For the first time since 2015, the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will feature eight teams from Major League Soccer teams and no lower division clubs. Since MLS joined the tournament in 1996, the Quarterfinals has only been an all-MLS affair three times (2006, 2015, 2025).
Six of the eight teams remaining are seeking their first US Open Cup title, while the two former champs in the field are looking to snap some extensive trophy droughts. The Chicago Fire FC need to the lift the trophy one more time to tie the all-time record with a fifth Open Cup title. They have won the tournament since 2006. While 3-time champion D.C. United haven’t won the US Open Cup since 2013.
The round will also feature another Philadelphia vs. New York / New Jersey matchup, a regional rivalry that dates back more than a century. (MORE: The greatest Eastern Pennsylvania vs. NY/NJ Quarterfinal games of all-time)
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Modern Era of the US Open Cup, which began in 1995. To celebrate, TheCup.us has been hopping in our time machine and looking back at that tournament. Check out our 1995 preview and then choose click on the score of the game you want in our 1995 results page to get the full story.
Follow TheCup.us on Blue Sky @thecup.us and X (Twitter) @USOpenCup for live updates from our reporters who will be at every stadium and with every Quarterfinal game being broadcast live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo, you can find links to those below.
TUESDAY, JULY 8
Minnesota United FC (MLS) vs. Chicago Fire FC (MLS)
Allianz Field – St. Paul, MN
Kickoff: 8 pm ET
LIVE VIDEO: PARAMOUNT+ | CBS SPORTS NETWORK
Minnesota United, looking to return to the Open Cup Final after falling to Atlanta United in the 2019 championship, host the Chicago Fire, a team not only seeking history but also a ray of sunshine in an up-and-down season.
The Fire have been chasing their elusive record-tying 5th Open Cup crown since coming close in a 2011 loss in the Final to the Seattle Sounders FC. Since then, they have come tantalizingly close, reaching the Semifinals five times, but have not made it to the final four since 2018.
Of the four times Minnesota has hosted an MLS team in the Open Cup, the Loons have won three times and advanced via penalties once. While the Fire have lost just twice in 34 Open Cup home games, they are just 17-15-3 (2-1 PKs) on the road.
PAST OPEN CUP MEETINGS
Surprisingly this is the first time Chicago and Minnesota will meet in the US Open Cup. In fact, teams from the city of Chicago and teams from the state of Minnesota have never faced each other at any level of the Modern Era of the US Open Cup. The clubs have yet to face each other in MLS play this season and are not scheduled to square off until Sept. 20.
ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS
Chicago cruised in their Fourth Round affair, defeating Detroit City FC (USL-C) 4-0 on goals from Hugo Cuypers, Omari Glasgow, Maren Haile-Selassie and a Detroit own goal. For the Fifth Round the Fire made their way to Providence, Rhode Island, to face the New England Revolution. After being gifted a 1-0 lead in the opening half by a Revs own goal, the Fire extended their lead to 3-0 through goals from Hugo Cuypers (69’) and Philip Zinckernagel (79’). New England got on the board with a minute to go from a Fire own goal, making the game just the second in the Modern Era to feature own goals from both teams.
Despite being outshot 15-6, Minnesota United went to Kentucky and escaped with a 1-0 win over Louisville City FC (USL-C). Darius Randell scored the lone goal in the 65th minute. Minnesota travelled to St. Louis for the Fifth Round to face St. Louis CITY SC after jumping out to a 1-0 after ten minutes through Kelvin Yeboah, Minnesota fall behind 2-1 by the 65th minute. Along came Anthony Markanich to the rescue, scoring in the 85th and 88th minutes to give the Loons a 3-2 comeback victory.
