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2022 US Open Cup

2022 US Open Cup: Rodrigo Lopez of Sacramento Republic voted TheCup.us Player of the Tournament

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Graphic by Bradley Delmar (Twitter: @bradmarepublic)

Fresh off a tournament-best four goals and four assists, and a share of the tournament Golden Boot Award, Sacramento Republic FC midfielder Rodrigo Lopez earned a rare combination of awards for his performance in the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Lopez was the was not only voted TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament, but he was also voted the overall Player of the Tournament. Since a “lower division” award was added in 2012, he is the first player to sweep both awards. Lopez also becomes just the second player from a lower division team to win the overall Player of the Tournament award. He joins goalkeeper Chris Eylander, who earned the honor in 2008 with the then United Soccer League (USL) Seattle Sounders.

The Player of the Tournament awards are 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.

Rodrigo Lopez (left) and goalkeeper Danny Vitiello celebrate after Lopez scored the game-winning penalty kick to give Sacramento Republic a 5-4 win over Sporting KC in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC
Rodrigo Lopez (left) and goalkeeper Danny Vitiello celebrate after Lopez scored the game-winning penalty kick to give Sacramento Republic a 5-4 win over Sporting KC in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC


Lopez was an absolute force during the tournament, propelling Republic FC to their first Open Cup Final where they would eventually lose 3-0 to Orlando City. Despite the loss, Republic FC were only the fourth non-MLS club to compete in a Final. During their run, the Quails knocked off MLS sides San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City, in what was a thrilling penalty shootout that only rivals the Miracle at Bonney during the club’s inaugural season. From the Miracle at Bonney, to the 2022 Open Cup run, it was Lopez leading the way for the Republic.

“I am a little bit shocked to be honest … something that I wasn’t expecting especially after not winning the US Open Cup,” said Lopez when asked for his reaction to winning both awards. “(But) to be awarded this MVP brings a little joy to me and to the work I’ve put in throughout the season and obviously the work of my teammates, coaching staff and everyone involved with the Republic.”

This marks the second time, and the second tournament in a row that a player on a team that didn’t win the tournament won the Player of the Tournament award. In 2019, the tournament’s top scorer Darwin Quintero of Minnesota United FC won despite his team falling to Atlanta United FC in the Final.

Lopez’s contributions were felt widely across the tournament. In the Fifth Round (Round of 16), he scored a goal and tallied an assist en route to a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. In the Quarterfinals against the LA Galaxy, Lopez scored an early goal that set the tone in a 2-1 victory. And in the Semifinals against Sporting Kansas City, he played 120 minutes and converted a penalty kick to send Republic FC to the Open Cup Final. He’s played this tournament many times before, but this year was different. It was apparent that Lopez, his teammates and the club were locked in.

“You may remember in the past we got knocked out by an amateur team, and I didn’t play that game and the coach made a lot of changes, I don’t think some of the players took it very serious,” said Lopez. “I really think Mark did a good job in the rotations and taking every game serious. We never underestimated any team. For Mark to play me in these games when I had been playing all the league games, it definitely showed me he wanted to win. I just really wanted to make a big run, and with the tone we had in our locker room and with the coaching staff and front office, I truly felt like we had a really good chance.”

Make no mistake about it, the Republic’s run in this year’s Open Cup galvanized the City of Sacramento, captivated soccer fans and media across the country and elevated the game. When Lopez was told about recent chatter on social media saying that when the Republic build their new downtown stadium, there should be a statue of him out front. That’s how much he means to the city and fans.

“It means a lot, but I don’t like to take full credit of the success this club has had or I’ve had,” said Lopez. “It’s all built around a team and I’ve been very lucky to play under great coaches and alongside amazing players, but once my son Roman was born, I definitely changed my mindset and the way I worked and the way that I acted as a professional and worked on the field every day. All the success and attention I am getting is based on the hard work, the struggles and me learning from early on in my career. I appreciate everyone who supports me and for the fans to praise me like that … it’s special.”

Father-Son Open Cup Connection

One of Lopez’s biggest fans watching this Open Cup from the stands or on television was his dad, Alvaro Lopez. He also competed in the tournament with San Nicolás FC out of Pomona in 1998. That team had to win a tournament in their zone and travel to Albuquerque for a regional tournament against teams across six states to qualify for the Open Cup.

