2020 US Open Cup

Reading United AC declines 2020 US Open Cup entry due to ‘abhorrent’ schedule change, more teams to follow

December 17, 2019 by Josh Hakala

Players from Reading United celebratea goal scored against Philadelphia Lone Star in the First Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | Brotherly Game — Players from Reading United celebrate a goal scored against Philadelphia Lone Star in the First Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph | Brotherly Game

UPDATE: USL League Two champion Flint City Bucks sitting out 2020 US Open Cup after schedule ‘travesty’

When the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced that the opening round of the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup would begin in late March, several likely participants from the Open Division level were disappointed. By starting the 107th tournament the week of March 23-24, all current NCAA players would not be allowed to play.

This creates a significant problem for National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two (USL-2) teams that rely on college players to fill out their roster every year.

As a result of this change, Reading United AC (USL League Two), one of the most successful Open Division teams of the Modern Era (1995-present) announced they are declining to enter the 2020 US Open Cup.

According to a release by the team sent out on Tuesday:

“Unfortunately, the revised schedule is nothing short of damning to a large population of the US Soccer market, particularly the U-20-U23 player pool. Per NCAA data, there are over 25,000 student athletes participating in NCAA soccer. Statistically, this player age group is the strongest athlete player pool available and who have shown the greatest success in the modern history of the US Open Cup. While the path to a professional soccer career is changing in the United States, the data shows that the majority of players (over 80%) who have been drafted, or signed, by a Major League Soccer, USL Championship, or USL League One team have played for teams in USL League Two!”

The release does not mince words when it comes to the club’s opinion of the decision. It continues:

This abhorrent scheduling decision forces the top USL League Two and NPSL teams, who afford an Open Cup playing opportunity to NCAA and U23 players in the USA, to completely modify how they structure a team, or worse, forces them to relinquish their deserved spot to a lower ranked team.

The lack of consideration for such a large player pool is astonishing. We are concerned this is another example of the public perception of the “tone deafness” that exists within US Soccer. We truly do not understand why US Soccer would essentially eliminate the playing opportunity for what is truly the best soccer player pool, outside of the professional ranks, in the United States.

By withdrawing from the 2020 tournament, it bring an end to the longest qualifying streak of any Open Division team in the Modern Era. Reading has qualified for the last 11 competitions, dating back to 2009. Only one team among all of the Open Division clubs has an active streak of more than seven (NTX Rayados has qualified nine years in a row). Reading has nine US Open Cup wins all-time as a USL-2 team, and out of all of the USL-2 and NPSL teams in the Modern Era, only three (Flint City Bucks, Des Moines Menace, Ocean City Nor’easters) have more wins. (Including one PK shootout win, they have advanced 10 times, which also ranks fourth). Reading has also upset two professional teams: Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Pro) in 2013 and the New York Cosmos (NASL) in 2017.

Reading United also have a strong league resume with six division titles, 11 playoff appearances, and two championship game appearances (2018, 2019) in the last 12 seasons.

With Reading’s qualifying streak coming to an end, The Villages SC (USL-2) currently have the longest active streak among Open Division National clubs with seven. According to TheCup.us projections, they are expected to make the cut for 2020.

According to multiple sources, Reading is not the only club that is considering withdrawing from the 2020 tournament with one significant team expected to make an announcement in the coming days. Other teams have informed TheCup.us that they are also debating whether or not to decline. Stay tuned for updates.

MORE: Which NPSL teams will qualify for 2020 US Open Cup?

MORE: Which USL League Two teams could qualify for 2020 US Open Cup?

MORE: 2020 US Open Cup Projections: Possible format and who could play in 107th tournament this Spring

Without college players available, 2020 US Open Cup schedule cripples NPSL, USL-2 teams

December 13, 2019 by Josh Hakala

Reading United Philadelphia Lone Star 2019 US Open Cup — Photo: Matt Ralph | Brotherly Game

When the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced changes to the schedule for the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, it delivered a major blow to the two Open Division national leagues at the core of the tournament’s tier of underdogs. The federation announced that the competition’s 107th edition will begin the week of March 24-25, the earliest start to the US Open Cup in the Modern Era (1995-present).

Every year, teams from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two (USL-2) have competed in the Open Cup using rosters that are almost entirely made up of active college players. With the earlier start, the NPSL and USL-2 teams will be crippled because they will be unable to use those players.

Due to this schedule change, some teams, all of which are strong candidates to be chosen for next year’s tournament, have told TheCup.us they may take their name out of consideration for the 2020 US Open Cup. According to those teams, the time and resources it would take to enter the competition would not be worth it if they would have to enter a sub-par team.

According to NCAA rules, college soccer players are not allowed to compete in a competition outside of their school prior to May 1.

17.19.8.1.1.2 May 1 Exception. A student-athlete in soccer may compete outside an institution’s declared playing and practice season as a member of an outside team in any noncollegiate amateur competition, provided: (Adopted: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, Revised: 10/31/02)
(a) Such participation occurs not earlier than May 1;
(b) The number of student-athletes from any one institution does not exceed five;
(c) The competition is approved by the institution’s director of athletics; and
(d) No class time is missed for practice activities or for competition.

The teams that rely on college players would not only be without their services for the opening round, but the new US Open Cup schedule plans to complete the first three rounds of the competition before May 1. Reaching the Fourth Round is already challenging enough — only 17 Open Division clubs have done it since MLS launched in 1996. Now Open Division clubs would have to win three games with a pieced together roster which could make Cinderella runs more difficult.

USL League Two has been competing in the US Open Cup since the beginning of the Modern Era (1995), while teams from the NPSL first entered the competition in 2003, however, the league did not receive its own spots in the tournament until 2011. In the Modern Era, the Open Division level, which is made up of almost all amateur teams, have upset 82 clubs from the top three professional divisions in this country. Out of those 82 upsets, 56 of them came from teams from USL League Two and six of them came from NPSL clubs.

TheCup.us reached out to several NPSL and USL-2 teams for comment on the schedule change, and nearly all of them opposed the move.

“We are extremely frustrated with U.S. Soccer’s decision,” said Reading United AC Vice President Art Auchenbach. “They are going to lose some of the ‘magic of the cup’ by eliminating the Under-23 segment from participation. Hopefully, they will recognize the error of their ways and rethink it for the future.”

While Auchenbach gave a diplomatic answer when asked for comment on his way back from the USL League Two meetings in Orlando, his Twitter feed told a more subdued story.

Horrible BIG 🖕 to all the college players who wanted a chance to play in the Open Cup AND double 🖕🖕 to the clubs who focus on U23 development & opportunity. Ask any @USLLeagueTwo or @NPSLSoccer alumni who are now pro & had the chance to play in US Open Cup as U23 player! https://t.co/Cg6T7wbkXz

— Art Auchenbach (@AAuchenbach) December 13, 2019

In the eyes of the USSF, the teams that rely on college players were collateral damage in the effort to improve the tournament.

“The Open Cup Committee decided to start the competition earlier so that the tournament as a whole benefits from more time between rounds,” said a U.S. Soccer spokesperson. “Home teams will now have more time to promote and sell tickets, visiting teams will be able to arrange travel earlier and with more flexibility at lower cost, while those handling broadcast production will be able to make arrangements within a more manageable timeline. While U.S. Soccer recognizes that teams dependent on college players may need to look elsewhere to fill their rosters for Open Cup games in March and April, the Committee feels this scheduling step is necessary to drive increased interest in the tournament, help maximize sales for all involved and, ultimately, build a more credible competition across the U.S. Soccer spectrum.”

Since 2010, the first two or three, and sometimes four, rounds of the tournament would take place on consecutive weeks. This would create a challenge for amateur clubs and lower division professional teams to market the games and arrange travel. While, the federation does cover some of the travel costs, giving more time in between matches could give teams an opportunity to arrange more affordable travel, and give players an opportunity to make arrangements for a road game.

After the announcement of the changes, one team official told TheCup.us they believe the goal is to minimize the number of pro teams getting knocked out by amateur underdogs.