CURRENT FORM
The Fire’s MLS campaign can be described as a series of steaks. After starting the season with a 3-1-2 record, the club limped through April at 0-3-1, including a 7-2 thrashing at the hands of Nashville SC. With May came another positive run, as Chicago finished the month 5-1-1. Then June began with a 7-1 pounding of D.C. United, followed by losing three of their next four games. Hugo Cuypers leads the team with 11 goals, with Philip Zinckernagel right behind him with 9. Zinckernagel shares the assist lead with Jonathan Bamba at 8 each, while Andew Gutman has 7.
Minnesota is in third place in the Western Conference at 10-4-7 and are 4-0-1 in their last five games. The Loons have yet to lose two games in a row this year. Leading Minnesota’s offence is Tusi Oluwaseyi with 8 goals, followed by Kelvin Yeboah with 6. Joaquin Pereyra leads with 8 assists, while Oluwaseyi has 6.
US OPEN CUP HISTORY
Minnesota United FC
Major League Soccer | Saint Paul, MN
13th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2010
Manager: Eric Ramsay
Overall: 14-10-3 (2-1 PK) | 8-5-2 (2-0 PK) (MLS)
Home: 6-4-1 (1-0 PK) | 5-1-1 (1-0 PK) (MLS)
vs. MLS: 6-8-1 (1-0 PK) | 5-5-1 (1-0 PK) (MLS)
Best finish: Final (2019)
Since Minnesota joined MLS in 2017 they’ve had respectable results, reaching the Final in 2019 and going three games deep in 2022 and 2023. In MLS, the Loons have yet to win a championship but have reached the playoffs five of the last six seasons.
The Twin Cities were represented by the Minnesota Thunder earlier in the Modern Era, reaching the Semifinals in 2005. Thunder legend Johnny Menyongar is tied for second with three other players with 13 Open Cup goals in the Modern Era.
According to TheCup.us records, the first known team from Minnesota to enter the Open Cup was the Minneapolis Tigers in 1958. Throughout the 1960s, teams like the St. Paul Blackhawks and Ukrainian SC would represent the region in Open Cup play but found little success.
Chicago Fire FC
Major League Soccer | Chicago, IL
25th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1998
Manager: Gregg Berhalter
Overall: 47-17-7 (4-3 PK)
Away: 17-15-3 (2-1 PK)
vs. MLS: 25-11-2 (2-0 PK)
Best finish: Champions (1998, 2000, 2003, 2006)
When the Chicago Fire franchise was launched in 1998, they were an instant success, especially in the US Open Cup. The Fire are perhaps the most successful MLS club in the Open Cup with four championship wins in six Final appearances, 13 Semifinal appearances (most all-time in US Open Cup history), and 16 Quarterfinal appearances (2nd most all-time in US Open Cup history). No team in the Modern Era has more wins (47) and advances (51) than the Fire. The closest teams to that wins mark are the Seattle Sounders FC, FC Dallas and the now-defunct Rochester Rhinos with 39.
In league play, they’ve been far less successful. After winning MLS Cup in their debut year of 1998, the only other accolade the Fire has earned was the Supporters’ Shield in 2003. The club is on a dreadful seven season run of missing the MLS Cup playoffs.
The Windy City is home to four other Open Cup champions besides the Fire. Teams such as Bricklayers FC, Sparta A & BA, Croatian SC and AAC Eagles among many others ensured a Chicago team was a contender for the crown. Prior to the Fire lifting the trophy for the first time in 1998, the last Illinois-based club to win the Open Cup was the AAC Eagles in 1990.
San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) vs. Austin FC (MLS)
PayPal Park – San Jose, CA
Kickoff: 10:30 pm ET
LIVE VIDEO: PARAMOUNT+ | CBS SPORTS GOLAZO
Two teams seeking their first-ever US Open Cup Final appearance face off at PayPal Park in San Jose as the host Earthquakes take on Austin FC.
To say Bruce Arena has done wonders in turning the Earthquakes around is an understatement. After a disastrous 2024 season that saw San Jose finish dead last in MLS with a 6-25-3 record, the five-time MLS Cup winning Arena joined the club in November of 2024. The ‘Quakes now sit solidly in the thick of the MLS Western Conference playoff field, and rank second in the league in goals scored with 41, already equaling their entire output in 2024.
