2026 US Open Cup Round 4 Preview: Three lower division teams still alive in Round of 16

With two matches on Tuesday and the remaining six on Wednesday, eight teams will move to within three wins of a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship and a spot in the 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Three lower division clubs are among the Final 16, Louisville City and Colorado Springs Switchbacks from the Division 2 USL Championship and One Knoxville from third-tier USL League One. One Knoxville also won the $50,000 prize for the Division 3 club going furthest in this year’s tournament.

Four teams, Charlotte FC, St. Louis CITY SC, Colorado Springs Switchbacks and One Knoxville are competing for their first Quarterfinal spot, while the Chicago Fire try to stay on track for their record-tying fifth US Open Cup title.

Follow TheCup.us on BlueSky @TheCup.us and X (Twitter) @USOpenCup throughout the round for live updates from our reporters who will be at every stadium.

All eight games will be streamed live on Paramount+, with six select games also being shown on the CBS Sports Network.

Below you will find a preview of all eight games with links to the live streams:

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Charlotte FC (MLS) 
vs.
Atlanta United FC (MLS)
Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, NC
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+/CBS Sports Network

Southern MLS rivals duke it out for a spot in the Quarterfinals when Atlanta United FC visits Matthews, N.C. to take on Charlotte FC.

While the MLS teams representing Charlotte and Atlanta have never crossed paths in the Open Cup, other clubs have done so in the Modern Era (1995-present).

In the 2007 Second Round, the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL First Division (Div. 2) defeated the USL Second Division Charlotte Eagles 1-0 on a Rodrigo Rios goal assisted by Warren Ukah in the 48th minute. Atlanta goalkeeper Ryan McIntosh later preserved the lead by saving a penalty kick from Charlotte’s leading goalscorer Jacob Coggins.

More recently Atlanta United faced off with a club from the Queen City. In the 2024 Fourth Round Charlotte Independence of USL League One visited Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia, but left defeated by Atlanta United 3-0. After a scoreless opening half Nick Firmino scored in the 52nd and 71st minutes and Daniel Ríos added a third with five minutes remaining.

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

Charlotte FC (MLS) 

In the Queen City derby, Charlotte FC started slow then turned on the gas with a 6-0 romp over Charlotte Independence of USL League One. An Archie Goodwin stoppage time goal gave the MLS club a 1-0 halftime lead, then the floodgates opened in the second half. Henry Kessler (60’), Nimfasha Berchimas (67’), David Schnegg (75’), Kerwin Vargas (86’) and Baye Coulibaly (88’) all scored for Charlotte FC in a dominating final 45 minutes.

Atlanta United FC (MLS)

Atlanta United overcame an early 1-0 deficit to cruise past Chattanooga FC 3-1, the lone MLS NEXT Pro club remaining in the tournament. Chattanooga struck first in the 6th minute, but Atlanta eventually took over on goals from Cayman Togashi (21’), Fafà Picault (64’) and Pedro Amador (75’). It was the only comeback regulation win of any match of the Third Round.

CURRENT FORM

Charlotte FC

Chatotte heads into the Round of 16 on the heels of two heavy defeats in league play. On April 22 Charlotte saw a 1-1 draw with Orlando City at halftime escalate into a 4-1 defeat. A few days later on April 26 Charlotte fell to Eastern Conference leaders Nashville 4-2. Spanish midfielder Pep Biel leads with five goals, and shares the assist lead with Wilfried Zaha and Ashley Westwood at 4.

Atlanta United FC

After a five win 2025 season Atlanta United finds themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference once again. Atlanta heads into the Open Cup on a positive note, snapping a five game winless streak with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC. The result also broke a drought where they scored just one goal in five games. Aleksey Miranchuck has scored five of Atlanta’s nine goal on the season.

Charlotte FC 
Major League Soccer | Charlotte, NC
4th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2022
Manager: Dean Smith
Overall: 6-2-1 (0-1 PK)
Home: 3-0-0
vs. MLS: 1-1-1 (0-1 PK)
Best finish: Fifth Round (2022, 2023, 2025)

Charlotte FC has only played in three tournaments, the first two times they won two games and lost on the road in the Fifth Round, 2025 was the first year they were eliminated after just two games.

Before the Modern Era, the city of Charlotte has had a limited Open Cup history. It’s limited to hosting the USASA Region III Finals in 1991. The Charlotte Eagles have had the best result in the Modern Era, reaching the Quarterfinals in 2012 as a member of USL Pro (Div. 3). Charlotte Independence have had a couple of tournaments where they advanced three times in a single tournament (2015, 2024). The Independence and the Eagles met twice with the Jacks winning both meetings in 2016 and 2017.

Atlanta United FC (MLS)
Major League Soccer | Atlanta, GA
8th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2017
Manager: Gerardo “Tata” Martino
Overall: 10-5-1 (1-0 PK)
Away: 3-2-1 (1-0 PK)
vs. MLS: 3-2-0
Best finish: Champions (2019)

Outside of their 2019 title win, Atlanta United’s Open Cup history has been rather ordinary, as they’ve been eliminated after two games in three of their five previous appearances. The last time Atlanta reached the Quarterfinals was during their 2019 championship run. After they needed extra time to beat the Charleston Battery in front of an empty stadium, they beat the Columbus Crew on the road before they defeated Saint Louis FC of the USL Championship 2-0. After shutting out Orlando City on the road, they edged Minnesota United 2-1 in the championship game in front of 35,709 fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the largest crowd to ever witness a US Open Cup Final. It was the first time that a Final was held indoors and the first time that a Georgia team had ever lifted the trophy.