“U.S. Soccer has single-handedly and purposely destroyed the first three rounds of the Open Cup,” they said. “They don’t want any more amateur upsets and that is embarrassing.”

According to TheCup.us projections, the Western Mass Pioneers of USL League Two are expected to make their 12th appearance in the tournament next spring, and they know it won’t be easy.

“It’s always a great honor to qualify for the Open Cup,” said Pioneers spokesperson Brandon Smith. “Advancing in the Cup gives us an important opportunity to host home games, potentially with a MLS team. But as a pre-professional organization, we are reliant on elite college players to fill our franchise. An early start for us greatly hurts our chances to advance in the tournament. But we will do our best to recruit players and be competitive.”

MORE: Which NPSL teams will qualify for 2020 US Open Cup?

MORE: Which USL League Two teams could qualify for 2020 US Open Cup?

MORE: 2020 US Open Cup Projections: Possible format and who could play in 107th tournament this Spring

The new date will be tough for NPSL clubs like Cleveland SC, but they feel like it will be the players who will hurt the most by this change.

“We have to put some additional resources toward fulfilling a roster for a March date,” said Cleveland SC president Sam Seibert. “Quite honestly we have several players that will still be with their college programs that not only will be upset about not being able to compete in but they also deserve to be there. I think the change is unfair to NCAA players … however, if this change means there will be more opportunities for lower-level clubs to compete against USL and MLS clubs, I’m for it.”

While nearly every team TheCup.us spoke with was disappointed with the decision, one team official said if you can only compete with college players, then you shouldn’t enter the US Open Cup.

“ essentially eliminates USL-2 teams,” said Sonny Dalessandro, owner of the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletic. “ rules and age restrictions handcuff them to using college players. It’s the same for a lot of NPSL clubs as well … We have a core group of older players that can be very competitive and represent us well, so we’ll give it a shot. USL-2 teams should have never been allowed in. My thought is that if a team cannot, in theory, win a competition due to NCAA timelines when players have to return to their schools, they shouldn’t be allowed into the competition in the first place. Would they have won it all? No. That’s not the point though. The point is that every entrant should represent a team eligible to win. The new rule set changes that theory, and for that, I like it.”

What Dalessandro is referring to is the fact that an Open Division team is severely limited in their potential in the Open Cup. It’s just an issue that no one has faced since MLS joined the tournament in 1996. If an Open Division team that features a roster loaded with college players was to make a miracle run to the Quarterfinals or beyond, they would likely not be able to field a full team. Once the calendar turns to August, most of those players would be gone. NCAA rules require players to return to their respective schools 21 days prior to their team’s first game of the season.

The Open Division participants for the 107th edition of the US Open Cup will be announced on Jan. 9, 2020.

#USOC2020 ESSENTIALS

Newtown Pride FC win first Amateur Cup title, qualify for 2020 US Open Cup
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule / Results
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1 Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2 Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In Weekend Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Goalscoring Leaders

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2020 US Open Cup schedule unveiled with revamped format, earliest start date of Modern Era

December 12, 2019 by Jake Sillick

The Houston Dynamo lift the trophy after winning the 2018 US Open Cup title. Photo: Houston Dynamo

Next year, the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup could be played over six months running from March through September.

Today, the US Soccer Federation has announced the 2020 US Open Cup schedule and format of the competition. For the first time since 2006, Major League Soccer (MLS) teams will not all enter in the same round of the competition and will instead be split up nearly 50-50 between starting in the Third Round and the Fourth Round. This will result in more matches between MLS and lower division competition over the course of the early rounds of the tournament.

Eleven MLS teams will enter in the Third Round:

Chicago Fire FC
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew SC
FC Cincinnati
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
Inter Miami CF
Nashville SC
Orlando City SC
San Jose Earthquakes
Sporting Kansas City

Twelve MLS teams will enter in Round 4. The four CONCACAF Champions League participants plus the next four best teams each from the Eastern and Western Conference based on the 2019 league standings. For 2020, the 12 MLS teams entering the Fourth Round:

Atlanta United FC
D.C. United
Los Angeles FC
Los Angeles Galaxy
Minnesota United FC
New England Revolution
New York City FC
New York Red Bulls
Philadelphia Union
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
Seattle Sounders FC

The remaining professional teams from Division II (USL Championship) and Division III (USL League One, and NISA) will all enter the Second Round of the competition. The teams will be announced after the professional team deadline of Dec. 31, 2019.

In another major change to the tournament schedule, the First Round will be played on March 24-25, 2020 with all Open Division teams participating.

This includes the Open Division Local teams, and most notably, all of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two teams. This will create a problem because NPSL and USL-2 teams overwhelmingly rely on college players. According to NCAA rules, current college players (excluding seniors who will graduate in the spring) are not allowed to play for an outside team before May 1, unless the game falls during Spring Break or some other school-sanctioned vacation period.

Teams that rely on the use of college players will need to come up with different or additional players to participate in cup competitions. It’s even possible for NPSL and USL League Two teams to play three Open Cup matches before their regular season kicks off in May.

The remaining Open Division teams are the local qualifiers that have already been determined for the First Round next March. The NPSL and USL League Two allocations and qualified teams will be determined on Jan. 9, 2020.

The 13 Local Qualifiers (including the 2019 USASA Amateur Cup Champion Newtown Pride FC)

Cal FC (USASA/UPSL, California)
Christos FC (USASA/Maryland Majors Soccer League, Maryland)
Chula Vista FC (USCS/SoCal Premier League, California)
FC Boulder Harpos (USSSA/Colorado Premier League, Colorado)
Louisiana Krewe FC (USASA/Gulf Coast Premier League, Louisiana)
Miami United FC U23 (USASA/UPSL, Florida)
Nashville United (USASA/Middle Tennessee Soccer Alliance, Tennessee)
Newtown Pride FC (USASA/Connecticut Soccer League, Connecticut)
New York Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA/Cosmopolitan Soccer League, New York)
NTX Rayados (USASA/North Texas Premier Soccer Association, Texas)
Olympic Club (USASA/San Francisco Soccer Football League, California)
Vereinigung Erzgebirge (USASA/United Soccer League of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania)
Virginia United (ANFEEU/Woodbridge Soccer League, Virginia)

While the entirety of the format of the competition has not been announced by US Soccer, TheCup.us has made a projection on the format and allocation of slots for each league.

2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Competition Schedule

Jan. 9 Pairings methodology, Open Division berth allocation announced

Jan. 22 First Round pairings announced

Jan. 29 Second Round pairings and possible pairings announced

March 24-25 First Round (Open Division teams enter)

April 7-9 Second Round (Division II and III teams enter)

April 10 Third Round Draw

April 21-23 Third Round (11 Division I teams enter)

April 24 Round of 32 Draw

May 19-20 Round of 32 (remaining 12 Division I teams enter)

May 21 Round of 16/Quarterfinal Draw

June 10 Possible Round of 16

June 23-24 Round of 16 or Quarterfinals

July 14-15 Quarterfinals or Semifinals

Aug. 11-12 Semifinals or Final

Sept. 22-24 Possible Final

2020 US Open Cup Projections: Possible format and who could play in 107th tournament this Spring

December 4, 2019 by Jake Sillick

Atlanta United FC broke the all-time US Open Cup Final attendance record with a crowd of 35,709 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the 2019 Final. Photo: Allison Andrews

With qualifying finished for the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, we now know the 13 Open Division Local teams that will participate in next year’s tournament. That’s only a small part of the field though. So how will the rest of the tournament shape out?

This article will try and project how the 107th edition of the US Open Cup could be formatted next year, indicating how many teams will participate from each professional league as well as how many teams will participate from the Open Division National Leagues (NPSL, USL League Two).

Please, keep in mind this is completely unofficial and is still subject to change until January 9. These projections are also only accurate with the information currently available and are subject to change if teams are added to pro leagues, or if other teams fold or decline to enter.

The final deadline for professional teams to enter is Dec. 31, 2019, so it’s coming up soon. US Soccer will finalize the format and allocation of slots on Jan. 9, 2020.

