Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Jake Sillick

2023 US Open Cup: 100 teams will play in 2023, 28 teams will face off in 14 matches for the First Round in late March.

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Players from West Chester United and Vereinigung Erzgebirge (green) battle for the ball in their Third Round Open Division Qualifier for the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | BrotherlyGame.com
Players from West Chester United and Vereinigung Erzgebirge (green) battle for the ball in their Third Round Open Division Qualifier for the 2023 US Open Cup. West Chester United will host the first match of the 2023 US Open Cup proper. Photo: Matt Ralph | BrotherlyGame.com

On Friday, US Soccer announced the format of the 2023 tournament as well as the first round schedule to be played March 21-23. 72 professional teams will take part, a modern era record for the second year in a row. 28 Open Division (amateur) teams will take part in the First Round in 14 matches, making a total of 100 teams, the second straight season the competition proper has featured 100+ teams.

The 72 professional teams include 24 Division II (USL Championship) teams, including newly eligible Loudoun United FC. D.C. United recently sold a majority share of the club to another ownership group, making the club eligible. However, D.C. United still retains a minority share of the club, which will prevent the two United(s) from facing each other in the cup, except in a Final.

The Division III league entrants include 12 USL League One clubs, 9 NISA clubs, and 1 MLS Next Pro club. All Division II and Division III teams will enter in the Second Round. Combined with the 14 winners of the First Round, 60 teams will take part in this round.

The rest of the tournament remains unchanged, where the vast majority of Division I (MLS) clubs enter in the Third Round, 18 clubs in 2023. The final 8 clubs will be seeded into the Round of 32. These clubs are the four CONCACAF Champions League participants (Austin FC, Los Angeles FC, Orlando City SC, Philadelphia Union) and then the next two best teams from the Western Conference (FC Dallas, LA Galaxy), and the next two best teams from the Eastern Conference (NYCFC, New York Red Bulls.)

The tournament will then progress from the Round of 32 until the Final in September. Most of the summer will not have any tournament dates because of the new Leagues Cup with Liga MX taking up a lot of that time. The quarterfinals will be played in early June, and then the Semifinals will be played in late August. The full tournament schedule is as follows.

First Round: March 21-23, 2023
Second Round: April 4-6, 2023
Third Round: April 25-26, 2023
Round of 32: May 9-10, 2023
Round of 16: May 23-24, 2023
Quarterfinals: June 6-7, 2023
Semifinals: August 23, 2023
Final: September 27, 2023

Here is a complete list of all 100 teams that will compete in the tournament “proper” this year. The following sets of teams will be prevented from being drawn against each other due to at minimum a partially shared ownership. D.C. United and Loudoun United’s situation has already been explained, but the others are a pro team and their fully owned amateur side, which is allowed by the rules, without the free movement of players between the two affiliated clubs.

  • D.C. United (MLS) and Loudoun United FC (USL Championship)
  • Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL League One) and Park City Red Wolves SC (USL League Two)
  • Club de Lyon (D3, NISA) and Club de Lyon (open, NISA Nation)
  • Oakland Roots (USL Championship) and Project 51O (USL League Two)

COMPLETE LIST OF TEAMS FOR 2023 OPEN CUP PROPER

Professional Division Teams

Division I – 26 teams – Major League Soccer (8 entering in the Round of 32 and 18 entering in the Third Round):
Atlanta United FC^, Austin FC*, Charlotte FC^, Chicago Fire FC^, FC Cincinnati^, Colorado Rapids^, Columbus Crew^, FC Dallas*, D.C. United^, Houston Dynamo FC^, LA Galaxy*, Los Angeles Football Club*, Minnesota United FC^, Inter Miami CF^, Nashville SC^, New England Revolution^, New York City FC*, New York Red Bulls*, Orlando City SC*, Philadelphia Union*, Portland Timbers^, Real Salt Lake^, San Jose Earthquakes^, Seattle Sounders FC^, Sporting Kansas City^, St. Louis CITY SC^

* denotes entering in the Round of 32
^ denotes entering in the Third Round

Division II – 24 teams – USL Championship (entering in the Second Round)
Birmingham Legion FC, Charleston Battery, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Detroit City FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, Hartford Athletic, Indy Eleven, Las Vegas Lights FC, Loudoun United FC, Louisville City FC, Memphis 901 FC, The Miami FC, Monterey Bay FC, New Mexico United, Oakland Roots, Orange County SC, Phoenix Rising FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Rio Grande Valley FC, Sacramento Republic FC, San Antonio FC, San Diego Loyal SC, Tampa Bay Rowdies, FC Tulsa

Division III – 1 team – MLS Next Pro (entering in the Second Round)
Rochester New York FC

Division III – 9 teams – NISA (entering in the Second Round)
Albion San Diego, Chattanooga FC, Club de Lyon (D3), Flower City Union, Gold Star FC, Los Angeles Force, Maryland Bobcats FC, Michigan Stars FC, Savannah Clovers

Division III – 12 teams – USL League One (entering in the Second Round)
Central Valley Fuego FC, Charlotte Independence, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, Forward Madison FC
Greenville Triumph SC, Lexington SC, North Carolina FC, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, One Knoxville SC Richmond Kickers, South Georgia Tormenta FC, Union Omaha

Open Division Teams

U.S. Adult Soccer Association National Amateur Cup (USASA) champion
Bavarian United (Wisc.)

Open Division Local Qualifiers (9 advanced from original field of 107 entrants)
Beaman United FC, Capo FC, Chicago House AC, Club de Lyon FC (open), International San Francisco, Lansdowne Yonkers FC, Miami United FC, UDA Soccer, West Chester United SC

National Premier Soccer (8 teams based on 2022 league competition)
Appalachian FC, Hartford City SC, Cleveland SC, Crossfire Redmond, El Farolito, FC Motown, Jacksonville Armada FC U23, Tulsa Athletic

USL League Two (10 teams based on 2022 league competition)
Brazos Valley Cavalry FC, Des Moines Menace, Lionsbridge FC, Manhattan SC, Nona FC, North Carolina Fusion U23, Ocean City Nor’easters, Park City Red Wolves SC, Project 510, Ventura County Fusion

 

The schedule for the first round is listed below, you can also find the latest up to date schedule on our website here

TUESDAY, MARCH 21

Teams Time Venue
West Chester United SC (Pa.) vs. Ocean City Nor’easters (USLL2) 7:30 p.m. ET YSC Sports; Wayne, Pa.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22

Teams Time Venue
Club de Lyon (Open) vs. Nona FC (USLL2) 5 p.m. ET Trinity Prep Stadium; Winter Park, Fla.
El Farolito (NPSL) vs. International San Francisco (Calif.) 3 p.m. PT* Boxer Stadium; San Francisco, Calif.
Appalachian FC (NPSL) vs. NC Fusion U23 (USLL2) 7 p.m. ET Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex; Boone, N.C.
Manhattan SC (USLL2) vs. FC Motown (NPSL) 7 p.m. ET Marillac Field (College of Mt. St. Vincent); Bronx, N.Y.
Chicago House AC (Ill.) vs. Bavarian United (Wis.) 7 p.m. CT* Langhorst Field (Elmhurst University); Elmhurst. Ill.
Beaman United FC (Tenn.) vs. Des Moines Menace (USLL2) 7 p.m. CT Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium (MTSU); Murfreesboro, Tenn
Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) vs. Brazos Valley Cavalry FC (USLL2) 7 p.m. CT Hicks Park; Tulsa, Okla.
UDA Soccer (N.M.) vs. Park City Red Wolves (USLL2) 7 p.m. MT New Mexico State Soccer Field; Las Cruces, N.M.
Project 51O (USLL2) vs. Crossfire Premier (NPSL) 7 p.m. PT Ohlone College Soccer Field; Fremont, Calif.

THURSDAY, MARCH 23

Teams Time Venue
Cleveland SC (NPSL) vs. Lionsbridge FC (USLL2) 7 p.m. ET North Olmsted High School; North Olmsted, Ohio.
Jacksonville Armada FC (NPSL) vs. Miami United FC (Fla.) 7 p.m. ET Hodges Stadium; Jacksonville, Fla.
Hartford City FC (NPSL) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.) 7:30 p.m. ET Trinity Health Stadium; Hartford, Conn.
Ventura County Fusion (USLL2) vs. Capo FC (Calif.) 7 p.m. PT Ventura College Sportsplex; Ventura, Calif.

*Denotes schedule change

SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR THE 2023 U.S. OPEN CUP

  • 2/3/2023 – Chicago House AC vs. Milwaukee Bavarians kickoff time changed to 7 p.m. CT
  • 2/6/2023 – El Farolito vs International San Francisco match day changed to 3/22

 

 

2023 US Open Cup: Committee approves VAR in late stages of tournament, covering referee costs starting this year

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Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC (left) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in the 89th minute against Louisville City in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC
Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC (left) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in the 89th minute against Louisville City in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup committee decided at their January 6, 2023 meeting to implement VAR (Video Assistant Referees, what is known as instant replay in other sports) for the Semifinals and Final starting this year. At this same meeting, the committee also decided to cover all referee costs for the tournament, increasing the hosting fees to cover these new costs.

All committee meeting minutes are publicly posted after approval. The important contents of the January 6, 2023 meeting minutes are as follows. You can read the whole thing here under “Jan. 6, 2023.”

Committee member resignation and replacement

Brett Luy, the Division II/DIvision III pro representative on the committee, resigned on November 9, 2022, after taking a new position as president of Rhode Island FC, an upcoming expansion team into USL Championship. A replacement was then named at the January 19, 2023 meeting of the US Soccer Board of Directors. Jake Edwards, president of USL, was added to the committee at that meeting and will serve out the rest of Luy’s term.

2023 Tournament Structure

The U.S. Open Cup staff presented the proposed 2023 tournament structure, which ended up largely unchanged from 2022. The committee was alerted that a schedule waiver may be required for some expansion teams at the next meeting. All three expansion NISA teams require this waiver due to missing the schedule deadline, along with starting their season within 7 days of their entry into the Open Cup.

Referee payments handled by U.S. Soccer

Referee match fees and payments will be made centrally by U.S. Soccer and not by the teams at time of the match. Hosting fees will be increased to cover these fees. The committee discussed the financial implications to teams. Once the handbook is released to the public, we’ll report how much the hosting fees have increased for this year’s tournament.

Adjustment to Prize Money Rule

After Sacramento Republic’s amazing run, U.S. Soccer has adjusted their prize money rules so that a team may win both the prize as the furthest advancing team in a lower division, plus the money for being a champion or a finalist. Sacramento Republic only received $100,000 as runner-up last season, and forfeited the $25,000 prize for furthest advancing Division II team. A team in their position in the future will win both prizes now.

VAR in Semifinals and Final

The committee voted unanimously to implement the use of VAR for the semifinals and final, with discussions to continue in the future regarding expansion.

Disciplinary Jurisdiction

Leagues have asked for clarification regarding their ability to discipline participants and fans for conduct around Open Cup matches. The committee requested that staff draft an updated policy to reflect that while the Open Cup Adjudication & Discipline Panel is the primary disciplinary body that leagues may issue discipline to their member independent of any action taking by Open Cup.

