2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals Preview: MLS teams battle for spot in final four

The Final Four for the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will be determined with two games each on May 19 and 20. Two clubs, New York City FC and St. Louis CITY SC are vying for their first ever Semifinal appearances, while the remaining six teams have a total of 15 appearances between them.

This marks the second year in a row, and the fourth time in the Modern Era (1995-present) that the US Open Cup Quarterfinals have been an all-MLS affair.

Once the Quarterfinals are complete there will be a 118-day break in play due to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the Semifinals kicking off on Sept. 15 and 16, and the Final scheduled for Oct. 21. 

This will be the longest break in the competition since the 1948 US Open Cup when it paused for 161 days between the Semifinal and Final (May 9 – Oct. 17) to account for players representing the United States on the 1948 Olympic soccer team.

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 four games will be streamed live on Paramount+, with  select two games also being shown on the CBS Sports Network.

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

TUESDAY, MAY 19

Orlando City SC (MLS)
vs.
Atlanta United FC (MLS)
Inter&Co Stadium – Orlando, FL
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+/CBS Sports Golazo Network
Winner plays at NYCFC or Columbus Crew in Semifinals

Heated Southern MLS rivals Atlanta United and Orlando City bring their animosity to the Open Cup for just the second time to see who gets to return to the Semifinals and continue their quest for a second Open Cup Championship.

The winner will travel to face the NYCFC/Columbus Crew winner in the Semifinals.

ESPN: Atlanta United-Orlando City ‘rivalry’ compensates for lack of history with a whole lot of bad blood

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The one and only Open Cup meeting between Orlando and Atlanta came in the 2019 Semifinals, as Atlanta won 2-0 on their way to winning the 2019 US Open Cup. Orlando was denied an early 1-0 lead when Dom Dwyer’s 5th minute goal was ruled offside. About ten minutes before halftime Atlanta took the lead when Eric Remedi’s saved shot from the top of the penalty area found Julian Gressel, who sent the ball back to a charging Remedi in front of the goal. Atlanta sealed the win in the 77th minute when Remedi passed to Franco Escobar when the tapped the ball to Emerson Hyndman for a point-blank shot on goal.

More recently, the clubs met in MLS play on May 16 and played to a 1-1 draw. Orlando struck first in the 18th minute when Griffin Dorsey received a Iván Angulo pass in the goalmouth and beat Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos. Orlando held the 1-0 lead up to the 86th minute when Ajani “Jay” Fortune blasted a shot from the top of the penalty area past Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS

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.

Orlando went from a one-goal squeaker to a seven-goal pinball game in their 4-3 Round of 16 win over the New England Revolution. Orlando City recovered from one-goals deficits three times on goals from Lago Teodoro (31’), Griffin Dorsey (39’) and Justin Ellis (70’). Finally, two minutes into stoppage time Orlando City grabbed the lead when Tyrese Spicer fired a pass to Zakaria Taifi for a point blank shot on goal.

Atlanta United FC

Atlanta United entered in the Round of 32 and 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.

Atlanta’s Round of 16 encounter with Charlotte FC led to a 2-0 win. Alexey Miranchuk, who leads the team in scoring in MLS play, curled a shot inside the post in the 22nd minute for an early 1-0 lead. Over 25 minutes into the second half Cooper Sanchez provided some breathing room when Charlotte’s goalkeeper missed a sliding save, resulting in an easy goal.

LAST APPEARANCE IN THE QUARTERFINALS

Atlanta United FC

Five years removed from their 2019 US Open Cup championship, Atlanta United’s last appearance in the Open Cup Quarterfinals in 2024 found them the victims of a 2-1 upset by Indy Eleven of the USL Championship. Playing at their Open Cup “home away from home” at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga., Atlanta United outshot Indy 18-7 but it was Indy who scored first through Augustine Williams in the 31st minute. Atlanta did themselves no favors in the 83rd minute when Dax McCarty deflected an Indy pass into his own goal. Nic Firmino gave Atlanta a glimmer of hope with a goal in stoppage time, but it was too little too late.

Orlando City SC

The most recent Quarterfinal appearance for the Lions came in 2022 on their way to their lone Open Cup Championship. The game against Nashville SC was part of a championship run that saw Orlando play all six Open Cup games at home, and also the second straight game in which the Lions advanced via penalty kicks after eliminating Inter Miami in the Round of 16. After a scoreless first half, Hany Mukhtar put Nashville on top in the 52nd minute. Deep into second half stoppage time Orlando found the equalizer Rodrigo Schlegel knocked in the ball after a free kick. In the PK tiebreaker, both clubs were tied 5-5 when Orlando goalkeeper Pedro Gallese saved the second sudden-death attempt.