Darwin Quintero of Minnesota United FC dribbles against the Portland Timbers in the Semifinals of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Minnesota United FC

Part I: Professional Teams

Let’s start with the professional leagues. All professional leagues will enter the 2020 competition at various points. It’s important to remember that:

Teams that are reserve sides of higher division teams are ineligible
Teams where a higher division team directly controls the roster are ineligible
Teams with just an affiliation agreement or only receive technical support from a higher division team are still eligible

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): 23 teams

Atlanta United
Chicago Fire
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew
D.C. United
FC Dallas
FC Cincinnati
Houston Dynamo
Inter Miami
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

Ineligible teams: 3

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

Easy enough to list. Every single US-based team in MLS is eligible and participating. The two expansion teams in Inter Miami and Nashville SC have been active participants going into their first season and have been allocated to the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively. That’s all very, very strong evidence that they will be kicking off in 2020.

Sam Fink of Saint Louis FC celebrates with the fans after defeating FC Cincinnati 1-0 in the Fifth Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Will Bramlett

Division II, USL Championship (USLC): 25 teams

Austin Bold
Birmingham Legion
Charleston Battery
Charlotte Independence
Colorado Springs Switchbacks
El Paso Locomotive
FC Tulsa
Hartford Athletic
Indy Eleven
Las Vegas Lights
Louisville City
Memphis 901 FC
Miami FC
New Mexico United
North Carolina FC
Oklahoma City Energy FC
Orange County SC
Phoenix Rising
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Reno 1868
Sacramento Republic FC
Saint Louis FC
San Antonio FC
San Diego Loyal
Tampa Bay Rowdies

Ineligible teams: 10

Atlanta United 2 (reserve team of Atlanta United)
Bethlehem Steel (reserve team of Philadelphia Union)
LA Galaxy II (reserve team of LA Galaxy)
Loudoun United (reserve team of D.C. United)
New York Red Bulls II (reserve team of New York Red Bulls)
Portland Timbers 2 (reserve team of Portland Timbers)
Real Monarchs (reserve team of Real Salt Lake)
Rio Grade Valley FC (roster directly controlled by Houston Dynamo)
Sporting Kansas City II (reserve team of Sporting Kansas City)
Tacoma Defiance (reserve team of Seattle Sounders)

As of now, only Fresno FC is confirmed as folding from the league. Nashville SC has moved up to MLS. The only confirmed addition to the league is San Diego Loyal. Any recent news about USL Championship expansion has been slated for at least 2021.

UPDATE (12/12/19): Miami FC has made a surprising switch from NISA to USL Championship in time for the 2020 season after buying the Ottawa Fury’s franchise rights. As long as their Open Cup team information form is updated by the end of 2019 and they get a schedule by the end of January 2020 for USL Championship, they will be participating in the 2020 Open Cup as a USL Championship team.

Players from Forward Madison (right) and Bavarian SC race to the ball in Tuesday's First Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Forward Madison — Players from Forward Madison (right) and Bavarian SC race to the ball in their First Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Forward Madison

Division III, USL League One (USL1): 6 teams

Chattanooga Red Wolves
Forward Madison
Greenville Triumph
Richmond Kickers
South Georgia Tormenta
Union Omaha

Ineligible teams: 6

Inter Miami USL (reserve team of Inter Miami)
Revolution II (reserve team of New England Revolution)
North Texas SC (reserve team of FC Dallas)
Orlando City B (reserve team of Orlando City)
Toronto FC II (Canada based and reserve team of Toronto FC)
FC Tuscon (reserve team of Phoenix Rising)

This is where projections have to be made. So far the only confirmed folded team from USL League One is Lansing Ignite.

Union Omaha has been very active as an upcoming expansion team, has a stadium for the upcoming season, and a head coach hired. That is very strong evidence they will kick off in 2020. Other expansion teams for 2020 in Inter Miami’s reserve teams and Revolution II are just that, reserve teams, and wouldn’t be eligible for Open Cup participation anyways.

UPDATE (12/12/19): The Athletic’s Jeff Reuter is reporting that Penn FC has no employees and is effectively folded. They have been removed off this list entirely.

Detroit City FC fans celebrate a PK shootout win over the Michigan Bucks in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Jon DeBoer | DCFC

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

Atlanta SC
California United Strikers
Chattanooga FC
Detroit City
Los Angeles Force
Michigan Stars
Oakland Roots
San Diego 1904
Stumptown Athletic

Ineligible teams: 1

New York Cosmos (will not have played a game in the league by the time the Open Cup starts, participating in Fall 2020)

UPDATE (12/12/19): The following has been updated to reflect the latest news about NISA:

We’ll have to do more projections again. NISA has been in a state of flux since it’s beginning, so let’s break it down team by team. Atlanta SC will remain on the list until there is strong evidence to support that they will be folding or going on hiatus. The club has been active on social media and just recently had tryouts for the upcoming Spring season. If Atlanta SC does fold, it will result in 2 more Open Division teams participating in the First Round. (see the next section)

NISA Connecticut, NISA Providence, and Philadelphia Fury have all been officially confirmed as not participating in the Spring 2020 season.

Miami FC has made a surprsing switch to USL Championship and will participate in Open Cup as a USL Championship team instead for the 2020 Open Cup.

Expansion teams moving from the NPSL Members Cup (Chattanooga FC, Detroit City, and Michigan Stars) have stadiums, coaches, and been recently playing soccer. All strong evidence they will kick off as professional teams in 2020. They were all confirmed by US Soccer as Spring 2020 participants at the Board of Directors meeting on Dec. 6-7, 2019.

Although the New York Cosmos will play in NISA in 2020, it will not be until the Fall 2020 season. By Open Cup rules, your first league game must be at least 7 days prior to the round your league enters the competition. New York Cosmos cannot participate as a NISA team, however, could still retain a team in the NPSL and claim their spot in the competition that way, as they finished as runner-up in last summer’s season.

To summarize:

Division I (MLS): 23 teams
Division II (USLC): 25 teams
Division III (USL1): 6 teams
Division III (NISA): 9 teams

Atlanta United FC celebrates their 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship. Photo: Allison Andrews

Part II: Possible Tournament Format

UPDATE (12/12/19): With the announcement of the rescheduled competition format by US Soccer and the schedule, this entire section has been updated to reflect that.

With that information out of the way, the next step is formatting the competition and where the 63 professional teams will enter and filling up the remaining slots with Open Division teams. Based on the schedule provided by US Soccer, this is how the tournament should be formatted

Likely Format: 11 MLS teams move back into Round 3

In this option, 12 MLS teams will remain in Round 4 (also called the Round of 32.) and the remaining 11 MLS teams will enter in Round 3. Based on that known info, this is how the 8 rounds of the tournament will be formatted.

Round 1: 36 Open Division teams enter, 36 teams total
Round 2: 25 USLC teams, 6 USL1 teams, and 9 NISA teams enter and 18 winners of Round 1 participate, 58 teams total
Round 3: 11 MLS teams enter and 29 winners of Round 2 participate, 40 teams total
Round 4: 12 remaining MLS teams enter and 20 winners of Round 3 participate, 32 teams total
Round of 16: 16 winners of Round 4 face off, 16 teams total
Quarterfinals: 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 12 MLS teams that will enter in Round 4 are the four 2020 CONCACAF Champions League participants (Atlanta United, Los Angeles FC, New York City FC, and Seattle Sounders) plus the next four best teams from the Eastern Conference based on the 2019 standings (Philadelphia Union, D.C. United, New York Red Bulls, and New England Revolution) plus the next four best teams from the Western Conference (Real Salt Lake, Minnesota United, LA Galaxy, and Portland Timbers)

The remaining 11 MLS teams (Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC, Orlando City, San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City) will enter in Round 3.