San Jose last reached the Quarterfinals in 2017, defeating rivals LA Galaxy 3-2 before being eliminated via penalty kicks by Sporting Kansas City in the Semifinals. While San Jose holds an impressive home record in the Open Cup (12-5-2 (1-1 PKs), they are just 3-9-5 (1-4 PK) against MLS teams. In fact, the last time they beat an MLS team in a home Open Cup match was also the last time they hosted a team from their own league, the Quarterfinal win over the LA Galaxy in 2017.
PAST OPEN CUP MEETINGS
Austin and San Jose have never met in the Open Cup, and despite their long history in the Open Cup, this will be just the second time San Jose has played a team from Texas in the Cup. The first came way back in 1998 when they were called the San Jose Clash and they traveled to defeat the A-League’s El Paso Patriots 2-0 with John Doyle scoring both goals in the rain.
ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS
Both of San Jose’s games so far have been played at home. In their opening game in the Fourth Round, San Jose took care of one of the more dangerous USL teams in Open Cup play, beating the Sacramento Republic 2-1. Amahl Pellegrino and Preston Judd scored in the opening half as the ‘Quakes held a 2-0 lead until Sacramento scored deep into stoppage time.
In the Round of 16, the Earthquakes needed almost all 30 minutes of extra time to find the winning goal against the Portland Timbers, but Jack Skahan came through in the 116th minute for the 1-0 victory.
Austin FC didn’t have to work overtime, but they did have to stage a stunning comeback to win their opening game. Down 2-0 to the El Paso Locomotive for the first 73 minutes, Brandon Vázquez began a run that saw Austin score three times in eight minutes. Myrto Uzuni followed with the game-tying goal (assisted by Vázquez), then three minutes later, Vázquez scored his second in the 80th minute for a 3-2 lead. Owen Wolff assisted on both of Vázquez’s goals.
Despite being outshot 20-10, Austin came away with a 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo in the Round of 16. Goals from Brandon Vázquez, Osman Bukari and Ilie Sánchez built up a 3-0 lead that Houston was unable to overcome.
CURRENT FORM
San Jose are in sixth place in the Western Conference at 7-7-7 but are in a tight race for those final few playoff spots, as Austin sits in 10th at 7-8-5, only two points behind the Earthquakes. Each team’s offensive output are at opposite ends, as San Jose is second in the league with 41 goals, while Austin is last with just 15 goals scored.
San Jose are unbeaten in their last four games and have only lost twice in their last 11 league games. Austin are 2-2-0 in their last four but failed to win a league game in May, going 0-3-4.
Cristian Arango leads San Jose with 10 goals and was once near the top of the MLS goal scoring leaders, but has only tallied once in his last four games. San Jose have six players with two or more goals. Cristian Espinoiza leads with 11 assists, which is second in MLS. Brandon Vazquez leads Austin’s meager offense with five goals while Osman Bukari has a team-leading four assists.
US OPEN CUP HISTORY
San Jose Earthquakes
Major League Soccer | San Jose, CA
20th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Bruce Arena
Overall: 19-15-8 (4-4)
Home: 12-5-2 (1-1)
vs. MLS: 3-9-5 (1-4 PK)
Best finish: Semifinals (2004, 2017)
Outside of a 2017 Semifinal appearance, San Jose’s Open Cup record isn’t very impressive. 12 times they’ve been eliminated after just two games, and four of those were “one and done”. San Jose have the most Open Cup appearances of any MLS team (20) without making an appearance in the Final. San Jose was once a powerhouse in MLS, winning MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003 and the Supporters Shield in 2002.
