college age players. A lone goal ruined the clean sheet for the Colorado side but was not enough to threaten.
Goal scorers
JMUFC:
- Dalton Gibson
AFC:
- Alan Salgado (x3)
- Jovany Herrera
- George Martinez
USASA Region IV Final
SUNDAY, JUNE 2
FC Arizona (AZ – National Premier Soccer League)
2:4
Azteca FC (CO – Colorado Soccer Association)
After Extra Time
Cheyenne Sports Complex – North Las Vegas, NV
FC Arizona won its first ever USASA Region IV Amateur Cup title by beating Azteca FC, 4-2 after extra time. With the win, Arizona is also the first team to punch their ticket to July’s national tournament in Illinois. Arizona took a 1-0 lead into halftime before Azteca tied it in the 88th minute to force extra time. In extra time, Arizona scored twice in the first period to take control back. Both teams scored in the final 15 minutes before the final whistle blew.
(Full match recap by the NPSL)
Goal scorers
FCA:
- Marco Afonso
- Gabe Waters
- Bryan Aceves
- Jordin Figueroa
AFC:
- Alan Salgado
- Luis Reyes
USASA National Amateur Cup Finals
Once all four regional champions have been crowned, each will take part in the national finals on July 25 to 28 in DeKalb, Illinois. This event is officially being hosted by DeKalb County United, who oddly enough did not even enter the tournament.
Qualified teams:
- FC Arizona (Region IV)