The city of Atlanta’s involvement in the Open Cup goes back to 1979. With enough clubs from the South showing interest, the field was split into four regions, Region I (East), Region II (Midwest), Region III (South) & Region IV (West), with the winner of each region getting a spot in the National Semifinals. Atlanta was represented early on in the final four by the Atlanta Wolves (1980) and Datagraphic (1981), but teams from the city were never able to reach the Final. The Atlanta Silverbacks were the first pro team to represent Atlanta, but their best finish was a run to the Quarterfinals in 2014. Finally, in 2019, Atlanta United not only reached the Final but also won the city’s first Open Cup championship. 

San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 
vs.
Minnesota United FC (MLS) 
PayPal Park; San Jose, CA
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+/CBS Sports Network

San Jose will be looking for just their fourth Open Cup win over an MLS team in their history when they host Minnesota United in the Round of 16.

In their 20 previous Open Cup appearances, San Jose is just 3-9-6 (1-5 PKs) against fellow MLS clubs, starting off 0-7-3 (0-3 PKs) before beating the Seattle Sounders 2-1 in the 2017 Fifth Round. They followed that with a 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals. Their only other outright win came over the Portland Timbers in the 2025 Fifth Round, 1-0 after extra time. The lone penalty kick win came at the expense of the Seattle Sounders in the 2022 Fourth Round after a 2-2 draw.

Since joining MLS, Minnesota United are 6-6-1 (1-0 PKs) against MLS clubs and are just 1-4 on the road against their league mates. The lone away win came in the 2019 Fifth Round, a 3-2 victory over the Houston Dynamo.

The lone Open Cup meeting between San Jose and Minnesota United came back in the 2012 Fourth Round, when Minnesota United was known as the Minnesota Stars and playing in the NASL (Div. 2 pro). San Jose won 1-0 on an 85th minute goal from Steven Lenhart.

The ‘Quakes have had one other Open Cup meeting with a team from the Twin Cities. In the 2004 Quarterfinals San Jose travelled to St. Paul, Minn. to face the A-League’s Minnesota Thunder. In a back-and-forth game the Earthquakes would survive via a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw. Thunder standout Melvin Tarley opened the scoring in the 4th minute, with Brian Ching answering for San Jose 20 minutes later. In the 63rd minute U.S. National Team legend Landon Donovan put San Jose up 2-1, but Dustin Branan would level the game at 2-2 in the 77th minute. In the shootout the Earthquakes made all five of their shots while Minnesota missed one. 

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 

On the strength of two early goals, San Jose was able to outlast a game Phoenix Rising team, 2-0. Nick Fernandez scored in the 3rd minute, then assisted on Jack Jacinski’s 23rd minute goal. The Earthquakes won despite Phoenix outshooting them 17-14, and going a man down on Jonathan González’s 39th minute red card.

Minnesota United FC

Minnesota United not only had to work overtime to get past Sacramento Republic but also had to endure a marathon penalty shootout to advance to the Round of 16 via penalties after a 0-0 draw. After battling 120 minutes to a scoreless draw, MUFA and Sac Republic slugged it out in a 12-round penalty shootout. After finishing the first five rounds 3-3, each team made their next five attempts. In the 11th round goalkeepers Alec Smir (Minnesota) and Danny Vitello (Sacramento) stepped up, with Smir missing and then saving Vitello’s attempt. Finally Minnesota’s Joaquín Pereyra and Sacramento’s Domink Wanner stepped up for the second time, and Pereyra converted his second penalty while Wanner missed his to send Minnesota United through. It was the second-longest penalty kick shootout of the Modern Era.

CURRENT FORM

San Jose Earthquakes

Two years ago the Earthquakes were anchored to the bottom of the MLS Western Conference with a 6-25-3 record. Ten games into the 2026 season they’re top of the league at 9-1-0 and have scored a league-high 25 goals. The ‘Quakes are riding a six-game winning streak in MLS, with their only blemish coming on March 15, a 1-0 loss to Seattle. Preston Judd (6), Ousseni Bouda (5) and Timo Werner (4) account for 15 of the club’s 25 goals, and Werner is one behind Niko Tsakris’ team leading six assists. Brazilian goalkeeper Daniel heads up a defence that has only allowed 6 goals in 10 games.

Minnesota United FC 

Heading into the Open Cup Minnesota United saw its four game win streak come to an end with a 1-0 loss to Los Angeles FC. The Loons are currently 5-3-2 and in 5th pl;ace in the Western Conference. Kelvin Yeboah is responsible for 5 of the 11 goals scored by MUFC this year, and Tomas Chancalay has assisted with four of them.

San Jose Earthquakes
Major League Soccer | San Jose, CA
21st US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Bruce Arena
Overall: 20-15-9 (4-5)
Home: 13-5-3 (1-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 3-9-6 (1-5 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 the 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.

Minnesota United FC 
Major League Soccer | Saint Paul, MN
14th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2010
Manager: Cameron Knowles
Overall: 15-11-4 (3-1 PK) | 10-6-3 (3-0 PK) as MLS
Away: 8-6-3 (2-1 PK) | 4-4-2 (2-0 PK) as MLS
vs. MLS: 7-9-1 (1-0 PK) | 6-6-1 (1-0 PK) as MLS
Best finish: Final (2019)

Minnesota got its start in 2010 as the NSC Minnesota Stars. After a year in the USSF Division 2 league, Minnesota joined the now-defunct NASL, winning the championship in 2011. In 2015, it was announced that the franchise would join Major League Soccer starting with the 2017 season.