A positive of this is while there is technically for a maximum of 11 MLS vs. MLS matches in Round 4, 11 of those teams had to go through a lower division team to even have that happen. If all 11 MLS teams advanced from Round 3, there would be a minumum of 7 MLS vs. MLS matches. With each upset in Round 3 though, that minimum decreases, providing even more MLS vs. Everyone else matches that are much more popular. There also won’t be any USLC vs. USLC matches in Round 2 since there are fewer than half of the 58 teams in that round from USLC. Half of MLS teams still would only have to win 5 matches to get the championship, but the other half would have to win 6 matches to win the cup for the first time in the Modern Era.

Other positives is that all professional teams get at least a one round bye as has been the norm since full MLS participation was required in 2012. 2013 and 2019 are the only years that any professional teams participated in Round 1 since 2012.

If Atlanta SC does fold from NISA, what will result is two more Open Division teams in Round 1, with the winner between them replacing Atlanta SC in Round 2. 38 Open Division teams total in that scenario.

Orange County FC celebrate in the locker room after the club's 5-3 upset win over Las Vegas Lights FC in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Orange County FC — Orange County FC celebrate in the locker room after the club’s 5-3 upset win over Las Vegas Lights FC in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Orange County FC

Part III: National League (NPSL & USL2) Spot Allocation

UPDATE (12/12/19): With the announcement of the rescheduled competition format by US Soccer and the schedule, this entire section has been updated to reflect that.

The next step is determining how the 36 or 38 Open Division teams will be allocated. We know that 13 teams will be allocated to the Local Qualifiers. The 12 winners of the third round of qualifying plus the USASA Amateur Cup champion.
*See our recap article from the third round of qualifying here.

Local Qualifiers, 13 teams:

Newtown Pride SC
Chula Vista FC
Miami United FC U23
Nashville United
Louisiana Krewe FC
NTX Rayados
Olympic Club
Cal FC
New York Pancyprian Freedoms
Vereinigung Erzebirge
FC Boulder Harpos
Virginia United FC
Christos FC

That leaves 23 or 25 spots remaining for the two national leagues, NPSL and USL League Two. Their spots are determined based on the number of eligible teams in each league that participated in the 2019 season. 67 USA based teams participated in USL League Two’s 2019 season (5 teams in USL League Two are based in Canada). 86 eligible teams participated in the NPSL’s 2019 summer season (see our article about the NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference being ineligible for playing too few games in their season). There are 153 eligible teams total combined.

This means that Roughly 56.21% of the remaining spots go to NPSL (86 divided by 153) and 43.79% of the remaining spots go to USL League Two (67 divided by 153)

If there are 23 spots leftover in the case Atlanta SC does participate:

23 times 56.21% = 12.92 spots for NPSL rounded up to 13

23 times 43.79% = 10.07 spots for USL2 rounded down to 10

If there are 25 remaining spots leftover, in the case Atlanta SC does not participate:

25 times 56.21% = 14.05 spots for NPSL rounded down to 14

25 times 43.79% = 10.94 spots for USL2 rounded up to 11

In summary, if 36 Open Division slots are available:

13 for Local Qualifiers
13 for NPSL
10 for USL2

If 38 Open Division slots are available:

13 for Local Qualifiers
14 for NPSL
11 for USL2

As of right now, here are the teams from NPSL that would participate in the 2020 Open Cup (based on the 14 teams scenario, in the 13 teams scenario the bottom team would not make it in)

Miami FC
New York Cosmos B
ASC San Diego
Cleveland SC
Tulsa Athletic
FC Arizona
Detroit City FC
FC Motown or Atlantic City FC
Midland-Odessa Sockers
FC Davis
Minneapolis City SC
Chattanooga FC
Brooklyn Italians
Crossfire Redmond

Keep in mind a couple things with the above list. First, those teams have to continue to have a NPSL team in 2020 to keep that spot. This could be a reserve team or a first team, it doesn’t matter. Just any team from that organization. Second,The Open Cup first round is scheduled for March 24-25, 2020. This is well before college players finish their spring semesters and leave school to participate in clubs. If a team cannot make a roster without the use of college players, they will not participate in the Open Cup.

To see a full list of NPSL teams that could make the cup, see the article here. The clubs below 14th could still make the cut if teams above them don’t take a spot. However, it is still undetermined how teams that decline their spots will be replaced, either by the next team on the list or the next best team from the region which would keep the correct number of spots per region the NPSL delegated.

Players from the Des Moines Menace (right) and Duluth FC battle for the ball during their 2019 US Open Cup First Round match. Photo: Des Moines Menace

As of right now here are the teams from USL League Two that would participate in the 2020 Open Cup (based on the 11 teams scenario. In the 10 teams scenario, the bottom team on this list will not make it)

Des Moines Menace
Western Mass Pioneers
FC Golden State Force
Brazos Valley Cavalry
Reading United AC
Colorado Pride Switchbacks U23
South Georgia Tormenta FC 2
The Villages SC
Chicago FC United
North Carolina Fusion U23
GPS Portland Phoenix

It is the same deal with these teams as the NPSL teams. First, these teams have to continue to have an USL League Two team in 2020 to keep that spot. Second, if the teams rely on college players too much and can’t form a roster by March 24, 2020, then they won’t participate in the cup.

To see a full list of USL League Two teams that could make the cup, see the article here. The clubs below 11th could still make the cut if the teams above them don’t take a spot.

These are just projections for the 2020 Open Cup. They could change and if they do, this article will be updated with the latest numbers until official word from US Soccer is made in January 2020.

2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2: Game-by-game review

October 22, 2019 by TheCup.us Staff

A giant pumpkin balloon overlooks the field at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, Calif. before the 2020 US Open Cup qualifier between Cal FC and Alta California Sol. Photo: Victor Friedman | Cal FC

The Second Round of the Open Division Local Qualifying tournament for the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is nearly complete. There were 23 games played with just one game (Georgia Revolution Reserves at Soda City FC Sorinex) postponed due to weather.

The winners advance to Round 3 which will take place the weekend of Nov. 23-24.

There are some familiar faces advancing to the Third Round (West Chester United, NTX Rayados, Cal FC, Christos FC), some teams with rich histories (NY Pancyprian Freedoms, Vereinigung Erzegebirge) and some new faces, featuring some former pros including Nashville United and Olympic Club. There were also some surprising exits, including Lansdowne Yonkers FC, the Colorado Rush, and last year’s Cinderella story, the Florida Soccer Soldiers. There was a nine-goal thriller, a PK shootout that has never happened before and much more.

Check out a recap of every game below.

#USOC2020 ESSENTIALS

2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule / Results
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1 Game-By-Game Review

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19

Brockton FC United pose for a team photo before their 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against Safira FC. Photo: Brockton FC United

Safira FC
(USASA / UPSL)
0:2
Brockton FC United
(USASA / Bay State Soccer League)

By Michael Preston

Two late second half goals from Leandro Alves earned Brockton United a 2-0 win over Safira and a place in the US Open Cup third qualifying round at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, Mass. Alves was his side’s main dangerman throughout and in a first half of few chances rattled the post from 25 yards out on the half-hour mark with a free kick that curled over the home wall.

The deadlock was broken with 14 minutes remaining as Elizandro Cardoso pulled the ball back inside the 18-yard box for an unmarked Alves to pick his spot past keeper Patrick Vilela. With a minute remaining in regulation, Alves capitalized on a poor defensive clearance from deep in the Safira half and finished a simple chance to seal the win.

Safira’s best chance came three minutes after the interval when Gabriel Paganini headed across the face of goal, but the home side were a shadow of the side that scored four goals in the last round with scorers Michael Rincon and Rigoberto Jimenez both missing due to illness and work commitments respectively.

Brockton advances to Round 3 as they attempt to qualify in their first-ever trip to the qualifying tournament.

CD Huateras form a prayer circle following their 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against World Class Premier Elite FC. Photo: CD Huateras

CD Huateras
(ANFEEU / Woodbridge Soccer League)
5:4 (AET)
World Class Premier Elite FC
(USASA / UPSL)

One of the most dramatic comebacks of this year’s tournament didn’t result in a win as World Class Premier Elite FC scored three goals in the final 15 minutes of regulation to force extra time against CD Huateras. However, despite their heroic efforts in regulation, CD Huateras prevailed in extra time, 5-4.

