Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Joe Chatz

2025 US Open Cup Qualifying: Tulsa Athletic qualifies for 4th straight USOC, ends Chicago House’s streak with PK shootout win

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Tulsa Athletic celebrates after defeating Chicago House AC 5-4 in PKs (after a 0-0 draw) to qualify for the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Tulsa Athletic
Tulsa Athletic celebrates after defeating Chicago House AC 5-4 in PKs (after a 0-0 draw) to qualify for the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Tulsa Athletic

There’s no easy path into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, particularly throughout Open Division Local qualifying, but Tulsa Athletic managed to weather multiple storms and secured a spot in the 2025 edition of the tournament after defeating Chicago House AC 5-4 in a penalty kick shootout after a scoreless draw at Langhorst Field on the campus of Elmhurst University in Illinois. 

The PK that secured Tulsa Athletic’s spot in the 2025 US Open Cup #USOC2025

— (@joechatz.bsky.social) 2024-12-08T23:48:30.925Z

The two sides had multiple chances in open play throughout the 120 minutes but neither side broke the deadlock, sending the match to penalty kicks. Tulsa didn’t miss from the spot and that was enough to secure their spot in the 2025 US Open Cup. With the shootout win, Tulsa Athletic qualified for the fourth year in a row and the seventh time in club history (all previous entries were as members of the NPSL). Meanwhile, Chicago was denied a third straight trip to the competition. 

The matchday started well before kickoff for Tulsa, who lost 2-1 on Saturday to the Arkansas Wolves in the UPSL OK-AR Conference Championship Game at Hicks Park in Tulsa. Most of Tulsa’s squad were on the first flight out of Tulsa on Sunday, ensuring that they made it to Elmhurst with plenty of time before taking on their foes from the Midwest Premier League less than 24 hours after their last match took place multiple states away.

There wasn’t a whole lot of action in the first half as both goalkeepers consistently left their nets in order to quash counter attacking runs from the opposition’s forwards. 

#USOC2025 Qualifying Final Round ("Win & You're In"): After 120 scoreless minutes, Tulsa Athletic pulls out the win over Chicago House AC 5-4 in PKs to qualify for the 2025 US Open Cup tournament!

— US Open Cup News (@thecup.us) 2024-12-08T22:17:55.045Z

Tulsa nearly took the lead in the 68th minute as Ruben Torres hit a rocket that was tipped off the bar and away by House goalkeeper Ryan Grady. 

House had two great chances to score but couldn’t find the back of the net. Ugo Achara hit a strike from 18 yards in the 87th minute that bounced off the crossbar and away from Tulsa’s net. Achara then was called offside in second half stoppage after effecting the goalkeeper’s eyesight on a House goal moments before the match went into extra time.

The match became more stretched out over the two 15 minute extra time periods but neither side’s use of longballs paid any dividends, sending the match to penalty kicks. 

Both teams converted their first two attempts from 12 yards but Tulsa goalkeeper Bryson Reed dove to his right and denied House’s Gilberto’s Angeles’ effort to put the visitors ahead. After each side converted two more penalty kicks, Tulsa’s Edgardo Mira hammered his effort into the net to secure his team’s spot in the 2025 US Open Cup. 

“Some of these guys have played two games in less than 24 hours so, yeah, they’re an incredible team, and I’m proud of the boys,” said Tulsa head coach John Woodhead. “I’m proud to be a part of it. It’s not just the team. It’s a big family of mine …”

“Entering the Open Cup next year is just awesome for the club and especially for the fans.”

 

2024 US Open Cup Round 1: Chicago Fire II explodes in second half to pull away from Chicago City

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Chicago Fire II players celebrate after scoring a goal against Chicago City SC in the First Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Chicago Fire II

It was competitive until it wasn’t as Chicago Fire II rolled over Chicago City SC 6-0 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. in the Round 1 of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The MLS NEXT Pro side featured a handful of players from its first team though they were largely buoyed by players from the Fire’s second team. USL League Two’s Chicago City featured players of local talent from the Chicagoland area as the team is not currently in season and many of the regular players were unavailable for selection.

