A new chapter was written in the St. Louis vs Chicago rivalry Sunday at St. Mary’s High School on the city’s south side. In front of a raucous crowd that featured a strong contingent of Chicago traveling fans, BOHFS St. Louis (MWPL) won a 3-2 thriller over Chicago House (MWPL) in a 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifier.
With the win, BOHFS St. Louis becomes the first amateur team from the Gateway City to qualify for the Open Cup in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present).
BOHFS scored in the 31st minute and seemed to be cruising for the first half. Until a 40th minute goal by Chicago House drew the game even. BOHFS wasted no time responding and quickly followed with a 42nd minute goal.
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A 54th minute goal by Elliot Goodwin seemingly had the game sealed for St. Louis. Chicago would not be quieted as a stoppage time goal by Ricardo Avalos filled the waning minutes with tension. In the end, Goodwin’s goal would stand as the winner.
“Credit to everybody that wore a white shirt today. Everybody put 100% in and those are the results you can get when you work hard,” Goodwin said.
Despite both teams playing in the Midwest Premier League, they have never faced each other. St. Louis plays in the Gateway Conference South Division and Chicago plays in the Heartland Conference Division 1. Chicago House has an Open Cup pedigree, having qualified for the tournament twice, whereas BOHFS is in its inaugural season.
“We really didn’t know what to expect,” Goodwin said, “we knew they were going to be good, we knew they were going to be organized.”
BOHFS came out on the front foot with physical play keeping the ball in the House end early. In the 20th minute, House strung together a pair of solid chances off corner kicks, which swung the momentum in their favor. From the early moments, this Open Cup Amateur Qualifying game had all the atmosphere of a championship.
“It was a little chippy,” BOHFS Founder/Coach Alen Bradaric said. “It was like a final. So, you expect all of that stuff. Lots of talking from the benches.”
Then, against the run of play, Michael Utley muscled the ball off a House defender in the Chicago third. Utley pushed by and drove home the opening goal.
BOHFS kept the pressure on House searching for a second goal. With BOHFS pushing numbers forward, they were caught off guard by a smooth House counterattack.
As House players moved forward, two BOHFS players ran into each other and a BOHFS defender slipped in the box, clearing the way for Avalos to score in the 40th minute.
The draw wouldn’t last long. A mere two minutes later BOHFS was given a free kick. The ball was struck well towards the far corner of the House net. There it found the foot of Brian Bement, who scored off a volley.
“Set pieces are huge in the game. They can win you games or lose you games and you just gotta stay switched on at all times,” Goodwin said.
BOHFS carried the first half momentum into the second half pressing House early. A slick pass by Liam Collins sprung Goodwin for a breakaway goal.
The play had all the signifiers of the kind of goal that can be scored when two players are familiar with each other. For Collins and Goodwin, the connection they’ve built goes back years.
“He was actually my college coach,” Goodwin said, “he was an assistant coach when I was playing in college. So, I’ve known Liam for a long time.”
With a 3-1 lead, BOHFS began to make substitutions in an effort to park the bus and stitch up the victory. But, Chicago would not go quietly into that good night.
House began throwing players forward and putting pressure on the BOHFS defense. A 68th minute shot off a long throw-in forced BOHFS goalkeeper, Liam Gibbs, to make a diving save.
In the dying minutes of the game Avalos scored again for House. With the score now 3-2, the ending would be nerve wracking as House frantically whipped the ball into the BOHFS box, including a free kick chance in which Gibbs would once again have to come up big in goal for St. Louis.
In the end it was to no avail, BOHFS St. Louis came away with a victory and the fans went away getting every penny worth from a $6 ticket.
BOHFS generally recruits from an older and more experienced player pool. The quick response to the first Chicago goal and the strong effort to close out the match showed the benefits of the roster constructed by Bradaric.
“I don’t want to put too many restrictions and this and that. Just play freely,” Bradaric said. “It’s like you guys have so much experience, you read the game so well, enjoy it when we have it.”
This was the first home match BOHFS hosted during the Open Cup qualifying games. Their previous two matches were played in Kansas City and Omaha. Now that they have qualified, the opportunity to host a professional team looms large.
“We’re just grateful to be in it and we’re happy. If they send us to Alaska, it is what it is. We’ll go,” Bradaric said.
This marks BOHFS St. Louis’ first ever qualification to the Open Cup. For Bradaric, the team he founded is entering uncharted waters that will pose greater challenges. But that is no reason for him to worry.
“Eleven months ago, we weren’t even a team,” he said.