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 career 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.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

Red Bull New York (MLS) 
vs.
New York City FC (MLS)
Sports Illustrated Stadium; Harrison, N.J
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+

New York City FC will try and break their Hudson River Derby Open Cup drought when they visit their arch-rival Red Bull New York in the Round of 16.

NYCFC may hold a 12-11-4 record overall in the Hudson River Derby during the MLS regular season, but in cup competitions (Open Cup, Leagues Cup and MLS Cup playoffs), the boys in blue are 0-5 against the Red Bulls, 0-3 in the Open Cup.

The first Open Cup meeting took place in the 2017 Fourth Round, and the Red Bulls took the inaugural Cup meeting 1-0 on Daniel Royer’s 67th minute goal

The next year in the same round, the Red Bulls upped the humiliation, crushing NYCFC 4-0.  Vincent Bezecourt (2’) and Aaron Long (52’) put the Red Bulls up 2-0, and Daniel Royer put his name on the scoresheet again with two late goals. The loss was also NYCFC’s fourth one-and-done Open Cup performance in a row.

The third meeting would be in 2022 and the stakes were a bit higher with a Semifinal spot on the line. Once again the Red Bulls held sway over their rivals, winning 3-0. Lewis Morgan (52’), Luquinhas (70’) and Omir Fernandez (90’+1) scored in the second half of a game that also saw three players being sent off. All told, the aggregate score for the Open Cup is 8-0 in favor of the Red Bulls, and 11-0 when the other cup competitions are included.

While the Red Bulls Open Cup record against MLS clubs is a less than stellar 12-14-5 (3-2 PK), since 2022 they are 4-2-2 (1-1 PK). RBNY are also riding a five-game unbeaten streak at home, with their last outright loss coming in the 2019 Fourth Round to the New England Revolution, 3-2 after extra time.

NYCFC have played 9 of their 13 Open Cup games on the road, and the win last round at Westchester SC snapped a four-game road winless streak, with their last road win coming when they defeated D.C. United 2-1 in the 2019 Fifth Round.

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

New York City FC 

New York City FC avoided a third straight one-and-done Open Cup with a commanding 5-2 win at USL League One Westchester SC. NYCFC jumped out to a 4-1 halftime lead on two goals from Talles Magno and one each from Agustin Ojeda Arnau Farnós. Mango completed the 2026 tournament’s first hat-trick midway through the second half.

Red Bull New York

The Red Bulls had an easy time with defending USL Championship titlists Pittsburgh Riverhounds, defeating them 3-1. All three for New York came in the first 47 minutes with Swedish veteran Emil Forsberg scoring in the 25th minute and Julian Hall following with a pair of goals in the 28th and 47th minutes.

CURRENT FORM

New York City FC 

After starting off hot at 3-0-1, NYCFC have found themselves locked in a freezer, going 0-4-2 in their last six games. On April 22 two goals in stoppage time by FC Cincinnati turned a 4-2 win into a 4-4 draw. Nicolas Mercau leads the team with eight goals, and is tied for third in the league. Maxi Morales is the top assist man with six.

Red Bull New York

While the Red Bulls have the same record (3-4-3) as their rivals NYCFC, their 25 goals allowed keep them five places behind them in the standings. RBNY are winless in their last four games, and have allowed opponents to score two or more goals in six of their ten games. Julian Hall is the bright spot on the offensive side, scoring six times.

New York City FC 
Major League Soccer | Bronx, NY
9th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2013
Manager: Pascal Jansen
Overall: 5-6-2 (0-2 PK)
Away: 2-5-2 (0-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 2-4-1 (0-1 PK)
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2019, 2022)

NYCFC began their Open Cup history with four straight one-and-done eliminations from 2015-2018. Finally, in 2019 and 2022, they broke the skid and reached the Quarterfinals. However, in 2023 and 2025, it was back to square one as they were ousted after just one game once again. In MLS play, New York City FC has missed the playoffs just twice in the past 11 seasons, winning the MLS Cup in 2021.

Red Bull New York
Major League Soccer | Harrison, NJ
25th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Michael Bradley
Overall: 29-22-5 (3-2 PK) 
Home: 14-6-4 (2-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 12-14-5 (3-2 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, falling 1-0 in front of their home fans to the Chicago Fire in 2003. After rebranding as the New York Red Bulls, another deep run did not come until a return to the Final in 2017 when they lost on the road to Sporting Kansas City. Then, in 2022, the Red Bulls made another Semifinal run, which ended with a one-sided loss to Orlando City on the road..

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.

New England Revolution (MLS) 
vs. 
Orlando City SC (MLS)
Centreville Bank Stadium; Pawtucket, R.I.
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+/CBS Sports Network

Calling Pawtucket’s Centreville Bank Stadium home for the second game in a row, the New England Revolution will try to reach the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2017 when they face Orlando City SC in the Round of 16.

New England has a history of playing home Open Cup matches outside of their normal home venue. The Revolution have played just 10 of their 25 Open Cup games in their home venues of Foxboro Stadium and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

The rest of their Cup home games have taken place in 7 venues in 4 different cities, with Pawtucket’s Centreville Bank Stadium becoming venue number 8 and city number 5. Their most popular “home away from home” is Veterans Memorial Stadium in New Britain, Conn., although that venue has not been used by the Revs since the 2009 Third Round versus the Harrisburg City Islanders, a 2-1 extra time loss for the MLS side.

Since they moved to MLS, Orlando City only has a 4-5-4 (4-0 PK) record against other MLS clubs and a 4-3-2 (2-0 PK) mark on the road. Orlando City’s only success on the road against an MLS team came in the 2018 Fifth Round when they eliminated D.C. United via PK shootout after a 1-1 draw. This will also be Orlando City’s fifth straight road game in the Open Cup, after playing nine straight home games between the 2019 and 2022 tournaments.

