The 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup has entered the hectic part of its schedule, with the next four rounds set to be completed by the end of May, roughly a round every two weeks.
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The Opening Round two weeks ago gave us five upsets from Open Division clubs, down from seven in last year’s First Round. Eight teams making their Open Cup debut earned their first win, and a blizzard in Omaha extended the opening round festivities one more day.
Awaiting the 16 winners of the Second Round are the remaining sixteen USL Championship (Div. 2) clubs who have not entered the tournament yet. These are the top 16 teams from the USL Championship’s 2024 season. The 16 Third Round survivors move onto the Round of 32 the week of May 6-7 to face all 16 MLS teams. Finally, at the end of May the final eight teams will be determined before the Open Cup takes a summer break.
Six games kick off on Tuesday, April 1, while the remaining ten set for Wednesday, April 2.
Follow TheCup.us on X (Twitter) @USOpenCup throughout the weekend for live updates from our reporters who will be at every stadium and with every Second Round game being streamed online via YouTube, you can find links to those below.
Like millions of other users, we are transitioning over to BlueSky and we will have updates there as well.
Below you will find a preview of the 16 games kicking off on Tuesday and Wednesday:
TUESDAY, APRIL 1
Columbus Crew 2 (MLSNP) vs. Lexington Sporting Club (USL-C)
Lower.com Field – Columbus, OH
Kickoff: 6 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
A pair of teams who earned their first ever Open Cup wins in the First Round face off at Columbus’ Lower.com Field.
Columbus Crew 2 opened their Open Cup history with a 4-1 win over the UPSL’s New York Renegades. The game was scoreless for almost all of the opening half, then Keesean Ferdinand and Brent Abu-Gyamfi scored in the final minute to put the Crew 2 up 2-0 at the half. Tristan Brown and Abu-Gyamfi made it 4-0 midway through the second half.
The early 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season is off to a winless start, with the Crew 2 sitting at 0-3. They will have had a two-week break from play leading up to the Open Cup game with Lexington, their last MLSNP match being a 4-2 loss at Inter Miami CF II on March 23.
Lexington broke their streak of two straight “one and done” appearances with a dominating 5-0 romp over Southern Indiana FC of the UPSL. Outshooting their opponents 21-2, Alfredo Midence was man of the match for Lexington, assisting on three goals and scoring one himself.
Early on the move up to the USL Championship from League One seems to be paying off, as Lexington are 1-2-1 in the young season.
Columbus Crew 2
MLS NEXT Pro | Columbus, OH
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Columbus Crew entered 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup
Founded: 2021
Manager: Federico Higuaín
Overall: 1-0-0
Home: 1-0-0
vs. Div. 2: 0-0-0
Best finish: N/A
Columbus Crew 2 earned their debut entry in the Open Cup when their parent club (Columbus Crew SC) gained entry into the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup as 2024 Leagues Cup champions. Crew 2 has been one of the better MLS NEXT Pro teams in its short life, winning the MLS NEXT Pro Championship in 2022 and finishing runners-up in 2023. 2024 was a bit of a step back, as they finished 7th in the Eastern Conference at 11-10-7, but still managed to reach the conference finals in the playoffs.
Lexington Sporting Club
USL Championship | Lexington, KY
3rd US Open Cup appearance (2023, 2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Terry Boss
Overall: 1-2-0
Away: 0-2-0
vs. Amateurs: 1-1-0
Best finish: Second Round (2023)
Lexington’s second and final season in USL League One saw them repeat their 9th place finish from 2023, falling very short of the USL League One preseason prediction poll that tabbed them to win the 2024 championship. In the 2024 offseason Lexington moved up to the USL Championship, a move that was planned when the team started in 2021. Lexington’s 2024 Open Cup ended like their 2023 attempt: one and done. The difference is in 2023 they fell to Louisville City 1-0, while last year they traveled to Vermont and were upset by the Vermont Green of USL League Two in a wild 4-3 shootout.
South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL-1) vs. FORO SC (UPSL)
Tormenta Stadium – Statesboro, GA
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
Second verse, same as the first! FORO SC once again pulled off an Open Cup upset over a pro club with an extra time hero. While it might not have been as dramatic as 2024’s upset over Austin FC II, FORO’s 2-1 extra time triumph over debuting USL League One club Texoma FC was.
Brayan Padilla scored both of FORO’s goals, one from the penalty spot in the opening half and the other in extra time. Of the eight UPSL clubs in this year’s tournament, FORO was the only one to advance.
South Georgia’s 3-0 win over the UPSL’s Harbor City FC was a bit more routine. Two goals from Niall Reid-Stephen and a third from Jonathan Nyandjo pushed Tormenta’s Open Cup home record to 4-0-0, which they’ll be looking to extend versus their upset-minded UPSL opponents.
FORO begin their UPSL season on April 5 and will also field a team in The League for Clubs this year. The start of South Georgia’s USL League One season has them at 1-0-2 with Mason Tunbridge and Yaniv Bazini splitting the teams four goals scored.
South Georgia Tormenta FC
USL League One | Statesboro, GA
5th US Open Cup appearance (2019, 2022-24)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2015
Manager: Ian Cameron
Overall: 8-3-0
Home: 4-0-0
vs. Amateurs: 2-0-0
Best finish: Fourth Round (2022)
South Georgia Tormenta FC (or just Tormenta FC) started as an amateur club in the PDL (USL League Two) in 2016. After three seasons they turned pro to join the newly created USL League One, although they still maintain a team in USL-2. After Tormenta won the 2022 League One championship, the club’s league fortunes have taken a downturn as they have missed the playoffs the last two seasons.
Tormenta have made four previous appearances in the Open Cup, prior to 2024 their best Cup run was in 2022 when they upset a pair of USL Championship teams (Charleston 1-0 and Birmingham 2-0) to reach the Third Round where they dropped a 3-1 decision to Inter Miami CF.
While 2024 saw them reach the Fourth Round again, they did so starting from the Opening Round, winning three games. First they got by amateurs FC America CFL Spurs 1-0, and followed with a resounding 4-0 win over the Savannah Clovers (NISA). In the Third Round, Tormenta upset USL Championship side FC Miami 4-2 with two goals in the final three minutes. The run came to an end with a 3-2 extra time loss to the Charleston Battery when the hosts scored the game winning goal in extra time stoppage time.
FORO SC
United Premier Soccer League | Dallas, TX
2nd US Open Cup appearance (2024)
How they qualified: Defeated Houston Regals SCA (USSSA/USSL) 4-2 in Round 4 of Open Division Qualifying
Founded: 2017
Manager: Michel Garbini Pereira
Overall: 0-1-1 (1-0 PK)
Away: 0-1-1 (1-0 PK)
vs. Div. 3: 0-0-1 (1-0 PK)
Best finish: Second Round (2024)
FORO was one of the highlights of the early rounds of the 2024 US Open Cup, pulling off a memorable upset of Austin FC II the defending champion of MLS NEXT Pro, scoring the tying goal in extra time stoppage time, all while down to 10 men, then winning the penalty kick tiebreaker. FORO’s Kyle Bennett earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for his performance in the match.
In FORO’s qualifying run, 2024 Open Cup hero Kyle Bennett once again came to the rescue in FORO’s 4-1 extra time win over D’Feeters Kicks SC (Dallas Soccer Association). With the game going into extra time at 1-1, Bennett caught fire, scoring three times in the extra session to advance FORO into the Third Round. In that Third Round game, FORO dispatched another DSA squad, StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club, 4-0 to advance to the final round against the USSL’s Houston Regals SCA. After trading goals at 2-2, FORO scored twice midway through the second half to secure their return to the Open Cup.