2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Results

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Photo: Houston Dynamo FC
Photo: Houston Dynamo FC

Click on the scores below for match reports
All Times Eastern

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League Abbreviation Key
Eastern Premier Soccer League
(EPSL)		 Major League Soccer
(MLS)		 Midwest Premier League
(MWPL)		 MLS Next Pro
(MLSNP)		 National Independent Soccer Association
(NISA)
National Premier Soccer League
(NPSL)		 National Soccer League
(NSL)		 NISA Nation
(NISAN)		 San Francisco Soccer Football League
(SFSFL)		 United Premier Soccer League
(UPSL)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania
(USLPA)		 USL Championship
(USL-C)		 USL League One
(USL-1)		 USL League Two
(USL-2)		  

ROUND 1
AWAY TEAMTIMEHOME TEAMVENUE
March 21Ocean City Nor’easters (USL-2)3:1West Chester United SC (USLPA)YSC Sports – Wayne, PA
March 22Inter San Francisco (SFSFL)0:3 (AET)El Farolito (NPSL)Ohlone College Soccer Field – Fremont, CA
March 22NC Fusion U-23s (USL-2)2:2 (0:3 PK)Appalachian FC (NPSL)Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex – Boone, NC
March 22Nona FC (USL-2)1:0Club de Lyon B (NISAN)Trinity Prep Stadium - Winter Park, FL
March 22FC Motown (NPSL)1:2 (AET)Manhattan SC (USL-2)Marillac Field (College of Mt. St. Vincent) – Bronx, NY
March 22Des Moines Menace (USL-2)3:0Beaman United FC (UPSL)Dean A. Hayes Track & Soccer Stadium (MTSU) – Murfreesboro, TN
March 22Bavarian United (MWPL)0:1Chicago House AC (MWPL)Langhorst Field (Elmhurst Univ.) – Elmhurst, IL
March 22Brazos Valley Cavalry (USL-2)0:1Tulsa Athletic (NPSL)Hicks Park – Tulsa, OK
March 22Park City Red Wolves (USL-2)0:1UDA Soccer (UPSL)New Mexico State Soccer Field – Las Cruces, NM
March 22Crossfire Premier (NPSL)3:0Project 51O (USL-2)Ohlone College Soccer Field – Fremont, CA
March 22Capistrano FC (NISAN)4:1Ventura County Fusion (USL-2)Ventura College Sportsplex – Ventura, CA
March 23Lionsbridge FC (USL-2)0:1Cleveland SC (NPSL)North Olmsted HS – North Olmsted, OH
March 23Miami United FC (NSL)1:1 (8:9 PKs)Jacksonville Armada FC U-23s (NPSL)Hodges Stadium – Jacksonville, FL
March 23Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL)2:1Hartford City FC (NPSL)Trinity Health Stadium – Hartford, CT
ROUND 2
AWAY TEAMTIME HOME TEAMVENUE
April 4Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL)0:3Hartford Athletic (USL-C)Trinity Health Stadium – Hartford, CT
April 4Jacksonville Armada FC U-23s (NPSL)1:3Miami FC (USL-C)FIU Soccer Stadium – Miami, FL
April 4Memphis 901 FC (USL-C)2:1 (AET)One Knoxville SC (USL-1)Regal Soccer Stadium – Knoxville, TN
April 4Gold Star Detroit (NISA)0:1Detroit City FC (USL-C)Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, MI
April 4Manhattan SC (USL-2)1:3Flower City Union (NISA)Rochester Community Sports Complex – Rochester, NY
April 4Nona FC (USL-2)0:2Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C)Al Lang Stadium – St. Petersburg, FL
April 4Savannah Clovers FC (NISA)1:4Charleston Battery (USL-C)Patriots Point Soccer Stadium – Mount Pleasant, SC
April 4Club de Lyon (NISA)1:2 (AET)San Antonio FC (USL-C)Toyota Stadium - San Antonio, TX
April 4UDA Soccer (UPSL)0:6New Mexico United (USL-C)The Univ. of New Mexico Soccer Complex – Albuquerque, NM
April 4El Farolito (NPSL)1:3Oakland Roots (USL-C)CSUEB Pioneer Stadium – Hayward, CA
April 5Appalachian FC (NPSL)0:2Charlotte Independence (USL-1)Mecklenburg County Sportsplex – Matthews, NC
April 5Michigan Stars FC (NISA)1:3 (AET)Indy Eleven (USL-C)Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium – Indianapolis, IN
April 5North Carolina FC (USL-1)1:2 (AET)Loudoun United (USL-C)Segra Field – Leesburg, VA
April 5Lexington Sporting Club (USL-1)0:1Louisville City FC (USL-C)Lynn Family Stadium – Louisville, KY
April 5Ocean City Nor’easters (USL-2)2:3 (AET)Maryland Bobcats (NISA)Maryland Soccerplex (Maureen Hendrix Field) – Boyds, MD
April 5Rochester New York FC (MLSNP)L:W (Forfeit)Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL-C)Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
April 5Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C)4:1Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL-1)CHI Memorial Stadium – East Ridge, TN
April 5Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USL-C)1:2South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL-1)Tormenta Stadium – Statesboro, GA
April 5Chattanooga FC (NISA)4:1Des Moines Menace (USL-2)Valley Stadium - West Des Moines, IA
April 5FC Tulsa (UCL-C)0:1Tulsa Athletic (NPSL)Hicks Park – Tulsa, OK
April 5El Paso Locomotive FC (USL-C)0:2Union Omaha (USL-1)Michael G. Morrison S.J. Stadium (Creighton Univ.)  – Omaha, NE
April 5Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USL-1)3:1 (AET)Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USL-C)Weidner Field – Colorado Springs, CO
April 5Monterey Bay FC (USL-C)3:1 (AET)Central Valley Fuego (USL-1)Fresno State Univ. Soccer Stadium – Fresno, CA
April 5LA Force FC (NISA)0:4Las Vegas Lights FC (USL-C)Peter Johann Soccer Field (UNLV) – Las Vegas, NV
April 5Capistrano FC (NISAN)0:5Orange County SC (USL-C)Championship Soccer Stadium – Irvine, CA
April 5Crossfire Premier (NPSL)4:5 (AET)Sacramento Republic FC (USL-C)Heart Health Park – Sacramento, CA
April 5ALBION San Diego (NISA)0:2San Diego Loyal SC (USL-C)SDSU Sports Deck – San Diego, CA
April 5Greenville Triumph SC (USL-1)0:1Phoenix Rising FC (USL-C)Phoenix Rising Stadium – Phoenix, AZ
April 6Cleveland SC (NPSL)2:3Richmond Kickers (USL-1)City Stadium – Richmond, VA
April 11Chicago House AC (MWPL)3:2 (AET)Forward Madison FC (USL-1)Breese Stevens Field – Madison, WI
     
ROUND 3
AWAY TEAMTIMEHOME TEAMVENUE
April 25Charlotte Independence (USL-1)0:1 (AET)Charleston Battery (USL-C)Patriots Point Soccer Stadium – Mount Pleasant, SC
April 25Maryland Bobcats FC (NISA)0:2Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL-C)Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
April 25South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL-1)1:4Charlotte FC (MLS)Mecklenburg County Sportsplex – Matthews, NC
April 25Minnesota United FC (MLS)3:1Detroit City FC (USL-C)Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, MI
April 25Hartford Athletic (USL-C)1:2New England Revolution (MLS)Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA
April 25Union Omaha (USL-1)1:5St. Louis CITY SC (MLS)CITYPARK – St. Louis, MO
April 25Tulsa Athletic (NPSL)0:3Sporting Kansas City (MLS)Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS
April 25San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)0:1Monterey Bay FC (USL-C)Cardinale Stadium – Seaside, CA
April 26Louisville City FC (USL-C)0:1FC Cincinnati (MLS)TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
April 26Flower City Union (NISA)0:5Loudoun United FC (USL-C)Segra Field – Leesburg, VA
April 26Memphis 901 FC (USL-C)2:1 (AET)Atlanta United FC (MLS)Fifth Third Bank Stadium – Kennesaw, GA
April 26Indy Eleven (USL-C)0:1Columbus Crew SC (MLS)Lower.com Field – Columbus, OH
April 26Richmond Kickers (USL-1)0:1D.C. United (MLS)Audi Field – Washington, D.C.
April 26Inter Miami CF (MLS)2:2 (5:3 PK)Miami FC (USL-C)FIU Stadium – Miami, FL
April 26Houston Dynamo (MLS)1:0Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C)Al Lang Stadium – St. Petersburg, FL
April 26Chattanooga FC (NISA)1:1 (3:4 PK)Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C)Univ. of Alabama Soccer Stadium – Tuscaloosa, AL
April 26Chicago House AC (MWPL)0:3Chicago Fire FC (MLS)SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, IL
April 26San Antonio FC (USL-C)0:1Nashville SC (MLS)GEODIS Park – Nashville, TN
April 26Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USL-1)1:3Colorado Rapids (MLS)Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO
April 26Phoenix Rising FC (USL-C)1:2New Mexico United (USL-C)Isotopes Park – Albuquerque, NM
April 26Real Salt Lake (MLS)3:1 (AET)Las Vegas Lights FC (USL-C)Cashman Field – Las Vegas, NV
April 26Oakland Roots SC (USL-C)0:1Sacramento Republic FC (USL-C)Heart Health Park – Sacramento, CA
April 26San Diego Loyal (USL-C)4:5 (AET)Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)Starfire Sports – Tukwila, WA
April 26Orange County SC (USL-C)1:3Portland Timbers FC (MLS)Providence Park – Portland, OR
ROUND 4AWAY TEAMTIMEHOME TEAMVENUE
May 9Orlando City SC (MLS)0:1Charlotte FC (MLS)Mecklenburg County Sportsplex – Matthews, NC
May 9Charleston Battery (USL-C)0:1Inter Miami CF (MLS)DRV Pink Stadium – Fort Lauderdale, FL
May 9Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL-C)1:0New England Revolution (MLS)Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA
May 9D.C. United (MLS)0:1New York Red Bulls (MLS)MSU Soccer Park – Montclair, NJ
May 9St. Louis CITY SC (MLS)1:2Chicago Fire FC (MLS)SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, IL
May 9Philadelphia Union (MLS)3:3 (6:7 PK)Minnesota United FC (MLS)Allianz Field – Saint Paul, MN
May 9Los Angeles FC (MLS)2:2 (5:4 PK)Monterey Bay FC (MLS)Cardinale Stadium – Seaside, CA
May 9Colorado Rapids (MLS)4:2Sacramento Republic FC (USL-C)Heart Health Park – Sacramento, CA
May 10New York City FC (MLS)0:1FC Cincinnati (MLS)TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
May 10Columbus Crew SC (MLS)5:1Loudoun United (USL-C)Segra Field – Leesburg, VA
May 10Memphis 901 FC (USL-C)0:3Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C)Protective Stadium – Birmingham, AL
May 10Sporting Kansas City (MLS)0:1Houston Dynamo (MLS)Shell Energy Stadium – Houston, TX
May 10FC Dallas (MLS)0:2Nashville SC (MLS)GEODIS Park – Nashville, TN
May 10New Mexico United (MLS)0:2Austin FC (MLS)Q2 Stadium – Austin, TX
May 10Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)1:3LA Galaxy (MLS)Dignity Health Sports Park – Carson, CA
May 10Real Salt Lake (MLS)4:3Portland Timbers FC (MLS)Providence Park – Portland, OR
ROUND OF 16
AWAY TEAMTIME

HOME TEAMVENUE
May 23Nashville SC (MLS)1:2Inter Miami CF (MLS)DRV PNK Stadium – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
May 23FC Cincinnati (MLS)1:1 (5:3 PK)New York Red Bulls (MLS)Red Bull Arena – Harrison, NJ
May 23Minnesota United FC (MLS)0:4Houston Dynamo (MLS)Shell Energy Stadium – Houston, TX
May 23LA Galaxy (MLS)2:0Los Angeles FC (MLS)BMO Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
May 24Columbus Crew SC (MLS)0:1Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL-C)Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
May 24Charlotte FC (MLS)0:1Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C)Protective Stadium – Birmingham, AL
May 24Chicago Fire FC (MLS)2:0Austin FC (MLS)Q2 Stadium – Austin, TX
May 24Real Salt Lake (MLS)1:0Colorado Rapids (MLS)Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO
QUARTERFINALS
AWAY TEAMTIMEHOME TEAMVENUE
June 6Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL-C)1:3FC Cincinnati (MLS)TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
June 6Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)4:1Chicago Fire FC (MLS)SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, IL
June 7Inter Miami CF (MLS)1:0Birmingham Legion FC (USL-C)Protective Stadium – Birmingham, AL
June 7LA Galaxy (MLS)2:3Real Salt Lake (MLS)America First Field – Sandy, UT
SEMIFINALSAWAY TEAMTIMEHOME TEAMVENUE
August 23Inter Miami CF (MLS)3:3 (5:4 PK)FC Cincinnati (MLS)TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
August 23Real Salt Lake (MLS)1:3 (AET)Houston Dynamo (MLS)Shell Energy Stadium – Houston, TX
FINALAWAY TEAMTIMEHOME TEAMVENUE
September 27Houston Dynamo (MLS)2:1Inter Miami CF (MLS)DRV PNK Stadium; Ft. Lauderdale, FL

2023 US Open Cup Projections: Next year’s competition could look very similar to 2022

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Orlando City SC celebrate the 2022 US Open Cup championship after a 3-0 win over the Sacramento Republic. Photo: Mathieu Starke
Orlando City SC celebrate the 2022 US Open Cup championship after a 3-0 win over the Sacramento Republic. Photo: Mathieu Starke

Open Division Local Qualifying is nearly finished for the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Local Qualifying is still a small part of the field, but what about the professional teams which saw lots of change among the lower divisions over the last few months? Also, who is in line to participate from the Open Division National Leagues of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two (USL-2)?

This article will try and project how the 2023 edition of the US Open Cup could be formatted and which teams are participating. The final professional league deadline as outlined in the US Open Cup handbook is the end of the month (Dec. 31), so this is still unofficial projections until the full team list is announced sometime in January 2023.

UPDATE (1/31/2023): The announcements will come now in February 2023.

Part I: Professional Teams

All professional leagues will enter the 2023 competition at various points. However these teams are ineligible

  • Teams that are directly owned by a higher division team
  • Teams that have their roster materially controlled by a higher division team

Teams that only have an affiliation agreement or only receive technical support are still eligible. Teams that also have minority stakes are still eligible. These affiliations would only prevent them from playing each other in the competition, except in the Final.

