The 2025 National Amateur Cup played out in the Midwest over the last two weeks. While the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Fourth Round (Round of 32) saw a majority of Major League Soccer teams advance as favorites, the Amateur Cup saw plenty of surprises and close calls.
A National Premier Soccer League team was blown out by a local amateur side while another needed penalty kicks to advance. There were inter-league clashes between Ohio Valley Premier League and Midwest Premier League teams. Plus, we had the first official forfeit of the tournament.
You can find information for every game the last two weeks below. Additionally, here are links to the articles made over the last month regarding other results:
- April 6 (Intro)
- April 8 (Region I)
- April 25 (Region I QF, Region II Round 1 Preview)
- April 30 (Region I QF recap, Region II Round 1 recap Part 1)
FULL 2025 NATIONAL AMATEUR CUP SCHEDULE/RESULTS
REGION II (MIDWEST) – ROUND 1
Friday, May 2
Steel City FC (IL, MWPL)
1:3
KS Wisloka Chicago (IL, PSLC)
Providence Catholic High School – New Lenox, IL
Wisloka Chicago beat Steel City, 3-1, on a rainy night in Illinois to advance. Both teams were even to start but the Chicago side found the back of the net first. Storms rolled through as the second half progressed and a foul gave City a penalty kick to go-ahead, which struck off the post. Wisloka scored the go-ahead goal two minutes later and added a third not long after. Steel City will now aim its focus on both league and the elusive Illinois State Cup, while Wisloka tries to reach the regional quarterfinals for a second straight year.
Goal scorers
SCFC:
- Christian Baumgartner 51’ (Sergio Reyes)
Wisloka:
- Lukasz Sulka 9’
- Kalvin Glodz 56’
- Paweł Wilisowski 75’
Saturday, May 3
Goshen City FC (IN, MWPL)
1:1
Michigan Rangers FC (MI, NPSL)
Rangers advance via penalty kicks, 5:4
Goshen College Soccer Complex – Goshen, IN
A close game in Indiana saw Michigan Rangers squeak past Goshen City, 1-1 (5:4 on PKs). The crowd of 216 at Goshen College Soccer Complex didn’t see a goal until midway through the second half. A loss cross by the Rangers into the City box wasn’t cleared, allowing T.J. Ifauroti to recover it on the right side. His shot in the 67th minute put the National Premier Soccer League side ahead. Goshen looked for an equalizer, and brought on João Laranjo and Maxime Brégeon in the 75th minute. With time winding down, Brégeon passed up to Laranjo who shot long. The Michigan keeper looked to get on top of it, but the ball slipped underneath his body and momentum carried it into the back of the net.
After a scoreless extra time, and with the physicality ticking up, a penalty kick shootout was needed to determine the winner. Goshen’s first attempt by Joshua Cruz was saved and the Rangers were perfect through five rounds to advance on.
(A huge thanks to Tony Miller and the broadcast team who were invaluable to gathering details for this)
Goal scorers
GCFC:
- João Laranjo 85’ (Maxime Brégeon)
MRFC:
- T.J. Ifauroti 67’
Match Broadcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oI4c-I4L4c
Chicago House AC (IL, MWPL)
W:L
Billings FC (IL, PSLC)
Sources from both Chicago House and USASA confirmed with TheCup.us that Billings FC had forfeited the Round 1 match it was scheduled to play against House. The Midwest Premier League side advances to Round 2. Last year, the Peter Wilt-owned side reached the Quarterfinals before losing to eventual Region II champion FC Milwaukee Torrent.
Tuesday, May 6
Minnesota Blizzard FC (MN, NPSL)
1:5
Vlora FC (MN, MASL)
Eagan High School – Eagan, MN
The only North Star State battle of the tournament saw amateur regulars Vlora FC beat first-timers Minnesota Blizzard FC, 5-0. The National Premier Soccer League side, who were winless last year in their debut season in the North Conference, are still searching for that first victory as a competitive men’s side. Vlora reached the regional semifinals in 2024 but fell to eventual Region II champs FC Milwaukee Torrent.
Goal scorers
MBFC:
- Willian Shrock (Ryan DeBois)
Vlora:
- Ignacio Gonzalez (x2) (Easton Hoch)
- Deq Jama (Easton Hoch)
- Sohail Ebrahimi (PK)
- Easton Hoch (Sohail Ebrahimi)
Cincy SC (OH, OVPL)
0:5
Northern Kentucky Nitro (KY, OVPL)
Riverside Park – Cincinnati, OH
MATCH BROADCAST
In a battle of Ohia Valley Premier League teams it was the visiting Northern Kentucky Nitro who left Cincinnati with a win, 5-0, over Cincy SC. Andrej Novakovic, a premier indoor soccer player in the PASL, scored a first half hat-trick. The win advances Nitro to Round 2, marking its best performance in the regional tournament after they went one-and-done in Round 1 back in 2022 (4-2 extra time loss to Springfield SC).
Goal scorers
NKN:
- Bobo Kikonda 12’
- Andrej Novakovic 13’ (Ben Oliver), 22’ (Tim Stolz), 45’ (Tim Stolz)
- Thomas Wolfe 76’ (Ben Oliver)
Wednesday, May 7
Pearl City SC (IA, MWPL)
2:2
Rockford FC (IL, MWPL)
Rockford advance via penalty kicks, 5:4
Muscatine Soccer Complex – Muscatine, IA
In a back and forth match, Iowa’s lone amateur cup team fell as Pearl City SC lost to Rockford FC, 2-2 (7:6 on PKs). The home side equalized twice, including in the dying moments of the second half, and forced both extra time and eventually penalty kicks. The two teams were perfect through three rounds, but Pearl City’s fourth kicker saw his shot stopped by Rockford keeper Dennis Aragon. In the fifth round, Dasha Curiel converted to send Rockford into the next round.
Goal scorers
PCSC:
- Unknown at this time
RFC:
- Cayden Rodriguez 6’ (Sebastian Burrge)
- Efren Gomez 33’ (Abraham “AB” Gonzalez)
Edgewater Castle FC (IL, MWPL)
5:0
SAC Wisla Chicago (IL, PSLC)
Lincoln Park Soccer Field – Chicago, IL
Edgewater Castle rolled past Wisla Chicago, 5-0, thanks to five unanswered goals. Taking a 1-0 lead into the second half, ECFC’s Murtadha Kamil exploded with four goals in 16 minutes. The Midwest Premier League side is off to the Second Round, which has been its achilles heel. Since 2021, the team has never played a third game in the regional tournament, always losing in the First Round or falling in the second game.
Goal scorers
ECFC:
- Bardia Kimiavi 11’ (Alex Gomez)
- Murtadha Kamil 72’ (PK), 77’ (Eduardo Aguilera-Guillen), 82’, 88’ (Lucas Sampson)
Saturday, May 10
United SC (IL, GCSL)
0:2
RWB Adria (IL, MWPL)
Lions for Hope Sports Complex – Chicago, IL
Two-time National Amateur Cup champion RWB Adria scored in each half to knock off United SC, 2-0, in Chicago. The game officially concluded Round 1 of the regional tournament. Loyola University sophomore Luka Ivancic sealed the result with a second half penalty kick.
Goal scorers
RWB:
- Carson Messina 20’
- Luka Ivancic 70’ (PK)