First-time qualifying entry CD Huateras jumped out to an early lead when former D.C. United Academy player Gerson Umana scored the opening goal in the 44th minute. On the other side of halftime, in the 50th minute, Umana would add a second. Then, in a goal that appeared to put the game away, Umana completed his hat trick in the 75th minute. World Class Premier Elite then managed to rattle off three goals in the game’s final 10 minutes, plus stoppage time.

Former Seattle Sounders 2 player Willy Kapawa broke the shutout with a goal from a free kick with about 10 minutes left. Three minutes later, former UConn player Alex Kao scored to make it 3-2.

With two minutes left in the game, Kao scored off a header on an assist from Richard Forka to stun the home team and send the match into extra time.

With all the momentum with WCPE, the home team snatched the lead back in the first half of extra time on a goal by Oliver Funez. Less than five minutes later, World Class equalized again when Daniel Ankrah’s pass to Kay Banjo made it 4-4. However, CD Huateras would steal the game with about five minutes left with a game-winner from Christian Najar, the brother of former MLS Rookie of the Year, Andy Najar.

A player from Chula Vista FC avoids a tackle from an Academica SC defender in their 2020 US Open Cup qualifier. Photo: Chula Vista FC

Chula Vista FC
(USCS / SoCal Premier League)
3:3 (2:1 PKs)
Academica SC
(USCS / LIGA NorCal)

Chula Vista FC came back from a two-goal deficit in the final 11 minutes of regulation then bested Academica SC in penalty kicks 2-1 to advance to the next qualifying round. It was the second qualifier in a row where Chula Vista advanced by a shootout.

Academica SC scored the opening goal in the 21st minute on a curling shot from Churi Hernandez, then quickly added a second eight minutes later as Cody Golbad found the back of the net for the visitors.

Chula Vista drew one back at the start of the second half as Angel Pinal scored in the 52nd minute, but Academica SC quickly reclaimed its’ two-goal advantage in the 57th minute on a strike from Cody Golbad, scoring his second.

With time starting to run out, Angel Pinal scored his second in the 79th minute to again cut the deficit to one. Chula Vista FC continued to push for the equalizer, and in the 90th minute, the hosts found it through former TheCup.us Player of the Round Alberto Diaz to send the match into extra time.

After two scoreless 15 minute sessions, the match went to penalty kicks where Chula Vista FC advanced 2-1. It’s an extremely rare scoreline for a shootout. Chula Vista players missed three attempts, while goalkeeper Cristian García saved four Academica kicks. To put it in perspective, there have been 127 penalty kick shootouts in the Modern Era of the US Open Cup (1995-present), and while this game is not part of the tournament proper, there has never been a goalkeeper that has made four saves in a single shootout.

AJ Bishop and Andreas Bartosinski of West Chester United celebrate after scoring a goal against Lansdowne Yonkers FC in the 2020 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Matt Ralph - BrotherlyGame.com — AJ Bishop and Andreas Bartosinski of West Chester United celebrate after scoring a goal against Lansdowne Yonkers FC in the 2020 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Matt Ralph – BrotherlyGame.com

West Chester United
(USASA / USL of PA)
4:2
Lansdowne Yonkers FC
(USASA / Cosmopolitan Soccer League)

A pair of goals from AJ Bishop and a goal and an assist from former Dartmouth player Matt Greer paced West Chester United to a 4-2 victory over Lansdowne Yonkers FC in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The hosts opened the scoring the 31st minute as former Villanova Wildcat Andreas Bartosinski found the back of the net on an assist from Matt Greer.

The lead did not last long, however, as Musa Bala Denso scored the equalizer for Lansdowne Yonkers FC in the 37th minute.

West Chester United reclaimed its one-goal advantage in first half stoppage time as AJ Bishop scored to give the hosts a 2-1 lead at the break.

In the second half, AJ Bishop added his second goal of the evening in the 67th evening.

Making one last push, Lansdowne scored in the 89th minute to cut the deficit to one at 3-2, but Matt Greer scored a goal in second half stoppage time for West Chester United as the home side claimed the 4-2 victory.

Mohamed “James” Sesay of NTX Rayados celebrates one of his four goals against Inocentes Futbol Club in the 2020 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: NTX Rayados

NTX Rayados
(USASA / North Texas Premier Soccer Association)
7:0
Inocentes Futbol Club
(USASA / UPSL)

NTX Rayados took a step toward qualifying for the US Open Cup for the ninth year in a row with a 7-0 win over fellow Dallas-area club Inocentes Futbol Club. They extended their qualifying unbeaten streak to 13 games as they look to add to their Modern Era record for consecutive trips to the tournament for an Open Division Local team. In the first meeting between the two North Texas clubs, the Rayados were led by a four-goal performance from Mohammed “James” Sesay followed by goals by Reece Wilson, Lucio Martinez and goalkeeper Emmanuel Frias, who converted a late penalty kick. Sesay played his college ball at Richland College where he led the school to a junior college national championship, broke the school scoring record and was named the National Player of the Year.

A beautiful sunset was the backdrop for the 2020 US Open Cup qualifier between Celtic Cowboys Premier and the San Antonio Runners. Photo: Celtic Cowboys Premier

San Antonio Runners
(USASA / UPSL)
0:3
Celtic Cowboys Premier
(USSSA / Austin Men’s Soccer Association)

By Michael Battista

In a rematch of a 2019 qualifier, Celtic Cowboys Premier used a first half goal and a dominant second half to beat the San Antonio Runners 3-0. With the win, they advance to the Third Round of the Open Division Local Qualifying for the 2020 US Open Cup. The Runners fall to Celtic for the second straight year after letting in three unanswered goals in the second half of last year’s first round loss.

About 40 people watched at the University of Texas at San Antonio Recreation Field Complex as both teams battled for their first ever appearance in a third US Open Cup qualifier. The Runners came out pushing the ball into the Cowboy’s end but struggled to make meaningful shots. In the 30th minute, a run up the right side by Celtic’s Christopher Wright, the first round’s leading scorer, set-up a cross into the box. Dave O’Brien side shot the ball low, directly at goalkeeper Kyle Miller and it looked as though the teenager secured the chance under his hands. However, momentum pushed the ball through and into the net for the game’s first goal.

Things unwound for the Runners from there as Mostafa Kamal received a yellow not long after and the team could not challenge the Cowboy keeper. The second half fell out of the team’s hands as possession slipped from their grasp. Xavier Scarlett assisted Wright for his fourth goal of qualifying in the 67th before poor defense allowed Hasan Nhew to break past the back-line at midfield and beat Miller one-on-one in the 69th.

More chances by both teams, including a fantastic save by the Cowboy keeper late in the game to hold the clean sheet, saw the contest out. Cowboys have already outdone their inaugural tournament run last season, when they fell to Motagua New Orleans in the Second Round.

Louisiana Krewe FC
(USASA / Gulf Coast Premier League)
3:2
Athletic Katy FC
(USASA / UPSL)

A last minute goal from Henrique Pimpoa sent Louisiana Krewe FC into the next round of qualifying against a scrappy Athletic Katy FC side.

Athletic Katy, based in the Houston area, opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Louisiana Krewe responded just before the half as a penalty kick was awarded on a foul that drew a red card, leaving Athletic Katy down to 10 men. Matheus Fullini converted the spot kick for the Krewe, resulting in a 1-1 match at the break.

In the second half, a second yellow card for the Athletic Katy goalkeeper resulted in a second sending off for the visitors and a second penalty kick for Louisiana Krewe, which was again converted.

Despite being down to nine men, Athletic Katy qualized in the 78th minute.

With the personnel advantage, Louisiana Krewe eventually broke down the Athletic Katy defense, finding the winner in the final minute of regulation through Henrique Pimpoa to claim the 3-2 victory and advance to the next round of qualifying in their first trip to the competition.