FORO finished 6-2-2 in the 2024 UPSL Texas North spring season and reached UPSL 2023 fall season final four. They finished 8-2-0 in the 2024 fall season, with Kyle Bennett the leading scorer at 10 goals.
Inter Miami CF II (MLSNP) vs. Miami FC (USL-C)
Chase Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
After coming close to defeating Inter Miami CF in the Open Cup in 2022 and 2023, Miami FC will take their shot at knocking off Inter Miami CF II in this year’s Open Cup. In their first meeting in the 2022 Third Round, Inter Miami needed an 82nd minute goal from Leonardo Campana to pull off the 1-0 win. The next year Shanyder Borgelin equalized for Inter Miami in the 89th minute, and the teams traded goals late into extra time for a 2-2 draw and Inter prevailed on penalty kicks.
To reach the Second Round, Inter Miami CF II knocked off another Miami club, Miami United of the UPSL. After going down 1-0 at halftime, Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida and Mateo Saja scored for Inter II early in the second half, and Yuval Cohen added two more goals to power the 4-2 win.
Miami FC had an easier time with their UPSL opponents, defeating Naples United FC 4-1. Francisco Bonfiglio scored a pair of first half goal followed by Allen Gavilanes and Tobías Zárate in the second half. It was the largest margin of victory for Miami FC in an Open Cup game since their 3-0 defeat of Miami United in the 2022 Second Round and the most goals scored in a single game since they put four past Red Force FC in the 2018 First Round.
In league play, the clubs are headed in opposite directions, with Inter Miami CF II at 1-1-1 coming off a 4-2 win over Columbus Crew 2 on March 23, while Miami FC has yet to win a game in four tries in USL Championship play.
Incredibly, in its 16 Open Cup games played (home and away), Miami FC has yet to leave the state of Florida. In fact, every game but one has been played in the Miami metro area, (at Orlando City in 2017). This game with Inter Miami CF II will stretch Miami FC’s Open Cup Florida run to 17 games.
Inter Miami CF II
MLS NEXT Pro | Ft. Lauderdale, FL
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Inter Miami CF entered 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup
Founded: 2019
Manager: Cristian Ledesma
Overall: 1-0-0
Home: 0-0-0
vs Div. 2: 0-0-0
Best finish: N/A
Inter Miami CF II gets its first crack at Open Cup glory due to its parent club gaining a spot in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup as the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield winners. While Inter Miami were setting records in MLS, their reserve club was having a very good season of their own, finishing in third place in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference. The season would end abruptly, as Columbus Crew pulled off a 6-2 upset in the opening round of the playoffs.
Cristian Ledesma takes over as head coach from Federico Higuaín, who departed after last season to take over the head coach position at Columbus Crew 2. Ledesma played much of his 19-year career in Argentina, and served as an assistant coach with Inter Miami II the last three seasons.
Miami FC
USL Championship | Miami, FL
7th US Open Cup appearance (2016-2019, 2022-2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2015
Manager: Gaston Maddoni
Overall: 9-6-1 (0-1 PK)
Home: 7-6-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. Div. 3: 0-2-0
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2017)
2024 was a year to forget for Miami FC, finishing in last place with a 3-29-2 record, 31 points behind 11th place Loudon United. To try and turn their fortunes around Miami signed Argentine veteran midfielder Sebastián Blanco, who made 176 appearances for the Portland Timbers between 2017 and 2023, scoring 41 goals. Also joining the club is former D.C United & USMNT goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Hamid already has had a taste of the 2025 US Open Cup, playing for Open Division qualifiers Virginia Dream FC last fall. However, due to a new rule from US Soccer, players who appear in Open Division qualifying are no longer cup-tied to the team they played for and are free to play for another team in the Open Cup proper.
Last year’s Open Cup stint didn’t go well for Miami FC, ending after one game with a 4-2 loss to South Georgia Tormenta of USL League One.
Miami FC have competed in four different leagues since its start in 2016. After two seasons in the NASL, the club moved to the NPSL as Miami FC 2 for 2018 and 2019 while the NASL suspended operations. After winning the NPSL championship both seasons, Miami FC made the move to NISA and won the 2019 Fall Championship. Miami then settled in the USL Championship in 2020, and have struggled to find success, only reaching the playoffs in two of their four seasons there.
As a member of the NASL, Miami reached the Quarterfinals in 2017, knocking off Atlanta United 3-2 at home and Orlando City 3-1 away. The wins set up a Quarterfinal date with an even bigger Cinderella story, the red-hot FC Cincinnati of the USL. FC Cincinnati had knocked off two MLS clubs themselves (Columbus & Chicago), with the latter being nationally televised on ESPN in front of 33,287 fans in Cincinnati (it remains the fifth largest crowd to ever witness a US Open Cup match in tournament history). FC Cincinnati prevailed 1-0 over Miami, earning a spot in the Semifinals. Since their move to the USL, Open Cup success has eluded Miami, only winning two games out of five. Perhaps the highlight Miami’s recent Open Cup history was a 2-2 penalty kick loss to Inter Miami CF in front of 12,000 fans.
Charlotte Independence (USL-1) vs. Carolina Core FC (MLSNP)
Mecklenburg County Sportsplex – Matthews, NC
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
The Charlotte Independence play host to their first ever Division 3 opponent since starting Open Cup play in 2015 when MLS NEXT Pro’s Carolina Core FC come visiting in the Second Round.
While Charlotte had their hands full in the Opening Round, Carolina had their game under control until their opponents gave them trouble at the end.
Charlotte travelled up to Long Island and after falling behind 1-0 to the Rough Riders of USL League Two, Charlotte tied the game on Rafael Jauregui’s first goal. As the game went to extra time the teams traded three goals in three minutes, starting with Christian Chaney’s 104th minute score to put Charlotte up 2-1. The Rough Riders tied the game a minute later but Jauregui scored his second goal in the 107th minute to give Charlotte a lead they would not relinquish.
Carolina jumped out to a 4-0 lead over UPSL champions Soda City FC thanks to two goals from Joshua Rodriguez and individual markers from Facundo Canete and Jacob Evans. The amateurs then scored twice in four minutes late in the second half to threaten a comeback.
Charlotte is 4-3 against teams from the Tar Heel state in the Open Cup, with three of the wins coming against amateur opponents.
Carolina has played just twice in the young MLS NEXT Pro season and are 0-1-1. Charlotte also have just two league games under their belt but are 1-1-0.
Charlotte Independence
USL League One | Charlotte, NC
8th US Open Cup appearance (2015-19, 2022-23)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2014
Manager: Mike Jeffries
Overall: 7-7-3 (2-1 PK)
Away: 5-5-0
vs. Amateurs: 5-2-2 (1-1 PK)
Best finish: Fifth Round (2015)
Charlotte has the second longest Open Cup history of all the USL League One teams with seven appearances. The club’s high point was a run to the Fifth Round (Round of 16) in 2015, when they upset the New England Revolution 1-0 in the Fourth Round. The Independence fell short of reaching the Quarterfinals, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Chicago Fire. Captain Jorge Herrera was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance against New England.
Charlotte’s 2024 Open Cup run was a bit better than their USL-1 season. After opening with a 2-0 road win over amateur side Vereinigung Erzgebirge, Charlotte advanced twice via penalty shootouts over South Carolina Heat and Rhode Island FC at home. The Fourth Round saw them drop a 3-0 away decision to Atlanta United FC. Charlotte are 5-2-2 all-time against amateur clubs, and their last outright loss was in 2022 to North Carolina Fusion U-23s.
