2025 US Open Cup: Ricardo Jerez of Chattanooga Red Wolves voted TheCup.us Lower Division Player of Tournament

After a performance that came to symbolize the oddities and excitement of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Ricardo Jerez of the Chattanooga Red Wolves has been voted TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament. Jerez is only the third goalkeeper to win the award and the first since Mitch Hildebrandt won it in 2017 playing for, at that time USL side, FC Cincinnati.

Jerez started in every match of the tournament for the Red Wolves, playing for over 400 minutes. During this time, he would set an Open Cup record and lead his team farther than they had ever gone. This performance earned him a runaway victory in the voting over second place finisher Juan Carlos Obregon Jr. of Westchester SC (USL1) and third place finisher Osaze De Rosario of the Tacoma Defiance (MLSNP).

The Player of the Tournament award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

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The path to glory is rarely ever an easy one, and it certainly started off rocky for Jerez. In his first match of the tournament, against the New Jersey Alliance (UPSL), the Red Wolves got a red card in the 36^th minute. Jerez, and the rest of the Red Wolves were feeling the pressure as the amateurs from New Jersey took a lead into halftime.

“I remember that five minutes after we got the red card, we conceded a goal,” Jerez told TheCup.us. “So, at the halftime we were 1-0 down and one player down it was so hard that time in the locker room, because we had the pressure to win because we were the higher-level team.”

Things got so dicey for the Red Wolves that backup goalkeeper Jason Smith would have to come in and play the field as an injury substitution and play defense.

Jerez held strong. After playing over 80 minutes down a man, the game was tied 2-2. It would have to be settled with a penalty kick shootout. A goal by backup keeper Smith and a Jerez stop on a Konrad Rodzen shot would help Chattanooga grab the 4-2 win and avoid a First Round “cupset”.

The Second Round would see Jerez and the Red Wolves face their crosstown rivals, Chattanooga FC (MLSNP). In what was one of the most highly-anticipated matches of the tournament, Jerez would again have to step up.

“I remember that all the city was talking about it, the atmosphere was incredible,” said Jerez. “I even remember that CFC social media and fans spent making fun of us, and saying that Chattanooga is blue and all those things. Even the mayor of the city posted some things supporting CFC.”

The game itself lived up to the hype. Over 12,000 fans showed up for what was a chippy and heated affair. It was, by far, the best attended game of the entire round. In a game that once again went the full 120 minutes, Jerez had two saves in a 1-1 draw.

In the penalty shootout Jerez made a key save against Daniel Mangarov, and the Chattanooga Red Wolves would go on to win 5-4. An exclamation point was put on the victory with a college football-style flag planting by Red Wolves fans in the Chattanooga FC home turf.

“That night, we simply proved, that Chattanooga is Red and we are the best team in the city.”

Traveling west for a Third Round matchup against the Las Vegas Lights (USL-C), Jerez would find himself making Open Cup history. During the match Jerez would end up making seven saves in a 2-2 draw. Yet again, the Red Wolves would have to win it from the spot.

The shootout got off to a positive start for Jerez as he saved the Lights’ first attempt by Christian Pinzón, who scored the equalizer earlier that evening. Las Vegas would level the score when Ualefi had his shot saved. After both teams took care of business in the next two rounds, the game would be decided in Round 5 when Jerez saved an attempt by Gennaro Nigro. The Red Wolves would advance 4-3.  

Not only did Jerez become the first player to win three straight penalty shootouts in a tournament, but only one goalkeeper in the Modern Era (1995-present) has ever won four shootouts in a career (Tim Melia).

In his historic run of victories the seasoned vet never let the pressure get the best of him.

“I have been playing as a professional for 20 years, through all my years as a professional I have played a lot of PK shootouts some of them I won, some of them I lost,” said Jerez. “But I tried to learn from each one. I have learned that in those moments, composure is the most important thing at that moment, and the goalkeeper who keeps their composure is the one who can help his team with important saves.”

The Fourth Round would see the Cinderella story end for the Red Wolves. In their first ever appearance against Major League Soccer opponents, they would fall 1-0 against Nashville SC, the team that would eventually win the tournament. It is the farthest the Chattanooga Red Wolves have ever gone in the Open Cup, besting their 2024 Third Round finish.

For Jerez, it was a cup run to remember.

“The experience to play in the Fourth Round against an MLS team, was amazing, everybody in the team enjoyed every single second on the pitch that day in Nashville, and makes us feel proud that we compete every second against the champions of the US Open Cup 2025.”

The Red Wolves record-setting run was done entirely as the visiting team and rests in large part to the heroics of one man, Ricardo Jerez. Though like any veteran Jerez is quick to push the spotlight from himself and give all the credit to his teammates.

“It’s such an honor for me to get the (TheCup.us Player of the Tournament) award,” said Jerez. “We were very effective in every shootout. We showed to everybody that, mentally, we are a very strong team, because in the PK shootout we stayed calm when all the pressure came, and not everyone can deal with that pressure in those moments.”