Facing one of last year’s best MLS NEXT Pro teams on the road in the opening round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was a tall task for the New York Pancyprian Freedoms. The amateur side from the American Premier Soccer League (APSL – formerly the Eastern Premier Soccer League) and reigning USASA Amateur Cup champions won three US Open Cup titles in the early 1980s, but haven’t won a game in the competition since 2016.
The Pancyprian Freedoms kept FC Cincinnati 2 off the scoresheet and took them to a penalty kick shootout after 120 minutes. The performance of New York goalkeeper Josh Levine and the backline in front of him were key to holding the Cincinnati offense in check and in the end, the Freedoms won the PK shootout 5-4 to advance to Round 2. Levine faced 24 shots, four corner kicks and made seven saves to earn the 120-minute clean sheet.
For his performance, Josh Levine was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round. He distanced himself from another goalkeeper, Tomasz Wroblewski who finished in second place. Wroblewski led Little Rock Rangers (USL League Two) to a 1-0 upset of the Birmingham Legion FC (USL Championship). It was a tight race for third place between Brayan Padilla of FORO SC (UPSL) who scored both goals in FORO’s road upset of Texoma FC of USL League One and Rafael Jauregui of Charlotte Independence (USL League One) who scored twice, including the game-winner in extra time on the road against the Long Island Rough Riders (USL League Two).
The Player of the Round award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team.
“Our match against FC Cincinnati 2 was a strong testament to the coaching staff’s game plan and the team’s collective effort,” said Levine. “We saw standout performances across the board, from the starting lineup to the players who came on later. Jack Sluys, Devin Heanue, Rikard Cederberg, and Jens Hoff were solid on the back line. Proud of what this group has accomplished so far and ready to keep the momentum going into our next match.”
The Freedoms advance to Round 2 where they travel to face Westchester SC of USL League One on April 2.
Levine, who led the Freedoms to last year’s Amateur Cup title, which clinched a spot in the Open Cup for New York, becomes the first player from an APSL team to win Player of the Round.
Levine spent four years at Penn State where he was a standout with a 1.39 goals against average in 32 games with the Nittany Lions. After graduating from Penn State, he spent one season as a graduate student at Fordham where he helped the Rams win an Atlantic-10 championship and punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament. His 0.65 goals against average in his lone season with Fordham tied the single-season school record set by Ryan Meara who went on to play professionally with the New York Red Bulls of MLS.