Let’s go through the leagues one by one, starting from the highest division and list the teams entering the Open Cup.

Division I, Major League Soccer (MLS): 26 teams

  • Atlanta United
  • Austin FC
  • Charlotte FC
  • Chicago Fire
  • Colorado Rapids
  • Columbus Crew
  • D.C. United
  • FC Dallas
  • FC Cincinnati
  • Houston Dynamo
  • Inter Miami CF
  • LA Galaxy
  • Los Angeles FC
  • Minnesota United
  • Nashville SC
  • New England Revolution
  • New York City FC
  • New York Red Bulls
  • Orlando City
  • Philadelphia Union
  • Portland Timbers
  • Real Salt Lake
  • San Jose Earthquakes
  • Seattle Sounders FC
  • Sporting Kansas City
  • St. Louis CITY SC (expansion)

Ineligible teams: 3

  • Montreal Impact (Canada based)
  • Toronto FC (Canada based)
  • Vancouver Whitecaps (Canada based)

Every single US-based team in MLS is eligible and participating. St. Louis CITY SC ran a MLS Next Pro team in 2022, which fully indicates their inclusion in 2023.

Northern Colorado Hailstorm Colorado Springs Switchbacks 2022 US Open Cup
Players from Northern Colorado Hailstorm (white) and the Colorado Springs Switchbacks battle for the ball in their Second Round match in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Northern Colorado Hailstorm

Division II, USL Championship (USL-C): 24 teams

  • Birmingham Legion
  • Charleston Battery
  • Colorado Springs Switchbacks
  • Detroit City FC
  • El Paso Locomotive
  • FC Tulsa
  • Hartford Athletic
  • Indy Eleven
  • Las Vegas Lights FC
  • Loudoun United FC
  • Louisville City FC
  • Memphis 901 FC
  • Miami FC
  • Monterey Bay FC
  • New Mexico United
  • Oakland Roots SC
  • Orange County SC
  • Phoenix Rising FC
  • Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
  • Rio Grande Valley FC
  • Sacramento Republic FC
  • San Antonio FC
  • San Diego Loyal
  • Tampa Bay Rowdies

Planned 2023 expansion team Queensboro FC does not appear to be coming to fruition, at least not in USL Championship for 2023. OKC Energy FC was also expected to make a return in 2023, but announced last month they would not be able to return until a new soccer specific stadium was constructed.

The MLS-owned teams have almost all completely left the league, with only Loudoun United remaining, although that doesn’t change anything for the Open Cup.

Las Vegas Lights were also propped up by LAFC who managed the player roster and paid their salaries. While no announcement has been made, it is expected that LAFC will not continue this arrangement, as they will be funding and operating their own reserve team in MLS Next Pro. There isn’t a single other team in American soccer that funds multiple professional reserve teams. This will likely force the Lights to leave USL Championship for 2023 unless some other arrangements are made to fund the roster. No player announcements have been made in this postseason despite other teams doing so.

Future expansion is in the pipeline for the league, so the non expansion of the participating teams from the league should only be temporary.

UPDATE (12/20/22): USL Championship has announced the conference alignment and schedule format for 2023, with Las Vegas Lights FC being included in the Western Conference. The team still has yet to make any roster announcements for the upcoming season, but there is clearly a plan for them to play next season. They have been added to this list and the numbers below adjusted

UPDATE (1/31/23): Although Steven Goff of the Washington Post announced that Loudoun United was in the works of changing ownership, making them eligible for the U.S. Open Cup, this does not appear to be done in time for the 2023 competition. We’ll be keeping an eye on this for 2024 and beyond.

UPDATE (2/2/23): Loudoun United and USL Championship announced today the sale of a controlling stake in the club to Greg Baroni and Attain Sports. This will immediately make the club eligible for the U.S. Open Cup, but with D.C. United still retaining a minority stake in the club, Loudoun United will not be allowed to face off against D.C. United in the competition (except in the Final). All projections below have been updated to reflect this.

Division III, USL League One (USL-1): 12 teams

  • Central Valley Fuego FC
  • Charlotte Independence
  • Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
  • Forward Madison FC
  • Greenville Triumph SC
  • Lexington SC (expansion)
  • North Carolina FC
  • Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC
  • One Knox SC (expansion)
  • Richmond Kickers
  • South Georgia Tormenta FC
  • Union Omaha

FC Tucson announced in October that they would not return to the league and would instead rejoin USL League Two for 2023. Lexington SC and One Knox SC were announced as expanding into the league. One Knox SC could follow the precedent set by their rivals in South Georgia and enter both a League One and League Two team into the tournament, which would be entirely separated in the competition.

USL League One made a recent announcement that the 12 teams in the league would play a 32-game schedule instead of a 30-game one, which indicated publicly the roster for 2023.

Should the league again choose to start in April, the expansion teams would need a waiver from the committee as rules state that expansion teams must play their first league match at least 7 days prior to their first Open Cup match.

Division III, National Independent Soccer Association (NISA): 9 teams

  • ALBION San Diego
  • Chattanooga FC
  • Club de Lyon FC (expansion)
  • Flower City Union
  • Gold Star FC Detroit (expansion)
  • Los Angeles Force
  • Maryland Bobcats FC
  • Michigan Stars FC
  • Savannah Clovers FC (expansion)

The ever revolving door that is NISA continues. Chicago House AC, New Amsterdam, and Stumptown AC never even made it to the start of the 2022 season. Valley United AC and Bay Cities had to quit in the middle of the season as well. It is not expected that AC Syracuse Pulse will return for 2023, but we’re still waiting on official word. No social media post has been made for a couple weeks, and no player announcements as well this postseason.

On the flip side, they are quickly replaced with three expansion teams for 2023 in Club de Lyon, Gold Star FC Detroit, and the Savannah Clovers. Should there be more shenanigans as what played out last January, the committee and US Soccer may not be as forgiving this time for this league.

UPDATE (1/31/23): NISA, after long delays from audits and teams changing their minds at the last second, have confirmed 9 teams for the 2023 season. They also confirmed all 9 will play in the U.S. Open Cup, meaning waivers were granted to the 3 expansion clubs for the lateness of their schedule. California United Strikers FC have gone on hiatus though, so they will be removed from this list and the following sections have been updated as well.

Division III: MLS Next Pro (MLSNP): 1 team

  • Rochester New York FC

Ineligible teams: 27 (every other team in the league)

Just as in 2022, this league is mostly made up of second teams of MLS sides. Those are ineligible for the US Open Cup, leaving Rochester New York FC (the club formerly known as the 1999 US Open Cup champion Rochester Rhinos) as the only eligible team participating in 2023. MLS Next Pro has announced two more independent teams for future seasons, so their participation in the Open Cup should steadily increase in the future.

To summarize:

  • Division I (MLS): 26 teams
  • Division II (USL-C): 24 teams (UPDATED 2/2/23)
  • Division III (USL-1): 12 teams
  • Division III (NISA): 9 teams (UPDATED 1/31/23)
  • Division III (MLSNP): 1 team
  • Total: 72 teams (modern era record)

UPDATE 12/20/22: Due to more pro teams being confirmed for participation in the 2023 season, the following sections have been updated to reflect this.

UPDATE 1/31/23: Due to fewer pro teams being confirmed for participation in the 2023 season, the following sections have been updated to reflect this

UPDATE 2/2/23: One additional pro team has been made eligible for participation in the 2023 season, so the following sections have been updated.

Part II: Possible Tournament Format

In July, US Soccer announced the vast majority of the format for the 2023 competition, the only question being which round the Division III teams would enter. Based on other factors, it is very likely the Division III teams will enter in the Second round with the Division II teams. This will leave 28 Open Division teams to enter the first round, four fewer than the 32 that entered in 2022. A total of 100 teams should be participating in the 2023 US Open Cup.

UPDATE 1/31/23: USL League One has a scheduled regular season game during the window of the First Round of the tournament. This is extremely good evidence that the Division 3 leagues will enter in the Second Round.

  • First Round: 28 Open Division teams enter, 28 teams total
  • Second Round: 24 USL-C teams, 12 USL-1 teams, 9 NISA teams, and 1 MLS Next Pro team enter and 14 winners of the First Round participate, 60 teams total
  • Third Round: 18 MLS teams enter and 30 winners of the Second Round participate, 48 teams total
  • Round of 32: 8 remaining MLS teams enter and 24 winners of the second round participate, 32 teams total
  • Round of 16: 16 winners of Round of 32 face off, 16 teams total
  • Quaterfinals: 8 winners of Round of 16 face off, 8 teams total
  • Semifinals: 4 winners of Quarterfinals face off, 4 teams total
  • Final: 2 winners of Semifinals face off, 2 teams total

The eight MLS teams entering in the Round of 32 were decided in the same way as the 2022 tournament. The four 2022 CONCACAF Champions League participants (Los Angeles FC, Philadelphia Union, Orlando City SC, and Austin FC) and then the two best eligible teams remaining from each of the conferences based on the standings last year (East: New York City FC, New York Red Bulls) (West: FC Dallas, LA Galaxy). The remaining 18 teams, including expansion St. Louis CITY SC will enter in the Third Round.

Just as in previous seasons, divisions or pools of teams that enter will be excluded from playing each other in the immediate round of entry for that pool. Here’s how the matchups will likely be determined in each round of the tournament along with their restrictions:

  • First Round: All matches should be between teams from different groups (NPSL, USL-2, and LQ), except that in this round this can be waived if doing so will “avoid extensive travel on balance for the participating teams.” Teams will be matched up as best they can be to a team geographically close to them. There will not be an open draw determining match-ups for this round, just the usual coin flips for determining hosts.
  • Second Round: In this round, teams from the same professional division (or the first round winners) cannot play each other, the individual league does not matter. A match between Chattanooga Red Wolves and Chattanooga FC would be impossible in this round as they are both Division III teams, but possible in subsequent rounds. Teams will be matched up by geography except for the restriction already mentioned. Because of this restriction, this is how many matches we would see between the groups for the Second Round.
    • 6 matches of a First Round winner vs. a Division III team
    • 8 matches of a First Round winner vs. a Division II team
    • 16 matches of a Division III team vs. a Division II team
  • Third Round: The 18 MLS teams cannot play each other, so another early matchup between Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers would not be possible in this round, but possible in subsequent rounds. This round is when teams will be grouped by geography into groups of 4 or 6 and then they draw match-ups within the group.
  • Round of 32: This round only has a restriction on the 8 MLS teams that enter in this round. To prevent them from playing each other, their will be 8 groups of 4 teams with the 8 MLS teams that enter in this round being in completely different groups. Matchups that are not possible in the Round of 32 for 2023 include the Hudson River Derby between NYCFC and New York Red Bulls and El Trafico between LAFC and LA Galaxy. Both of these matchups would be possible in subsequent rounds though. After forming the 8 groups of 4 teams by geography with that restriction, matchups will be openly drawn within the groups.
  • Round of 16 will see the final bracket finally shape up. The remaining teams will be grouped into 4 groups of 4 teams geographically, with all divisional restrictions removed. From there the Round of 16 matches will be openly drawn within the groups. The final bracket will then be made with the quarterfinals being within the groups, then the semifinals being paired up geographically, and the final being a typical east vs. west matchup.

Bavarian United celebrate the club's 2022 USASA Amatuer Cup title after a 1-0 win over Northern Virginia FC on Aug. 7, 2022. Photo: Bavarian United
Bavarian United celebrate the club’s 2022 USASA Amateur Cup title after a 1-0 win over Northern Virginia FC on Aug. 7, 2022. Photo: Bavarian United

Part III: Allocation of Open Division slots

Now let’s determine how the 28 Open Division slots will be allocated. We already know 9 teams will qualify from the past four rounds of qualifying games. We also know that Bavarian United have also qualified as USASA National Amateur Cup champion, making a total of 10 teams with the local qualifier designation.

Local Qualifiers, 10 teams:

  • Bavarian United SC
  • Beaman United FC
  • Capo FC
  • Chicago House AC
  • Club de Lyon
  • Inter San Francisco
  • Lansdowne Yonkers FC
  • Miami United FC
  • UDA Soccer
  • West Chester United SC

Club de Lyon may be forced to have two teams in the tournament, a NISA professional side and a NISA Nation amateur side. There isn’t a rule against it and they would just be completely separated from playing each other throughout the tournament. Unlike the Open Division national leagues, once you’re in qualifying, you can’t just quit without completely forfeiting the $1500 performance bond paid.

That leaves 18 slots remaining for the two National Leagues, NPSL and USL League Two. These are given out proportionally to each league based on the number of eligible playing teams in the league for 2022. USL League Two had a record 111 teams in 2022 compared to the 92 teams in NPSL. The total is 203 teams Here’s how the math shakes out for each league:

18 slots times 111 teams in USL-2 divided by 203 total teams equals 9.84 slots rounded up to 10.

