The Virginia Dream pulled off a ‘Cupset’ in the First Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Wednesday night, defeating the host Richmond Kickers 3-1 at City Stadium. The Dream, a lower-division side from the USASA-affiliated Virginia Super Soccer League, capitalized on defensive lapses and clinical finishing to send the USL League One club crashing out of the tournament.
The Kickers, playing at City Stadium for the first time since October 2024, rotated five players from their opening two matches of the regular season and struggled to find cohesion against a well-organized Virginia Dream squad.
Goalkeeper Joe Rice, who recently came out of retirement to join the Dream, said there was significance in the victory.
“This is a little bit more than an amateur team,” Rice said. “We have a bunch of ex-pros here, as you saw from the game tonight. We are a well-balanced, organized team, and I think it just goes to show the guys’ commitment. It’s a Cupset for a reason. Don’t call us Cinderella, but we’re going to try to go as far as we can.”
Elijah Amo, who played a key role in Virginia’s attacking presence, praised the atmosphere at City Stadium.
“It was a good atmosphere. Always fun to play in this game, especially because the crowd always gets very into it,” Amo said. “I was just trying to be dangerous as a winger, create a little chaos for the other team’s backline, and do what I could.”
After an early spell of pressure from Richmond, the Dream took control of the match and created the more dangerous opportunities despite being outpossessed nearly 2-to-1 on the evening.
The visitors struck first in the 8th minute when Nicholas Lukulia weaved past defender Gui Franca in the box and was brought down, earning a penalty. Lukulia converted the spot kick to give Virginia a 1-0 lead.
The Kickers responded in the 36th minute, equalizing through a well-worked attack to tie the match heading into halftime.
But Virginia quickly reasserted control in the second half. Thomas Suchecki restored the visitors’ lead in the 53rd minute, finishing from close range after a precise chip-pass from Gnaoua Kossehasse.
In the 61st minute, Virginia put the game out of reach when Akingbolahan Akinkoye broke free on a counterattack and slotted his shot past Richmond goalkeeper Pablo Jara, securing a famous victory for the Dream.
Kickers fans, hoping for a strong showing ahead of Saturday’s home opener, left disappointed as their club fell to an amateur opponent in the Open Cup for just the third time in 25 tournament appearances. The last time it happened was at City Stadium in 2017 when they fell to Christos FC.
For Virginia, the win marked another milestone in its recent rise. The club earned a spot in the Open Cup after navigating the Open Division Qualifying tournament, where they knocked off three-time qualifiers Aegean Hawks to secure their place in the competition.