The lone Open Cup meeting between New England and Orlando City resulted in a 2-1 extra time win for Orlando. All the scoring took place in the extra session, as Benji Michel (96’) and Tesho Akindele (101’) put Orlando City up 2-0, and Justin Rennicks scored the Revs’ lone goal with three minutes remaining.

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

New England Revolution

Playing as the home team in the venue of their opponent, the Revs needed penalty kicks to survive their Third Round encounter with Rhode Island FC of the USL Championship. Returning to the club after a five-year absence, Diego Fagúndez scored in the 51st minute to give the Revs a 1-0 lead. Rhode Island forced extra time deep into second half stoppage time on a goal by sub JJ Williams. Extra time went scoreless and in the penalty shootout Donovan Parisian, making his Revs debut, saved three of Rhode Island’s four penalty attempts to advance to the Round of 16.

Orlando City SC

With the lack of VAR until the Quarterfinals, Orlando City survived a possible upset bid by USL League One’s FC Naples and left with a 1-0 win. Tyrese Spicer scored the lone goal in the 17th minute, but it was in the 70th minute that controversy arose. After a corner kick, a shot from Naples’ Dominick Bachstein appeared to cross the line, but the referee disallowed it. With no VAR in place until the Quarterfinals, Orlando City were able to survive being outshot 20-17 by their lower league opponents.

CURRENT FORM

New England Revolution 

After missing the playoffs in 2025 the Revolution are off to a fantastic start in 2026. A 5-3-1 record has them fourth in the Eastern Conference and are fresh off a 1-1 draw with second place Inter Miami. After a 1-3-0 start New England are unbeaten in April, going 4-0-1. Peyton Miller leads the team with three goals with four other players scoring twice. Luca Langoni has six assists, tied for second most in MLS.

Orlando City SC

Early in the MLS season you could have argued the Open Cup was the only real shot at any hardware for Orlando City in 2026. After head coach Óscar Pareja agreed to step down following a 0-3 start and they held a 1-5-1 record heading into their Third Round Open Cup match with FC Naples. Things have improved just a bit under interim Head Coach Martín Perelman. Orlando City are 1-2-0 in their last three, in those three games their six goals have surpassed the four they scored in the first seven games. Longtime Lions midfielder Martin Ojeda, with the club since 2023, leads the way with four goals and Ivan Angulo has added five assists, which ranks among the MLS top 10.

New England Revolution 
Major League Soccer | Foxborough, MA
22nd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Marko Mitrovic
Overall: 23-18-6 (4-2 PK)
Home: 15-7-4 (3-1 PK) 
vs. MLS: 9-11-1 (1-0 PK) 
Best finish: Champion (2007)

Outside of their lone Open Cup championship in 2007 and two other Final appearances in 2000 and 2016, New England’s Open Cup history is lackluster. 13 of their 21 previous appearances in the Open Cup have ended after just two or fewer games. 

The Revs league record isn’t much better, with just one Supporters Shield in 2021, and five appearances in the MLS Cup Final (2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014) with no championships.

Massachusetts has been home to five other Open Cup Champions, with eight titles among them. Leading the way are the Fall River Marksmen, winners of five Open Cup titles. The club had the unique situation of being based in Fall River, Mass., but playing their home games just across the border in Tiverton, R.I. This was done to circumvent Massachusetts Blue Laws that prohibited charging admission for games played on Sunday.

Orlando City SC 
Major League Soccer | Orlando, FL
15th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2010
Manager: Martín Perelman (interim)
Overall: 23-13-5 (5-0 PK) | 11-7-5 (5-0 PK) as MLS
Away: 8-8-2 (2-0 PK) | 5-3-2 (2-0 PK) as MLS
vs. MLS:  6-11-4 (4-0 PK) | 4-5-4 (4-0 PK) as MLS
Best finish: Champion (2022)

Orlando City started in 2010 as a USL club, winning USL Pro championships in 2011 and 2013, and finished first or second overall in all four years in the league. In 2015, the club joined MLS but has yet to find consistent league success.

Orlando City have tasted Open Cup success since their debut as a USL club in 2009, their best run coming in 2013 when they reached the Quarterfinals and upset the Colorado Rapids and Sporting Kansas City along the way. The highlight was the Sporting KC upset when Orlando was forced to play without four key players (including star forward Dom Dwyer), who were loaned to them by KC. Even without those players, they still pulled off the cupset on the road.. Open Cup glory continued in their MLS years, reaching the Semifinals in 2019, then finally winning it all in 2022.

Columbus Crew (MLS) 
vs. 
One Knoxville SC (USL-1)
ScottsMiracle-Gro Field; Columbus, Ohio
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+

The last Division 3 team standing, One Knoxville SC, make their second straight road trip to an MLS club when they face the Columbus Crew in the Round of 16.

Defending USL League One champions One Knoxville will attempt to do what has been done only three times in the Modern Era by a Division 3 club, eliminate two MLS teams in one tournament. 

The first club to accomplish this feat was the 1997 San Francisco Bay Seals of the USISL D3 Pro League. After upsetting the A-League Seattle Sounders 1-0 in the Second Round, the Seals pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament by knocking off the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 on a pair of Marquis White goals. Next in the Quarterfinals, the Seals defeated the San Jose Clash 2-1 on second half goals from Shani Simpson (77’) and Shane Watkins (86’). The run came to an end in the Semifinals with a 2-1 loss to defending champions D.C. United.