CURRENT FORM

Orlando City SC (MLS)

Orlando City has been a goal scoring machine in their last four MLS games, finding the net nine times which resulted in a 2-1-1 mark in that period. It started with a 4-3 win over Inter Miami on May 2, in which they overcame a 3-0 deficit on the strength of a hat trick from Martin Ojeda. Orlando defeated Philadelphia Union 4-3 with Ojeda scoring two more goals. The run has crept Orlando to the outskirts of the playoff line at 4-8-2. Ojeda’s outburst put him on top of Orlando’s goal scorers with nine and Iván Angulo leads with seven assists.

Atlanta United FC

Since their win in the Round of 16, Atlanta finds themselves still near the bottom of the Eastern Conference at 3-8-2, managing to go 1-1-1 in the three games since. They possess the weakest offensive output in the East with just 14 goals scored. Aleksey Miranchuk leads the meager offense with five goals, and Cooper Sanchez has four assists.

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: 24-13-5 (5-0 PK) | 12-7-5 (5-0 PK) as MLS
Home: 15-5-3 (3-0 PK) | 6-4-3 (3-0 PK) as MLS
vs. MLS: 7-11-4 (4-0 PK) | 5-5-4 (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 Kansas City. 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.

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: 11-5-1 (1-0 PK)
Away: 4-2-1 (1-0 PK)
vs. MLS: 4-2-0
Best finish: Champion  (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. 

St. Louis CITY SC (MLS)
vs.
Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)
Energizer Park – St. Louis, MO
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+/CBS Sports Golazo Network
Winner hosts Colorado Rapids or plays at San Jose Earthquakes in Semifinals

The Houston Dynamo, the last Open Cup Champion to defend their title, take a trip north to face a St. Louis CITY team looking to restore their city’s Open Cup legacy.

The winner will either host the Colorado Rapids or play on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes in the Semifinals.

With 10 Open Cup championships, the city of St. Louis ranks behind only Los Angeles (11) and New York City (25), and Kutis SC’s 17 Quarterfinal appearances is tied with FC Dallas for the most all-time. However, the city has not had a team reach the Final since 1988, when Busch SC won the Open Cup over Greek American AC of San Francisco 2-1 in extra time.

The last time an Open Cup Quarterfinal was played in the St. Louis area was on May 31, 1992, when Scott Gallagher SC lost to the Indianapolis Inferno 2-0 at the St. Louis Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. The last time a team from St. Louis won an Open Cup Quarterfinal match was May 29, 1988 when Busch Soccer Club defeated Kansas City’s Udinese 4-0 on their way to winning the 1988 Open Cup championship.

ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS

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.

St. Louis gained their first ever trip to the Quarterfinals by ousting rivals Chicago Fire 2-1 in the Round of 16. After going down 1-0 in the 61st minute, Eduard Löwen assisted on Tomas Totland’s game tying goal in the 71st minute, 12 minutes after coming on as a sub. Löwen then scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute. Lowen’s performance earned him a runner-up finish in the voting for TheCup.us Player of the Round.

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.

In the Round of 16, Houston avoided an upset with a last-minute goal to beat Louisville City 2-1 after extra time. With the USL Championship squad up 1-0 and looking to close the book on another MLS upset, Erik Sviatchenko scored with one minute remaining to force extra time. Eleven minutes into the extra session, Ezequiel Ponce put Houston on top for good. Hector Herrera assisted on both Dynamo goals.

LAST APPEARANCE IN THE QUARTERFINALS

St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis CITY is the only team in this year’s Quarterfinal field to have never reached this stage of the Open Cup. The last team in the Modern Era to represent St. Louis at this stage was Saint Louis FC of USL Championship in 2019. The USL club got there by knocking off two MLS clubs, including a dramatic stoppage-time winner by Sam Fink to beat FC Cincinnati 1-0 in the Round of 16. The run ended at the hands of eventual 2019 Open Cup champions Atlanta United 2-0.

Houston Dynamo FC

Houston’s last Quarterfinal appearance was in 2023 on the way to winning the US Open Cup for the second time. The Dynamo rolled over the Chicago Fire 4-1 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. Houston held a 2-1 lead at halftime on a 12th minute penalty kick from Amine Bassi and a goal from Ibrahim Aliyu 20 minutes later. Aliyu scored again in the 59th minute and Nelson Quinones added the cherry on top with the fourth goal in the 74th minute.

CURRENT FORM

St. Louis CITY FC

St. Louis stopped a five-game winless run with a 1-0 victory over Colorado on May 9. Since then they have defeated LAFC 2-1 and drew 1-1 with D.C. United. Though still in second to last at 3-6-4, the run has edged them to within shouting distance of the last playoff spot. CITY’s 13 goals are tied for worst in MLS with Marcel Harytelk leading the team with a mere three goals. Simon Becher’s four assists leads the team.