City had the first chance of the match and Christian Marquez could have done better with his opportunity. Marquez got in behind the Fire II defense in the third minute but his on-target effort hardly tested veteran MLS goalkeeper Spencer Richey.

Fire II took the lead for good in the sixth minute with some help from Chicago City. Fire II’s Giovanni Granda played a cross into City’s penalty area and Aleksandr Labovic knocked the ball into his own net to give the hosts the 1-0 lead.

Fire II doubled the lead just before the halftime whistle when the 16-year-old Granda slotted a shot into the corner of the net after Michael Nesci found him in the middle of the penalty area, giving the match its 2-0 scoreline at the break.

Fire II removed three First Team players at halftime and that’s when the floodgates opened.

After a listless 20 minutes to begin the second half, Fire II came alive.

David Poreba collected a loose ball in the Chicago City penalty area in the 65th minute and controlled it well enough to hit a shot between the legs of goalkeeper Carlos Fernández to make it 3-0. Poreba teamed up with Nesci moments later as the future Indiana Hoosier made it 4-0 for the hosts in the 70th minute.

Harold Osorio, the player of the highest repute in the match, played the entire time and scored a lovely goal from a free kick in the 84th minute. Vitaliy Hluyt won Fire II a centrally-located free kick 20 yards from Chicago City’s goal and Osorio stepped up and bounced a shot perfectly over the hands of Fernández and into the back of the net to make it 5-0. Osorio said that he had practiced that bounce-shot free kick and wanted to be on the scoresheet after seeing his side dominating the contest.

“It was a good opportunity to score,” Osorio said through a translator. “Obviously, every player wants to score and I am no exception. I saw the chance, I saw that I was very close to the goal and I had to take the chance.”

To add to the shenanigans, the 15-year-old Hluyt added a goal of his own in the 86th minute with the assist going to 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick Jason Shokalook.

Fire II outshot Chicago City 31-5 and had 15 shots on target compared to only two for the visitors.

Fire II head coach Ludovic Taillandier was content with his side’s effort just three days after winning a MLS Next Pro season opener over FC Cincinnati 2.

“When we play the game in any kind of cup format, you play to win,” Taillandier said. “I told the guys that on this side of things they achieved, they’re completely objective. And that was good, it’s all about growing. We want to get better each game. We tried to work on our philosophy, our style of play.”

“We asked the players to also be ambitious in the way we want to win, not just on the results. And I thought halfway through, we said okay, we got two in the first, we need to do more than two for the second. They were speaking to each other on the field as well, we need to do better than the first half. But in general, we’re very proud of the guys.”

Taillandier was happy about the effort he saw from the young players on his squad, many of whom came up through the Fire Academy.

“We are very proud to be able to say that we had a lot of academic products on the field,” he said. “And I think that’s important to realize that we played this game at the start (with) four players from our Academy. U-17, U-19, from our academy, with more coming in the second half from the bench. And that’s also something very important to say.

“We are working with a vision and developing players from the Academy. And to see scoring goals and Vitaliy , at 15 years old on the field tonight, scoring a goal. It’s fantastic. I’m very proud of them.”

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Chicago House pulls off rare comeback in upset of Forward Madison

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Adam Mann (left) and Naz Kabbani of Chicago House AC celebrate after defeating Forward Madison in the Second Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Chuck Carlson
Adam Mann (left) and Naz Kabbani of Chicago House AC celebrate after defeating Forward Madison in the Second Round of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Chuck Carlson

There was a “cupset” was in Wisconsin on Tuesday evening as Chicago House AC advanced to the Third Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup after defeating USL League One’s Forward Madison FC 3-2 in extra time.