Carolina Core FC
MLS NEXT Pro | High Point, NC
2nd US Open Cup appearance (2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid as Independent MLS NEXT Pro club
Founded: 2022
Manager: Donovan Ricketts
Overall: 2-1-0
Home: 1-0-0
vs. Amateurs: 2-0-0
Best finish: Third Round (2024)
As an independent MLS NEXT Pro club with no affiliation with an MLS team, Carolina, along with Chattanooga FC, are free to enter the Open Cup every year. Carolina finished just outside the playoffs in the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, scoring just 39 goals, one of the lowest totals in the league.
Carolina’s 2024 Open Cup debut went well, as they were one of three MLS NEXT Pro clubs to reach the Third Round. In the First Round, Carolina came out on top 3-2 versus Northern Virginia FC in a back and forth game. Next, they ended the upset dreams of amateur side Vermont Green 2-1 with a pair of second half goals. The run came to an end in the Third Round with a 1-0 loss to North Carolina FC (USL Championship).
Replacing former US international Roy Lassiter as head coach is longtime goalkeeper for the Jamaican National Team, Donovan Ricketts. Ricketts, who made 100 appearances for Jamaica between the posts, served as Carolina’s goalkeeping coach last year.
Monterey Bay FC (USL-C) vs. El Farolito (NPSL)
Cardinale Stadium – Seaside, CA
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
The Burrito Boys are back. A year after their run in last year’s tournament, the 1993 Open Cup champs are at it again, upsetting Real Monarchs 3-1 in extra time. 2024 hero Dembor Benson opened the scoring, and after Herlbert Soto gave the underdogs the lead in extra time from the penalty spot, and Erik Arias sealed the win with a stoppage time goal.
El Farolito will be Monterey Bay’s second Bay Area opponent of this Open Cup, having dispatched Inter San Francisco 4-0 in the Opening Round. Mobi Fehr and Ilijah Paul bookended Xavi Gnaulati’s brace.
El Farolito opened their NPSL season on March 29 with a scoreless draw against the Oakland Stompers. Monterey Bay are off to a great start to the 2025 season, currently 3-0-1 and riding a three game win streak, scoring three times in each win.
This is the fourth Open Cup appearance in a row that El Farolito have faced USL Championship opposition, though they have lost all three previous games. Monterey Bay, on the other hand, has faced just one amateur opponent in seven previous Open Cup games, that being Inter San Francisco in the previous round.
Monterey Bay FC
USL Championship | Seaside, CA
4th US Open Cup appearance (2022-2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Jordan Stewart
Overall: 3-2-1 (0-1 PK)
Home: 2-0-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. Amateur: 0-0-0
Best finish: Fourth Round (2023, 2024)
Monterey Bay’s lineage can be traced back to USL Championship club Fresno FC. After plans for a stadium fell through, owner Ray Beshoff ceased operations after the 2019 season, but retained the franchise rights, eventually choosing Monterey Bay. For the most part success has eluded the club since it was re-born in 2022, with the club anchored at the bottom of the standings. 2024 appeared to be a turning point, with the team winning four of its first seven games. The season took a turn as the club managed just four wins from their remaining 27 games, finishing with a franchise worst 8-16-10 record.
In an effort to turn things around, the club has added 13 new players to the roster, including Australians Jacob Muir and Luke Ivanovic, Danish forward Anton Søjberg and Swedish forward Adam Larson.
Monterey Bay has found a bit more success in the Open Cup, upsetting the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0, and then holding Los Angeles FC to a 2-2 draw before being eliminated on penalties in 2023. In 2024 they knocked off NISA rookie Irvine Zeta FC 2-1, then fell to USL Championship rivals Sacramento Republic 2-0. Inter San Francisco will be the first Open Division opponent in Monterey Bay’s short Open Cup history.
El Farolito
National Premier Soccer League | San Francisco, CA
5th US Open Cup appearance (2017, 2019, 2023, 2024)
How they qualified: 2024 NPSL Champions
Founded: 1985
Manager: Santiago Lopez
Overall: 5-3-1 (0-1 PKs)
Away: 4-2-0
vs. Div. 2: 0-3-0
Best finish: 1993 US Open Cup champions (as CD Mexico)
El Farolito’s 2024 season will be a tough act to follow. For starters there was their run in the Open Cup, in which the “burrito joint team” knocked off two professional clubs, MLS NEXT Pro’s Timbers2 (2-1) and USL League One’s Central Valley Fuego (2-1). Then they took USL Championship’s Oakland Roots to extra time before falling 2-1. During all that, team star Dembor Benson was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Second Round, as well as TheCup.us’ Lower Division Player of the Tournament. The performance in the Open Cup earned Benson a professional contract with the Fuego. To put a cherry on top of it all, El Farolito defeated FC Motown 2-1 to win the NPSL championship.
El Farolito were one of three former Open Cup champions (Richmond Kickers 1995 and New York Pancyprian Freedoms in 1980, 1982, 1983) among the opening round entrants, having won the US Open Cup in 1993 under the name CD Mexico. The club also reached the Final of the 1991 National Amateur Cup. El Farolito competed in the San Francisco Soccer Football League and California Premier Soccer Association for most of their existence before switching to the NPSL in 2018. In fact, El Farolito would have been making their fifth Open Cup appearance this year instead of their third but were disqualified in 2018 for switching leagues in the middle of the competition. (The club was the subject of TheCup.us’s “Meet the Underdogs” series back in 2017.)
MORE: El Farolito is the Spice of the Open Cup
AV ALTA FC (USL-1) vs. LAFC2 (MLSNP)
Lancaster Memorial Stadium – Lancaster, CA
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
AV ALTA had a successful Open Cup debut, defeating USL-2 club Ventura County Fusion 3-1. Jerry Desdunes scored twice and had a chance at a hat-trick but saw his second half penalty kick saved. With the game’s opening goal, Desdunes became the first ever goal scorer for two different clubs in the span of four seasons, as he scored the winning goal in extra time to propel the Northern Colorado Hailstorm to a 1-0 upset win over the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in 2022. Each game was the first ever competitive match for either club.
Los Angeles FC 2 had a much easier time in their First Round game, demolishing FC Arizona of the NPSL 7-1. Matt Evans and Jude Terry scored twice, and Tommy Mihalic added a goal and two assists.
ALTA has yet to earn a point in USL League One play, having lost both of its games, LAFC II also only played two league games, resulting in a win and a loss.
AV ALTA FC
USL League One | Lancaster, CA
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2023
Manager: Brian Kleiban
Overall: 1-0-0
Home: 1-0-0
vs. Div. 3: 0-0-0
Best finish: N/A
Located an hour and a half north of Los Angeles, AV ALTA FC is one of five new USL League One teams for 2025. Former US international and Minnesota United midfielder Miguel Ibarra was the club’s first signing in December 2024. Ibarra is a native of Lancaster, Calif.
AV stands for Antelope Valley, the region AV Alta based in or alternately “Aerospace Valley” since the region is known for its work in the aerospace industry. Alta comes from the name given to the wider region in the early 1800s when Alta California (“Upper California”) was province of New Spain.