Once they qualified, they had to travel to Austin, which proved to be complicated. The team flew out at 1 a.m., had to make a connecting flight, and eventually arrived at their hotel at 11 a.m. for a 5 p.m. kickoff. San Nicolás would eventually lose 2-1 to the Austin Lone Stars (USISL D-3 Pro League), with Alvaro starting and playing a full 90 minutes. Despite the challenges to qualify, he looks back on his experience fondly.

“It was very difficult to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup,” said Alvaro. “I remember that the team’s overall skill level was very good, which included college and players who had played professionally. We only had time for breakfast and rest before heading to the field at 3:30 p.m. That team in Austin would be considered to be at a USL Championship level today, but I believe we would have had a better result if we would have traveled the day before. But it was a very good experience.”

Whether it’s 1998 or 2022, qualifying or making a run in the Open Cup takes a lot out of players and teams. There is a tremendous amount of sacrifice, playing through injuries, heavy minutes with league play, mental toughness to push through and the expectation to play well and advance. Knowing Lopez faced and battled through all of this is something his dad understands and appreciates.

“He deserves a very good rating for his overall performance,” said Alvaro when taking about Lopez’s Open Cup play. “He satisfied all the expectations I had on him and the way he played this year. I believe that his experience, the way he takes care of his body and his willingness to give it his all for his team and the City of Sacramento all came together to keep him motivated.”

One of the Best Seasons Ever?

Without question, this was one of Lopez’s best years as a professional. While Republic FC fell just short in the Open Cup, nobody in Sacramento will soon forget their magical run.

“This has to rank in the top three of my career,” said Lopez. “I would say that first year winning the championship was one of them, making my dream come true to play in Mexico in the first division was the other, and this one is up there. I don’t know what order to be honest, but it definitely has to be in the top three.”

Hats off to Rodrigo Lopez – ambassador for the game, consummate professional, Sacramento Republic FC legend, and now, 2022 TheCup.us Player of the Tournament. I am sure fans look forward to watching him reach even new heights next season.

2022 US Open Cup: Who should be voted TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament?

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2022 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament Finalists for 2022 US Open Cup

After two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 107th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup brought plenty of drama and excitement. Usually in this tournament, when there’s a drama, there’s often a few lower division teams involved and the 2022 US Open Cup was no different. 

The Sacramento Republic FC made the most headlines (and even drew the attention of National Public Radio, which is not known for its soccer coverage). The USL Championship side became just the fourth non-Major League Soccer team since 1996 to reach the championship game. In the end, they fell short in the Final, losing 3-0 to Orlando City SC. 

There were other underdogs who made some noise in 2022, like Union Omaha (USL League One, Div. 3) reaching the Quarterfinals, and Louisville City FC (USL-C) making it to the Round of 16. 

Following each year’s competition, TheCup.us honors a player with the distinction of being named “Player the Tournament” for their outstanding performance. However in 2012, an additional honor was added: TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament. The goal is to honor the players on lower division teams (Open Division, Division 3, and Division 2) who have stood out and helped their team make a memorable run in the Open Cup that year.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters, and select backers from TheCup.us’ Patreon. If you’d like to vote in this, or the upcoming “Player of the Tournament” vote, consider pledging $10 or more and help us continue to cover the US Open Cup and research it’s long history.

We encourage everyone to read over each players’ tournament resume and make your case for who you think should win the award in the comments or on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instragram).

Here are 2022’s finalists (in near alphabetical order):

Joseph Brito (Union Omaha, USL League One, Div. 3)

Arguably the second-best Cinderella run in the 2022 US Open Cup was Union Omaha was USL League One (Div. 3). They upset two MLS teams on the road en route to becoming the first Division 3 club since 2013 (Orlando City SC, USL Pro) to reach the Quarterfinals. While there were many heroes for the defending USL League One champions during their run to the Quarterfinals, the one that stood out was midfielder Joseph Brito. The New England Revolution youth academy product scored a first half equalizer in a 2-1 home win over the Des Moines Menace, the defending USL League Two champions. Brito played the first 90 minutes in a road game against the Chicago Fire where Omaha eliminated the four-time champions in penalty kicks. Northern Colorado Hailstorm’s upset of Real Salt Lake in Round 3 meant Union Omaha got to play a fellow USL League One team in Round 4. Brito assisted on the second goal in a 2-0 win as Union advanced to the Round of 16. It was there when Brito and Omaha would have to play another MLS side away from home. There he scored what would prove to be the game-winner in a 2-1 win over Minnesota United FC. His impressive goal earned him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors. The run would come to an end in the Quarterfinals with a 6-0 road loss to Sporting Kansas City as Omaha was unable to pull off a third road upset against a MLS team (which would have been a Modern Era first for a Division 3 team).