Postgame interview with Brandon Whitsett of @nashusa_org Nashville United after their 8:0 win over @SpfldFC In the 2nd Qualifying Round of @usopencup #USOC2020 (2/2) pic.twitter.com/PtVnxYF4VB

— NonLeagueAmerica (@NonLeagueUSA) October 25, 2019

Springfield FC(USASA / UPSL)
0:8
Nashville United
(USASA / Middle Tennessee Soccer Alliance)

Nashville United traveled north to take on Springfield FC armed with some talented veteran players and that talent led the way in a one-sided 8-0 road win. The game was just 1-0 at the halftime break as the Tampa Bay Rowdies all-time leading scorer Georgi Hristov scored in the 21st minute. The second half was all Nashville as United scored a goal just about every five minutes to break the game open beginning with former MLS player Alen Kozic scoring in the 50th and the 55th minutes. Kozic, 43, played for the now-defunct Miami Fusion before moving overseas to play in Croatia and Germany. In the 61st minute, Christian Gomez made it 4-0 before Hristov added a second goal about six minutes later. Brandon Whitsett, another former pro added a sixth in the 70th minute, followed by goals by Logan Paynter (75th min.) and another by Christian Gomez (85th min.)

Nashville advances to Round 3 as they try to qualify for the US Open Cup for the first time after losing in a “Win & You’re In” game during the 2018 competition to FC Kendall.

Livonia City FC poses for a team photo before their 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against Ann Arbor FC in Brighton, Mich. Photo: Livonia City FC

Ann Arbor FC
(USASA / Ann Arbor Premier League)
2:6
Livonia City FC
(USASA / Michigan Premier Soccer League)

A trio of late goals left little doubt that Livonia City FC moved on to the third round of qualifying for the 2020 US Open Cup on Saturday evening. Seeking its first-ever berth in the national tournament, Livonia City FC defeated Ann Arbor FC 6-2.

In the 19th minute, Ardit Dushkaj opened the scoring for Livonia City FC. Ann Arbor FC responded in the 38th minute as the match headed into the half deadlocked at 1-1.

Back-to-back goals from Livonia City FC saw the home side take a 3-1 lead as Kyle Britemeyer scored in the 48th minute and Matt Versteeg found the back of the net in the 62nd minute.

The Lumberjacks of Ann Arbor FC clawed their way back within striking distance with a converted penalty kick in the 70th minute.

Livonia City FC did not let the visitors complete the comeback however, as Connor Cole scored one goal and Pat Smith added two more in the final ten minutes to put an exclamation point on a 6-2 victory, as LCFC becomes the last Michigan team remaining in the competition.

Cal FC
(USASA / UPSL)
3:1
Alta California Sol
(USASA / UPSL)

A pair of first half goals in a five-minute span was enough for Cal FC to advance to the third round of qualifying as it defeated Alta California Sol, 3-1.

Cal FC drew first blood in the 32nd minute, then added a second through former LA Galaxy academy player Willie Raygoza in the 36th minute.

Alta California Sol pulled one back in the 61st minute but could not find the equalizer in the remaining half hour as Cal FC added an insurance tally by JP Ortiz in second half stoppage time to claim the 3-1 win.

Cal FC, a team known for its upset of the Portland Timbers back in the 2012 US Open Cup, is attempting to qualify for the fifth time and the second year in a row.

Outbreak FC
(USCS / SoCal Premier League)
1:7
Oxnard Guerreros FC
(USASA / UPSL)

Raul Gonzalez scored a hat trick and Brenton Frame added two more goals as Oxnard Guerreros FC picked apart the Outbreak FC defense to the tune of a 7-1 score line on Saturday evening in second round qualifying action.

Victor Estrada scored in the 11th minute while Raul Gonzalez and Brenton Frame also scored first half goals as Oxnard Guerreros FC took a 3-1 lead into halftime.

Frame added a second goal just after the start of the second half, and Carlos Arriola tallied to bring the lead to 5-1 in favor of Oxnard Guerreros FC.

Raul Gonzalez then scored the final two goals of the match to complete his hat trick and complete the scoring at 7-1 as they take one step closer to qualifying for the US Open Cup for the first time.

An Olympic Club player kicks the ball in a 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against the Oakland Stompers. Photo: Olympic Club

Olympic Club
(USASA / San Francisco Soccer Football League)
4:2
Oakland Stompers
(USASA / UPSL)

Four goals by Olympic Club in the first hour of its match against Oakland Stompers was enough to see the San Francisco-based club through to the Third Round of US Open Cup qualifying as it claimed a 4-2 victory in a Bay Area match-up.

Olympic Club scored three first half goals, with former USL and MLS player Matt Fondy and Bryan Burke each scoring. Fondy spent time with a number of USL and MLS teams, while Burke made a number of stops in the USL and NASL, including being named the 2015 USL Defender of the Year while with Louisville City (USL).

Olympic Club added a fourth around the 55th minute to extend its lead before Oakland Stompers began to fight back.

Sohrob Rashid scored the first for the Stompers in the 61st minute, with Nissa Harifie adding a second on a penalty kick in the 70th minute.

Oakland could not find the final two goals to draw level, however, and Olympic Club closed out the remaining 20 minutes without conceding another goal to claim the 4-2 win.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20

Cedar Stars Academy Westchester
(USASA / Cosmopolitan Soccer League)
0:2
New York Pancyprian Freedoms
(USASA / Cosmopolitan Soccer League)

By Michael Battista

Two second half goals elevated the New York Pancyprian Freedoms past 10-man Cedar Star Academy (CSA Westchester) at Ramapo College on Sunday afternoon. Pancyprian Freedoms reach the third round of qualifying for the second straight year. The team fell in that round to eventual 2019 tournament qualifier West Chester United.

The pouring rain played as a backdrop to a back and forth match between two of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League’s top Division 1 teams. The Freedoms, three-time champions in the competition (1980, 1982-83), held a majority of the chances throughout the game as Cedar Stars struggled to get meaningful offensive runs.

Things got more difficult for the hosts midway through. Maxi Garcia, one of the wingers with immense speed for the Stars, collided with a New York player at midfield. Neither player went down, but a game of pushing and shoving led to Gracia throwing a punch and receiving a red card in the 27th minute.

The heavy rain picked up in the second half as the Freedoms picked up play. Much less back and forth ball possession and far more attack paid off in the 65th minute when Adam Himeno scored the game winner. Frustration from both players and coaches for CSA became more evident as time wore down. A stoppage-time goal by Nicholas Psarras, who broke past the defense and played around the advancing keeper, sealed the game and advancement with the game’s last kick. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

United German Hungarians
(USASA / USL of PA)
2:0 (AET)
Vereinigung Erzgebirge
(USASA / USL of PA)

Two of the oldest clubs in the competition, Vereinigung Erzgebirge (Est. 1969) defeated fellow Philadelphia area club United German Hungarians (Est. 1922), 2-0, after extra time. Goals from Sean Fahy in the 101st and Sean Peckham in the 114th minutes were enough to see VE through to the third qualifying round in November.

VE has back-to-back wins for the first time since the new format began in 2015 and are seeking their first US Open Cup berth since 2002. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

FC Union Jerez
(USSSA / Colorado Premier League)
2:3 (AET)
Azteca FC
(USSSA / Colorado Premier League)

Azteca FC extended their winning streak in the qualifying phase to seven wins from seven played, beating fellow Colorado Premier League side FC Union Jerez by a 3-2 score, after extra time. With the win, they advance to Round 3 of the 2020 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Azteca went into halftime leading 2-0 on goals from Adrian Gutierrez and Juan Simental. Union Jerez equalized it in the 90th minute. Azteca found the winner, in extra time, through Juan Simental’s second goal, to keep their perfect record intact.

Azteca is attempting to qualify for the US Open Cup for the third time in the last four years, but are still seeking their first tournament win.

Orlando FC Wolves
(USASA / Central Florida Soccer League)
1:7
Hurricane FC
(USASA / UPSL)

It was a dominating performance for Hurricane FC as they defeated the Orlando FC Wolves 7-1 at Sylvan Lake Park. This is the first time that Hurricane FC was able to win back-to-back matches in their US Open Cup qualifying campaign.