18 slots times 92 teams in NPSL divided by 203 total teams equals 8.15 slots rounded down to 8.

With that, here’s the teams that could qualify for each league. The teams from these two leagues were already required to commit and fill out entry forms for the tournament. The final announcement of which teams make it in won’t be announced until the finalization of the professional leagues early in 2023. Once that is made, the slots for NPSL and USL-2 will be adjusted if there are more or less teams in the pro leagues than expected.

National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), 8 teams

  • FC Motown
  • Crossfire Redmond
  • Muskegon Risers
  • Tulsa Athletic
  • Jacksonville Armada FC U-23s
  • El Farolito
  • Appalachian FC
  • Cleveland SC

Should the number of teams increase or teams decline their bid for some reason, here are some of the alternate teams in each NPSL region. Spots for NPSL stay within the region if a team declines to participate (ex. if FC Motown declines to participate, their spot would go to the next ranked East region team, Hartford City FC).

  • East Region: Hartford City FC
  • South Region: Atletico de Miami Beach
  • Midwest Region: Med City FC
  • West Region: Sacramento Gold FC

USL League Two (USL-2), 10 teams

  • Ventura County Fusion
  • Lionsbridge FC
  • Des Moines Menace
  • Seacoast United Phantoms
  • Nona FC
  • Manhattan SC
  • Ocean City Nor’easters
  • Chicago FC United
  • North Carolina Fusion U23
  • Brazos Valley Cavalry

Should the number of teams increase or teams decline their bid for some reason, here are the next 4 alternates in order.

  • One Knoxville SC
  • South Bend Lions
  • Texas United
  • Capital FC Atletico

One Knoxville SC may run both their USL-1 and USL-2 teams in the competition next season if they want to, there is no restriction against it. South Georgia Tormenta FC did so in the 2019 U.S. Open Cup.

You can see the full list of teams that could qualify from the NPSL here and from USL League Two here

2023 US Open Cup qualifying results

by

Click on the scores below for match reports
All Times Eastern Time / All future dates subject to change

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Table key
Associations US Adult Soccer Association
(USASA)		 US Club Soccer
(USCS)		 US Specialty Sports Association
(USSSA)		 United Premier Soccer League
(UPSL)
Leagues

 American Premier League
(APL)		 Bay State Soccer League
(BSSL)		 Central Florida Soccer League
(CFSL)		 Colorado Super League
(Colo SL)
Connecticut Soccer League
(Conn SL)		 Cosmopolitan Soccer League
(Cosmo SL)		 DC Premier League
(DCPL)		 Eastern Premier Soccer League
(EPSL)
Federal Way Men’s Open Sunday
(FWMOS)		 Garden State Soccer League
(GSSL)		 Maryland Super Soccer League
(MSSL)		 Midwest Premier League
(MWPL)
Mountain Premier League
(MPL)		 National Soccer League
(NSL)		 NISA Nation
(NISAN)		 Ohio Valley Premier League
(OVPL)
Rochester District Soccer League
(RDSL)		 San Francisco Soccer Football League
(SFSFL)		 Southwest Premier League
(SWPL)		 Triangle Adult Soccer League
(TASL)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania
(USLPA)		 West Coast Soccer Association
(WCSA)

ROUND 1 AWAY TEAM Assoc.
 SCORE
 Assoc.
 HOME TEAM VENUE
Sept. 17 West Chester United SC (USLPA) USASA 2:1 USASA Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (USLPA) Ukrainian American Sports Center; North Wales, PA
Sept. 17 Galveston Pelicans FC (NSL) USSSA 1:10 USSSA Houston FC (NSL) San Jacito College South; Houston, TX
Sept. 17 City Soccer FC (NSL) USSSA 3:2 UPSL Florida Soccer Soldiers (UPSL) Broward College-South Campus; Pembroke Pines, FL
Sept. 17 New Jersey Alliance FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:2 (AET) UPSL Oyster Bay United FC (UPSL) Darcy Field; Rockville Centre, NY
Sept. 17 Deportivo Lake Mary FC (NISAN) USASA 0:3 USASA Club de Lyon (NISAN) Showalter Field; Winter Park, FL
Sept. 17 Doral SC (UPSL) UPSL 3:4 UPSL Juventus Academy (UPSL) Broward College-South Campus; Pembroke Pines, FL
Sept. 17 Aegean Hawks FC (APL) USASA 1:2 UPSL Germantown City FC (UPSL) River Hill High School Stadium; Clarksville, MD
Sept. 17 D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (UPSL) UPSL 5:1 UPSL FC Fort Worth (UPSL) Southwest High School; Fort Worth, TX
Sept. 17 Irvine FC (UPSL) UPSL 0:3 USSSA LA Monsters FC (SWPL) Wilmington Athletic Complex; Wilmington, CA
Sept. 17 New York Pancyprian Freedoms (EPSL) USASA 0:1 USASA SC Vistula Garfield (GSSL) Athenia Steel Recreation Complex; Clifton, NJ
Sept. 17 Steel Pulse FC (MSSL) USASA 0:0 (1:3 PK) USASA Northern Virginia FC (EPSL) VA Revolution Sportsplex; Leesburg, VA
Sept. 17 Manhattan Kickers FC (Cosmo SL) USASA 0:5 USASA Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL) Tibbetts Brooke Park; Yonkers, NY
Sept. 17 Harpos FC (Colo SL) USASA 1:2 USASA FC Denver (Colo SL) Northfield High School; Denver, CO
Sept. 17 Valley FC Raiders (NISAN) USASA 6:1 UPSL FC Arizona (UPSL) Bell Bank Park; Mesa, AZ
Sept. 17 Olympiacos CA (SWPL) USSSA 0:3 UPSL Laguna United FC (UPSL) La Paz Sports Park; Laguna Niguel, CA
Sept. 17 Davis Legacy SC (UPSL) UPSL 4:3 USASA UC Davis Club Soccer (WCSA) Dairy Outdoor Recreation Complex (UC Davis); Davis, CA
Sept. 18 Boston Street FC (UPSL) UPSL 0:0 (9:8 PK) USASA Ruggles Pro FC (EPSL) Fore Kicks II; Marlborough, MA
Sept. 18 Philadelphia Lone Star FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:2 USASA Vereinigung Erzgebirge (USLPA) Vereinigung Erzgebirge Clubhouse; Warminster, PA
Sept. 18 Lancaster Elite (UPSL) UPSL 3:2 (AET) USASA Lancaster City FC (USLPA) Lancaster Catholic High School Stadium; Lancaster, PA
Sept. 18 DCFC (DCPL) USASA

4:2 (AET)

 USASA Team Tevez (DCPL) Fields at RFK; Washington, D.C.
Sept. 18 Peak Eleven Football Club (MPL) USASA 0:3 USASA Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake (Colo SL) Wheat Ridge High School; Wheat Ridge, CO
Sept. 18 Florida Premier FC (UPSL) UPSL 4:0 USASA Clearwater Chargers SC (UPSL) Glenn Oaks Park; Clearwater, FL
Sept. 18 Newtown Pride FC (Conn SL) USASA 3:3 (10:11 PK) USASA New York Greek American SC (EPSL) Hofstra University Soccer Stadium; Hempstead, NY
Sept. 18 Azteca FC (Colo SL) USASA 3:1 USASA Colorado Rovers (Colo SL) Victoria Sports Park; Golden, CO
Sept. 18 United German Hungarians (USLPA) USASA 3:0 USASA Kensington Soccer Club (EPSL) Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School; Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 18 Florida Brothers (NSL) USSSA 1:3 USSSA Miami United FC (NSL) Ted Hendricks Stadium (Milander Park); Hialeah, FL
Sept. 18 Jackson Lions FC (GSSL) USASA

4:2

 USASA Real Central NJ Soccer (EPSL) MCCC Soccer Stadium; West Windsor, NJ
Sept. 18 O’Shea’s FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:2 USSSA Miami Soccer Academy (NSL) Monsignor Edward Pace High School; Miami Gardens, FL
Sept. 18 Queensboro FC II (UPSL) UPSL 5:0 USASA Scots-American Athletic Club (EPSL) Kearny High School Stadium; Kearny, NJ
Sept. 18 Marin County Union SC (NSL) USSSA 0:5 USASA Inter San Francisco (SFSFL) Beach Chalet Soccer Field; San Francisco, CA
Sept. 18 Escondido FC (UPSL) UPSL 2:2 (3:2 PK) UPSL Rebels SC (UPSL) Mount Miguel High School; Spring Valley, CA
Sept. 18 West Palm Beach Academy CF (NSL) USSSA 3:5 UPSL International Soccer Association (UPSL) Broward College-South Campus; Pembroke Pines, FL
Sept. 18 Capistrano FC (NISAN) USASA W:L (FORFEIT) UPSL OC Kings FC (UPSL) Lake Forest Sports Park; Lake Forest, CA
Sept. 18 A.S. Los Angeles (UPSL) UPSL 0:0 (2:4 PK) USSSA Outbreak FC (SWPL) Orange County Great Park; Irvine, CA
Sept. 18 Orange County FC (UPSL) UPSL 3:1 UPSL Trojans FC (UPSL) Duarte High School; Duarte, CA
BYES: 1927 SC, Alamo City Soccer Club, BattleBorn FC, Beaman United FC, Bellevue Athletic FC, Boulder United FC, Bowling Green FC, Brockton FC United, Chicago House AC, Christos FC, Coronado Athletic Club, D10 Lions FC, Desert FC, Elk Grove Blues, FC Birmingham, Gainesville City FC, Hurricane FC, IASC Boom, Kalonji Pro-Profile, Legend Football Gold, Metro Louisville FC, Mint Hill FC, Modesto City Football Club, Naples City FC, Naples United FC, Olympians FC, Orlando FC Wolves, Real San Jose, Sahara Gunners FC, Santa Cruz FC, South Carolina United Heat, TCSA, Temecula FC, Tobacco Road FC, UDA Soccer, Unations FC, Valhalla FC
             