The next time came in 2011 when the USL Pro League’s Richmond Kickers made their own run to the Semifinals. The Kickers first defeated the Columbus Crew 2-1 in the Third Round 

Nozomi Hiroyama scored in the 20th minute, and Matthew Delicate hit the game-winner with five minutes left. The Kickers then took out Sporting Kansas City 2-0 in the Quarterfinals on goals from Shaka Bangura (66’) and David Bulow (83’). Their run also ended in the Semifinals with a 2-1 lost to the Chicago Fire.

A year later the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL Pro would be the last D3 team to beat two MLS teams in the same tournament. They started off with one of the greatest Open Cup games of the Modern Era when they beat the New England Revolution in PKs in the Third Round. After a scoreless 90 minutes Harrisburg overcame a 3-0 extra time hole to force penalties. Brian Ombiji (111’), Sainey Touray (117’) and JT Noone (120’) scored in a ten-minute span as the City Islanders won the PK shootout 4-3. Extra time was needed again as Harrisburg beat the New York Red Bulls 3-1 in the Fourth Round. Sainey Touray scored twice (13’, 94’) and Lucky Mkosana added the clinching goal in the 118th minute. The Philadelphia Union put an end to the run with a 5-2 Quarterfinal defeat.

Columbus is 7-2-0 all time against Division 3 clubs, but those two losses came in back-to-back years at home. The first was a 2-1 loss to the Richmond Kickers in the 2011 Third Round, then in 2012 the Crew were upset by the Dayton Dutch Lions of USL Pro 2-1 in the Third Round.

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

One Knoxville SC 

One Knoxville SC traveled to Garfield, N.J. in the opening round to face Vistula Garfield of the USASA’s American Premier Soccer League and won 3-1. After allowing an opening-minute goal, Knoxville took over, scoring twice in the first half through Babacar Diene (14’) and Trinidad & Tobago international Real Gill (21’), and again in the second on a goal from Mikkel Gøling (76’). 

In another Open Cup edition of the Smoky Mountain Series, One Knoxville survived an upset bid by Asheville City, advancing via penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. Braudilio Rodrigues scored first for Knoxville in the 33rd minute, but the USL League Two side equalized in the 67th minute. After a scoreless extra time, Jonathan Burke saved three of Asheville’s five penalties to help Knoxville win the shootout 3-2. 

In a game that was scoreless for 61 minutes, One Knoxville upset D.C. United via penalties after a 3-3 draw. After D.C. finally broke the scoreless tie in the 61st minute, Babacar Diene (75’) and Denis Krioutchenkov (78’) put One Knox up 2-1, only to see the MLS club draw level with seven minutes remaining. In extra time, D.C. struck in the 97th minute, but Krioutchenkov bagged his second goal in the 13th minute. In the penalty shootout, One Knoxville made all its attempts, and Jonathan Burke saved D.C’s.sixth shot to send the underdogs through. For his performance, Krioutchenkov was the runaway winner of TheCup.us Player of the Round. One Knoxville is the lone Division 3 club to advance to the Round of 16, earning $50,000

Columbus Crew

After a two-year absence, the Columbus Crew returned in a strong fashion, easily defeating the Richmond Kickers of USL League One 3-0. Hugo Picard scored the first two Crew goals in the 42nd and 63rd minutes, and Jamal Thiaré finished with a 73rd minute goal.

CURRENT FORM

Columbus Crew SC

After starting the season with a 0-3-2 record, the month of April has brought new life into the Crew. Since the calendar turned Columbus is 3-1-1, with the only loss coming to New England on a 85th minute penalty kick. Wessam Abou Ali, Diego Rossi and Max Arfsten lead the attack with 5, 4 & 3 goals respectively. Arfsten shares the assist lead with Dylan Chambost at 3.

One Knoxville SC

Defending USL League One Champions One Knoxville find themselves in familiar territory, near the top of the USL League One standings. One Knox are tied for first with FC Naples at 14 points with a 4-1-2 record, and are currently on a five game unbeaten streak in USL League One and have not lost in all competitions over nine games, including their 1-1 draw with FC Tulsa on April 25 in the Prinx Tires USL Cup. Leading the club in goal scoring is Denis Krioutchenkov with three goals over seven games. Goalkeeper Johan Garaby is second in the league with three clean sheets.

Columbus Crew SC (MLS)
Major League Soccer | Columbus, OH
23rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Henrik Rydström
Overall: 26-18-3 (0-3 PK)
Home: 15-6-2 (0-2 PK)
vs. Div. 3: 7-2-0 
Best finish: Champions (2002)

Outside of the Crew’s three Open Cup finals appearances (1998, 2002 and 2010) and lifting the trophy in 2002, Columbus’ Open Cup history is not that great. They hold the third-longest streak in the Modern Era in exiting the tournament after two or fewer games. The Crew return to the Open Cup after a two-year absence, and their last appearance in 2023 broke a string of 10 tournaments where they exited after one of two games.

One Knoxville SC
USL League One | Knoxville, TN
4th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Ian Fuller
Overall: 4-3-2 (2-0 PK)
Away: 4-1-2 (2-0 PK) 
vs. MLS: 0-0-1 (1-0 PK)
Best finish: Third Round (2025)

One Knoxville began as an amateur team in USL League Two with the intent to eventually move to USL League One. After registering an 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 but missed 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.

In their third season in USL League One, One Knoxville did the double, taking the USL League One Players’ Shield with a regular season-best 16-5-9 but also winning the USL League One championship with a 2-0 win over Spokane Velocity.

Head coach Ian 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.