That all changed after the 2005 season, when the club left the Bay Area for Houston and became the Houston Dynamo. MLS awarded San Jose a new franchise, retaining the records of the original Earthquakes. The only ray of light was winning the Supporters Shield in 2013. Since the team was reborn in 2007, the ‘Quakes have reached the MLS Cup playoffs just five times.
The city of San Jose first dipped their toe into the Open Cup pool during the 1970 tournament, when the San Jose Latinos entered. Throughout the 70s teams like the San Jose Portuguese AC , San Jose Grenadiers and San Jose Lobos would be regular entrants and would make the occasional deep run. The San Jose Oaks won the Open Cup in 1992 2-1 over Vasco da Game of Bridgeport, Conn.
The Earthquakes are managed by Bruce Arena who led D.C. United to an Open Cup title in 1996. After falling short on penalty kicks with D.C. in the 1997 Final (to the Dallas Burn), Arena has not led a team to the championship game since 1997, Only two of his teams (2015 and 2016 LA Galaxy) have survived more than two games in a single tournament. Arena, one of American soccer’s all-time great coaches, has a career Open Cup coaching record of 16-10-2 (1-1 PKs). He has 11 US Open Cup Major titles (MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, CONCACAF Champions Cup, US Open Cup) to his credit, which is tied with Sigi Schmid for the most.
Austin FC
Major League Soccer | Austin, TX
3rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Nico Estévez
Overall: 3-2-0
Away: 0-1-0
vs. MLS: 1-1-0
Best finish: Fifth Round (2023)
Next to St. Louis CITY SC, Austin FC has the least experience in the Open Cup among MLS clubs, with just four games played. The City of Austin also has a limited history in the Open Cup. The highest profile team in the pre-Modern Era is perhaps the Austin Soccadillos, who entered the 1991 tournament, winning their group in USISL qualifying only to fall 3-0 to the other group winner in the USISL qualifying final, the Richardson Rockets, who would go on to reach the 1991 US Open Cup Final.
In the Modern Era, six other teams represented Austin in the Open Cup. First up was the Austin Lone Stars of the USL D3 Pro League, appearing in three tournaments from 1997-1999, only posting a 2-3 record.
Amateur club Real Madrid won the USASA Region III qualifying tournament in 2002 but lost their lone Cup game.
In 2008, the Austin Aztex U-23s qualified through the PDL (now USL League Two), being eliminated on penalty kicks by the Atlanta Silverbacks after a 2-2 draw. The Aztex U-23s were the development team of the USL’s Austin Aztex, who would move in 2010 and become Orlando City SC.
The new Austin Aztex qualified as a PDL cub in 2013 and 2014 without much success, then again in 2015 when the club turned pro and moved up to the USL, reaching the Third Round where they lost 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo.
In 2019, the USL Championship’s Austin Bold matched the Aztex 2015 run, reaching the Third Round before also falling to the Houston Dynamo, this time 3-2.
Finally the only other team currently calling Austin its home is Austin FC II, who appeared in 2024 and were upset by amateur side FORO SC on penalties.
Philadelphia Union (MLS) vs. New York Red Bulls (MLS)
Subaru Park – Chester, PA
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: PARAMOUNT+ | CBS SPORTS GOLAZO
Philadelphia and the Red Bulls have five Open Cup Finals appearances between them but have yet to lift the trophy. Each made their last Final appearance right after the other, the Red Bulls in 2017 and Union in 2018. Philadelphia are 16-2-3 (2-1 PKs) at home in Open Cup play and their last home loss was a 3-1 extra time loss to the Seattle Sounders in the 2014 Final.
On the opposite end, the Red Bulls have a 13-14-1 (1-0 PKs) record in road Open Cup games, and their last road win versus an MLS opponent was in 2022 when they defeated D.C. United 3-0.
The history of the US Open Cup is full of rivalries between cities. Los Angeles vs. San Francisco, St. Louis vs. Chicago, Philadelphia vs. New York. Put these games in the late stages of the tournament and some “instant classics” are created.