ROUND 2 AWAY TEAM Assoc. SCORE
 Assoc. HOME TEAM VENUE
Oct. 15 Oyster Bay United FC (UPSL) UPSL 4:1 UPSL Queensboro FC II (UPSL) Queens College Varsity Soccer Field; Flushing, NY
Oct. 15 South Carolina United Heat (UPSL) UPSL 4:0 UPSL TCSA (UPSL) Paul Thigpen Chevrolet; Vidalia, GA
Oct. 15 Kalonji Pro-Profile (UPSL) UPSL 5:1 UPSL FC Birmingham (UPSL) Pleasant Grove Soccer Complex; Pleasant Grove, AL
Oct. 15 Metro Louisville FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:0 USCS Valhalla FC (OVPL) Charity J. Lucas Multi-Purpose Athletic Complex; Milford, OH
Oct. 15 FC Denver (Colorado SL) USASA 1:4 USASA Azteca FC (Colo SL) Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, CO
Oct. 15 Boston Street FC (UPSL) UPSL 0:1 USASA Brockton FC United (BSSL) Rocky Marciano Stadium; Brockton, MA
Oct. 15 Houston FC (NSL) USSSA 2:3 USSSA D10 Lions FC (NSL) Matias Almeyda Training Center; Houston, TX
Oct. 15 Santa Cruz FC (UPSL) UPSL L:W (FORFEIT) UPSL Unations FC (UPSL) Fore Kicks II; Marlborough, MA
Oct. 15 Gainesville City FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:2 UPSL Florida Premier FC (UPSL) GSports Clubhouse Field; Trinity, FL
Oct. 15 Club de Lyon (NISAN) USASA 3:1 USASA Orlando FC Wolves (CFSL) Econ Soccer Complex; Orlando, FL
Oct. 15 Germantown City FC (UPSL) UPSL 0:6 USASA Northern Virginia FC (EPSL) Virginia Revolution Sportsplex; Leesburg, VA
Oct. 15 D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (UPSL) UPSL 3:2 UPSL Alamo City Soccer Club (UPSL) Alamo Sportsplex; San Antonio, TX
Oct. 15 Beaman United FC (UPSL) UPSL 3:1 UPSL Bowling Green FC (UPSL) The Pit (Bowling Green Junior High); Bowling Green, KY
Oct. 15 Inter San Francisco (SFSFL) USASA 4:0 USSSA Real San Jose (NSL) PAL Stadium; San Jose, CA
Oct. 15 Davis Legacy SC (UPSL) UPSL 2:1 UPSL Elk Grove Blues (UPSL) Bartholomew Sports Park; Elk Grove, CA
Oct. 16 Coronado Athletic Club (UPSL) UPSL 0:4 UPSL UDA Soccer (UPSL) Field of Dreams Soccer Complex; Las Cruces, NM
Oct. 16 IASC Boom (RDSL) USASA 3:1 UPSL Sahara Gunners FC (UPSL) Dobson Field (D’Youville University); Buffalo, NY
Oct. 16 Lancaster Elite (UPSL) UPSL 0:2 USASA Vereinigung Erzgebirge (USLPA) Vereinigung Erzgebirge Clubhouse; Warminster, PA
Oct. 16 West Chester United SC (USLPA) USASA 4:0 USASA United German Hungarians (USLPA) Temple University Ambler Campus; Ambler, PA
Oct. 16 1927 SC (OVPL) USCS 1:1 (3:4 PK) USASA Chicago House AC (MWPL) Hales Franciscan High School; Chicago, IL
Oct. 16 Boulder United FC (Colo SL) USASA 1:2 USASA Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake (Colo SL) Wheat Ridge High School; Wheat Ridge, CO
Oct. 16 Mint Hill FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:3 USASA Tobacco Road FC (TASL) Durham County Memorial Stadium; Durham, NC
Oct. 16 Naples United FC (NSL) USSSA 0:4 (65′) UPSL Naples City FC (UPSL) Paradise Coast Sports Complex; Naples, FL
Oct. 16 Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL) USASA 3:0 USASA New York Greek American SC (EPSL) Fleming Park; Yonkers, NY
Oct. 16 Christos FC (MSSL) USASA 1:1 (4:5 PK) USASA DCFC (DCPL) Jelleff Recreation Center; Washington, D.C.
Oct. 16 Outbreak FC (SWPL) USSSA 0:1 UPSL Escondido FC (UPSL) San Pasqual High School; Escondido, CA
Oct. 16 SC Vistula Garfield (GSSL) USASA 2:1 USASA Jackson Lions FC (GSSL) Donovan Catholic High School; Toms River, NJ
Oct. 16 City Soccer FC (NSL) USSSA 2:0 USSSA Hurricane FC (NSL) Seacrest Soccer Complex; Delray Beach, FL
Oct. 16 Juventus Academy (UPSL) UPSL 1:3 (AET) USSSA Miami Soccer Academy (NSL) Monsignor Edward Pace High School; Miami Gardens, FL
Oct. 16 Miami United FC (NSL) USSSA 5:0 UPSL International Soccer Association (UPSL) UPSL Stadium (Broward College-South Campus); Pembroke Pines, FL
Oct. 16 BattleBorn FC (NISAN) USASA 4:2 USSSA Modesto City Football Club (SWPL) Central Catholic High School; Modesto, CA
Oct. 16 Temecula FC (SWPL) USSSA 1:7 UPSL Orange County FC (UPSL) Orange County Great Park (Field 12); Irvine, CA
Oct. 16 Legend Football Gold (FWMOS) USASA 1:0 UPSL Bellevue Athletic FC (UPSL) Bellevue College Soccer Field; Bellevue, WA
Oct. 16 Valley FC Raiders (NISAN) USASA 0:2 UPSL Olympians FC (UPSL) Pioneer Park; Peoria, AZ
Oct. 16 Desert FC (UPSL) UPSL 6:1 USSSA LA Monsters FC (SWPL) Orange County Great Park (Field 8); Irvine, CA
Oct. 19 Capistrano FC (NISAN) USASA 4:1 UPSL Laguna United FC (UPSL) La Paz Sports Park; Laguna Niguel, CA
 BYES: None
             
ROUND 3
 AWAY TEAM Assoc. TIME
 Assoc. HOME TEAM VENUE
Nov. 19 Florida Premier FC (UPSL) UPSL 2:4 USASA Club de Lyon (NISAN) Young Pine Park; Orlando, FL
Nov. 19 Chicago House AC (MWPL) USASA 2:1 UPSL Metro Louisville FC (UPSL) Woehrle Athletic Complex; Jeffersonville, IN
Nov. 19 D10 Lions FC (NSL) USSSA 0:2 (74′) UPSL D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (UPSL) Lake Ridge High School; Mansfield, TX
Nov. 19 Northern Virginia FC (EPSL) USASA 1:0 USASA DCFC (DCPL) Jelleff Recreation Center; Washington, D.C.
Nov. 19 Oyster Bay United FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:4 USASA Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL) Tibbetts Brooke Park; Yonkers, NY
Nov. 19 IASC Boom (RDSL) USASA 1:2 USASA SC Vistula Garfield (GSSL) Athenia Steel Recreation Complex; Clifton, NJ
Nov. 19 Escondido FC (UPSL) UPSL 3:7 (AET) UPSL Orange County FC (UPSL) Lake Forest Sports Park; Lake Forest, CA
Nov. 20 Olympians FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:3 (AET) UPSL UDA Soccer (UPSL) UDA at New Mexico State University; Las Cruces, NM
Nov. 20 Unations FC (UPSL) UPSL 2:5 USASA Brockton FC United (BSSL) Randolph High School; Randolph, MA
Nov. 20 West Chester United SC (USLPA) USASA 4:0 USASA Vereinigung Erzgebirge (USLPA) Vereinigung Erzgebirge Clubhouse; Warminster, PA
Nov. 20 Azteca FC (Colo SL) USASA 5:1 USASA Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake (Colo SL) Wheat Ridge High School; Wheat Ridge, CO
Nov. 20 Tobacco Road FC (TASL) USASA 0:3 UPSL South Carolina United Heat (UPSL) Southeastern Freight Lines Soccer Center; Columbia, SC
Nov. 20 Davis Legacy SC (UPSL) UPSL 0:5 USASA Inter San Francisco (SFSFL) Beach Chalet Soccer Field; San Francisco, CA
Nov. 20 Beaman United FC (UPSL) UPSL 4:4 (4:3 PK) UPSL Kalonji Pro-Profile (UPSL) Shiloh Generals Stadium; Snellville, GA
Nov. 20 Naples City FC (UPSL) UPSL 3:0 USSSA Miami Soccer Academy (NSL) Monsignor Edward Pace High School; Miami Gardens, FL
Nov. 20 City Soccer FC (NSL) USSSA 2:3 USSSA Miami United FC (NSL) Ted Hendricks Stadium; Hialeah, FL
Nov. 20 BattleBorn FC (NISAN) USASA 1:0 USASA Legend Football Gold (FWMOS) Saghalie Park; Federal Way, WA
Nov. 20 Capistrano FC (NISAN) USASA W:L (Forfeit) UPSL Desert FC (UPSL) Hovely Park (Field 3); Palm Desert, CA
BYES: None 
             
ROUND 4
 AWAY TEAM Assoc. TIME
 Assoc. HOME TEAM VENUE
Dec. 17 Chicago House AC (MWPL) USASA 1:1 (8:7 PK) USASA Brockton FC United (BSSL) Randolph High School; Randolph, MA
Dec. 17 Club de Lyon (NISAN) USASA 2:1 (AET) UPSL South Carolina United Heat (UPSL) Southeastern Freight Lines Soccer Center; Columbia, SC
Dec. 17 UDA Soccer (UPSL) UPSL 4:4 (4:1 PK) USASA Azteca FC (Colo SL) Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Field 8); Commerce City, CO
Dec. 17 Inter San Francisco (SFSFL) USASA 5:1 USASA BattleBorn FC (NISAN) Douglas High School; Minden, NV
Dec. 17 West Chester United SC (USLPA) USASA 2:1 USASA Northern Virginia FC (EPSL) Virginia Revolution Sportsplex; Leesburg, VA
Dec. 17 Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL) USASA 2:0 USASA SC Vistula Garfield (GSSL) Athenia Steel Recreation Complex; Clifton, NJ
Dec. 18 D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (UPSL) UPSL 3:4 (AET) UPSL Beaman United FC (UPSL) Richard Siegel Soccer Complex; Murfreesboro, TN
Dec. 18 Naples City FC (UPSL) UPSL 1:2 USSSA Miami United FC (NSL) Milander Park; Hialeah, FL
Dec. 18 Capistrano FC (NISAN) USASA 0:0 (3:2 PK) UPSL Orange County FC (UPSL) Orange County Great Park (Field 13); Irvine, CA
             
             

  1.  

2023 US Open Cup: 107 clubs enter qualifying, will play for 9 places in 108th edition of tournament

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Wilber Gomez of Oyster Bay United (left) battles for the ball against a player from Westchester United in the final round of qualifying for the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Karla Esqueche | E&M Photography
Wilber Gomez of Oyster Bay United (left) battles for the ball against a player from Westchester United in the final round of qualifying for the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Karla Esqueche | E&M Photography

The US Soccer Federation announced the 107 clubs that will take part in Open Division Local qualifying for the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The tournament will begin the weekend of Sept. 17-18. There are clubs from 25 states plus the District of Columbia, with the lion’s share coming from United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) with 46 teams from that league. Three or four rounds of single elimination matches will take place over the rest of 2022 with nine qualifiers being determined. Match-ups will be geographical to minimize travel for all teams. The schedule is as follows: 

September 17-18, 2022 – First Qualifying Round
October 15-16, 2022 – Second Qualifying Round
November 19-20, 2022 – Third Qualifying Round
December, 17-18, 2022 – Fourth Qualifying Round

MORE: 2023 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule/Results

Along with the 107 teams, Bavarian United from Milwaukee, won the 2022 USASA National Amateur Cup on Aug. 8, bypassing qualifying fully and entering in the First Round of the 108th edition of the tournament next March. This makes for a total of 108 clubs playing for 10 slots in the First Round from the “local qualifying” track.

Two other Open Division national leagues will bypass qualifying and enter in the First Round as well, using 2022 season results to determine entrants. USL League Two (USL-2) and National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) will each receive their own slots in the competition. UPSL, although meeting the criteria for national league status, chose not to go down this route, letting each team in the league choose on its own if they want to participate or not.

The number of slots going to the Open Division qualifying track and the two national leagues is proportional to the number of clubs in each league or pool of teams. Based on the qualifying track receiving 10 slots for their 108 clubs, we can determine a rough estimate for the total number of Open Division qualifiers for the First Round next March.

As of today, either 28 or 30 Open Division teams will participate in the 2023 US Open Cup next March. If that was to change, the qualifying track would be locked into their number of teams and the increase or decrease in the number of teams would be added to or taken away from the two national leagues. The only exception to this would be if the change is very large, where at that point they could add or take away teams from the qualifying track as well. This will all be determined in January 2023 when the pro leagues finalize their teams for the 2023 season.

We can also say based on the projected number of teams for each professional league for next season, as of today, the Division 3 teams will enter in the Second Round along with the Division 2 teams. Here is the current projected format for 2023

Round 1: 28 or 30 Open Division teams enter, 14-15 winners advance
Round 2: 45-46 Division 2 and Division 3 teams enter, with the 14-15 winners of the First Round, 29-30 winners advance
Round 3: 18-19 unseeded MLS teams enter, with the 29-30 winners of the Second Round, 24 teams advance
Round of 32: 8 seeded teams* enter, with the 24 winners of the Third Round, 16 teams advance
Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final from there

* seeded teams are the 4 CCL participants with the 2 best remaining MLS Eastern Conference teams and 2 best remaining MLS Western Conference teams.

However, there is still a chance the Division 3 teams will enter in the First Round. Again, this will be determined in January 2023 when the pro leagues finalize their clubs for the 2023 season.

Using those projections, here is how the Open Division slots would be allocated to each “track” and the 311 total clubs involved in this process. USL League Two has 111 eligible US based clubs in the league and NPSL has 92 eligible US based clubs in the league. As a reminder, Bavarian United is counted in the local qualifiers pool and takes up one of the slots given to that pool of teams.

28 teams:
Local Qualifiers: (108/311) * 28 = 9.72 clubs (rounded up to 10)
USL League Two: (111/311) * 28 = 9.99 clubs (rounded up to 10)
NPSL: (92/311) * 28 = 8.28 clubs (rounded down to 8)

30 teams:
Local Qualifiers: (108/311) * 30 = 10.41 clubs (rounded down to 10)
USL League Two: (111/311) * 30 = 10.71 clubs (rounded up to 11)
NPSL: (92/311) * 30 = 8.87 clubs (rounded up to 9)

Here are the entries for the 2023 Open Division Local qualifying tournament:

ALABAMA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
FC Birmingham; Fultondale, Ala.


ARIZONA (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Coronado Athletic Club; Hereford, Ariz.
FC Arizona; Chandler, Ariz.
Olympians FC; El Mirage, Ariz.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
SC Union Maricopa; Gilbert, Ariz.