Chicago Fire FC (MLS) 
vs. 
St. Louis CITY SC (MLS)
SeatGeek Stadium; Bridgeview, Ill.
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+

It’s the Windy City versus the Mound City, as longtime Open Cup opponents St. Louis and Chicago renew their rivalry through the Fire and CITY SC in the Round of 16.

The cities of St. Louis and Chicago are no strangers to each other in the annals of Open Cup history. The two Midwestern giants first met in the Open Cup in the 1920 Quarterfinals when St. Louis’ Ben Miller FC defeated Olympia FC of Chicago 2-1 on their way to winning the first Open Cup championship for St. Louis. Throughout the years, it was not uncommon to see teams from St. Louis and Chicago face each other in the latter rounds of the tournament.

More recently the MLS clubs representing the cities have met just once in the Open Cup. In the 2023 Fourth Round the Fire won 2-1 over St. Louis CITY in CITY’s debut year (NOTE: St. Louis CITY entered its reserve team from MLS NEXT Pro team in 2022, a year before launching the MLS franchise). Maren Haile-Selassie and Fabian Herbers scored for the Fire while Miguel Perez (now with St. Louis CITY 2) had the lone goal for St. Louis.

The Fire have had other Open Cup clashes with teams from St. Louis in the Modern Era. In the 2017 Fourth Round the Fire defeated St. Louis FC of the USL 1-0 with Luis Solignac scoring the lone goal in the 27th minute. Two years later, Saint Louis FC would turn the tables and upset the Fire 2-1 in the 2019 Fourth Round. First half goals from Austin Martz and Guy Abend put the USL club up 2-0 at the half, and Namanja Nikolic’s second half penalty for the Fire cut the lead in half.

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

Chicago Fire

In a rematch from last year’s tournament, Chicago Fire travelled to Hamtramck, Mich. and came away with a 2-1 win over Detroit City FC of the USL Championship in the Third Round. Jason Shokalook struck twice in the span of three minutes (34,36’) in the first half, and Chicago withstood a goal from Detroit in the 79th minute and Puso Dithejane being sent off a minute later to advance to the Round of 16.

St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis CITY had no trouble defeating the visiting FC Tulsa 4-0 in the Third Round. Marcel Hartel (20’) and Jeong Sang-bin (36’) put St. Louis up 2-0 at the half and Mykhi Joyner (61’) and Tomás Ostrák (78’) closed out the scoring in the second half.

CURRENT FORM

Chicago Fire FC

The Chicago Fire are unbeaten in their last five MLS games, going 4-0-1 in that span, and are heading back into Open Cup play after thrashing Sporting Kansas City 5-0. Hugo Cuypers is the leading goalscorer with eight, tied for third best in MLS. Phili[p Zinckernagel and Marren Halle-Salassie have three assists each. Goalkeeper Chris Brady is tied for the league lead with five clean sheets.

St. Louis CITY SC
Early in the MLS season St. Louis finds themselves in the familiar position of being at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 1-5-3 record. Their lone win came over a month ago, and with nine goals they are just one of three teams who have yet to score ten goals on the year. Marcel Hartel leads the meager offence with three goals.

Chicago Fire FC
Major League Soccer | Chicago, IL
26th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1998
Manager: Gregg Berhalter
Overall: 48-18-7 (4-3 PK)
Home: 29-2-3 (1-2 PK) 
vs. MLS: 25-12-2 (2-0)
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 (48) and advances (52) 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. 

Chicago has been chasing a record-tying fifth Open Cup Championship since winning their fourth title in 2006. Since 2011, the Fire have reached the Semifinals five times, and in their last two tournaments, they have advanced to the Quarterfinals.

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 that 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. 

St. Louis CITY FC 
Major League Soccer | St. Louis, MO
3rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2023
Manager: Yoann Damet
Overall: 3-2-0
Home: 3-0-0
vs. MLS: 0-2-0
Best finish: Fifth Round (2025) 

In the Modern Era, St. Louis’ Open Cup record has been a bit more modest. The St. Louis Lions of the PDL (now USL League Two) appeared in 2008 and 2009, failing to win a game. AC St. Louis was the first pro team in the Modern Era, making just one run in 2010, reaching the Third Round. The most successful club was Saint Louis FC of the USL, making five appearances from 2015-2019, making a run to the Quarterfinals in 2019, where they upset both the Chicago Fire (2-1) and FC Cincinnati  (1-0) before losing to eventual champion Atlanta United FC 2-0.

The last St. Louis club to reach the Final was Busch SC in 1988. St. Louis was first represented in the Cup in 1920, with Ben Miller SC defeating Fore River FC 2-1 for the city’s first championship. St. Louis clubs would reach the final from 1920 to 1924. Stix, Baer & Fuller (aka Central Breweries and Shamrocks SC) reached the Final six straight times from 1932-1937, a feat unmatched in Open Cup history.

Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)
vs. 
Louisville City FC (USL-C)
Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, Texas
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+

After taking down 2025 runners-up Austin FC, Louisville City will try and do the same to 2023 Open Cup champions Houston Dynamo when they visit Shell Energy Stadium for their Round of 16 encounter,

Last round, Louisville snapped a six-tournament run of being eliminated by MLS teams. Now they will attempt to eliminate two MLS clubs in the same tournament for the first time in their history. This year marks the third time Louisville City has advanced at least four games deep into an Open Cup tournament. The first was in 2018, their deepest run when they reached the Quarterfinals. More recently in 2022, Louisville fell one game short of matching their Quarterfinal run, falling to Nashville FC 2-1 in the Round of 16.

Houston is currently on a seven game home unbeaten streak in the Open Cup, with their lone home elimination coming in the 2024 Fourth Round when Detroit City knocked them out via penalties. Houston has never outright lost a home Open Cup game to a non-MLS opponent.