Round 2: Started, played 77 minutes, assisted on a first half equalizer (19th min.) in a 2-1 home win vs. Des Moines Menace (USL-2).
Round 3: Started, played 90 minutes, in a 5-4 PK shootout win (2-2 draw) on the road vs. Chicago Fire (MLS). 
Round 4: Started, played 71 minutes, assisted on the second goal in a 2-0 home win vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USL-1)
Round 5: Started, played 80 minutes, scored the game-winning goal (51st min.) in a 2-1 road win vs. Minnesota United FC (MLS). Brito was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round
Quarterfinals: Started, played 90 minutes in a 6-0 road loss vs. Sporting KC (MLS)

 

Rodrigo Lopez (Sacramento Republic FC, USL Championship, Div. 2)

Rodrigo Lopez was the most consistent offensive contributor for the Sacramento Republic in the club’s run to the 2022 US Open Cup Final. He began by scoring a goal and adding two assists in 60 minutes of work in a one-sided win over the Portland Timbers U-23s (USL-2).  In the next round, Lopez assisted on his team’s opening goal and eventually scored the game-winning penalty kick over Central Valley Fuego FC (USL-2). The 90th-minute goal was his fifth career US Open Cup goal, the second-most in Sacramento Republic history. After not playing in his team’s Round 4 win over Phoenix Rising FC (USL-C), Lopez once again played hero in his team’s upset win over the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS). His corner kick found former quakes player Luis Felipe in the 28th minute to give his team the lead. Then later on, he sealed the result himself with a clinching goal in the 84th minute to secure the team’s first-ever win against an MLS side. He continued to find the back of the net in the Quarterfinal against LA Galaxy (MLS), scoring the opening goal in what would be another cupset for the Indomitable Club. His final mark was stepping up to the spot in the fifth round of his team’s penalty kick shootout against Sporting Kansas City (MLS) in the semifinal. Following a Danny Vitiello save, his successful attempt pushed Sacramento into the final following a scoreless 120 minutes.

Round 2: Started, played 60 minutes, scoring a goal and adding two assists in a 6-0 home win vs. Portland Timbers U-23s (USL-2)
Round 3: Started, played all 90 minutes, assisted on the opening goal, scored the game-winning penalty kick in second half stoppage time in a 2-1 home win vs. Central Valley Fuego FC (USL-1). 
Round 4: Did not play in 2-0 home win vs. Phoenix Rising FC (USL-C)
Round 5: Started, subbed out in second half stoppage time, assisted on the opening goal, scored an 84th minute clincher in a 2-0 home win vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS).
Quarterfinals: Started, played 62 minutes, scored the opening goal in a 2-1 road win vs. LA Galaxy (MLS)
Semifinals: Started, played 120 minutes, scored the game-winning PK in the 5-4 PK shootout win (after 0-0 draw) at home vs. Sporting KC (MLS)
Final: Started, played 90 minutes in a 3-0 road loss vs. Orlando City SC

 

Maxi Rodriguez (Detroit City FC, USL Championship, Div. 2)