Houston Dynamo FC

In their last four MLS games, Houston has won three and lost just once, pushing their record to 7-6-0 and placing them just outside the top 4 in the Western Conference. The Dynamo are the only club in MLS without a draw. Guilherme leads the team with seven goals and is also the assists leader with five.

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: 4-2-0
Home: 3-0-0
vs. MLS: 1-2-0
Best finish: Fifth Round / Round of 16 (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) 
Major League Soccer | Houston, TX
18th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2006
Manager: Ben Olsen
Overall: 28-13-3 (1-2 PK)
Away: 7-8-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. MLS: 11-11-1 (1-0 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.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20

Columbus Crew SC (MLS)
vs.
New York City FC (MLS)
Scotts Miracle-Gro Field – Columbus, OH
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+/CBS Sports Golazo Network
Winner will host Atlanta United or Orlando City SC in Semifinals

New York City FC travels to Columbus to try and advance to the Semifinals for the first time, while the Crew looks to end a 15-year drought of reaching the Final Four.

The winner will host the winner of Atlanta United and Orlando City in the Semifinals.

NYCFC suffered a major blow in league play in their 1-1 draw with Red Bull New York on May 16, as veteran midfielder Maxi Moralez suffered a torn ACL in his right knee, ending his season. Moralez was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for his three-assist performance in NYCFC’s 3-0 win over Red Bull New York in the Round of 16.

This will be the first MLS opponent the Crew have played at home in the Open Cup since their 3-2 loss to Atlanta United in the 2019 Round of 16. The Crew and NYCFC have never met in the Open Cup, but Columbus has faced NYCFC’s rivals, under their old name, twice in the past. Columbus defeated the MetroStars 1-0 in the 1998 Semifinals, then again in the 2002 Quarterfinals 2-0.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

The teams recently met on May 10 in MLS play, where NYCFC snapped a seven-game winless streak with a 3-0 win at Yankee Stadium. Hannes Wolf was the star of the game, scoring all three goals. Wolf struck twice in four minutes early in the game, scoring his first goal in the 12th minute when Augustin Ojeda broke away and dished off to Wolf. Four minutes later, Nicolas Fernandez and Nico Cavallo combined to find Wolf right in front of goal for a 2-0 lead. In the 66th minute, Wolf completed his hat trick with a blast from the top of the penalty area.

ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS

Columbus Crew

After a two-year absence, the Columbus Crew returned to the Open Cup in 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.

To get to the Quarterfinals, Columbus dispatched 2025 USL League One champions One Knoxville 4-1. Early on it seemed like Knoxville would be hard to handle as they tied the game one minute after Hugo Picard’s 10th minute goal. Picard scored again thirteen minutes later to give the Crew a 2-1 halftime lead, then midway through the second half Dániel Gazdag and Chase Adams scored to put the game out of reach.

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’s 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.

In the Round of 32, NYCFC finally won an elimination game over Red Bull New York, 3-1. Kai Trewin (9’) and Raul Gustavo (39’) scored in the opening half to counter RBNY’s lone goal, and Thiago Martins gave the winners some breathing room with a 57th minute goal. Maxi Moralez assisted on all three goals. NYCFC had been 0-5 in previous knockout games against the Red Bulls.

LAST APPEARANCE IN THE QUARTERFINALS

Columbus Crew SC

You have to go back to 2010 for the Crew’s last Quarterfinal appearance. Columbus had to fend off the upset-minded Charleston Battery 3-0. Emilio Renteria put the Crew up 1-0 in the first half, and Steven Lenhart and Eddie Gaven added second half goals. The Crew would go on to the Final where they would fall to the Seattle Sounders 2-1.

New York City FC 

New York City FC’s last Quarterfinal appearance in 2022 resulted in a 3-0 loss to Hudson River Derby rivals Red Bull New York. At the time it was the third straight Open Cup exit at the hands of the Red Bulls. A total of 39 fouls were called and three red cards were issued, two of which went to NYCFC’s Thiago Andrade and Maxi Moralez

CURRENT FORM

Columbus Crew SC 

The Crew are currently in a four-game winless run with their 1-1 draw with Philadelphia on May 16, the only game they’ve earned a point in. The slide leaves them at 3-7-4 and in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, but only four points out from the last playoff spot. Wessam Abou Ali and Diego Rossi share the team’s goalscoring lead with five apiece and Max Arfsten has four assists.

New York City FC

NYCFC snapped a seven-game winless streak in MLS with a 3-0 win over Columbus on May 10 and added a 1-0 win over Charlotte and a 1-1 draw with Hudson River Derby rivals Red Bull New York. NYCFC are currently 5-5-4 and in 5th place in the Eastern Conference. Nicolas Fernandez is the top scorer with nine goals and Maxi Moralez is on top of the assist list with six.