CALIFORNIA (21)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
A.S. Los Angeles; Los Angeles, Calif.
Davis Legacy SC; Davis, Calif.
Desert FC; La Quinta, Calif.
Elk Grove Blues; Elk Grove, Calif.
Escondido FC; Escondido, Calif.
Irvine FC; Irvine, Calif.
Laguna United FC; Laguna Niguel, Calif.
OC Kings FC; Tustin, Calif.
Orange County FC; Mission Viejo, Calif.
Rebels Soccer Club, Chula Vista, Calif.
Trojans FC; Los Angeles, Calif.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Capo FC; San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
San Francisco Soccer Football League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Inter San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
Southwest Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
LA Monsters FC; Redondo Beach
Modesto City Football Club; Modesto, Calif.
Olympiacos CA; Huntington Beach, Calif.
Outbreak FC, Long Beach, Calif.
Temecula FC; Temecula, Calif.
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
Marin County Union SC; San Rafael, Calif.
Real San Jose; San Jose, Calif.
West Coast Soccer Association (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
UC Davis Club Soccer; Davis, Calif.


COLORADO (7)
Colorado Super League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake; Golden, Colo.
Azteca FC; Denver, Colo.
Boulder United FC; Boulder, Colo.
Colorado Rovers, Golden, Colo.
FC Denver; Denver, Colo.
Harpos FC; Longmont, Colo.
Mountain Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Peak Eleven Football Club; Broomfield, Colo.


CONNECTICUT (1)
Connecticut Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Newtown Pride FC; Sandy Hook, Conn.


DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (3)
American Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Aegean Hawks FC; Washington, D.C.
DC Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
DCFC, Washington, D.C.
Team Tevez; Washington, D.C.


FLORIDA (19)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Clearwater Chargers SC; Clearwater, Fla.
Doral SC; Doral, Fla.
Florida Premier FC, Odessa, Fla.
Florida Soccer Soldiers; Medley, Fla.
Gainesville City FC; Ocala, Fla.
International Soccer Association; Boca Raton Fla.
Juventus Academy; Miami, Fla.
Naples City FC; Naples, Fla.
O’Shea’s FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
City Soccer FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
Florida Brothers; Dania Beach, Fla.
Hurricane FC; Boynton Beach, Fla.
Miami Soccer Academy; Miami Beach, Fla.
Miami United FC; Miami Beach, Fla.
Naples United FC; Naples, Fla.
West Palm Beach Academy CF; West Palm Beach, Fla.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Club de Lyon; Orlando, Fla.
Deportivo Lake Mary FC; Lake Mary, Fla.
Central Florida Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Orlando FC Wolves; Longwood, Fla.


GEORGIA (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Kalonji Pro-Profile; Dacula, Ga.
TCSA; Ailey, Ga.


INDIANA (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Club Soccer)
1927 SC; Fort Wayne, Ind.

ILLINOIS (1)
Midwest Premier League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Chicago House AC; Chicago, Ill.


KENTUCKY (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Bowling Green FC; Bowling Green, Ky.
Metro Louisville FC; Louisville, Ky.


MASSACHUSETTS (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Boston Street FC; Revere, Mass.
Unations FC; Worcester, Mass.
Bay State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Brockton FC United; Brockton, Mass.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Ruggles Pro FC; Framingham, Mass.


MARYLAND (3)
Maryland Super Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Christos FC, Gambrills, Md.
Steel Pulse FC; Windsor Mill, Md.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Germantown City FC; Gaithersburg, Md.


NORTH CAROLINA (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Mint Hill FC; Mint Hill, N.C.
Triangle Adult Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Tobacco Road FC; Durham, N.C.


NEW HAMPSHIRE (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Santa Cruz FC; Nashua, N.H.


NEW JERSEY (5)
Garden State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Jackson Lions FC; Toms River, N.J.
SC Vistula Garfield; Garfield, N.J.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
New Jersey Alliance FC; Lyndhurst, N.J.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Real Central NJ Soccer; Lawrenceville, N.J.
Scots-American Athletic Club; Nutley, N.J.


NEW MEXICO (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
UDA Soccer; Las Cruces, N.M.


NEVADA (1)
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
BattleBorn FC; Carson City, Nev.


NEW YORK (8)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Oyster Bay United FC; Sea Cliff, N.Y.
Queensboro FC II; Queens, N.Y.
Sahara Gunners FC; Buffalo, N.Y.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Lansdowne Yonkers FC; Yonkers, N.Y.
New York Greek American SC; Astoria, N.Y.*
New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Astoria, N.Y.^
Rochester District Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
IASC Boom; Rochester, N.Y.
Cosmopolitan Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Manhattan Kickers FC; Flushing, N.Y.


OHIO (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Club Soccer)
Valhalla FC; Cincinnati, Ohio.


PENNSYLVANIA (8)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals; North Wales, Pa.**
United German Hungarians; Ambler, Pa.
Vereinigung Erzgebirge; Warminster, Pa.
West Chester United SC; Chester Springs, Pa.
Lancaster City FC; Lancaster, Pa.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Lancaster Elite; Lancaster, Pa.
Philadelphia Lone Star FC, Philadelphia, Pa.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Kensington Soccer Club; Philadelphia, Pa.


SOUTH CAROLINA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
South Carolina United Heat; Lexington. S.C.


TENNESSEE (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Beaman United FC; Nashville, Tenn.


TEXAS (6)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Alamo City Soccer Club; San Antonio, Texas
D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club; Desoto, Texas
FC Fort Worth; Fort Worth, Texas
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
D10 Lions FC; Spring, Texas
Galveston Pelicans FC; Galveston, Texas
Houston FC; Pasadena, Texas


VIRGINIA (1)
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Nova FC; Centreville, Va.


WASHINGTON (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Bellevue Athletic FC; Snohomish, Wash.
Federal Way Men’s Open Sunday (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Legend Football Gold; Lake Forest Park, Wash.

* Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1967-69, 1974)
^ Three-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1980, 1982-83)
** Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1960-61, 1963, 1966)

FACTS AND FIGURES
23 different leagues represented
25 different states plus the District of Columbia represented
5 teams have entered all five previous years of Open Division local qualifying: California (1): Outbreak FC; Colorado (2): Colorado Rovers, Harpos FC; New York (1): New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Pennsylvania (1): Vereinigung Erzgebirge

2023 US Open Cup: Which NPSL teams could qualify?

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FC Motown 2022 US Open Cup AC Syracuse Pulse
Federico De Olivera of FC Motown celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against AC Syracuse Pulse in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Peter Bonilla

The 2022 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) season has reached the Final Four. With the vast majority of the season completed, we can take a look at which teams will have the highest priority of qualifying for the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

How this list is made is determined by using the format outlined in the 2023 US Open Cup Open Division Handbook.

After years of either steady or increasing berth totals for teams between 2011 and 2018, the NPSL experienced its first decrease in tournament slots in 2019 going from 18 (22 after including last minute Play-in teams) to 14. This stayed steady for the 2020 tournament with 14 entrants before COVID-19 would cancel both the 2020 and 2021 tournaments.  It then decreased again with only 10 entrants in the 2022 tournament. With expansion coming across the board from all professional leagues, it would seem likely that the number of berths for both NPSL and USL League Two could go down again or at best remain level. The final allocation will not be determined until the professional leagues have finalized their entrants in early January 2023.

NPSL’s CLASSIFICATION RULES

Heading into the 2023 US Open Cup, the NPSL has 92 teams that are eligible for the competition divided into four regions: South (30), East (29), Midwest (18), and West (15).

The first eight possible berths are awarded to teams that advanced deep into the 2022 NPSL playoffs. Slots one and two are reserved for the champion and runner-up, respectively. Slots three and four are given to the teams that reached the semifinals and teams five through eight are held by the remaining quarterfinalists. Teams finishing at the same round will be ordered by regular season points per game. The Top 8 teams are:

  1. FC Motown (national champion)
  2. Crossfire Redmond (national runner-up)
  3. Muskegon Risers (national semifinalist, 2.6 PPG)
  4. Tulsa Athletic (national semifinalist, 2.42 PPG)
  5. Jacksonville Armada FC U-23 (regional finalist, 2.83 PPG)
  6. El Farolito (regional finalist, 2.4 PPG)
  7. Appalachian FC (regional finalist, 2.1 PPG)
  8. Cleveland SC (regional finalist, 2.08 PPG)

After that, the next spots are purely given out on a regular season points per game basis to the next team in the next region that gets a spot. This is ordered by the the number of teams in each region. For the 2023 Open Cup, it would go South, East, Midwest, West, South, East, Midwest, West, and so forth until every spot has been filled. If a team declines the spot or is ineligible to take any spot, the next team in the region ranking gets the spot. What this means is if, for example, 11 NPSL teams qualify for the 2023 Open Cup, it will be guaranteed to be 3 teams each from the South, East, and Midwest regions, and 2 teams from the West region, even if it’s a team much further down a regional ranking compared to a team from another region.

It’s near certain that teams listed in the top eight are all but guaranteed a spot in the 108th edition of the US Open Cup. But if there’s more, there could be a third team from each region. More than 12 teams is unlikely given the number of Open Division slots overall.

With all that out of the way, here are the 2022 NPSL US Open Cup berth rankings. This year we will give the rankings for each region, with 1st place being the regional champion, and 2nd place being the region runner up. The teams are then ordered by PPG, with the tiebreakers being average goal difference and then average goals scored.

x- Regional Champion, y- Regional runner-up

EAST REGION

Rank Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts Pts/GP GD/GP GF/GP
1 x-FC Motown 10 7 1 2 32 13 19 23 2.3 1.9 3.2
2 y-Appalachian FC 10 6 1 3 25 12 13 21 2.1 1.3 2.5
3 Hartford City FC 10 8 0 2 21 8 13 26 2.6 1.3 2.1
4 Electric City Shock 10 7 1 2 29 10 19 23 2.3 1.9 2.9
5 Alexandria Reds 10 7 2 1 20 10 10 22 2.2 1 2
6 West Chester United SC 10 6 1 3 26 13 13 21 2.1 1.3 2.6
7 Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 10 6 1 3 22 14 8 21 2.1 0.8 2.2
8 Northern Virginia United 10 6 2 2 20 13 7 20 2 0.7 2
9 Virginia Beach City FC 10 5 1 4 18 11 7 19 1.9 0.7 1.8
10 Valeo FC 10 5 2 3 19 13 6 18 1.8 0.6 1.9
11 Georgia Revolution FC 10 4 2 4 26 12 14 16 1.6 1.4 2.6
12 Jackson Lions FC 10 5 4 1 32 23 9 16 1.6 0.9 3.2
13 North Alabama SC 10 4 3 3 16 15 1 15 1.5 0.1 1.6
14 Apotheos FC 10 3 2 5 13 10 3 14 1.4 0.3 1.3
15 FC Frederick 10 4 5 1 18 18 0 13 1.3 0 1.8
16 Cedar Stars 10 2 3 5 12 18 -6 11 1.1 -0.6 1.2
17 New York Shockers 10 2 4 4 16 16 0 10 1 0 1.6
18 Philadelphia Lone Star FC 10 3 6 1 23 29 -6 10 1 -0.6 2.3
19 Torch FC 10 3 6 1 14 24 -10 10 1 -1 1.4
20 Kingston Stockade FC 10 2 5 3 11 15 -4 9 0.9 -0.4 1.1
21 FC Monmouth 10 1 4 5 10 19 -9 8 0.8 -0.9 1
22 Atlantic City FC 10 2 6 2 11 24 -13 8 0.8 -1.3 1.1
23 LSA Athletico Lanier 10 2 6 2 7 27 -20 8 0.8 -2 0.7
24 Georgia Storm SA 10 2 7 1 14 25 -11 7 0.7 -1.1 1.4
25 Pennsylvania Classics 10 2 7 1 15 27 -12 7 0.7 -1.2 1.5
26 Grove Soccer United 10 2 8 0 5 20 -15 6 0.6 -1.5 0.5
27 Hershey FC 10 1 6 3 9 27 -18 6 0.6 -1.8 0.9
28 First State FC 10 1 7 2 16 25 -9 5 0.5 -0.9 1.6
29 Syracuse FC 10 0 5 5 8 17 -9 5 0.5 -0.9 0.8