Detroit City FC waited two years to make their Open Cup debut as a professional team. But fans of the USL Championship (Div. 2) side were left more than fulfilled after their club downed both a in-state rival and MLS team in their club’s best tournament performance to date. While many might look towards the stalwart goalkeeper Nate Steinwascher as the most impactful player, it’s hard to overlook how much Maxi Rodriguez impacted his team’s results. The second-year DCFC striker assisted on two of his team’s three goals through “smoke, smell, and darkness” against rival Michigan Stars FC in Round 2. Besides just advancing, the result was City’s first outright win ever in the tournament (only advancing previously through penalty kicks). Rodriguez followed up the first game by playing every minute of the following two games and scoring every goal for his team going forward. In front of a sold-out Keyworth Stadium, with 6,000+ mostly home fans cheering, Rodriguez helped Detroit win possibly the biggest match in the team’s decade long history by dispatching a Major League Soccer side. His two goals in the second half countered a Gyasi Zardes penalty kick and lifted DCFC to a win over the Division 1 side. For his efforts, Maxi was awarded TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for Round 3. In Round 4 against league foe Louisville City, the former UNC Charlotte star channeled some of that southeast fire and played a complete match against the defending USLC Eastern Conference finalist. His successful penalty kick in the 14th minute put the team up, 1-0, and went on to convert his shot during the eventual shootout. His team went on to lose 4-2 in PKs after the match finished 1-1 after 120 minutes.

Round 2: Started, played 71 minutes, assisted on two goals in a 3-0 home win vs. Michigan Stars FC (NISA).
Round 3: Started, played 90 minutes, scored both goals in a 2-1 home win vs. Columbus Crew (MLS)
Round 4: Started, played 120 minutes, scored the lone goal, converted his PK in the shootout in a 4-2 PK loss (1-1 draw) at home vs. Louisville City FC (USL-C)

 

Danny Vitiello (Sacramento Republic FC, USL Championship, Div. 2)

For Sacramento Republic their goalkeeper was probably the most indomitable piece of their run to the final. With three clean sheets to his name, including one against the local Division 1 team, Danny Vitiello solidified his presence on this list through a number of outstanding performances. After not playing in his team’s opening blowout win, Vitello’s 2022 tournament debut wasn’t stellar. He made 0 saves and allowed a tying goal against USL League One side Central Valley Fuego. His first Open Cup appearance since 2018 (a Round 2 loss with Long Island Rough Riders) was saved by fellow LDPOTT nominee Rodrigo Lopez’s stoppage time goal. The next two rounds, however, are what truly began Vitiello’s legend. His clean sheet in Round 4 saw him make six saves, including a penalty kick stop just before halftime, that lead to a win, 2-0, over league rival Phoenix Rising FC. In his team’s fourth straight home game the next Round, Sacramento and Vitiello finally got the monkey off their franchise’s back and beat a Major League Soccer team. His five saves combined with goals in each half gave Republic the 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes in the “Hella Derby”. Heading on the road for the Quarterfinal game against Div. 1 LA Galaxy was uncharted territory for team. While Vitiello allowed his first goal in two games, an own-goal at that, he technically kept every member of the Galaxy off the scoresheet. His four saves and a second half Luis Felipe goal pushed Sacramento to the semifinals, the first non-MLS team to reach the mark since 2017. All of this leads to the defining moment of what has been a journey man career for Vitiello. In the national semifinals against Sporting Kansas City of MLS, the New York state native was the biggest factor in his team’s upset win. In 120 minutes, the keeper made eight saves including multiple in extra time as his team’s offense waned. Pushed into a penalty kick shootout, Vitiello was unable to stop any of the first four shots that came his way – not including a called-back save in the third round for coming off his line. With his team perfect on the other side, the fifth round separated each team from sudden death. U.S. international Graham Zusi stepped and Vitiello guessed correctly by diving to his left for the save, allowing team captain Lopez the chance to convert and move the team onto the cup final.

Despite a second half collapse against Orlando City SC in the last game, Vitiello’s tournament performance still ranks among the best by a lower division keeper in the Modern Era.

Round 2: Did not play in a 6-0 home win vs. Portland Timbers U-23s (USL-2)
Round 3: Started, played all 90 minutes, made 0 saves in a 2-1 home win vs. Central Valley Fuego FC (USL-1). 
Round 4: Started, played all 90 minutes, earned a clean sheet and made 6 saves in a 2-0 home win vs. Phoenix Rising FC (USL-C)
Round 5: Started, played all 90 minutes, earned a clean sheet and made 5 saves in a 2-0 home win vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS).
Quarterfinals: Started, played all 90 minutes, made 4 saves in a 2-1 road win vs. LA Galaxy (MLS)
Semifinals: Started, played 120 minutes, earned a clean sheet and made 8 saves in the 5-4 PK shootout win (after 0-0 draw) at home vs. Sporting KC (MLS) Vitiello was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round
Final: Started, played 90 minutes in a 3-0 road loss vs. Orlando City SC