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

Louisville City FC

Two goals from Tola Showunmi in the 20th and 30th minutes were all Louisville City needed to defeat their opening round opponents from across the Ohio River, Southern Indiana FC of the UPSL.. Louisville outshot Southern Indiana 21-4 as the returning Showunmi, who was previously with Louisville in 2014, provided the scoring.

In the Second Round, Louisville recorded their fifth straight Commonwealth Cup victory over in-state rivals Lexington Sporting Club 2-0. Senegalese midfielder Babacar Niang opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, and Tola Showunmi doubled the lead in the 51st minute with his third goal of the tournament.

In the Round of 32, Tola Showunmi scored his Open Cup-leading fourth goal in the 32nd minute to help Louisville City t0 pull off the 2-1 upset of 2025 runner-up Austin FC. Sean Totsch, Lou City’s all-time Open Cup goalscorer, scored his 7th career Open Cup goal in the 26th minute. Then Showunmi. who has scored in every Open Cup game this year followed six minutes later. Austin narrowed the gap to 2-1 with 20 minutes left.

Houston Dynamo FC

Houston had no trouble with El Paso Locomotive, rolling over the USL Championship club 4-1.in the Round of 32. The Dynamo very quickly jumped in front on Ondrej Lingr’s 2nd minute goal, then were helped even more when El Paso was reduced to ten men due to a 25th minute red card. Mateusz Bogusz (46’), Nick Markanich (58’) and Ezequiel Ponce (80’) finished things for Houston with second half goals

CURRENT FORM

Houston Dynamo

After starting the year 2-4-0 Houston have bounced back a bit with two wins in their last three games. Houston is coming off a 2-0 loss to Austin FC in the Copa Tejas. The Dynamo are now sitting in 9th place in the Western Conference. Leading the offense is the new signing from Brazil, Guillerme, who has five goals and four assists

Louisville City

Two-time defending USL Championship Players’ Shield winners Louisville City are right where they usually are, in first place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference. At 5-1-1, Lou City’s only blemish this year was a 2-0 home loss to the Charleston Battery on April 4. The defeat ended a 20-game regular season unbeaten streak and a 26-game home unbeaten streak for Louisville City. Louisville opened the Prinx Tires USL Cup on April 25 with a 3-1 home win over Fort Wayne FC. Jansen Wilson is the club’s leading goal scorer with three, and the rest of the club’s 10 goals are spread out among nine different players. Taylor Davila is tied for the league lead in assists with three.

Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) 
Major League Soccer | Houston, TX
18th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2006
Manager: Ben Olsen
Overall: 27-13-3 (1-2 PK)
Home: 20-5-2 (1-1 PK)
vs. Div. 2: 10-2-2 (0-2 PK)
Best finish: Champions (2018, 2023)

The Houston Dynamo are like the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. In 1996, the Ravens relocated to Baltimore from Cleveland and promptly won a Super Bowl. Houston left San Jose after the 2005 season, then won back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007. The club has been looking for its third championship since then.

The Dynamo have had success in the Open Cup as well, winning championships in 2018 and 2023. Their 2024 title defense was stopped cold by Detroit City FC on penalties after a 3-3 draw. It was just the fourth time in the Modern Era that a defending champ was eliminated in their opening game the following tournament. 

The city of Houston made a mark on the Open Cup before any of its clubs did. The 1983 Open Cup Semifinals and Final were hosted at Houston’s Delmar Stadium, and won by New York Pancyprian Freedoms in a 4-3 goal fest over St. Louis’ Kutis SC.

Louisville City FC
USL Championship | Louisville, KY
10th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2014
Manager: Simon Bird (interim)
Overall: 16-8-4 (3-1 PK)
Away: 4-6-2 (1-1 PK)
vs. MLS: 2-6-1 (0-1 PK)
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2018)

Since Louisville City FC relocated from Orlando in 2014 they have been one of the most consistently successful clubs in the USL Championship. Lou City haven’t just made the playoffs every year, they’ve at least reached the Semifinals each time (except 2024), winning the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, and reaching the Final in 2019 and 2022.

In the Open Cup, Louisville’s best showing was in 2018 when they reached the Quarterfinals, knocking off the New England Revolution along the way. 

Louisville City had yet another stellar season in the 2025 USL Championship, finishing 22-7-1 and claiming the USL Championship Player’s Shield for the second consecutive year. The run came to a screeching halt in the playoffs as Louisville were upset by No. 8 seed Detroit City FC 1-0 in the opening round.

Last year, Louisville saw its Open Cup run end after two games. In the Third Round, LCFC fell to Minnesota United 1-0.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC) 
vs. 
Colorado Rapids (MLS)
DICK’S Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo.
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+

After a 10-year pause, the I-25 derby resumes when the Colorado Rapids host the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the Round of 16.

The Rapids and Switchbacks have met twice in the Open Cup, the last time being a decade ago. The first encounter came in the Switchbacks inaugural season, and the Rapids showed no mercy with a 4-1 win. Dillon Serna scored twice and had one assist, and Dominique Badji and Joseph Greenspan also scored. Jordan Burt scored a consolation goal for the Switchbacks in second half stoppage time. Later in their careers, Serna and Greenspan would play for the Switchbacks.

The second and last meeting took place a year later and was much closer. Dillon Serna once again boosted the Rapids with an 84th minute goal to win 1-0. The Switchbacks outshot the Rapids 14-13 and also held an 11-2 advantage in corner kicks.