In the 25th minute, Hurricane FC got a goal from Sergio Sanchez Murano. Three minutes later, Hurricane FC added another when Jesus Castellon buries the ball into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead. It was 2-0 at the half as Orlando FC Wolves looked to regroup for the second half.

In the 57th minute, the Wolves were called for a handball in the box off a corner kick and Hurricane FC was awarded a penalty kick. Castellon converted it to put Hurricane FC ahead 3-0. In the 65th minute, Edmar De Lacerda vollied his shot from 30 yards to put Hurricane FC ahead 4-0. Three minutes later, Orlando FC Wolves were awarded a penalty after Hurricane FC was called for a foul in the box. Nathan Shanko converted to give the Wolves some hope but late in the match Hurricane FC added three goals in three minutes from O’jay Nichol (86th), Marvin Wesselburg (87th), and Ricardo Tapia Najera (88th) to put this one away.

WIth the win, Hurricane FC traveled to Orlando to pick up a shutout win on the road to send them to the Third Round as the club tries to qualify for the first time.

Patrick Slogic from FC Boulder Harpos attempts to head the ball on frame in a 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against the Colorado Rush. Photo: Laemming Wheeler | FCB Harpos

FC Boulder Harpos
(USSSA / Colorado Premier League)
6:0
Colorado Rush
(USASA / Colorado Super League)

FC Boulder Harpos advanced to the third qualifying round by defeating Colorado Rush, 6-0. Harpos had the game in control by halftime with four first half goals, the first by Jack Mayfield in the 3rd minute and two more by former MLS player Freddie Braun (23rd & 37th mins.) and a goal right before the break by Shane Wheeler (45th min.). Daniel Whittle added two goals in the second half to round out the scoring as Harpos earned their second straight shutout and their third straight win over the Rush in the qualifying tournament. It was a disappointing result for the Rush as the team is still mourning the loss of their teammate and former MLS player Colin Clark who recently passed away.

Florida Soccer Soldiers
(USASA / UPSL)
1:2
Miami United FC U-23s
(USASA / UPSL)

Miami United FC Under-23s scored the game-winning goal on a last-gasp header to eliminate the Florida Soccer Soldiers. The Soccer Soldiers made headlines last year with their run to the Third Round of the US Open Cup, but now it will be Miami United that move one step closer to qualifying for the tournament. United’s senior team, which competes in the NPSL, qualified for the US Open Cup three times (2015, 2017, 2018), but the Under-23 team is seeking their first trip to the tournament proper.

Soccer Soldiers had been on top early on with their midfield, anchored by the experienced Antonioni Gonzalez, controlling possession but failing to make it count. Midway through the first half Matias Solari pounced on a loose ball and struck it home from close range off a corner kick. From then on, it was all United as they managed the game well on both sides of the halftime whistle until an equalizer from Bryan Perea for the Soldiers tied things up with a little over ten minutes to go.

The Soldiers turned the screw and could smell a winning goal after Miami goalkeeper Omar Soto denied them on more than one occasion. But United’s defense held firm and they sprung a quick counter that decided this entertaining fixture at the death. The game appeared to be headed to extra time until United center forward Nico Micoli nodded home a header to give Miami the win with a dramatic game-winner.

Virginia United
(ANFEEU / Woodbridge Soccer League)
2:1
Alianza Futbol Club
(ANFEEU / Woodbridge Soccer League)

In a matchup between two Woodbridge Soccer League rivals, Virginia United edged Alianza Futbol Club, 2-1. Bernardo Majano, a local player who played professionally in El Salvador before returning home, scored a pair of first half goals to send United into the halftime break up 2-0. Alianza FC, who are making their qualifying debut this year, cut the lead in half with a goal from Everton Bailey in the 68th minute. United’s defense held on strong to preserve the 2-1 win as they took another step forward to returning to the tournament. Last year, in the first year that teams from the Asociacon Nacional Futbol en USA (ANFEEU) entered the Open Division Local qualifying tournament, Virginia United upset Christos FC to become the first ANFEEU team to punch their ticket.

Christos FC
(USASA / Maryland Major Soccer League)
7:1
Federal City Wanderers
(USASA / District Sports Premier League)

By Craig Tower

On a day with weather guaranteed to build character in all involved, Christos FC of the Maryland Major League showed why they were given a bye to the second round by destroying the Federal City Wanderers from the nearby District Sports Premier League.

A light rain fell on the Baltimore exurb of Glen Burnie all day but it tapered to a mist as the game started with the temperature a steady 55 degrees. The slick artificial turf made for a fast opening 20 minutes as both teams probed for, and found, weaknesses in their opponents.

Unfortunately for Federal City, Christos was awarded a penalty in the 10th minute which was buried by easily by midfielder Michael Scott. The Wanderers came out with energy after the setback, but a defensive breakdown allowed Alexander Lee to slip star forward and former Montreal Impact draftee Pete Caringi III in on goal for a cool one-touch turning finish from 8 yards out.

Federal City showed they came to play in the 18th minute when center forward Braxton Koppelman picked up a turnover near midfield and used his abundant speed to outrace the Christos defense, tapping his shot past the keeper to make the score 2-1.

The game slowed down at that point, and the District team pulled back into a defensive stance, depending on Koppelman and Yahia Elboukili to release pressure. Christos attacked in waves, though, and Alexander Lee fired a 37th minute daisycutter from twenty yards out from right to left across the goal. His shot rattled off the helpless keeper’s far post for the Baltimore side’s third goal.

Federal City came out in a more aggressive posture in the second half, and the first fifteen minutes resembled the start of the first half, minus the goals. That changed as Christos iced the game with three goals in five minutes starting in the 62nd, when a Cody Albrecht cross from the left found Caringi in front of goal for a simple deflected header from six yards out. Lee found himself on the end of pass in the 65th from Daniel Baxter, and rifled the shot into the back of the net. Before many fans had even turned their attention back to the field, Caringi dribbled through the Wanderers from near midfield to find the net for the sixth Christos goal. Caringi was instrumental in Christos FC’s run to the Third Round in 2017 and was named TheCup.us Player of the Round in the First Round.

The Wanderers were bowed but maintained their energy, even after a push in their box led to another penalty for Christos in the 76th minute, netted by Albrecht. With the score at 7-1, some Christos players could be heard discussing the score of the Ravens game as the teams reset. The referee mercifully ended the match with no injury time added.

Christos are attempting to qualify for the US Open Cup for the third time in the last four years.

Players from Steel FC (gold) and Tartan Devils Oak Avalon battle ofr the ball in their match in the 2020 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: Brad Oskowski

Steel FC
(USASA / Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League)
3:1 (AET)
Tartan Devils Oak Avalon
(USASA / Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League)

In a rare all-Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League matchup in the Open Cup, Steel FC hosted Tartan Devils at Highmark Stadium. Steel would begin with 10 men as Mohamad Balde was not on the field at kick-off. Rather than use a 1st minute sub, Steel elected to begin shorthanded (He would arrive a couple minutes later).

The contest was fast and physical by both sides throughout the first half, but the match would remain scoreless through 45.

In the second half, Neil Shaffer would see the Tartan Devils into the lead in the 54th minute. The equalizer for Steel came in the 72nd minute from a low cross appearing to deflect off a Tartan Devils player. Steel had the better chances the remainder of regulation, but the game would go to extra time.

Both teams had good opportunities in the first half of extra time, but Steel would take the lead on a goal from Rob Heuler in the 100th minute, off a Balde cut-back. Steel would add an insurance goal by Max Flick three minutes from time to confirm their place in the third qualifying round in their debut run in the competition. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with photos)

Colorado Rovers
(USSSA / Colorado Premier League)
2:1
San Juan FC
(USASA / UPSL)

By Jim Coppock

Colorado Rovers defeated Utah’s San Juan FC 2-1 at one of the secondary fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

The biggest player on the day was a relentless wind which kept the game played near the ground for the first 20 minutes.

San Juan started the game a little more cautiously, but both sides had decent chances on goal throughout the first half. The second half saw the tempo of play rise significantly.