Chuck Nolan Jr. takes a look back at the biggest Eastern Pennsylvania vs. New York/New Jersey Quarterfinal games in US Open Cup history. CLICK HERE FOR MORE
PAST OPEN CUP MEETINGS
Of the four Quarterfinal games in this year’s Open Cup only New York and Philadelphia have any Open Cup history with one another. The clubs have met four times, each year from 2015-2018. Philadelphia have advanced in three of the games, two by outright win and another via penalties, while the Red Bulls lone triumph came in 2017 on penalty kicks on their way to the championship game..
2015 Quarterfinals
New York Red Bulls 1:1 (PK 3:4) Philadelphia Union
In the first meeting at Red Bull Arena, despite playing a man down from the 40th minute due to Conor Casey’s red card, Union took the lead in the 56th minute on Eric Ayuk’s goal from Vincent Nogueira cross. Three minutes into second half stoppage time Lloyd Sam scored a dramatic equalizer to send the game to extra time. After 30 minutes of scoreless play, Philadelphia prevailed on penalties 4-3 and would later make their way to their first Final appearance.
2016 Fifth Round
Philadelphia Union 2:1 New York Red Bulls
2016 saw another close contest between the rivals at Philadelphia’s Talen Energy Stadium. Mike Grella opened the scoring for the Red Bulls by hammering home a goal from a free kick sent into the penalty area by Sacha Kljestan. New York held the 1-0 lead until the 55th minute when Chris Pontius struck twice in five minutes off assists from Ilsinho.
2017 Fifth Round
New York Red Bulls 1:1 (5:3 PK) Philadelphia Union
Once again at Red Bull Arena, the Red Bulls struck first just before halftime when Sacha Kljestan scored from a Bradley Wright-Phillips assist. As the clock ticked down Roland Alberg collected a long pass from Jack Elliott and tied the game in the 85th minute. Just as in 2015 extra time was scoreless, but this time around the Red Bulls prevailed in the penalty shootout, converting all five attempts to advance to the Quarterfinals.
2018 Fifth Round
Philadelphia Union 2:1 New York Red Bulls
Talen Energy Stadium was the site of the fourth Open Cup meeting between the teams, and Philadelphia came out on top for a third time. Haris Medunjanin and Cory Burke gave the Union a 2-0 lead in the second half with Alejandro Bedoya assisting on both goals. Bradley Wright-Phillips reduced the lead to 2-1 in the 77th minute, but it wasn’t enough to stop Philadelphia, who would go on to reach their second Open Cup Final.
Philly and the Red Bulls meet in MLS play again at Subaru Park just three days after their Open Cup encounter on July 12.
ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS
In the Third Round, Philly was taken to the limit by Indy Eleven, surviving a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 draw. After taking a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute through Alejandro Bedoya, Indy tied the score right after halftime. Despite 33 shots, Philadelphia could not score the winner after 120 minutes. Union converted all five spot kicks to win the shootout 5-4.
In the Round of 16, Philly knocked off the lone USL Championship club remaining, defeating the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4-1, scoring two goals in each half to win the Keystone State derby.
The Red Bulls traveled to a cold and rainy Colorado Springs to face the USL Championship’s Switchbacks, and left 4-1 winners. Mohammed Sofo scored twice in the first half, and Dennis Gjengaar and Sean Nealis added second half goals.
The Red Bulls had a more dramatic finish in their Round of 16 encounter with FC Dallas, tying the game 2-2 on Emil Forsberg’s second half stoppage time goal, then advancing via penalty shootout 4-3.
CURRENT FORM
After spending much of the season near the top of the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia has hit a bit of a cold spell, losing their last two matches after going on a 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Israeli international Tai Baribo leads the team in goal scoring with 13, also good enough for second in MLS. Quinn Sullivan and Kai Wagner each have seven assists.