The Chicago-based Midwest Premier League club traveled to Madison, Wisc. and pulled off the rare comeback despite being two goals down after 74 minutes of play. In the Modern Era (1995-present) of the tournament, this marks just the second time that an amateur team has come back from a two-goal deficit to defeat a professional team. (Laredo Heat beat Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the Third Round of 2014 US Open Cup)

With the win, they earn a date with the Chicago Fire of MLS in Round 3.

Forward Madison jumped ahead early in the contest after repeated spells of possession when Jayden Onen’s strike from across the penalty area found the back of the net in the 19th minute.

It was looking bleak for Chicago after that goal was scored as Madison continued to attack the visitors’ net. Despite the repeated ‘Mingo attempts on goal, House’s keeper Tony Halterman was able to keep the match at a one-goal margin at halftime. House didn’t do much to help themselves offensively in the first half, taking just three shots – none of which were on target.

After halftime, it was more of the same from Madison. That came to a head in the 48th minute when Tino Vasquez connected on a solid strike that beat Halterman, giving Madison a
seemingly comfortable 2-0 lead at Breese Stevens Field. For Vasquez, it was the first professional goal for the 16-year-old, as he became the youngest goalscorer in Forward Madison history.

But just as the sun was setting in Madison, Chicago House awoke from their in-match slumber. It started in the 75th minute when House’s Ricardo Avalos turned Madison over in their own half. He turned to his left and found Adam Mann making a run toward goal. Mann collected the pass and beat Madison keeper Bernd Schipmann, giving his team a sliver of hope with 15 minutes remaining. The goal was Mann’s first in a Chicago House uniform, having joined the club last year.

Madison managed to maintain a bit more possession as the match entered stoppage time. That was until Chicago House captain AR Smith put the team on his back. Smith collected the ball in the penalty area with two defenders surrounding him in the second minute of stoppage time. He created enough space to get his shot off and it was enough to beat the keeper, tying the match at two.

Below this is video

Chicago House celebration ???? pic.twitter.com/JAHPexGQEd

— Joe Chatz (@JoeChatz) April 12, 2023

In stoppage time, it looked like Madison were about to re-take the lead in the 94th minute when two of their attempts on goal were successively saved by a sprawling Halterman.

Then, in the 103rd minute, the Open Cup magic came out again. House substitute Alejandro Mentasi had his shot from the top of the penalty area deflected perfectly to Smith, who took a moment to collect himself before scoring the match-winner, which ultimately would send House to a Chicago Derby in the Third Round.

“This is incredible,” said Halterman post-match. “I’m honestly speechless. I’m so stoked for these guys, for this organization. This is what we’ve been fighting for since the whole thing began, since this run began back in September. The dream has been to play against an MLS side and it’s coming to fruition. We get a Chicago derby.”

It will be a Chicago Derby on April 26 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. when Chicago House will take on Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire. It will be another matchup between clubs that were

2022 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Sacramento Republic’s Luis Felipe voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Luis Felipe of Sacramento Republic FC was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC
Luis Felipe of Sacramento Republic FC was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Quarterfinals of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC

Sacramento Republic’s Luis Felipe scored one of the goals of the tournament to send his club into the Semifinals of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Felipe’s 70th minute strike was good enough to eliminate LA Galaxy from the competition and earned Felipe the title of TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Quarterfinals. 

The Player of the Round award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) of TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

The match was Sacramento’s for the taking, as they went ahead 1-0 in the fourth minute on a Rodrigo Lopez goal. The MLS side got a goal back in the 18th minute when Sacremento’s Conor Donovan scored an own-goal, which kept the match level until the 70th minute.

It was then that Luis Felipe became the man of the round. The ball had been played around and eventually found Felipe on the left flank. Sacramento’s number 96 took a few dribbles and unleashed a left-footed strike from 30 yards that bounced twice while crossing the face of goal and beat Los Angeles’ keeper Jonathan Klinsmann into the far corner, securing his side’s quarterfinal victory. 