Cristian Molina Escobar would open the scoring in the 48th minute for the visitors. Rovers’ Ryan Pakieser got both hands behind the ball on Escobar’s right-footed shot, but the resulting deflection drifted over his head and into the side netting.

The Rovers immediately stepped up the pressure and an equalizer was found via Joshua Seger in the 65th minute. Both teams found yet one more gear as the race for the winner was on. From Jared Herselman’s 81st minute corner, Jacob Hanlin’s header found the goal to seal the victory.

With the victory, Rovers move on to a third qualifying round for the first time in their history.

The SC Trojans FC, the club soccer team at USC, poses for a team photo before their 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against the LA Monsters FC. Photo: Maya Cheung | SC Trojans FC

SC Trojans FC
(USCS / SoCal Premier League)
1:4
LA Monsters FC
(USCS / SoCal Premier League)

The newly-renamed LA Monsters FC (previously South Bay Monsters FC, San Pedro Monsters FC), earned a 4-1 win over

the SC Trojans FC to advance to the Third Round for the second time in three years. The Monsters jumped out in front early with two goals in the first eight minutes. The first coming from Andy Nunez in the 3rd minute, followed by a penalty kick that was converted by Luis Rojas-Garcia five minutes later.

Niko Romer pulled one back for the Trojans, a rare college club team that is making their second straight appearance in this competition. Romer scored his goal in the 30th minute. Just before halftime, Edward Delgado gave the Monsters a two-goal lead in the 42nd minute. Brandon Cando would add a fourth goal in the 79th minute to put the game away as the Monsters advance to Round 3 in their attempt to qualify for the Open Cup for the first time in club history.

Soda City Sorinex FC
(USASA / Central League)
vs.
Georgia Revolution FC Reserves
(USASA / Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League)

Heavy rain in Columbia, S.C. postponed this match from its original date to Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Saluda Shoals Soccer Park in Columbia, S.C. Once the game finally kicked off it was Soda City FC Sorinex who jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead with goals by Seth Hansen, Leo Mukofsky and Davis Bryan. The Revolution bounced back in the second half with back-to-back goals by Ryan Pogh and Elisa Madichieick. Late in the game, Akeel Crooks ran on to a big punt by his goalkeeper, beat the opposing goalkeeper one-on-one to put the game away to send them to the Third Round for the second year in a row. Soda City are attempting to become the first Open Division Local team from South Carolina to qualify for the US Open Cup in the Modern Era (1995-present) [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference adds matches to end of regular season to try to make 4 of 5 teams 2020 US Open Cup eligible

June 25, 2019 by Jake Sillick

A scene from the first half of the First Round match between West Chester United and FC Baltimore Christos in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: @finchamphoto

UPDATE: This plan has been scrapped. A single game playoff championship will be held on July 6. All teams from the NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference will not be eligible for the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Back in May, we reported that the schedule for the NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference was too short for all five teams in the conference to be 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup eligible. The rules state they must have at least a 10-game regular season. At the time, the NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference only had an 8-game regular season scheduled. Should they add games to the schedule, those teams that met the 10-match minimum would be eligible for the 2020 US Open Cup.

Originally, a three-team postseason playoff was planned for July 3 and July 6 to decide the conference champion. Instead, the regular season will be extended and the regular season champion will move on to the NPSL Northeast Region playoffs scheduled to start on July 13. Four matches will be played overall, two on July 3 and two on July 6. At the end of the double round robin schedule on June 29, the standings will decide the schedule for the remaining games next week.

The schedule for the extra games:

DATE	AWAY TEAM	RESULT	HOME TEAM
July 3	4th place	vs.	1st place
July 3	3rd place	vs.	2nd place
July 6	3rd place	vs.	1st place
July 6	4th place	vs.	2nd place

This will give the top 4 teams all a 10-game regular season schedule. The last place team of the five team conference will NOT have extra games added and will still be ineligible for the 2020 U.S. Open Cup. The current standings of the conference are:

There is no rule against teams having more home games than away games in their schedule. There is also no rule against teams in the conference having more games played than other teams in the conference. As long as these matches next week are still considered regular season matches and they are applied to the standings, it will count.

Some might argue that the additional games essentially amount to a playoff since the participants of these additional games were chosen based on their division standings with only the top four teams in the division involved.

This schedule change, however, does not guarantee that it will make the Mid-Atlantic teams eligible. The US Open Cup committee will have final say as to whether or not the additional games are considered regular season games or not. The US Open Cup handbook states:

Section 202. Team eligibility
(a) To enter the Open Cup, a team must be an outdoor soccer team based in the United States and a regular playing member in good standing competing in an ongoing league competition of an Organization Member of the Federation, with said league competition and Organization Member also in good standing with the Federation. Such league competition must be regularly scheduled (i.e. not infrequent) each year and formatted such that member teams play games against fellow members, with only these results (i.e. league matches) used to determine a set of standings or ranking table. The league competition must consist of at least four (4) teams, with each playing at least ten (10) league matches (excluding any pre-season and/or post-season playoff or cup matches) each calendar year.

With the fifth place team ineligible for the 2020 US Open Cup, the NPSL will only have to pay the entry fee of 90 teams in the league out of the 91 teams. This will slightly change how the allocation of spots for the 2020 U.S. Open Cup goes.

Although the number of spots allocated in still to be determined, that number of spots will be allocated to USL League Two and NPSL combined. USL League Two has 67 eligible teams while NPSL has 90 teams. This means that NPSL will get 57.3% (90 divided by 157) of those yet-to-be-determined spots, and USL League Two will get 42.7% (67 divided by 157) of those entries.

NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference currently ineligible for 2020 US Open Cup

May 13, 2019 by Jake Sillick

The National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) Mid-Atlantic Conference is not playing enough games this season to be eligible for the 2020 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. All five teams in that conference will not be able to enter next year’s US Open Cup as the schedule currently stands.

The five teams in the conference include 2018 entry FC Baltimore Christos, Northern Virginia United, Virginia Beach City FC, FC Frederick, and Charlottesville Alliance FC. They would have to add more matches to the schedule in order to become eligible.

To enter the US Open Cup, clubs must be part of a sanctioned league by US Soccer or an affiliate organization. US Soccer defines a league as having at least 4 teams and each team playing a schedule of at least 10 matches. This is fully defined in Section 202 (a) of the US Open Cup policy.

To enter the Open Cup, a team must be an outdoor soccer team based in the United States and a regular playing member in good standing competing in an ongoing league competition of an Organization Member of the Federation, with said league competition and Organization Member also in good standing with the Federation. Such league competition must be regularly scheduled (i.e. not infrequent) each year and formatted such that member teams play games against fellow members, with only these results (i.e. league matches) used to determine a set of standings or ranking table. The league competition must consist of at least four (4) teams, with each playing at least ten (10) league matches (excluding any pre-season and/or post-season playoff or cup matches) each calendar year.

As of publication, the current schedule consists of eight matches for each of the five teams in the Mid-Atlantic Conference.

The NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference decided on a balanced, double round robin schedule for each of its teams. A balanced schedule is not required by US Soccer or the NPSL. There are three conferences that play an unbalanced schedule in the NPSL. The other ten conferences play a balanced, double round robin schedule.

NPSL Conferences not playing a double round robin schedule:

Northwest Conference (5 teams, 10 matches per team, 2 opponents twice, 2 opponents three times)
Keystone Conference (9 teams, 10 matches per team, 6 opponents once, 2 opponents twice)
Golden Gate Conference (8 teams, 11 matches per team, 3 opponents once, 4 opponents twice)

NPSL was reached for comment on this and released the following statement:

“The 2019 Mid-Atlantic Conference schedule is not yet finalized. The NPSL is aware of the U.S. Open Cup rules, and will abide by them so the teams are eligible for the 2020 tournament.”

According to the NPSL, the schedules are in the process of being altered and an announcement will be made when it’s finalized. A league spokesman told TheCup.us that the process of altering a schedule once the season is already under way is rare, but not unprecedented.

As long as each team in that conference plays two more games in the regular season, they will be eligible for the 2020 US Open Cup.