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Craig Tower

Craig Tower has been researching and writing for TheCup.us since 2013. As a cultural anthropologist and historian, he takes an interest in soccer in the United States both on and off the field

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: St. Louis City 2 wins debut at Indy Eleven

April 6, 2022 by Craig Tower

Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium at IUPUI

A visiting MLS Next Pro St. Louis CITY 2 team imposed itself with a goal in each half to knock hosts and USL Championship side Indy Eleven out of the US Open Cup

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, Indy Eleven, St. Louis City 2

2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In: Christos FC qualifies for third time in last four years

November 29, 2019 by Craig Tower

Christos FC will return to the US Open Cup in 2020 thanks to a pair of goals from their talismanic goalscorer and a deflected cross which added up to a 3-2 victory over qualifying debutantes Steel FC.

Filed Under: 2020 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, Feature - Qualifying, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2020 US Open Cup Qualifying, Christos FC, steel fc

2019 US Open Cup Qualifying: Second Round draw released

September 25, 2018 by Craig Tower

The Open Division Local Qualifying tournament for the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kicks off on Sept. 22. Graphic by: Dallas Kreil

The draw determining opponents for the 28 games of the second round of Open Division Local Qualifying was held today, with matches to be played on October 20th and 21st. Fifty-six amateur clubs will battle for the right to move into the next round.

Filed Under: 2019 US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2019 US Open Cup qualifying

2018 Meet the Underdogs: What will Christos FC do for an encore?

May 5, 2018 by Craig Tower

Christos FC poses for a team photo after winning the 2018 Maryland State Cup. Photo: Christos FC

Long a mainstay on the Maryland-DC soccer scene, Christos FC, the Cinderella team of the 2017 US Open Cup, has grown deeper roots in the Baltimore area but hasn’t changed its approach because of, or in spite of, their recent success.

Filed Under: 2018 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, Feature - Qualifying, Meet the Underdogs, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2018 US Open Cup, Christos FC, Meet the Underdogs

2018 US Open Cup qualifying: Christos FC beats Phoenix SC to qualify, plans to “go farther” than last year

November 21, 2017 by Craig Tower

Christos FC pose for a team photo after their 2018 US Open Cup qualifying match against Phoenix SC. Photo: Christos FC

Christos FC wore down their open division qualifying visitors Phoenix SC on a sunny but windy day in Arnold, MD, taking the game 5-1 in front of approximately 50 fans. The hosts move on to the full Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the second year in a row, while Phoenix SC will try again next year to qualify, having qualified last in 2011.

Filed Under: 2018 US Open Cup, Feature - Qualifying, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2018 US Open Cup qualifying, Christos FC, Phoenix SC

2018 US Open Cup qualifying draw unveiled with record number of amateur teams

September 21, 2017 by Craig Tower

Phil Saunders of Christos FC made seven saves in a 1-0 road win over the Richmond Kickers (USL). Photo: Jessica Hendricks | Richmond Kickers

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced that 108 amateur clubs from 35 different leagues have entered the qualifying tournament for the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. This breaks the record set last year when 64 teams entered.

Filed Under: 2018 US Open Cup, Feature - Qualifying, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2018 US Open Cup, 2018 US Open Cup qualifying

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Phil Saunders of Christos FC named TheCup.us Player of the Round

May 24, 2017 by Craig Tower

Saunders was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for his performance against the USL’s Richmond Kickers, where he made seven saves and notched a shutout to carry his side to a 1-0 victory and a trip to the next round.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2017 US Open Cup, Christos FC, Player of the Round

2017 Meet the Underdogs: FC Motown went from coed team to US Open Cup in four years

May 8, 2017 by Craig Tower

In four short years, New Jersey’s FC Motown went from co-ed team to a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The New Jersey club’s meteoric rise began in 2012 and its success has been a surprise. Even to themselves.

Filed Under: Feature - Qualifying, Meet the Underdogs, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Qualifying Tagged With: 2017 US Open Cup, FC Motown, Meet the Underdogs

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Wilmington Hammerheads strike early, hold off Miami FC, 2-1

June 4, 2016 by Craig Tower

The Wilmington Hammerheads defeated a Division 2 team in regulation for the first time since 2006.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2016 Third Round, 2016 US Open Cup, Miami FC, NASL, USL, Wilmington Hammerheads

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Richmond Kickers strike early, cruise past Aromas Cafe FC, 4-0

May 20, 2016 by Craig Tower

Aromas Café visited the Richmond Kickers hoping to come out giant killers, but their hopes were squashed almost immediately and never revived.

Filed Under: US Open Cup Tagged With: 2016 Second Round, 2016 US Open Cup, Aromas Cafe FC, Richmond Kickers, USASA, USL

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U.S. Open Cup History

Clint Dempsey of the Seattle Sounders FC is shown a red card during a 2015 US Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers.

A history of violence against referees in US Open Cup

Unfortunately, in the long history of the US Open Cup, this was not the first time that there have been more then a few incidents where games were halted due to referee abuse.

  • How St. Petersburg Kickers became Florida’s first US Open Cup champion
  • San Francisco Bay Seals, the ‘amateur’ pro team that reached 1997 US Open Cup Semifinals
  • Vasco De Gama’s journey from Connecticut to 1978 US Open Cup Final as Pele’s opening act at Giants Stadium
  • 1938-1939 National Challenge Cup: The first time the US Open Cup was invite-only
  • American soccer’s greatest modern underdog story: Rochester Raging Rhinos win 1999 US Open Cup

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