The Red Bulls are currently sitting in eighth place in the MLS Eastern Conference with a 8-7-6 record. The Red Bulls are on a string of three straight draws, and are 3-1-3 in their last seven MLS games. Eric Choupo-Moting leads the team with 11 goals, with Emil Forsberg behind him with 7.
Forsberg and Omar Valencia share the assist lead with five each, and goalkeeper Carlos Coronel has posted 7 clean sheets in his 20 starts.
US OPEN CUP HISTORY
Philadelphia Union
Major League Soccer | Chester, PA
11th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2010
Manager: Bradley Carnell
Overall: 17-6-8 (4-4 PK)
Home: 16-2-3 (2-1 PK)
vs. MLS: 8-6-6 (2-4 PK)
Best finish: Runner-Up (2014, 2015, 2018)
Philadelphia has one of the better Open Cup resumes without winning a title among MLS clubs, though recent tournaments have put a blemish on that. They’ve been to three Open Cup Finals (2014, 2015, 2018), but their last three appearances have been “one and done” appearances against D.C. United in 2019, Orlando City in 2022 and Minnesota United in 2023.
Prior to the Modern Era, clubs from Philadelphia have made nine appearances in the Open Cup Final, winning the Open Cup five times. Leading the way are the Ukrainian Nationals, who won the tournament four times (1960, 1962, 1963 and 1966).
New York Red Bulls
Major League Soccer | Harrison, NJ
24th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Sandro Schwarz
Overall: 29-21-4 (2-2 PK)
Away: 13-14-1 (1-0 PK)
vs. MLS: 13-13-4 (2-2 PK)
Best finish: Final (2003, 2017)
As the MetroStars, the club reached the Semifinals three times (1997, 1998, 2000) and made one appearance in the Final (2003). After rebranding as the New York Red Bulls, another deep run did not come until a return to the Final in 2017. Then 2022 saw the club make another Semifinal run.
In MLS play, the Red Bulls have yet to win a championship, reaching the MLS Cup Final twice (2008, 2024) and winning the Supporters Shield three times (2013, 2015, 2018). The 1923 Final between Scullin Steel and Paterson FC was played at Harrison Field, where a parking garage now stands near Sports Illustrated Stadium.
The Red Bulls hold a 13-6-3 record at home in the Open Cup, but also are just 12-13-4 against MLS opposition, and five of those six home losses have been to fellow MLS clubs.
Nashville SC (MLS) vs. D.C. United (MLS)
GEODIS Park – Nashville, TN
Kickoff: 9 pm ET
LIVE VIDEO: PARAMOUNT+ | CBS SPORTS NETWORK
Of all the clubs in this year’s Quarterfinals, D.C. United seem to be furthest away from their last appearance. While their last Open Cup Final appearance came in 2013 (two years more recent than the Chicago Fire), this is the first time since 2013 that D.C. United have ventured as far as the Quarterfinals, having been eliminated after their first or second game in their last eight Open Cup appearances since then.
With only two previous Open Cup appearances as an MLS club, Nashville has been quite successful, going three games deep in those two appearances, and even making a four-game run in 2018, one of their two seasons in USL, Nashville hold a 4-0-0 home open Cup record while in MLS and are 8-0-1 overall, with one PK loss. Their only loss to an MLS team came in 2023, falling 2-1 to Inter Miami.
PAST MEETINGS
D.C. and Nashville have never met in Open Cup play, and United has also never faced a team from Tennessee in their long Open Cup history.
D.C. and Nashville have met twice this season in MLS play. The first game was a tepid 0-0 draw on May 17 at D.C.’s Audi Field. The clubs combined for just 11 shots in the whole game, with only 6 on target. The rematch in Nashville on June 28 was another defensive affair, with Nashville pulling out a 1-0 win on the strength of Sam Surridge’s penalty kick in the 18th minute.