SOUTH REGION

Rank Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts Pts/GP GD/GP GF/GP
1 x-Tulsa Athletic 12 9 1 2 36 10 26 29 2.416667 2.166667 3
2 y-Jacksonville Armada FC U-23 12 11 0 1 36 11 25 34 2.833333 2.083333 3
3 Miami Beach Club de Futbol 10 8 2 0 25 8 17 24 2.4 1.7 2.5
4 Laredo Heat SC 12 8 1 3 30 8 22 27 2.25 1.833333 2.5
5 Southern States Soccer Club 12 9 3 0 35 14 21 27 2.25 1.75 2.916667
6 OKC 1889 FC 12 8 2 2 20 14 6 26 2.166667 0.5 1.666667
7 Miami United FC 10 7 3 0 26 10 16 21 2.1 1.6 2.6
8 Central Florida Panthers SC 10 7 3 0 25 12 13 21 2.1 1.3 2.5
9 FC Brownsville 12 8 3 1 38 15 23 25 2.083333 1.916667 3.166667
10 Corinthians FC of San Antonio 12 7 2 3 29 20 9 24 2 0.75 2.416667
11 Irving FC 12 6 1 5 31 11 20 23 1.916667 1.666667 2.583333
12 Denton Diablos FC 12 7 4 1 31 15 16 22 1.833333 1.333333 2.583333
13 Lubbock Matadors SC 12 6 4 2 25 15 10 20 1.666667 0.833333 2.083333
14 New Orleans Jesters 12 6 5 1 28 24 4 19 1.583333 0.333333 2.333333
15 Pensacola FC 12 6 5 1 21 23 -2 19 1.583333 -0.16667 1.75
16 Sunflower State FC 12 5 4 3 19 20 -1 18 1.5 -0.08333 1.583333
17 Naples United FC 10 4 4 2 22 11 11 14 1.4 1.1 2.2
18 Demize NPSL 12 4 4 4 18 20 -2 16 1.333333 -0.16667 1.5
19 AFC Mobile 12 4 7 1 19 20 -1 13 1.083333 -0.08333 1.583333
20 Arkansas Wolves FC 12 4 7 1 18 21 -3 13 1.083333 -0.25 1.5
21 Club Atletico Saint Louis 12 4 8 0 18 29 -11 12 1 -0.91667 1.5
22 CF10 Houston FC 12 3 7 2 15 38 -23 11 0.916667 -1.91667 1.25
23 Forth Worth Vaqueros FC 12 3 8 1 17 25 -8 10 0.833333 -0.66667 1.416667
24 Florida Roots 12 3 9 0 18 39 -21 9 0.75 -1.75 1.5
25 Miami Dutch Lions FC 10 1 7 2 8 23 -15 5 0.5 -1.5 0.8
26 Reign FK 12 1 9 2 12 27 -15 5 0.416667 -1.25 1
27 Austin United FC 12 1 10 1 16 44 -28 4 0.333333 -2.33333 1.333333
28 Coyotes FC 12 1 10 1 9 50 -41 4 0.333333 -3.41667 0.75
29 Magia FC 10 1 9 0 7 49 -42 3 0.3 -4.2 0.7
30 Tallahassee SC 12 0 10 2 12 38 -26 2 0.166667 -2.16667 1

MIDWEST REGION

Rank Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts Pts/GP GD/GP GF/GP
1 x-Muskegon Risers 10 8 0 2 33 10 23 26 2.6 2.3 3.3
2 y-Cleveland SC 12 8 3 1 33 14 19 25 2.083333 1.583333 2.75
3 Med City FC 14 11 1 2 35 11 24 35 2.5 1.714286 2.5
4 Duluth FC 14 11 2 1 43 12 31 34 2.428571 2.214286 3.071429
5 FC Columbus 10 6 2 2 31 18 13 20 2 1.3 3.1
6 Pittsburgh Hotspurs 12 8 4 0 24 15 9 24 2 0.75 2
7 Dakota Fusion FC 14 7 4 3 36 28 8 24 1.714286 0.571429 2.571429
8 Minneapolis City SC 14 7 6 1 29 27 2 22 1.571429 0.142857 2.071429
9 FC Buffalo 12 5 6 1 15 20 -5 16 1.333333 -0.41667 1.25
10 Carpathia FC 10 3 4 3 15 20 -5 12 1.2 -0.5 1.5
11 Sioux Falls Thunder FC 14 3 6 5 27 28 -1 14 1 -0.07143 1.928571
12 Minnesota TwinStars FC 14 4 9 1 22 42 -20 13 0.928571 -1.42857 1.571429
13 Erie Commodores 12 3 7 2 13 23 -10 11 0.916667 -0.83333 1.083333
14 Akron City FC 12 2 6 4 10 23 -13 10 0.833333 -1.08333 0.833333
15 FC Milwaukee Torrent 10 2 6 2 20 22 -2 8 0.8 -0.2 2
16 Joy St. Louis Park 14 3 10 1 15 36 -21 10 0.714286 -1.5 1.071429
17 LC Aris FC 14 3 11 0 21 44 -23 9 0.642857 -1.64286 1.5
18 Panathinaikos Chicago 10 1 8 1 8 37 -29 4 0.4 -2.9 0.8

WEST REGION

Rank Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts Pts/GP GD/GP GF/GP
1 x-Crossfire Redmond 10 4 1 5 16 10 6 17 1.7 0.6 1.6
2 y-El Farolito FC 10 8 2 0 38 11 27 24 2.4 2.7 3.8
3 Sacramento Gold FC 10 8 1 1 29 12 17 25 2.5 1.7 2.9
4 Napa Valley 1839 FC 10 8 2 0 32 11 21 24 2.4 2.1 3.2
5 International Portland Select FC 10 6 1 3 24 6 18 21 2.1 1.8 2.4
6 SC Brave Lions 10 7 3 0 24 14 10 21 2.1 1 2.4
7 Contra Costa FC 10 4 5 1 28 25 3 13 1.3 0.3 2.8
8 Academica SC 10 4 5 1 19 18 1 13 1.3 0.1 1.9
9 FC Davis 10 4 5 1 16 27 -11 13 1.3 -1.1 1.6
10 Oakland SC 10 3 5 2 19 28 -9 11 1.1 -0.9 1.9
11 FC Arizona 10 2 4 4 13 21 -8 10 1 -0.8 1.3
12 Las Vegas Legends FC 10 2 5 3 20 24 -4 9 0.9 -0.4 2
13 Sonoma County Sol FC 10 2 8 0 14 37 -23 6 0.6 -2.3 1.4
14 OSA Seattle FC 10 1 8 1 7 29 -22 4 0.4 -2.2 0.7
15 Oakland Stompers 10 0 8 2 10 36 -26 2 0.2 -2.6 1

2023 US Open Cup: Which USL League Two teams could qualify?

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Des Moines Menace 2022 US Open Cup
The Des Moines Menace celebrate scoring a goal vs. Minneapolis City SC in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Jose Calderon @digitaljose

While the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is still in progress, with the semifinals taking place in one week, the qualifying for the 2023 competition has been underway all summer in the national leagues.

The format for the 2023 edition of the tournament has yet to be released, however the method in which teams can reach the tournament proper have been finalized including the Open Division National League Track. One of these leagues, USL League Two, formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), has held a fairly consistent qualifying process since 2012 where the league determines its entries based on the previous year’s results. The only changes have been the number of teams that the US Soccer Federation has allocated to it among the rest of the open division. 

Sunday night finished the regular season of USL League Two, which means the “priority list” of teams for determining who qualifies is (almost) complete.

Beginning in 2012 and continuing in 2013, the top 16 US-based USL League Two teams qualified for the tournament directly based on how well they did the previous season. That number increased to 19 from 2014-16 and in 2017 the top 21 teams got in. Since then the number of slots awarded has gone down with 20 allocated in 2018 and 10 slots allocated in 2019. It’s stayed at about that number since, with 11 slots allocated in the cancelled 2020 tournament, then 10 slots allocated in 2022.

Now, for the 2023 Open Cup, the 16 division winners will be prioritized first, followed by the rest of the league’s teams sorted by Points-Per-Game (PPG). Different divisions played different numbers of games meaning average points per game will be used to sort the teams (followed by total wins (not averaged), average goal difference, and average goals scored).

There is one exception to this now. The USL League Two champion in the playoffs that are underway this weekend will receive the #1 overall priority for the league, ahead of all division champions. This was added by the league for the 2021 USL-2 season, making the defending champion Des Moines Menace the first benefactor of this change. Of course, the Menace were already #1 as the best division champion from the 2021 season, meaning there was effectively no change from the old method for the 2021 season.

The teams that qualify will join other Open Division teams, such as those from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and local amateur qualifiers in the opening round of next year’s competition.

Below is the overall USL League Two standings. z- denotes the USL League Two playoff champion, y- denotes a regular season division champion.

Finally, the following teams received points deductions this season from the league office. All points deductions are reflected in the table below.