 

Honorable Mention: Sainclair Tueno (FC Motown, National Premier Soccer League, Open Division)

Sainclair Tueno never played a minute in the 2022 US Open Cup – at least officially. But it can be argued that no player had more of an impact on their team during this year’s tournament. Tueno came on as a substitute late in the first half of extra time in Motown’s original Round 1 game against West Chester United SC. By the time the Lycoming College alumnus entered, the visiting PA side had already taken the lead and his 20 minutes of play were uneventful as Motown fell, 3-2 (AET). While his team protested the result, something they’d eventually win, Tueno would not be able to see it personally. Four days after the game on March 26th Tueno was tragically struck by a fast travelling car just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Put on life support, he’d remain in that state until early May when he passed away at the young age of 25. But his story doesn’t end here. As he fought for his life, Tueno’s teammates continued their run in the Open Cup in his honor. In the West Chester replay, Ryan Peterson’s cross into the box deep into stoppage time seemingly continued to float right into the net for winner. In Round 2, against professional side AC Syracuse Pulse, a scoreless match entered extra time where Federico de Oliveira scored the game winner in the 96th minute. On the other side, goalkeeper David Greczek made an incredible save to keep it level but also, in his mind, had a little help. A late regulation time chance by Syracuse’s Molley Karpeh got past a defender and a diving Greczek but rolled mere inches wide to keep the game scoreless. Following the go-ahead goal, in the last moments of the first ET half, a low corner kick was headed over the Motown defense and looked to be going in the net. Inexplicably, Karpeh raised his leg as the ball neared the goal line, inadvertently redirecting it out of play.

“Obviously for our guy Sainclair, he saved us a couple of times today, he was there with us,” former Motown head coach Šaćir Hot said after the game. “Some goal line clearances. Some close calls that could have fallen their way. I think the power of our guy up there was with us.”

Motown’s run ended in Round 3 in a penalty kick shootout, 2-2 (4:3 pks) with MLS Next Pro side Rochester New York FC. That game also included some unique moments including Motown coming back from two goals down and tying the game in second half stoppage time. The team earned $25,000 dollars as the furthest reaching Open Division team and helped raise the same amount for Tueno’s family during that span to help cover medical expenses. Outside of the tournament, the team went on to win the National Premier Soccer League national championship for the first time later that year. Even up to that final whistle, members of Motown still believe Sainclair was with them fighting. The team’s pre-match attire for the rest of the year, even past the tournament, was a simple white shirt with Sainclair’s number 23 and initials on the back and “Fight the fight” proudly displayed across the front. His tragic circumstance brought Motown, a team that rarely if ever trains, together as a unit. In a way, Armel Sainclair Tueno Nguimfack (1996-2022) is possibly the most impactful lower division player from this year’s competition.

Round 1: Subbed on, played 20 minutes in extra time during 3-2 AET home loss vs West Chester United SC that was later successfully challenged

2022 US Open Cup Final: Orlando City’s Facundo Torres voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Ivan Angulo (left) and Facundo Torres of Orlando City SC celebrate during the club’s 3-0 win over Sacramento Republic FC in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo Credit: Luis Corazon

The theatrical elements were there: scoreless in the late stages of the second half, surrounded by a sold-out crowd in the home stadium, and the US Open Cup Final on the line.  All that was needed was a man of the hour.  A star.  A hero.  The limelight scanned the stage and found Orlando City winger Facundo Torres, who proved he was ready to carry the show.  In the last 15 minutes of the match, Torres scored two goals and provided an assist in extra time to deliver the first trophy to Orlando City SC since they joined Major League Soccer (MLS).  With this performance, Torres was also voted as TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Finals of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Player of the Round award is voted 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’s Patreon team.

“I just got here and I’m already a part of Orlando’s club history,” Torres said.  “I’m really happy about how the night went with the two goals and being a part of Orlando’s club history.”

Torres joined Orlando City SC on January 24th, 2022 as a club-record signing Designated Player.  Having joined from his hometown club in Uruguay, Club Atlético Peñarol, Torres had to adjust to the style and physicality of the MLS.  If you ask those in the clubhouse, he’s evolved and overcome many of those obstacles.