The trip to Nashville will be the first Open Cup game since 2013 that D.C. will travel south of the Mason-Dixon line, when they eliminated the Richmond Kickers on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS
D.C United opened the Third Round with a rematch of the 2008 Open Cup Final, as well as a new chapter of the Coffee Pot Cup by defeating the Charleston Battery 2-0 at home in extra time. Jacob Murrell and Jared Stroud scored in the extra session to put D.C. in the Fifth Round. Randall Leal assisted with both goals as United head coach Troy Lesesne picked up a win against his former club.
In the Fourth Round, despite outshooting their opponents 14-3, Nashville only managed a 1-0 win over the Chattanooga Red Wolves from USL League One. Josh Bauer scored the lone goal in the 18th minute.
CURRENT FORM
Adding to D.C.’s urgency is the fact that winning in the 2025 US Open Cup may be their best shot at winning a trophy, with the club 9 points adrift from the play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. After starting with a 2-5-3 record, D.C. came to life somewhat in May by posting a 2-3-4 record. Then June started with a devastating 7-1 loss to Chicago, and United managed just a scoreless draw with Atlanta in their last four games. D.C. has the second weakest offensive output in MLS, with just 17 goals scored in 21 games. Christian Benteke leads the meager offence with six goals, while Davis Schegg has four assists.
Nashville is enjoying their best season yet, rebounding from last season’s 9-16-9 finish with a 12-4-5 mark thus far, good for second place behind FC Cincinnati. The Coyotes are currently riding a 13-game unbeaten streak across all competitions and have not lost since April 19 when they dropped a 3-0 decision to Seattle. Nashville’s 37 goals scored are sixth best in the league, and Englishman Sam Surridge not only leads the team with 16 goals, he’s also No. 1 in MLS. Longtime midfielder Hany Mukhtar has eight assists and Andy Najar is right behind him with seven.
US OPEN CUP HISTORY
Nashville SC
Major League Soccer | Nashville, TN
5th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: B.J. Callaghan
Overall: 9-2-2 (0-2 PK) | 5-1-1 (0-1 PK) (MLS)
Home: 8-0-1 (0-1) | 4-0-0 (MLS)
vs. MLS: 3-1-0 (0-1 PK) | 2-1-1 (0-1 PK) (MLS)
Best finish: Fifth Round (2018, USL) | Quarterfinals (2022, MLS)
In their first year as a USL club in 2018, Nashville knocked off the Colorado Rapids on their way to the Fifth Round. Once joining MLS they reached the Quarterfinals in 2022 and made another three-game run in 2023 while starting a round earlier. Last year, Nashville SC did not enter the competition.
The first notable club from the city of Nashville to participate in the Open Cup was the Nashville Blues in the late 1980s, though they didn’t have much success. In the Modern Era, the A-League’s Nashville Metros reached the Quarterfinals in 1997, upsetting the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting KC) 3-1 in the Third Round.
D.C. United
Major League Soccer | Washington, D.C.
24th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Troy Lesesne
Overall: 36-16-7 (3-4 PK)
Home: 26-7-4 (1-3 PK)
vs. MLS: 11-12-3 (0-3 PK)
Best finish: Champion (1996, 2008, 2013)
With three Open Cup titles (1996, 2008, 2013), two additional Finals appearances (1997, 2009) and three Semifinal appearances (2001, 2003, 2006, 2010), D.C. United has one of the better Open Cup resumes. However, since the club’s 2013 US Open Cup title, success has been limited, as United have failed to advance past a second game in eight attempts. D.C’s MLS record is similar, after winning four MLS titles from 1996-2007 the well has run dry, including the current four-season drought of missing the playoffs.
Washington D.C.’s first known club to participate in the Open Cup was Heurich Brewers, who took part in the Maryland qualifying tournament for the 1937 Open Cup. It wouldn’t be until the late 1960s when teams from D.C. would become regulars in the tournament. Club Espana claimed the city’s lone pre-Modern Era title in 1987 via penalty kicks over Seattle’s Mitre Eagles, the first Open Cup title decided by penalties.