Columbus Crew SC
Major League Soccer | Columbus, OH
23rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Henrik Rydström
Overall: 27-18-3 (0-3 PK)
Home: 16-6-2 (0-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 9-12-2 (0-2 PK)
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 (10, 2011-2022). The Crew return to the Open Cup after a two-year absence, and their last appearance in 2023 broke that string of 10 tournaments where they exited after one or two games.

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: 6-6-2 (0-2 PK)
Away: 3-5-2 (0-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 32-4-1 (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.

Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Vs.
San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
DICK’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO
Kickoff: 10:00 p.m. ET
LIVE VIDEO: Paramount+/CBS Sports Golazo Network
If San Jose wins, they play at Houston or St. Louis in Semifinals
If Colorado wins, they host Houston or St. Louis in Semifinals

Two clubs looking to end a long Open Cup Finals drought square off in the Quarterfinals as the San Jose Earthquakes visit the Colorado Rapids.

The winner will take on either Houston Dynamo or St. Louis CITY in the Semifinals (San Jose would play on the road, Colorado would host)

With 41 previous Open Cup appearances between them, San Jose and Colorado have reached the Open Cup Final just once. That one time was when the Rapids made unfortunate history as the only MLS team to lose a Final to a non-MLS team (2-0 to the A-League’s Rochester Raging Rhinos). San Jose has never made the championship game and has only reached the Semifinals twice (2004 & 2017), while the Rapids two Semifinal appearances came in 1996 and 1999.

Remarkably, not only have the Rapids and Earthquakes never met in Open Cup play according to TheCup.us records the cities of San Jose and Denver have never met in the Open Cup at all, though they have met in the National Amateur Cup a handful of times in the 1970s and 1980s.

ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS

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.

In the Round of 16, San Jose overcame Minnesota United FC 4-2 with three second-half goals. Beau Leroux put the ‘Quakes up early with a 15th minute goal but Minnesota United went in front 2-1 early in the second half. San Jose exploded with three goals in a span of ten minutes through Jack Skahan (68’), Beau Leroux (73’) and Niko Tsakiris (76’).

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 game’s only goal in the 21st minute, and Colorado held on to advance to the Round of 16.

The Rapids were pushed to penalty kicks in getting past the USL Championship’s Colorado Spring Switchbacks. The teams traded first half goals, with Alexis Manyoma striking first for the Rapids in the 25th minute. A scoreless second half led to extra time, where Georgi Minoungou eventually put Colorado up 2-1 in the 114th minute, only to see the Switchbacks draw level with a 120th minute penalty kick. In the PK shootout, the Rapids made their first four but missed on the fifth, forcing sudden death. After trading misses on attempt No. 6, the Rapids’ Keegan Rosenberry made the seventh after Rapids goalkeeper Nico Hansen saved the Switchbacks attempt.

LAST APPEARANCE ON THE QUARTERFINALS

San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose was at the point last year and lost in a penalty nightmare to Austin FC. Austin scored both of their goals from the penalty spot in the second half and extra time, countering San Jose’s goals from Cristian Arango (12’) and Benjamin Kikanovic (99’). In the penalty kick shootout Austin made all four of their attempts while San Jose saw two of their kicks saved.

Colorado Rapids

The Rapids have not been this far in the tournament since 2007, and it was a result they would like to forget. Colorado traveled to the Northwest to face the Seattle Sounders, who were still with the USL, and they left with a 5-0 defeat. Seattle was up 3-0 by the half, and Colorado played most of the second half a man down after Facundo Erpen was sent off in the 49th minute. The result remains the largest loss an MLS team suffered at the hands of a non-MLS club in the Open Cup.

CURRENT FORM

Colorado Rapids

The Rapids have lost three of their last four league games, all by a single goal. They are currently 5-8-1 and just outside of the playoff cutoff. Rafael Navarro leads the team with eight goals and shares the assist lead with Paxton Aaronson and Wayne Frederick with four.

San Jose Earthquakes

After entering the Round of 16 with a 9-0-1 record, the ‘Quakes have stumbled a bit, going 0-2-2 in their last four. The two losses came on last minute goals. San Jose are still atop the Western Conference at 9-3-2, tied on points with Vancouver. San Jose’s 31 goals scored are tied for most in MLS. Preston Judd leads the way with nine goals and Niko Tsakiris has seven assists.

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: 21-15-9 (4-5)
Away: 7-10-5 (3-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 4-9-6 (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 20-10-3 (1-2 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.

Colorado Rapids
Major League Soccer | Commerce City, CO
22nd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1995
Manager: Matt Wells
Overall: 17-20-1 (0-1 PK)
Home: 10-2-1 (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.