  • Dayton Dutch Lions: 1 point deducted
  • Philadelphia Lone Star: 3 points deducted
  • FC Golden State Force: 3 points deducted
  • AHFC Royals: 4 points deducted
  • Chicago Dutch Lions: 9 points deducted
    GP W L T GF GA GD PTS PTS/GP GD/GP GF/GP
1. z-Ventura County Fusion 12 8 2 2 24 15 9 26 2.166667 0.75 2
2. y-Lionsbridge FC 14 12 0 2 47 11 36 38 2.714286 2.571429 3.357143
3. y-Des Moines Menace 12 10 0 2 37 9 28 32 2.666667 2.333333 3.083333
4. y-Seacoast United Phantoms 14 12 1 1 37 13 24 37 2.642857 1.714286 2.642857
5. y-Nona FC 14 12 1 1 27 10 17 37 2.642857 1.214286 1.928571
6. y-Manhattan SC 14 12 2 0 32 15 17 36 2.571429 1.214286 2.285714
7. y-Ocean City Nor’easters 14 11 0 3 28 9 19 36 2.571429 1.357143 2
8. y-Chicago FC United 14 11 1 2 53 18 35 35 2.5 2.5 3.785714
9. y-North Carolina Fusion U23 14 11 1 2 48 15 33 35 2.5 2.357143 3.428571
10. y-Brazos Valley Cavalry F.C. 14 11 2 1 47 15 32 34 2.428571 2.285714 3.357143
11. y-One Knoxville SC 14 11 2 1 34 10 24 34 2.428571 1.714286 2.428571
12. y-South Bend Lions 14 10 2 2 40 12 28 32 2.285714 2 2.857143
13. y-Texas United 14 9 0 5 32 13 19 32 2.285714 1.357143 2.285714
14. y-Capital FC 12 8 1 3 25 14 11 27 2.25 0.916667 2.083333
15. y-Project 51O 12 8 2 2 25 13 12 26 2.166667 1 2.083333
16. y-Park City Red Wolves SC 12 8 2 2 24 12 12 26 2.166667 1 2
17. y-Kalamazoo FC 14 8 2 4 28 15 13 28 2 0.928571 2
18. Long Island Rough Riders 14 11 2 1 40 14 26 34 2.428571 1.857143 2.857143
19. Western Mass Pioneers 14 11 3 0 36 15 21 33 2.357143 1.5 2.571429
20. Kings Hammer FC 14 10 2 2 41 15 26 32 2.285714 1.857143 2.928571
21. Asheville City SC 14 9 1 4 37 13 24 31 2.214286 1.714286 2.642857
22. Ballard FC 12 8 2 2 28 12 16 26 2.166667 1.333333 2.333333
23. Christos FC 13 9 3 1 51 18 33 28 2.153846 2.538462 3.923077
24. The Villages SC 14 9 2 3 24 11 13 30 2.142857 0.928571 1.714286
25. Fort Wayne FC 14 9 3 2 34 11 23 29 2.071429 1.642857 2.428571
26. West Virginia United 14 9 3 2 36 23 13 29 2.071429 0.928571 2.571429
27. Charlotte Eagles 14 9 3 2 38 26 12 29 2.071429 0.857143 2.714286
28. Vermont Green FC 14 9 4 1 38 14 24 28 2 1.714286 2.714286
29. Kaw Valley FC 13 8 3 2 31 16 15 26 2 1.153846 2.384615
30. Flint City Bucks 14 8 3 3 31 13 18 27 1.928571 1.285714 2.214286
31. Houston FC 14 8 3 3 24 16 8 27 1.928571 0.571429 1.714286
32. Mississippi Brilla FC 13 8 4 1 33 13 20 25 1.923077 1.538462 2.538462
33. Flatirons Rush 12 7 3 2 22 16 6 23 1.916667 0.5 1.833333
34. Southern California Seahorses 12 6 1 5 21 15 6 23 1.916667 0.5 1.75
35. Hudson Valley Hammers 14 8 5 1 44 31 13 25 1.785714 0.928571 3.142857
36. AFC Ann Arbor 14 7 3 4 35 18 17 25 1.785714 1.214286 2.5
37. South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 13 7 4 2 23 16 7 23 1.769231 0.538462 1.769231
38. FC Miami City 12 7 5 0 27 17 10 21 1.75 0.833333 2.25
39. San Francisco Glens SC 12 6 3 3 27 12 15 21 1.75 1.25 2.25
40. Peoria City 12 6 3 3 22 18 4 21 1.75 0.333333 1.833333
41. Boston City FC 14 8 6 0 24 22 2 24 1.714286 0.142857 1.714286
42. West Chester United SC 14 7 4 3 33 18 15 24 1.714286 1.071429 2.357143
43. Chicago City SC 14 7 4 3 35 29 6 24 1.714286 0.428571 2.5
44. Northern Virginia FC 13 7 5 1 30 24 6 22 1.692308 0.461538 2.307692
45. St. Louis Lions 13 6 4 3 31 22 9 21 1.615385 0.692308 2.384615
46. Florida Elite SA 13 6 4 3 25 17 8 21 1.615385 0.615385 1.923077
47. Corpus Christi FC 14 7 6 1 21 21 0 22 1.571429 0 1.5
48. New Jersey Copa FC 14 7 6 1 26 29 -3 22 1.571429 -0.21429 1.857143
49. LA Krewe 14 6 4 4 39 26 13 22 1.571429 0.928571 2.785714
50. Tri-Cities Otters 14 7 7 0 17 23 -6 21 1.5 -0.42857 1.214286
51. FA Euro New York 14 6 5 3 22 21 1 21 1.5 0.071429 1.571429
52. Real Central New Jersey 14 6 6 2 31 27 4 20 1.428571 0.285714 2.214286
53. Miami AC 14 6 6 2 16 16 0 20 1.428571 0 1.142857
54. Tennessee SC 14 5 4 5 19 16 3 20 1.428571 0.214286 1.357143
55. Reading United AC 14 5 4 5 22 21 1 20 1.428571 0.071429 1.571429
56. New Mexico United U23 12 5 5 2 23 19 4 17 1.416667 0.333333 1.916667
57. South Carolina United FC 13 5 5 3 23 24 -1 18 1.384615 -0.07692 1.769231
58. Black Rock FC 14 6 7 1 22 23 -1 19 1.357143 -0.07143 1.571429
59. Oakland County FC 14 6 7 1 28 35 -7 19 1.357143 -0.5 2
60. FC Wichita 14 6 7 1 23 30 -7 19 1.357143 -0.5 1.642857
61. Little Rock Rangers 14 5 5 4 26 23 3 19 1.357143 0.214286 1.857143
62. Davis Legacy SC 12 4 4 4 26 24 2 16 1.333333 0.166667 2.166667
63. FC Motown STA 14 5 6 3 29 23 6 18 1.285714 0.428571 2.071429
64. Cedar Stars Rush 14 5 6 3 31 32 -1 18 1.285714 -0.07143 2.214286
65. Round Rock SC 14 5 6 3 25 33 -8 18 1.285714 -0.57143 1.785714
66. Weston FC 14 5 6 3 10 18 -8 18 1.285714 -0.57143 0.714286
67. Lane United FC 12 3 3 6 19 18 1 15 1.25 0.083333 1.583333
68. Charlotte Independence 2 14 5 7 2 39 32 7 17 1.214286 0.5 2.785714
69. Boston Bolts 14 5 7 2 19 24 -5 17 1.214286 -0.35714 1.357143
70. Marin FC Legends 12 4 6 2 20 18 2 14 1.166667 0.166667 1.666667
71. Salt City SC 12 4 6 2 21 27 -6 14 1.166667 -0.5 1.75
72. North Carolina FC U23 14 4 6 4 30 24 6 16 1.142857 0.428571 2.142857
73. Peachtree City MOBA 14 5 9 0 24 30 -6 15 1.071429 -0.42857 1.714286
74. Virginia Beach United 14 5 9 0 14 32 -18 15 1.071429 -1.28571 1
75. Dalton Red Wolves SC 14 4 7 3 19 25 -6 15 1.071429 -0.42857 1.357143
76. AC Connecticut 14 4 9 1 26 34 -8 13 0.928571 -0.57143 1.857143
77. Lansing City Football 14 4 9 1 13 28 -15 13 0.928571 -1.07143 0.928571
78. OVF Alliance 12 3 7 2 24 21 3 11 0.916667 0.25 2
79. Tampa Bay United 12 3 7 2 14 16 -2 11 0.916667 -0.16667 1.166667
80. Oly Town FC 12 3 7 2 16 25 -9 11 0.916667 -0.75 1.333333
81. Toledo Villa FC 14 4 10 0 18 34 -16 12 0.857143 -1.14286 1.285714
82. Southern Soccer Academy Kings 14 3 8 3 12 30 -18 12 0.857143 -1.28571 0.857143
83. PDX FC 12 3 8 1 12 34 -22 10 0.833333 -1.83333 1
84. Blue Goose SC 13 3 9 1 22 33 -11 10 0.769231 -0.84615 1.692308
85. Philadelphia Lone Star FC 14 3 7 4 25 39 -14 10 0.714286 -1 1.785714
86. Blackwatch Rush 14 3 10 1 16 35 -19 10 0.714286 -1.35714 1.142857
87. Patuxent Football Athletics 14 3 10 1 13 33 -20 10 0.714286 -1.42857 0.928571
88. Tobacco Road FC 14 3 10 1 22 50 -28 10 0.714286 -2 1.571429
89. St. Croix SC 12 2 8 2 15 30 -15 8 0.666667 -1.25 1.25
90. Central Valley Fuego FC 2 12 2 8 2 11 36 -25 8 0.666667 -2.08333 0.916667
91. AHFC Royals 14 3 8 3 24 33 -9 8 0.571429 -0.64286 1.714286
92. Caledonia SC 13 2 10 1 7 32 -25 7 0.538462 -1.92308 0.538462
93. East Atlanta FC 14 2 11 1 15 36 -21 7 0.5 -1.5 1.071429
94. Springfield ASC 14 2 11 1 16 38 -22 7 0.5 -1.57143 1.142857
95. AC Houston Sur 14 2 11 1 13 36 -23 7 0.5 -1.64286 0.928571
96. Midwest United FC 14 2 11 1 9 35 -26 7 0.5 -1.85714 0.642857
97. Commonwealth Cardinals FC 14 2 11 1 13 50 -37 7 0.5 -2.64286 0.928571
98. Dayton Dutch Lions 14 2 10 2 13 53 -40 7 0.5 -2.85714 0.928571
99. San Francisco City FC 12 1 8 3 13 27 -14 6 0.5 -1.16667 1.083333
100. Cleveland Force SC 14 1 9 4 15 36 -21 7 0.5 -1.5 1.071429
101. FC Florida U23 14 1 10 3 13 26 -13 6 0.428571 -0.92857 0.928571
102. LA Parish 14 1 10 3 22 66 -44 6 0.428571 -3.14286 1.571429
103. FC Golden State Force 12 1 6 5 12 19 -7 5 0.416667 -0.58333 1
104. Minneapolis City SC 12 1 9 2 11 26 -15 5 0.416667 -1.25 0.916667
105. CISA 12 1 9 2 12 28 -16 5 0.416667 -1.33333 1
106. Westchester Flames 14 1 11 2 16 38 -22 5 0.357143 -1.57143 1.142857
107. Lehigh Valley United 14 1 12 1 21 46 -25 4 0.285714 -1.78571 1.5
108. Pathfinder FC 14 1 12 1 8 46 -38 4 0.285714 -2.71429 0.571429
109. Wake FC 14 1 12 1 17 60 -43 4 0.285714 -3.07143 1.214286
110. Morris Elite SC 14 1 13 0 9 46 -37 3 0.214286 -2.64286 0.642857
111. Chicago Dutch Lions FC 14 2 12 0 18 54 -36 -3 -0.21429 -2.57143 1.285714

2022 US Open Cup: Draw for Round 3 announced as 17 MLS teams join tournament

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Atlanta United FC celebrates their 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship. Photo: Allison Andrews
Atlanta United FC, the defending (2019) US Open Cup champions return to the tournament after the competition’s two-year hiatus. They join 16 other MLS teams entering in Round 3. Photo: Allison Andrews

The US Soccer Federation held the Third Round Draw for the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup today, the largest draw ever shown on a live broadcast in the tournament’s history. The 31 Second Round winners from this week will be joined by 17 lower seeded MLS teams in this draw for a total of 48 teams.

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The teams were divided into groups of 4 or 6 based on geography. In instances where geography was not apparent or conflicted, a random draw was held to decide which team went into what group. MLS teams were spread out as evenly as possible within the groups, ranging from one MLS team in a four-team group to three MLS teams in a six-team group. Teams were then drawn within each group, with the restriction that MLS teams could not be drawn against each other. This is the same rule as previous rounds where other qualifying pools also could not be drawn against each other (D2 vs. D2, D3 vs. D3, Open Division vs. Open Division).

During the draw, teams were announced that either did not apply to host the match or could not meet venue standards. These teams therefore could not be drawn into any match where they were the home team.

  • FC Motown
  • Charlotte FC
  • New Mexico United
  • Northern Colorado Hailstorm
  • Central Valley Fuego
  • Bay Cities FC
  • California United Strikers
  • San Diego Loyal
  • South Georgia Tormenta FC

For matches involving a MLS team in this round, starting this year, a $6,000 hosting fee is assessed to the host, regardless if the MLS team is home or away. The hosting fees for the whole tournament help pay for the travel reimbursements US Soccer give to the visiting teams, up to $13,000 per match for all travel costs (a $1,000 increase from the previous tournament).

The Third Round will be played on April 19-20, with the Round of 32 draw the next day on April 22. The remaining eight MLS teams (CCL participants and the next best two teams teams from each MLS conference) will enter, and will be prevented from playing each other in that round as well. 8 groups of 4 will be formed geographically with each one having one team from that group of 8 MLS teams. Teams will then be drawn randomly within those groupings.

MORE: Things you should know about the Third Round of the US Open Cup (Modern Era)

MORE: Notable upsets in the Third Round of the US Open Cup (Modern Era)

Seven of the 17 MLS teams will be on the road for this round. This is the most MLS teams on the road against lower division teams in their round of entry since the 2013 tournament, when 9 out of 16 MLS teams were on the road.

More facts regarding these Third Round matchups.:

The draw is as follows:

NORTHEAST

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 Flower City Union (NISA) vs D.C. United (MLS) 7 p.m. ET Rochester Community Sports Complex; Rochester, N.Y.
4/20 Rochester New York FC (MLSNP) vs FC Motown (NPSL) 6 p.m. ET Monroe Community College; Rochester, N.Y.
4/20 Hartford Athletic (USLC) vs New York Red Bulls (MLS) 7 p.m. ET Dillon Stadium; Hartford, Conn.

PIEDMONT

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/20 Richmond Kickers (USLL1) vs North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) 6:30 p.m. ET City Stadium; Richmond, Va.
4/20 Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) vs Charlotte Football Club (MLS) 7 p.m. ET Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College; Greenville, S.C.

SOUTHEAST

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) vs South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) 7 p.m. CT Alabama Soccer Stadium (Univ. of Alabama); Tuscaloosa, Ala.
4/20 Atlanta United FC (MLS) vs Chattanooga Football Club (NISA) 7:30 p.m. ET Fifth Third Bank Stadium; Kennesaw, Ga.

FLORIDA

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 Miami FC (USLC) vs Inter Miami CF (MLS) 7 p.m. ET FIU Stadium; Miami, Fla.
4/20 Orlando City (MLS) vs Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) 7 p.m. ET Osceola County Stadium; Kissimmee, Fla.

CENTRAL

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 FC Cincinnati (MLS) vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) 7 p.m. ET TQL Stadium; Cincinnati, Ohio
4/19 Detroit City FC (USLC) vs Columbus Crew SC (MLS) 7:30 p.m. ET Keyworth Stadium; Hamtramck, Mich.

NORTH

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 Chicago Fire FC (MLS) vs Union Omaha (USLL1) 7 p.m. CT Soldier Field; Chicago, Ill.
4/20 Forward Madison FC (USLL1) vs Minnesota United FC (MLS) 6 p.m. CT Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis.
4/20 Louisville City FC (USLC) vs St. Louis CITY 2 (MLSNP) 7:30 p.m. ET Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky.

TEXAS

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 FC Dallas (MLS) vs FC Tulsa (USLC) 7:30 p.m. CT Toyota Stadium; Frisco, Texas
4/19 Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) vs Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USLC) 7:30 p.m. CT PNC Stadium; Houston, Texas
4/20 San Antonio FC (USLC) vs Austin FC (MLS) 7:30 p.m. CT Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas

MOUNTAIN

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/20 Real Salt Lake (MLS) vs Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1) 7:30 p.m. MT Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
4/20 Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs New Mexico United (USLC) 7:30 p.m. MST Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass; Chandler, Ariz.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) vs Bay Cities FC (NISA) 7:30 p.m. PT PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif.
4/20 Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs Central Valley Fuego FC (USLL1) 7:30 p.m. PT Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif.


SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
4/19 FC Tucson (USLL1) vs California United Strikers FC (NISA) 7:30 p.m. MST Kino North Stadium; Tucson, Ariz.
4/19 LA Galaxy (MLS) vs San Diego Loyal SC (USLC) 7:30 p.m. PT Dignity Health Sports Park; Carson, Calif.
4/20 Los Angeles Football Club (MLS) vs Orange County SC (USLC) 7:30 p.m. PT Banc of California Stadium; Los Angeles, Calif.

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