LAFC 2
MLS NEXT Pro | Fullerton, CA
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Los Angeles FC entered in 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup
Founded: 2023
Manager: Junior Gonzalez
Overall: 1-0-0
Away: 0-0-0
vs. Div. 3: 0-0-0
Best finish: N/A
Los Angeles FC 2 is making their debut in the Open Cup due to Los Angeles FC being entered in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup as 2024 Leagues Cup runners-up. LAFC are also the 2024 US Open Cup Champions, as are the first Open Cup Champions in the Modern Era to not defend their championship.
LAFC 2 had a successful 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, finishing in 5th place in the Western Conference, though they lost in the opening round of the payoffs.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2
Loudoun United FC (USL-C) vs. Virginia Dream FC (VSSL/USASA)
Segra Field – Leesburg, VA
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m.
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
Yes Virginia, the Dream is alive!
In the First Round, the amateurs got off to a “dream” start in just the 8th minute Nicolas Likulia was brought down in the penalty area and then converted the spot kick himself. Virginia took the lead in the 53rd minute when Thomas Suchecki headed in a free kick that hit the upright. Eight minutes later Akingbolahan “Michael” Akinkoye gave Virginia hope the dream would become reality with a third goal.
It was the first time Richmond lost to a USASA club since their 1-0 upset at the hands of Christos FC in 2017, also played at City Stadium in Richmond.
Loudoun United had their hands full with a more seasoned amateur qualifier, edging out West Chester United SC 3-2. The USL Championship side went down 1-0 after 18 minutes, but the first of Riley Bidois’s two goals tied the game before halftime. Soon after the break Loudoun took the lead on a Christian Soton penalty kick and extended the advantage to 3-1 on Bidois’s second goal at the 61st minute. WCU made it 3-2 seven minutes later but could not get any closer.
Loudoun is off to a fantastic start in the USL Championship, holding a 3-0-1 record and Abdellatif Aboukoura accounting for four of the club’s seven goals. Virginia Dream starts its 2025 UPSL season on April 6 and their VSSL schedule on April 9.
Loudoun United FC
USL Championship | Leesburg, VA
3rd US Open Cup appearance (2023, 2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: Ryan Martin
Overall: 4-2-1 (1-0 PK)
Home: 2-1-0
vs. Amateurs: 1-0-0
Best finish: Fourth Round (2023, 2024)
Loudoun United have played in the USL Championship since 2019, but only became eligible for the Open Cup in 2023 once their status as D.C. United’s reserve club ended. Loudoun have lived at the bottom of the USL championship table each of their five seasons, only hitting double digit wins once (11 in 2019). 2024 was no different for Loudoun, finishing 11-14-9, though they were just six points adrift of the final playoff spot.
Loudoun matched their furthest Open Cup run in 2024, advancing three games deep. Opening with a penalty kick win over the Richmond Kickers, Loudoun followed up with a long trip to the West Coast to beat league mates Orange County SC 2-1. The run ended with a 3-0 loss on the other side of the country to eventual Open Cup champions Los Angeles FC. West Chester United will be Loudoun United’s first amateur opponent in Open Cup play, with all six previous games coming against professional USL teams and MLS clubs.
Virginia Dream FC
Virginia Super Soccer League/USASA | Falls Church, Virginia
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Defeated Aegean Hawks (APL) 2-1 in Round 4 of Open Division Qualifying
Founded: 2022
Manager: CJ Taylor
Overall: 1-0-0
Away: 1-0-0
vs. Div. 3: 0-0-0
Best finish: N/A
Virginia Dream drew a bye through Rounds 1 and 2 of the Open Division Qualifying tournament. In the Third Round, Virginia defeated the UPSL’s Alexandria Reds 2-1 after extra time, both goals coming from Nico Likulia. In the final round Virginia knocked off 3-time Open Cup qualifiers Aegean Hawks 2-1, with Mike Akinkoye scoring the winner in the 89th minute.
Virginia Dream’s UPSL team finished 8-1-1 in 2024 spring season and reached the Round of 16 in the UPSL national playoffs. Their team in the Virginia Super Soccer League finished 9-0-1 in the summer season and finished 8-0-2 in the fall session. They also won the MSSL-VSSL SuperCup championship over Steel Pulse FC 6-1. Virginia was anchored through Open Cup qualifying and the VSSL Fall league by former D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid who has since signed with Miami FC (USL Championship).
Portland Hearts of Pine (USL-1) vs. Hartford Athletic (USL-C)
Franklin Athletic Complex – Lewiston, ME
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
Portland Hearts of Pine got their Open Cup history started in fine fashion, cruising to a 4-0 win over CD Faialense (USASA). As the club had yet to start USL League One play, Walter Varela scored the team’s first ever goal in the 18th minute. Azaad Ladi added two more on either side of the half, and Nathan Messer scored number four.
Hartford Athletic returned to the win column in the Open Cup with some help from one of the players who helped knock them out in 2024. Adewale Obalola, Mamadou Dieng, and Michee Ngalina scored in the 3-0 win over the New York Shockers of the UPSL, with Jonathan Jiminez assisting on the opening goal. Jiminez was part of the NYCFC II squad that upset Hartford 3-2 in the Third Roud last year.
Hartford will look to not only win the first Open Cup road game (0-2), but will seek to gain their first win against a professional club, losing all five contests since 2019.
Portland have played just one league match so far, a 0-0 draw on March 29 against Naples FC. Hartford have not won a league game in three tries this year, scoring just one goal.
Portland Hearts of Pine
USL League One | Portland, ME
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2023
Manager: Bobby Murphy
Overall: 1-0-0
Home: 1-0-0
vs. Div. 2: 0-0-0
Best finish: N/A
Hearts of Pine are the first club from Maine to play in the Open Cup since GPS Portland Phoenix of the PDL (USL League Two) in 2017 and are the first professional club from The Pine Tree State to make an Open Cup appearance. This will also be the first Open Cup game played in Maine since GPS Portland Phoenix lost to GPS Omens (USASA) 2-0 in Portland, Maine in the 2017 First Round.
The first player to sign with the club was Trinidadian midfielder Michel Poon-Angeron, who has made 17 appearances with the Trinidad and Tobago national team. Hearts of Pine are playing their Open Cup game in Lewiston, Maine because the multi-million dollar renovation of Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland is still not finished. Like former USL League One club Northern Colorado Hailstorm in 2023, the Open Cup was the first ever game for Hearts of Pine.
MORE: Hearts of Pine Notebook: Preseason Success, Open Cup Tickets, and a Documentary
Hartford Athletic
Hartford, CT | USL Championship
4th US Open Cup appearance (2019, 2022-2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: Brendan Burke
Overall: 4-4-0
Away: 0-2-0
vs. Div. 3: 0-1-0
Best finish: Third Round (2019, 2022, 2023)
While most clubs would view a 12-14-8 season as a disappointment, for Hartford it was a vast improvement over 2023. Finishing 4-24-6 and in last place in the Eastern Conference in 2023, Hartford ended 2024 just four points out of a playoff spot. Their 2024 Open Cup run did not go as well, lasting just one game with a 3-2 extra time loss to MLS NEXT Pro’s New York City FC II.
One major addition to Hartford’s roster is Jonathan Jimenez Vargas, formerly with New York City FC II and a major contributor to NYCFC II’s run to the Round of 16 in last year’s Open Cup. Vargas accounted for 23 goals and 11 assists over 71 appearances for NYCFC II and finished in a three-way tie for the Open Cup goal scoring lead with 4 and led the entire tournament in scoring with 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists).
Hartford has just eight Open Cup games under its belt, and have yet to advance to a third game. Their four wins have not only all been at home but have also all been earned against amateur opposition.