“If you’ve been watching Orlando, you’ve seen the evolution of Facundo,” said Orlando City General Manager, Luis Muzzi.  “He’s much more free-flowing and confident, he knows the league and the opponents.  He knows the flights, the variables.”

His confidence allowed him to score a left-footed shot past Sacramento’s goalkeeper in the 75th minute to break the deadlock.  The second goal of the night came in the 80th minute, when Torres scored a penalty kick that was earned by teammate Benji Michel.  To cap off the night, Torres thread the needle and provided Michel the key pass needed to score in second-half stoppage time.  Playing USL Championship club Sacramento Republic in the Final posed unfamiliar challenges to Torres and the rest of his teammates.

“Especially with a team that we don’t know so well and can actually be dangerous, the key for the match, up to the 70th minute, was to be able to keep calm and find those three goals,” Torres said.

By the final whistle, Torres led his club with two goals, six shots, and three chances created.  His two goals allowed him to finish the tournament with four total, which led the club.  He also carried a passing accuracy of 83% across 47 passes and even displayed some defensive acumen, winning 6 of 9 ground duels.  His distribution in the final third also earned him heavy praise after the game.

When asked about Torres, Orlando City head coach Oscar Pareja said, “I think those players that change the game and take their teams on their shoulders are difficult to find.”  Pareja added, “In Facu, we have found that already.  This one game, he just took that magical moment that brought us.”

“He’s such a smart player, he’s an all-around player,” said Ricardo Moreira, Orlando City Technical Director.  “He moves around and finds pockets of space, so he needed to adapt to the game and we needed to adapt to Facundo.  I’d say the sky’s the limit, I’m very happy with his performances.”  Moreira also added, “Every place we play away from home, you can see Uruguayan fans singing for him, he’s got his own personal fan clubs.  It’s amazing.”

There are few stages big enough to handle his current ascent to stardom, but one remains elusive: the World Cup.  The Uruguayan hopes this performance was enough to join La Celeste in Qatar in November.  Beyond that, Torres could be lured to European leagues.

“I hope we can keep him for a lot longer,” Muzzi added.  “He’s a player who will definitely be playing for one of the big clubs from Europe one day.  But it’s not going to be now.  Hopefully we can get a few trophies before he goes.”

Orlando City fans certainly hope he sticks around, as well.  They’ve already won the US Open Cup.  Now it’s time for the club to win the MLS, then the CONCACAF Champions League.  With Torres on their roster, that trophy case has a good chance of getting crowded before he leaves.

2022 US Open Cup Final: Orlando City blanks underdog Sacramento Republic to become 2nd Florida team to lift trophy

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

It finally happened. After eight seasons in Major League Soccer, Orlando City finally lifted their first silverware as they beat Sacramento Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

The Lions scored all three of their goals with only 15 minutes to go in the match, as the USL Championship side held the game scoreless for the majority.

“I think it’s important to recognize that Orlando has won the first style here,” head coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “We are very proud of the community of the club, the fans, the players and have this opportunity to bring this trophy means a lot. We’re proud. Congratulations to all involved in this trophy. We are very grateful for tonight, and we’ll hope to continue and just give a lot of joy to the community.”

Pareja’s Open Cup win makes him just the second coach in the Modern Era (1995-present) to win a title with two different clubs, doing so with FC Dallas back in 2016. The only other to do it is the late Sigi Schmid when he won with LA Galaxy in 2001 and with the Seattle Sounders four times (2009-11, 2014).

After a scoreless first 74 minutes of action, the Lions broke through thanks to a combination of Ivan Angulo, Benji Michel and Facundo Torres. After Sacramento began to build out of the back, pressure from Angulo and Michel forced a turnover, allowing Michel to get off a pass to Torres to bend a shot around Danny Vitiello to break the deadlock.

Ivan Angulo (left) and Facundo Torres of Orlando City SC celebrate during the club's 3-0 win over Sacramento Republic FC in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo Credit: Luis Corazon
Ivan Angulo (left) and Facundo Torres of Orlando City SC celebrate during the club’s 3-0 win over Sacramento Republic FC in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo Credit: Luis Corazon

Just five minutes later, Michel was involved in the second goal, as Dan Casey took down the Orlando homegrown player in the box. Facundo Torres stepped up and buried the penalty to double the lead for the Lions in the 80th minute.