“It was huge. We needed that goal at the moment, with it being 1-1,” said Felipe. “I felt really happy, not for just me but for the team. Especially how we came together at the end. It was huge for the team.”

Born in Mineola, New York, Felipe has been playing in the professional ranks since joining Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 2016. He is no stranger to playing the role of the underdog in the US Open Cup. With the Strikers in 2016, he played every minute of the NASL (Div. 2 pro) side’s cup run that saw them upset two MLS teams (D.C. United, Orlando City SC) en route to the Quarterfinals. The following year, he joined the USL’s Reno 1868, and reached the Third Round where they were eliminated by his future club, the Sacramento Republic. He faced Sacramento again in 2019 when he was in his second season with the San Jose Earthquakes. In the Fourth Round, he played all 90 minutes in the Quakes’ 4-3 home win over the Republic. He would play three more seasons with San Jose before signing with Sacramento in 2021. Before turning pro, Felipe was a member of Cruziero’s youth academy from 2007-2015. Felipe was also called up to the United States’ Under-20 National Team in 2014 under Tab Ramos.

Felipe’s Sacramento Republic will host Sporting Kansas City on July 27 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semi-final, with the match kicking off at 10:30 Eastern.  

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Minnesota United blanks Forward Madison in rain-soaked border battle

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Bongokuhle Hlongwane of Minnesota United battles for the ball in the club's match against Forward Madison in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Minnesota United
Bongokuhle Hlongwane of Minnesota United battles for the ball in the club’s match against Forward Madison in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Minnesota United

Minnesota United traveled across the border into Wisconsin and blanked USL League One’s Forward Madison 2-0 in a third round Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match at a rain-soaked Breese Stevens Field. Adrien Nuhou and Brett Kallman scored each of the MLS side’s goals off of corners from Joseph Rosales, with Madison unable to secure a shot on goal during the contest.

Despite Madison controlling possession for the first 10 minutes, Minnesota had the first chance of the match in the 17th minute when the Flamingo’s Christian Enriquez’s clearing attempt was misplayed off his own foot. The ball fell perfectly to Minnesota’s Hunou, whose effort from less than five yards missed the mark.

Minutes later, the Loons nearly scored once again. Oneil Fisher played a dangerous cross that was played out by Madison keeper Phil Breno, thwarting the Minnesota attack. Subsequent attempts for Minnesota were interrupted due to the Loons being called offside three times in the opening 25 minutes.

Oneil Fisher continued to create chances in dangerous areas for his teammates. In the 34th minute, Fisher made a run down the left flank and crossed the ball into the penalty area for Hunou, whose shot on goal was deflected away by Breno.

After almost six minutes of additional time, Minnesota’s Hunou had space in the penalty area and was able to find DJ Taylor on the opposite end of the box. Taylor’s first touch was played perfectly to the right foot of Abu Danladi, whose strike was deflected out of play.

Neither team would be able to score before halftime. Madison was unable to generate a shot on goal, while Minnesota had two opportunities that forced Breno to work.

Six minutes into the second half, Minnesota United were finally able to break through the Madison defense.

Rosales took the Loons’ corner and swung the ball toward the back post. Hunou found the ball and turned it into the back of the Madison net to give Minnesota the 1-0 lead in the 51st minute.

Minnesota United celebrates after scoring a goal in the rain against Forward Madison in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Minnesota United
Minnesota United celebrates after scoring a goal in the rain against Forward Madison in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Minnesota United

Hunou nearly doubled the Loons’ lead in the 66th minute after Rosales again found the Minnesota number 23 in the penalty area. This time Breno was there to get in front of Hunou’s shot and his defense was able to clear.

Mitchell Osmond was assessed a yellow card in the 72nd minute for a bad tackle that gave Minnesota a free-kick in a dangerous spot. The subsequent service from Roberts was perfectly placed at the Madison back post, but there was nobody there to finish the chance.