Participation in the Open Cup by teams from Hartford began in 1920, when the S.K.F. Club were eliminated in the opening round by New Haven FC. Hartford would remain quiet up until the Italian American Stars rose to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s, reaching the Eastern Quarterfinals in 1959, 1960 and 1961, as well as well as reaching the 1961 National Amateur Cup Final. Hartford’s Trinity Health Stadium (previously known as Dillon Stadium) has hosted Open Cup matches since Nov. 16, 1958, when the I-A Stars defeated Hartford’s KS Ogniwo 2-0 in the opening round of qualifying for the 1959 Open Cup.
Westchester SC (USL-1) vs. NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA/APSL)
The Stadium at Memorial Field – Mt. Vernon, NY
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
One of the new clubs in USL League One plays host to one of the more historic teams in this year’s Open Cup.
The three-time Open Cup champion Freedoms travelled to the Ohio River and outlasted FC Cincinnati 2, eliminating the MLS NEXT Pro side on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Goalkeeper Josh Levine kept a clean sheet over 120 minutes, facing 24 shots and making 7 saves, earning him TheCup.us Playere of the Round honors.
The Freedoms advanced in the Open Cup for the first time since 2016 when they defeated New York Red Bulls U-23s, 2-1. The Freedoms and El Farolito became the first pre-Modern Era champions to advance from the same round since 2014 when the New York Greek Americans and the Brooklyn Italians accomplished the feat.
Westchester found their inaugural Open Cup game to be no walk in the park, edging out 2024 NPSL championship runners-up FC Motown 1-0. Juan Carlos Obregon Jr. converted a penalty with nine minutes remaining to finally give the pros the upper hand.
NY Pancyprian Freedoms are currently 13-2-1 and in first place in the APSL Metropolitan Conference, having kicked off the second half of the 2024/25 season at the beginning of March. Joseph Holland and James Tristino lead the team in goal scoring with 14 and 10 respectively.
Westchester’s first USL League One season is just two games old, but has resulted in a draw and a win.
Westchester SC
USL League One | Mount Vernon, NY
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded:2024
Manager: Dave Carton
Overall: 0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0
vs. Amateurs: 0-0-0
Best finish: N/A
Westchester is one of five new clubs in USL League One this season. US Men’s National Team and AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams joined the ownership group of the club in January 2025. Adams also owns USL League Two club Hudson Valley Hammers, who appeared in the 2024 US Open Cup.
Two big signings for Westchester include center back Andrew Jean-Baptiste, who had played the last three seasons with Canadian Premier League club Valour FC and has played for the Haitian national team 15 times. Also joining Westchester is Honduran forward Juan Carlos Obregón, who scored 15 goals while with the Charlotte Independence in 2024, ranking second in USL League One.
MORE: How Westchester SC is building a club that can last
NY Pancyprian Freedoms
Eastern Premier Soccer League | Queens, NY
7th US Open Cup appearance in Modern Era (1999, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2016)
How they qualified: 2024 National Amateur Cup Champions
Founded: 1974
Manager: Andreas Chronis
Overall: 4-5-1 (0-1 PK)
Away: 1-4-0
vs. Div. 3: 1-1-1 (0-1 PK)
Best finish: Champions (1980, 1982 and 1983)
The New York Pancyprian Freedoms are easily the most decorated team amongst the 32 amateur clubs in this year’s tournament, having won the US Open Cup three times in 1980, 1982 and 1983, along with many more deep runs in the tournament. The Freedoms also made two appearances in the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1983 and 1984, reaching the Semifinals in 1984.
Since 1995, the Freedoms’ Cup success has slowed down, qualifying twice in 1999 and 2002 as a professional club in the USL D-3 Pro League, and four times through the legendary Cosmopolitan Soccer League. They’ve reached the Second Round four times in the Modern Era (1995-present). The Freedoms gained a spot in the 2025 tournament by winning the 2024 National Amateur Cup with a commanding 6-0 victory over the Milwaukee Torrent of the NPSL. It was the club’s first-ever Amateur Cup title for the Freedoms.
The team was founded in 1974 to help draw attention to the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus, and many former members of the Greek and Cypriot national teams have taken the field for them.
MORE: The Very International, Very Local History of NY Pancyprian-Freedoms
Chattanooga FC (MLSNP) vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL-1)
Finley Stadium – Chattanooga, TN
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
It’s taken six years, but the battle for Chattanooga is finally taking place. It all started when the Chattanooga Red Wolves were announced on August 1, 2018. Chattanooga FC, founded in 2009, took this as an attempt to take over the market in which they had already had multiple games with over 10,000 in attendance. A very large turnout is expected at Finley Stadium for the first ever Scenic City Derby.
Both clubs had to fight to advance to the Second Round. Travelling to Newark, N.J., the Red Wolves avoided an upset by eliminating the UPSL’s New Jersey Alliance on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Matt Bentley scored both Red Wolves goals, the second coming with six minutes remaining. The Alliance would tie the game in second half stoppage time, and with no scoring in extra time the Red Wolves would convert all of their penalty kicks, while the amateurs missed two of theirs.
Chattenooga FC were also pushed to extra time by their amateur opponents, Corpus Christi FC of USL League Two, but managed to avoid penalties when longtime forward Markus Naglestad scored in the 112th minute.
Chattanooga FC are off to a 2-1-0 start for the 2025 season, while the Red Wolves are 0-0-2 in the early USL League One season.
Chattanooga FC
MLS NEXT Pro | Chattanooga, TN
9th US Open Cup appearance (2011, 2013-2017, 2022-2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid as Independent MLS NEXT Pro club
Founded: 2009
Manager: Chris Nugent
Overall: 4-7-5 (3-2 PK)
Home: 3-4-2 (2-0 PK)
vs. Div. 3: 1-2-1 (1-0 PK)
Best finish: Third Round (2014-2016, 2022-2023)
Chattanooga FC started out as an NPSL club in 2009, reaching the NPSL Championship four times. The club transitioned to a professional team to join NISA in 2019, where they became one of that league’s more successful teams despite not winning a league championship. In 2024 the club moved to MLS NEXT Pro, where they barely missed the playoffs. In the 2024 US Open Cup, Chattanooga FC were upset at home by amateur club Miami United FC 1-0.
Chattanooga FC are by far the most experienced MLS NEXT Pro team as far as the Open Cup is concerned, having made nine previous appearances., Chattanooga’s deepest run came in 2015, when they advanced past the Ocala Stampede and Wilmington Hammerheads on penalties, only to lose in extra time to the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks 2-1.
Markus Naglestad, who led NISA in goals scored in 2022 and 2023 with 19 and 15 tallies, is returning to the club for 2025 after being away for much of the 2024 season.
Chattanooga have played nine of their 16 Open Cup games at home in Finley Stadium, where they are 3-4-2, with the two draws resulting in penalty tiebreaker wins.
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
USL League One | Chattanooga, TN
5th US Open Cup appearance (2019, 2022-24)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: Scott Mackenzie
Overall: 2-4-1 (1-0 PK)
Away: 1-3-1 (1-0 PK)
vs. Div. 3: 0-0-0
Best finish: Third Round (2024)
Since reaching the USL League One Final in 2022, Chattanooga has spent two seasons near the bottom of the league standings. An 8-17-7 10th place finish in 2023 was followed by a drop to 11th and a 5-14-3 mark.