Remarkably, the Rapids have played just 12 home games out of the 27 Open Cup games in their history with most of those games in the last ten years, The Rapids are 8-2-1 (0-1 PK) at home, one of the few positive stats from their Open Cup history. Meanwhile, Colorado Springs have played just 6 of their 20 Open Cup matches on the road, and this will be the third road Open Cup game in the last 14 for Colorado Springs.

On the negative side the Rapids are just 7-8-1 (0-1 PK) against Division 2 opposition in the Open Cup and are just 3-2-1 (0-1 PK) since 2012. The Rapids are one of just two MLS teams with a losing record against Division 2 teams with a minimum of five games(Real Salt Lake). The two wins over the Switchbacks were when the USL was considered a Division 3 league. 

ROAD TO THE ROUND OF 16

Colorado Springs Switchbacks

In their opener, after jumping out to a 1-0 lead on Jonas Fjeldberg’s sixth-minute goal, it took the Switchbacks nearly 75 minutes to get another two and finally end the upset bid by Azteca FC 3-0. Sadam Masereka (82’) and Khori Bennett (86’) came through for Colorado Springs to beat the stubborn Colorado Premier League side. 

In the Second Round, the Switchbacks faced USL League One side Spokane Velocity and were taken to penalties after a 1-1 draw. Talen Maples scored for Colorado Springs just before halftime, but Spokane equalized with three minutes remaining. In the penalty tiebreaker, Christian Herrera saved Spokane’s first two attempts, and the Switchbacks prevailed 4-2

The Switchbacks pulled off the shock result in the Third Round by routing Sporting Kansas City 3-0. It was the first defeat of an MLS by a non-MLS club by three or more goals since Sacramento Republic defeated Real Salt Late 4-1 in the 2017 Fourth Round. Juan Tejada (11’) and Sadam Masereka (31’) put Colorado Springs up 2-0 at the half, and Khori Bennett (86’) added the third late in the game.

Colorado Rapids

The Rapids returned to the Open Cup after a two-year absence and came way with a 1-0 win over the always dangerous Union Omaha from USL League One. Dante Sealy recorded the games only goal in the 21st minute, and Colorado held on to advance to the Round of 16.

CURRENT FORM

Colorado Rapids

Since the Rapids defeated Union Omaha in the Third Round they’ve hit a rough patch in league play, losing two of the three games and drawing the other. To be fair, the  games were against three of the top teams in the league (Inter Miami, LAFC,  & Vancouver Whitecaps), with the last two on the road. Only one of the Rapids four wins have come against teams above the playoff line, and all five losses have come against teams currently making the playoff cut. Colorado’s 21 goals are the third most in MLS, with Rafael Navarro leading the way with 7 goals and 4 assists. 

Colorado Springs Switchbacks

The start of the Switchbacks’ 2026 season has been up and down. While their current Open Cup run is clearly an early highlight, league play has them sitting with a 2-2-2 record, though the Switchbacks halted a two-game losing streak at the end of March with a 1-1 draw with Lexington and a 4-1 win over Monterey Bay. The Switchbacks opened the Prinx Tires USL Cup on April 25 with a 1-0 win over Phoenix Rising. Khori Bennett leads both the Switchbacks and USL Championship with six goals. Bennett also has an Open Cup goal to his career resume, scoring for Reading United AC (USL League Two) in their 2018 Second Round PK elimination to the Richmond Kickers.

Colorado Rapids
Major League Soccer | Commerce City, CO
22nd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1995
Manager: Matt Wells
Overall: 16-20-1 (0-1 PK)
Home: 9-2-1 (0-1 PK) 

vs. MLS: 4-10-0
Best finish: Final (1999)

The Rapids are the most snakebit MLS team in terms of Open Cup success. You could call it the “Curse of the Foxes”, since the Rapids Open Cup debut in 1996 was replacing the A-League Colorado Foxes mid-tournament. The Foxes had five players called up by Jamaica for World Cup qualifying and withdrew when they couldn’t get their Quarterfinal game with the Kansas City Wizards rescheduled.

At 16-20-1, they are the only MLS club with more than 20 Open Cup games played to hold an overall record below .500. The Rapids hold the Modern Era record for most consecutive tournaments being eliminated after two or fewer games at 17 (2000-2022). While the Rapids have reached an Open Cup Final in 1999, they are the lone MLS team to lose the Final to a lower division club, the A- League Rochester Raging Rhinos.

In MLS play, the Rapids have won one MLS Cup Championship in 2010 and were playoff regulars in their early years. Recent seasons have been a struggle, missing the playoffs three of the last four seasons.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 
USL Championship | Colorado Springs, CO
10th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2014
Manager: Alan McCann
Overall: 10-8-1 (0-1 PK)
Away: 2-3-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. MLS: 1-3-0
Best finish: Fourth Round (2015, 2016)

Switchback refers to a type of path that follows a zig-zag pattern up a steep stretch of terrain, such as a hill or mountainside. The club has generally been middle of the road as far as success in the USL Championship, having made the playoffs three straight seasons after four years of missing out. In 2024, they had their first breakthrough, finishing second in the Western Conference and winning the USL Championship title, beating Rhode Island FC 3-0 in the Final.

Colorado Springs took a step back from winning the USL Championship crown in 2024, finishing 10-13-7 in 2025 and beating out Lexington Sporting Club by one point for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. In the Open Cup, the Switchbacks snapped a three-year one-and-done streak with a 3-2 extra-time win over One Knoxville. In the following round, the Switchbacks lost to the New York Red Bulls, 4-1.

In Open Cup play, Colorado Springs had decent showings in their first two years, going three games deep each time before being stopped by the Colorado Rapids each year. Since then, they haven’t made it past a second game.