It was the Minnesota captain, Kallman, who would put the game away for the Loons. An 82nd minute corner kick from Roberts met the head of Kallman, whose header doubled the Minnesota lead and sent the Loons’ into the Fourth Round.

Minnesota dominated possession 66% to 34% and outshot Madison 15-3 with five of the Loons’ chances being on goal.

Minnesota United, who became the first Minnesota club in history to reach the US Open Cup Final the last year this tournament was played in 2019, will advance to Round 4 where they will host fellow MLS side Colorado Rapids on May 11.

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Union Omaha equalize late, upset Chicago Fire in PKs

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Union Omaha Chicago Fire 2022 US Open Cup Soldier Field
Union Omaha celebrate after eliminating the Chicago Fire 5-4 in penalty kicks (after a 2-2 draw) in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup at Soldier Field. Photo: Union Omaha

It took over 120 minutes and penalty kicks, but USL League One’s Union Omaha made their journey to Soldier Field and defeated Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire 3-2 (5-4 penalty kicks) in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Dion Acoff, who entered the match in the 62nd minute, scored the game-winning penalty kick in the 6th round of kicks to send the Owls into the fourth round in what is their first appearance in this tournament.

Fire Defender Rafael Czichos, who was a late addition to the Fire’s starting 11, scored each of the Fire’s goals from the penalty spot. Union Omaha was able to score each of their goals from open-play, responding to each of the Fire’s goals in combination with scores from Noe Meza and Alex Touche, respectively.

After sharing the ball in the opening moments, the Fire dominated possession in the first half.

The first action of the match came in the form of a seventh minute caution against Chicago’s Sergio Oregel for a dangerous tackle on Emir Alihodzic. Making his debut in the Fire’s first team, the 16-year-old Oregel Jr. nearly played the full 90 minutes for the Fire, coming off in second half stoppage time.

The Fire’s defense was shaky early. Union Omaha nearly broke through after Jhon Jairo Espinoza turned the ball over deep in the Fire’s own half. Omaha’s Alex Bruce cut across the penalty area with the ball, but was unable to secure a shot on goal.

Chicago Fire Union Omaha 2022 US Open Cup
Players from Union Omaha (left) and the Chicago Fire battle for the ball in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Chicago Fire FC

The Fire nearly responded with a goal of their own. After winning successive corners in the 20th minute, the ball bounced around the penalty area until it found Kendall Burks. Burks’ effort went off the post and the Fire attack was turned away.

Moments later, Durán broke through the Omaha defense and eventually found the Brian Gutierrez. Gutierrez ripped a shot on goal, which was deflected away by Rashid Nuhu.

The Fire nearly broke through on a 42nd minute corner kick. Chinoso Offor met the ball at its apex and found the target, only for Nuhu to turn it away.

The match was scoreless after 45 minutes, with the Fire controlling the ball 69% of the first half to the tune of six corners and four shots on goal. First touches let the Fire’s strikers down, while Union Omaha struggled to maintain possession once their counter was thwarted.

Chicago was finally able to jump ahead in the 53rd minute. Jhon Durán was mauled in the penalty area by a recently introduced Eddie Gordon, giving Chicago the opportunity from the penalty spot.

Union Omaha US Open Cup We Want The Cup shirt
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The Fire’s Raphael Czichos, a last-minute addition to the starting lineup, took the penalty kick and drilled it into the right-corner of the net to give the Fire a 1-0 lead.

After exchanging possession for a few minutes, Union Omaha finally struck back when they finally got their first shot on goal.

Following a few shots that were turned away by Chicago Fire defenders, the ball fell to the foot of Omaha substitute Noe Meza in the 68th minute inside the penalty area. Meza unleashed a rocket off his right foot that found the back of the Fire net to level the match at one, earning his first professional goal in the process.