The Red Wolves’ 2024 Open Cup run gave fans a small glimmer of enjoyment in a dismal season. For the first time in four appearances the club advanced past their opening game. In the First Round, Chattanooga held off an upset bid from amateurs Brockton FC United (UPSL) with a 4-2 extra time win. Next up was a 1-0 road win over another amateur club Apotheos FC (NPSL). The run ended in the Third Round against Birmingham Legion FC, but not without a fight. The Red Wolves took the USL Championship club to extra time before falling 4-2, with Birmingham’s Stefano Pinho accounting for all four of the winners’ goals.
MORE: Sean McDaniel Steps Down As GM And President Of Chattanooga Red Wolves
Greenville Triumph (USL-1) vs. One Knoxville SC (USL-1)
Paladin Stadium at Furman University – Greenville, SC
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
It’s the first of back to back games at Paladin Stadium between Greenville and Knoxville, a week after their Open Cup clash the clubs will meet here again in USL League One action.
The clubs have Open Cup history between one another despite their limited number of games in the tournament. Greenville came out on top 3-2 after extra time in the meeting in last year’s Second Round. Greenville also took the 2024 USL League One series 2-0-1, winning 2-1 and 2-0 and playing to a 0-0 draw.
Knoxville disposed of the NPSL’s Appalachian FC 3-1 in the Opening Round, Leo Santos, Babacar Diene and Scott McLeod providing the goals. Greenville had a bit of a tougher time with Asheville City SC of USL League Two, being taken to a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw. Greenville prevailed 4-3 in the PK tiebreaker.
Both clubs have had a decent start to the USL-1, as Knoxville is 1-0-1, while Greenville is 1-1-1, though the Triumph hare coming off a 4-0 loss to the Spokane Velocity on March 29.
Greenville Triumph SC
USL League One | Greenville, NC
5th US Open Cup appearance (2019, 2022-2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: Rick Wright
Overall: 4-4-0
Away: 2-2-0
vs. Amateurs: 1-0-0
Best finish: Third Round (2022, 2024)
In the 2024 US Open Cup, Greenville matched their deepest run by reaching the Third Round but also won two games in the same tournament for the first time. A 1-0 opening round win over South Carolina United FC (USL-2) was followed by a 3-2 extra time victory over USL League One rivals One Knoxville. The run ended with a 3-1 defeat to Louisville City of the USL Championship. Greenville has faced just one amateur opponent in its eight overall Open Cup games, the 2024 win over South Carolina United FC.
Greenville continued their run of successful USL League One seasons in 2024, finishing 11-4-7 and reaching the semifinals in the playoffs. Swiss forward Lyam MacKinnon led USL League One with 16 goals, though he has moved on to Orange County SC of the USL Championship. Greenville has been one of the more successful clubs in USL League One since joining the league in 2019. In its five years in the league, Greenville have made the playoffs every year, finishing as championship runners-up in 2018 and 2021, and winning the title in 2020.
One Knoxville SC
USL League One | Knoxville, TN
3rd US Open Cup appearances (2023, 2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Ian Fuller
Overall: 2-2-0
Away: 2-0-0
vs. Div. 3: 0-1-0
Best finish: Second Round (2023, 2024)
One Knoxville began as an amateur team in USL League Two with the intent to eventually move to League One. After registering a 11-1-2 record and reaching the League Two Quarterfinals in the 2022 season, One Knoxville made the move to League One for the 2023 campaign, missing the playoffs. 2024 saw an improvement to a 9-5-8 record and a playoff berth, allowing a league low 16 goals but also scoring a league low 23.
Taking over as head coach for 2025 is Ian Fuller, who played 11 seasons for clubs in MLS and the USL Championship from 2002-2013 and had served as an assistant coach for Minnesota United from 2016-2024. Fuller nearly made history in 2008 when he led the Charleston Battery (USL) to the US Open Cup Final. He scored an early equalizer against D.C. United in the Final, but the MLS side would eventually lift the trophy with a 2-1 win.
FC Naples (USL-1) vs. Little Rock Rangers (USL-2)
Paradise Coast Sports Complex – Naples, FL
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
With three Open Cup games played between them, FC Naples and the Little Rock Rangers are the Second Round matchup with the least tournament experience.
Little Rock won their first Open Cup game the hard way, beating a pro team two levels above them with a memorable performance from their goalkeeper. Not only did Tomasz Wróblewski keep a clean sheet over 90 minutes, he stopped a Lucca Dourado penalty kick in the 24th minute to keep Birmingham from taking an early advantage. Caoimhin McConnell then put the Rangers in front just after halftime and Little Rock held on the rest of the way for the upset. Wróblewski’s performance led to a second place finish in the voting for TheCup.us Playere of the Round award.
FC Naples also got a PK save from their goalkeeper Edward Delgado to keep Sarasota Paradise off the board in the 69th minute. Down 1-0 late and looking at an upset, Javier Salgado and Kevin O’Connor scored in the 88th and 90th minutes to give the first year pro team their initial Open Cup win.
FC Naples are currently on top of USL League One with a 2-0-2 record, with Karsen Henderlong accounting for three of the teams four goals. Little Rock does not start their USL League Two schedule until May.
FC Naples
USL League One | Naples, FL
1st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2024
Manager: Matt Poland
Overall: 1-0-0
Hom,e: 0-0-0
vs. Amateurs: 1-0-0
Best finish: N/A
FC Naples is one of five new clubs from USL League One. FC Naples, along with Naples United are the first clubs representing Naples, Fla. in the Open Cup since the PDL’s Southwest Florida Adrenaline in 2015. The club also shares their stadium, Paradise Coast Sports Complex Stadium, with Naples United.
Little Rock Rangers
USL League Two | Little Rock, AR
2nd US Open Cup appearance (2019)
How they qualified: Finished 1st in USL L2 Mid South Division
Founded: 2016
Manager: Nick Doyle
Overall: 1-0-1 (0-0 PK)
Away: 0-0-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. Div. 3: 0-0-0
Best finish: First Round (2019)
Little Rock got its start in 2016 in the NPSL, and their first real taste of success came in 2018 when they finished 7-3-0 and reached the NPSL Regional Finals, earning a spot in the 2019 US Open Cup. In the 2019 Open Cup they were eliminated in the First Round on penalties by NTX Rayados after a 2-2 draw. In 2021, the Rangers moved to USL League Two, and after a couple disappointing years, Little Rock reached the Conference Finals in 2023 then followed up with a 9-0-3 season in 2024.
Forward Madison FC (USL-1) vs. FC Tulsa (USL-C)
Breese Stevens Field – Madison, WI
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
After surviving the latest edition of the Tulsa Derby, FC Tulsa must make the trek north to Madison, Wis. to face USL-1’s Forward Madison.
For the second year in a row, Madison faced off with Duluth FC, and for a while the NPSL amateurs appeared to be eyeing an upset, trailing 2-1 late in the game. At the 86th minute the floodgates opened, and Madison scored three goals to put the home crowd at ease.
For the third time in four years, FC Tulsa met their amateur cross-town rival Tulsa Athletic. After splitting the first two games in 2022 and 2023, the pros once again came out on top, 1-0, on the strength of a Taylor Calheira penalty kick in the 84th minute.
FC Tulsa are off to a 3-1-0 start in the USL Championship, and are coming off a 1-0 win over Sacramento Republic on March 28. Forward Madison have just two league games played, a 2-0 loss to FC Naples and a 2-1 win over Richmond on March 29.
Forward Madison hasn’t played Division Two opposition since 2019, when they beat El Paso Locomotive 3-0 then lost to Saint Louis FC 3-1. Similarly, Tulsa have played a Division 3 opponent just once as a Division 2 club, a 2-1 win over Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC in 2024.
Forward Madison FC
USL League One | Madison, WI
5th US Open Cup appearance (2019, 2022-24)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: Matt Glaeser
Overall: 5-4-0
Home: 3-2-0
vs. Div. 2: 1-1-0
Best finish: Third Round (2019, 2022)
If Forward Madison’s 2025 Open Cup stops via penalty shootout loss, they shouldn’t be surprised with the way their big games in 2024 ended. First off, the Flamingoes reached the final of the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup, only to lose to the Northern Colorado Hailstorm on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Two months later, in the USL League One semifinals, Madison was eliminated by the Spokane Velocity on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Those two results spoiled what was the best season since their debut campaign in 2019, as Madison finished with a 10-3-9 record and a third-place finish in the league.
Their 2024 Open Cup run ended abruptly, after beating Duluth FC 2-0, Madison lost by the same score to Chicago Fire II of MLS NEXT Pro. Madison have yet to match their initial Open Cup outing in 2019 in which they beat 2018 National Amateur Cup champions Bavarian SC and upset USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive to reach the Third Round.
Breese Stevens Field has seen plenty of Open Cup action in the past, having been used as a home venue by the Madison 56ers during the 1980s and 1990s. Forward is the state motto of Wisconsin, and the flamingo in their logo represents the official bird of the city of Madison, a flamingo lawn ornament.
FC Tulsa
USL Championship | Tulsa, OK
9th US Open Cup appearance (2015-2019, 2022-24)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2013
Manager: Luke Spencer
Overall: 6-8-1 (1-0 PK)
Away: 2-7-0
vs. Div. 3: 1-1-0
Best finish: Fifth Round (2024)
FC Tulsa started out as the Tulsa Roughnecks in 2014, paying homage to the NASL team that played from 1978-1984. After the team changed ownership in late 2019, the team was re-named FC Tulsa for the 2020 season. Tulsa has struggled in the bottom half of the standings for its nine seasons, only reaching the playoffs three times.
Tulsa’s 2024 ended with them missing the playoffs by five points with a 9-14-11 record, their 33 goals scored one of the lowest totals in the league. In the Open Cup, Tulsa matched their 2017 effort of winning two games, wins over the Northern Colorado Hailstorm (USL-1, 2-1) and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-C, 1-0), led to a Fifth Round enco0unter with Sporting Kansas City, resulting in a 4-0 loss.
While the original NASL avoided the Open Cup during its existence, in 1983 the Tulsa Roughnecks showed interest in entering. While it was too late to join the 1983 tournament, plans were made for 1984. Unfortunately, the league folded before that could happen, and Tulsa’s Open Cup plans had to be scrapped.
Des Moines Menace (USL-2) vs. Union Omaha (USL-1)
Valley Stadium – West Des Moines, IA
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
When is an amateur club’s win over a pro side not considered an upset? When that amateur club is packed with former MLS stars. Sacha Kljestan and his band of MLS recruits (Dax McCarty, Bradley Wright Phillips, Ozzie Alonso, Matt Hedges, Victor Ulloa and Justin Meram) got by Sporting Kansas City II 2-1 on a pair of successful penalty kicks from Kljestan.
Visiting the old boys in West Des Moines will be a more formidable opponent, defending USL League One champions Union Omaha. Omaha saw their First Round game with USL-2 club Flatirons FC pushed back two days due to a snowstorm in Omaha preventing travel. Josué Gómez and Joe Gallardo Jr. (PK) scored on either side of the half for a routine 2-1 win.
This will be the second year in a row Omaha will face off with Sacha Kljestan and his all-stars, last year the Owls prevailed 3-1. Omaha also defeated a more traditional Menace squad 2-1 in 2022.
Des Moines have faced Division 3 opposition in the Open Cup in only 9 of their 33 Cup games, however this will mark their fifth game in a row they’ve faced off against a Division 3 team, where they are 2-2.
Omaha have only played two league games thus far, a win and a loss, while the Menace are still a month away from the start of the USL League Two season.
Des Moines Menace
USL League Two | Des Moines, IA
15th US Open Cup appearance (2002-03, 2005-06, 2010, 2012-13, 2015-2017, 2019, 2022-24)
How they qualified: Finished 1st in USL-2 Heartland Division
Founded: 1994
Manager: Charlie Latshaw III
Overall: 15-14-4 (3-1PK)
Home: 8-6-3 (3-1 PK)
vs. Div. 3: 3-4-2 (2-0 PK)
Best finish: Fourth Round (2005)
For the fifth year in a row and 15th time overall, the Des Moines Menace are back in their familiar spot in the Open Cup. One of the great lower league upset darlings of the Open Cup in the Modern Era, the Menace have 15 Open Cup wins, and eight upsets of professional opponents, both of which are the second most among all amateur teams in the Modern Era (1995-present). Only the Flint City Bucks (15 wins, 10 pro upsets) have more in both categories. The Menace have missed out on just three Open Cup tournaments since 2010.
The Menace once again finished 2024 atop the USL-2 Heartland Division, going 9-1-2, though they were eliminated in the Midwest Conference Final 1-0 by Peoria City. The Menace are currently on a ten-season streak of finishing either first or second in their division in USL League Two.
The Menace had a bit of fun during last year’s Open Cup run, not only wearing their kit from their debut season of 1994, but also attracting retired MLS legends Sacha Kljestan and Roger Espinoza to play for them in Open Cup games. Kljestan provided the assist on the opening goal for the Menace in their penalty shootout upset of pro side Capistrano FC.
2005 was Des Moines’ most successful run, defeating two pro teams (Charleston Battery 3-2, Atlanta Silverbacks 5-1), setting up a meeting with the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting KC) in the Fourth Round, which the Menace lost 6-1. They would meet the Wizards again in the 2006 Third Round, narrowly losing 2-1 on a 90th minute goal.
Union Omaha
USL League One | Omaha, NE
4th US Open Cup appearance (2022-2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2019
Manager: Dominic Casciato
Overall: 6-3-2 (2-0 PK)
Away: 2-2-1 (1-0 PK)
vs. Amateurs: 3-0-0
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2022)
Union Omaha nearly matched their best performance in the Open Cup in 2024. While they didn’t take down any MLS clubs this time, their list of opponents read as a who’s who of Modern Era Open Cup history. In the First Round, the Owls traveled to historic Lusitano Stadium to defeat Open Cup veterans Western Mass Pioneers 4-0. Next up was a 3-1 win over the Des Moines Menace, one of the more successful amateur clubs of the Modern Era. In the Third Round, Omaha used penalties to move past El Paso Locomotive after a 0-0 draw. Finally Omaha fell in the 120th minute to Sporting Kansas City 2-1 after extra time at home, in SKC’s bid to win the Open Cup for a record-tying fifth time.
In 2022, the Owls knocked off two MLS clubs (Chicago Fire and Minnesota United) to reach the Quarterfinals. The run ended with a 6-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City, but the scoreline did not diminish Omaha’s feat of becoming the first team from Nebraska to reach the Quarterfinals and the first third division team to do so since 2013.
Omaha were involved in more Open Cup headlines in 2023, with a 5-1 loss to St. Louis City in front of a Third Round-record 22,423 fans at St. Louis.
Adding to a big Open Cup run was a successful showing in the 2024 USL League One season. After winning the Supporters’ Shield with a 15-4-3 record, Omaha went on to win the League One playoffs with a resounding 3-0 win over upstarts Spokane Velocity. The club’s only “failure” was not winning the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup, losing 2-0 in the semifinals to the departed Northern Colorado Hailstorm.