Omaha nearly struck again in the 86th minute. The ball was crossed into the Chicago penalty area before being half-cleared by keeper Spencer Richey. The ball bounced between Omaha forwards, before the Fire were finally able to thwart the Owls’ attack.

Chicago should’ve won the match in regulation. Brian Gutierrez’s 90th minute cross found the head of Chinoso Offor, who turned the ball toward the net. The ball bounced in front of goal, just missing the foot of Victor Bezerra before Omaha was able to clear.

That would be the last chance for either team in regulation.

A poor tackle from Jhon Jairo Espinoza gave Union Omaha a free-kick just outside of the penalty area in the 98th minute for the first real chance of extra time. Alihodzic struck the ball well with his right foot, but the effort was turned away by Spencer Richey.

Minutes later, Chicago Fire nearly had a goal of their own. After making a run down the channel, Stanislav Ivanov found Kacper Pryzbylko in front of goal, but the Fire’s number 11 missed his shot wide.

In the second extra time period, Meza nearly secured a brace for the Owls. After taking two dribbles in the 111th minute, Meza unleashed a rocket that was deflected away by Chicago’s Richey.

It took until the 115th minute for the Fire to regain the lead. Brian Gutierrez was tackled in the penalty area by Omaha’s Alihodzic, earning the Fire a penalty. Again, it was Czichos who buried the penalty into the right corner to give the Fire the 2-1 lead.

But Union Omaha refused to go away. In the waning moments of the second period of extra time, the Owls drew level once again. Following a run down the right flank, the ball fell perfectly to the substitute Alex Touche. Touche took his time and pushed the ball past Richey to tie the match at 2 in the 122nd minute, sending the match to penalty kicks.

Kacper Pryzbylko was the first to step to the penalty spot and the Fire striker’s shot screamed off the bar. After exchanging goals, Noe Meza’s effort was saved by a diving Richey to level the penalties at 2. Both clubs exchanged two more goals before the Fire’s Miguel Navarro had his penalty saved by Nuhu diving to his right. The Owls’ Dion Acoff stepped up to the spot and scored, securing the first USL League One upset over a MLS team in Open Cup history after winning the penalty shootout 5-4.

Chicago Fire Manager Ezra Hendrickson did not mince words in his post-match press conference when describing his team’s performance. “I don’t think tonight we displayed Chicago Fire soccer,” said Hendrickson. “It was just not intense enough. We didn’t play fast enough and I felt like we were too casual on the night.

“We warned these guys that, when you play a team like this from a lower division, they feel like they have a lot to prove. They’re gonna come, they’re gonna bring intensity, they’re gonna bring the effort and we have to match that. And I don’t think that we did that tonight.”

Union Omaha advance to the round of 32 which will be played on May 10 and 11. The round of 32 draw will take place Friday, April 22.

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Villyan Bijev of Central Valley Fuego voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Villyan Bijjev of Central Valley Fuego dribbles the ball against El Paso Locomotive FC in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: CV Fuego FC
Villyan Bijjev of Central Valley Fuego dribbles the ball against El Paso Locomotive FC in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: CV Fuego FC

After netting two first-half goals in USL League One’s Central Valley Fuego FC’s 4-1 win over USL Championship’s El Paso Locomotive in the Second Round of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Villyan Bijev has been voted TheCup.us Player of the Round.

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It was very much a two-man race for the award as Bijev narrowly edged out 15-year-old Marcus Lee who led California United Strikers to a 5-0 win over San Fernando Valley FC.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) of TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

Bijev began the scoring in the fourth minute, chipping El Paso’s keeper from 20 yards to give Central Valley the lead moments into the match.

Then, 40 minutes later, Bijev completed his brace and gave Central Valley the 3-0 lead.

After receiving the ball down the left channel, Bijev cut into the penalty area while avoiding two defenders before unleashing a right-footed strike that easily beat the El Paso keeper.