Tacoma Defiance (MLSNP) vs. Spokane Velocity FC (USL-1)
Starfire Sports Complex – Tukwila, WA
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
The Tacoma Defiance accomplished something in their 2025 US Open Cup First Round win over Washington Athletic Club that their MLS parent club hasn’t done since 2016, win an Open Cup game by two or more goals.
Tacoma took down Seattle’s Washington AC (USASA) 3-1 on a pair of second half goals from Japanese forward Yu Tsukanome. Tsukanome previously played for the Dakota Fusion, winning the NPSL Golden Boot in 2023 with 16 goals in 10 games.
The last time the Sounders won in the Open Cup by two or more goals was a 2-0 win over the PDL/USL-2 Kitsap Pumas in the Fourth Round in 2016. One mark Tacoma will look to uphold is the Sounders Open Cup 4-0 record against teams from Washington state, going all the way back to their days as an A-League club in the 1990s.
Spokane Velocity has set an Open Cup precedence, if it plays Ballard FC, the game must have a dramatic ending. In last year’s Opening Round, Spokane won with a second half stoppage time goal. This year they topped themselves by beating Ballard 1-0 in extra time stoppage time, as Anuar Pelaez knocked in a Nico Brett assist one minute past the 120th.
Spokane are 1-1-1 in USL League One, recently defeating Greenville Triumph SC 2-0 on March 29. The Defiance have played just 2 games in the MLS NEXT Pro season, resulting in a 1-0-1 record. Osaze De Rosario has scored three of the team’s five league goals so far.
Tacoma Defiance
MLS NEXT Pro | Tacoma, WA
2nd US Open Cup appearance (2015)
How they qualified: Seattle Sounders entered in 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup
Founded: 2014
Manager: Hervé Diese
Overall: 3-1-0
Home: 3-0-0
vs. Div. 3: 1-0-0
Best finish: Fourth Round (2015)
Tacoma Defiance make their Open Cup return due to Seattle Sounders participating in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup as one of the top finishers in the 2024 MLS Supporter Shield standings. Tacoma last participated in the Open Cup in 2015 Seattle Sounders 2, when the club played in the USL. They knocked off the Kitsap Pumas 14-2 and Portland Timbers 2-1, both in extra time.
In 2018 the club moved south to Tacoma and changed their name to Tacoma Defiance. The name references Point Defiance Park, a large public park in Tacoma. For the 2022 season Tacoma began playing in the newly created MLS NEXT Pro league. Tacoma finished 4th in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference, scoring a league high 59 goals.
Starfire Sports Complex, Tacoma’s home stadium, will host its 30th Open Cup game in the Modern Era, making it the fourth most used venue for Open Cup games since 1995. Tacoma are one of three different youth/reserve teams to make appearances in the Open Cup under the Sounders banner, the others being Seattle Sounders Selects (2002, PDL) and Seattle Sounders U-23 (2013, 2016-17, PDL).
Spokane Velocity FC
USL League One | Spokane, WA
2nd US Open Cup appearance (2024)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Leigh Veidman
Overall: 3-1-0
Away: 1-2-0
vs. Div. 3: 1-0-0
Best finish: Third Round (2024)
Spokane had a respectable outcome for their debut USL League One season, finishing 7-9-6, good enough for 7th overall and a spot in the playoffs. Once there, the Velocity made a run to the Final, upsetting the Northern Colorado Hailstorm 3-0, then besting Forward Madison on penalties after a 0-0 draw. The dream ended with a 3-0 loss to Union Omaha in the Final.
Spokane’s Open Cup debut in 2024 went three games deep. First they knocked off this year’s opening round opponents, Ballard FC, 1-0 on a goal from Andre Lewis deep into second half stoppage time. In the Second Round, Spokane got more late game heroics, this time in the 85th minute as Luis Gil scored the winner in the 1-0 triumph over NISA’s Los Angeles Force. Round Three brought more late game heroics, as Lewis struck in second half stoppage time again to tie Las Vegas Lights 1–1 to force extra time. The USL Championship side would prevail 2-1 in the extra session.
Ventura County FC (MLSNP) vs. El Paso Locomotive (USL-C)
Dignity Health Sports Park Track & Field Stadium – Carson, CA
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: YouTube
The LA Galaxy’s junior club sure did their MLS club proud in their Opening Round 7-0 win over the UPSL’s Laguna United. Ventura County’s seven goal outburst equaled the entire goal scoring output of the Galaxy in their last Open Cup appearance in 2023, which was 7 goals over 3 games.
Aaron Bibout led the way with three goals, and Luis Müller had a goal and two assists. Ventura County will be without Bibout the rest of the way as he was transferred to Swedish club Västerås SK a week after his hat-trick performance. For the first time in four tries, El Paso advanced past the opening game in the Open Cup with a 5-1 win over amateurs Harpos FC. Bryan Romero led the way with a pair of goals and now El Paso moves into uncharted territory, trying to advance to a third Open Cup game in a single tournament for the first time.
El Paso are currently 1-2-1, having earned their first league win of the season, 2-1 over Hartford Athletic on March 29. VCFC are 2-0-1 in the early goings of the MLS NEXT Pro season.
El Paso Locomotive FC
USL Championship | El Paso, TX
5th US Open Cup appearance (2019, 2022-24)
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: Wilmer Cabrera
Overall: 0-3-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. Home: 0-1-0
vs. Amateur: 0-0-0
Best finish: Second Round (2019, 2022, 2023)
El Paso Locomotive began in 2019, filling the void left by the El Paso Patriots (1995 US Open Cup runners-up) when they ceased operations in 2013. Locomotive found success at first, reaching the Western Conference final two years in a row. El Paso gained one of the top two playoff seeds in 2021, only to be upset by the Oakland Roots in the First Round. In 2022, they missed the playoffs and just made the cut in 2023 with a 7th place Conference finish. 2024 was a season to forget for El Paso, finishing in last place with an 8-18-8 record, their 27 goals scored being second lowest in the league.
Ventura County FC
MLS NEXT Pro | Thousand Oaks, CA
4th US Open Cup appearance (2014-15, 2024)
How they qualified: LA Galaxy entered in 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup
Founded: 2014
Manager: Matt Taylor
Overall: 3-2-1 (0-1 PK)
Home: 3-2-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. Div. 2: 0-0-0
Best finish: Third Round (2014)
Formerly known as LA Galaxy II (or “Los Dos”), Ventura County FC are one of the few MLS NEXT Pro teams with an Open Cup history, dating back in 2014 and 2015. In 2014, LAG II reached the Third Round, where they fell to amateur club PSA Elite on penalties. The following year, they lost their opening game to Ventura County Fusion 2-1. In its limited Open Cup history, VCFC have played all five of its previous Open Cup games at home, and all but one of those games against amateur opponents.
Last year Ventura County played two Open Cup games, both against Irvine Zeta FC, the reserve team and their pro parent club. VCFC dispatched Irvine Zeta FC II 2-1, then fell to Irvine Zeta FC 3-0.
The Galaxy II played in the USL Championship until 2023, when MLS NEXT Pro started. The team changed its name to Ventura County FC just before the start of the 2024 season.
Except for 2015 when they finished runners-up in the USL Championship game, Ventura County has primarily finished in the bottom half of the standings. 2024 saw VCFC rise to 6th place, earning a playoff berth for the first time in three seasons.
Ventura County FC gained their spot in the Open Cup when the LA Galaxy gained participation in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup as 2024 MLS Cup champions.