Bijev continued his strong run of form and played the role of provider in the 62nd minute. Bijev took a corner kick from the left wing and delivered a perfect ball to the far post where Christian Chaney headed it past the diving keeper to make it 4-0. He was subbed off in the 70th minute with a comfortable four-goal lead.

Bijev signing with the Fuego was a homecoming for the Bulgarian-born Fresno, Calif.-native. He has been well-traveled over the years, representing the United States and Bulgaria at the youth international level.

He began his professional soccer journey by signing with Liverpool FC as a teenager. He would immediately be sent out on loan with clubs in Germany (Fortuna Dusseldorf) and Norway (IK Start) and never saw the field for the Reds. After being released by Liverpool, Bijev spent time with two different Bulgarian clubs before returning to the United States to play for Portland Timbers 2 (USL). Later, he signed with the Sacramento Republic where he spent three seasons before joining the Oklahoma City Energy for the 2021 USL Championship campaign. However, when the club announced it was going on hiatus, he returned home to play with the Central Valley Fuego.

With the win over El Paso, the Fuego advance to Round 3 where they will take on another USL Championship side, this time on the road as they face Bijev’s old club, the Sacramento Republic FC.



2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Forward Madison marches on, 3-0 over Cleveland SC

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Forward Madison vs Cleveland SC 2022 US Open Cup
Players from Forward Madison push forward against Cleveland SC in their Second Round match in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Forward Madison FC

Hosting a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match for the first time, Forward Madison FC (USL League One) dominated in a 3-0 win over Cleveland SC (NPSL) in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at Breese Stevens Field.

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Justin Sukow, Cesar Murillo Jr., and Nazeem Bartman were on the scoresheet for Madison, which outshot Cleveland 19-5.

Madison nearly opened the scoring in the 26th minute when a through-ball found Nazeem Bartman, who skated past his defender but could not skirt his shot past the Cleveland keeper Conor Cable. The subsequent corner found the head of Madison’s Carl Schneider but Cable was there to make another save to keep the game scoreless.

Madison finally broke through the Cleveland defense in the 37th minute. Indy Eleven-loanee Alann Torres drove the ball into the penalty area from near midfield, which found the foot of Justin Sukow. Sukow took two dribbles and unleashed a rocket from just inside the penalty area, which went through the hands of Cable to give Madison the 1-0 lead as the rain began pouring down.

The Madison attack didn’t relent before the break. In added-on time, Cyrus Rad’s head met the ball off a corner, which he turned toward Cesar Murillo, Jr. The first touch with his left foot squeaked past Cable to double the Forward Madison lead after 45 minutes, 2-0.

The second half began much like the first, with Forward Madison winning themselves a corner less than a minute after the restart. Cleveland was able to turn away that chance, but Madison found itselves back in control.

Cleveland SC secured its first shot on goal in the 66th minute off a short corner. The ball made its way to Chris Cvecko, whose shot was saved easily by Madison’s keeper Philip Breno.

Minutes after Cleveland’s chance, Madison struck for the third time in the game. Alann Torres broke away from the Cleveland defense around midfield and took the shot himself from the edge of the penalty area. Cable made a diving save, which fell right to Madison’s Bartman who found the back of the net to extend Madison’s lead to 3-0 in the 68th minute.

“I got an open space and I took it,” Torres said. “In my mind, I was just looking around to see what my options were. They kept on opening up until I finally said ‘I’m going to shoot it.’ Hope for the best and put it where the goalie can only block it and I know the rebound will go in. And that’s exactly what happened.”

Madison was able to hold the 3-0 lead to the final whistle, withstanding multiple Cleveland attacks in the match’s waning moments.

Forward Madison dictated the pace of play throughout the 90 minutes, forcing Cable into making eight saves while Madison counterpart, Philip Breno, was only tested on two occasions.

Forward Madison FC advance to the Third Round of the US Open Cup for the second time in club history. The Third Round draw is set for Friday April 6 at Noon ET.

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