That goal by Torres made him the fifth player in the Modern Era to have scored multiple goals in an Open Cup Final and the first to do it since 2016, when Oscar Pareja’s FC Dallas won, and Maxi Urruti notched a brace.

The Lions would add the cherry on top as Michel got in behind the Republic backline and tapped home the third, sealing the win for the Lions.

“They have a defense of three that is very difficult to break,” Pareja said on Michel. “We knew that Ercan will give us presence in the box, but there was a time in the game that we stuck (Michel) in there because we needed to stretch the field. Benji gave us that possibility to run in behind, to help us with the presence too. It was a good job by Ercan but at that point we needed more energy. And I thought Benji changed (the energy) tremendously.”

Wednesday’s result also marks the first time a Florida team has won the Open Cup since the St. Petersburg Kickers when they lifted the trophy in 1989. Fittingly, that same 1989 Kickers team was honored with a pre-game ceremony.

Orlando becomes the fifth team of the Modern Era to win the tournament while playing every game at home. They join the 2006 Chicago Fire, 2008 D.C. United, 2011 Seattle Sounders and the 2018 Houston Dynamo. Although, the Lions are the first to play six home games in a competition.

The home crowd was definitely a factor with a sold-out Exploria Stadium. The announced crowd of 25,527 was the eighth-largest crowd to ever watch a US Open Cup match in the tournament’s 107-year history. It was also the fourth largest crowd for a championship game.

In addition to lifting the club’s first major trophy, Orlando also wins $300,000 in prize money and qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions League. Sacramento earns $100,000 as the runner-up.

The Lions will host a Championship celebration tomorrow at City Hall, with festivities kicking off at noon. The win also means the Orlando City flag will fly at City Hall in Sacramento as the mayors of each city placed a friendly wager on the game. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg will also have to make a contribution to a charity of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s choosing.

PHOTO GALLERY by Mathieu Starke

2022 US Open Cup Final Preview: Orlando City hosts Sacramento Republic as both seek to make history

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Ever since Major League Soccer (MLS) first entered the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in 1996, America’s top-tier of professional soccer has won the trophy every year except one. On Wednesday night, the Sacramento Republic FC, the underdogs from the second-tier USL Championship, will travel to Florida to take on Orlando City SC. Sacramento will look to replicate the success of the 1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos by winning the 107th edition of the tournament.

#USOC2022 Essentials
2022 USOC Results/Schedule
2022 USOC Statistical Leaders
2023 USOC Qualifying Results

TheCup.us Player of the Round winners

HISTORY
* Former USL Pro opponents take winding roads
to meet again in 2022 US Open Cup Final
* San Francisco Bay Seals, the ‘amateur’ pro
team that reached 1997 US Open Cup Semifinals
* How St. Petersburg Kickers became Florida’s
first US Open Cup champion

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Wednesday night will be the fourth time a non-MLS club has ever competed in the Final since 1996 and only the third different team to do so. If Sacramento wins the Cup, they’ll do so by also joining the Rhinos in eliminating four MLS clubs en route to the hardware.

On the other side, Orlando City will try to win their first major trophy in front of their home fans. On top of that, they will try to become just the second Florida team in history to lift the trophy.

It also marks the first time that a team from Florida and a team from California will meet in the Final.

In addition to $300,000 in prize money, the winner will also earn a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. The Final will be broadcast live on ESPN+ beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Sacramento Republic (USL-C) at Orlando City SC (MLS)
Exploria Stadium; Orlando, FL
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

Sacramento Republic FC players celebrate after defeating Sporting KC 5-4 in a PK shootout (after a scoreless draw) in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC
Sacramento Republic FC players celebrate after defeating Sporting KC 5-4 in a PK shootout (after a scoreless draw) in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC

SACRAMENTO SEEKING TO COMPLETE RARE UNDERDOG STORY
By Rich Flemings

After missing out on the 2021 USL Championship playoffs, the Sacramento Republic FC revamped their roster and has reinserted themselves into the playoff discussions. As the postseason looms, Sacramento is flirting with the possibility of even hosting a first-round playoff match. They enter Wednesday night’s final having lost two of their last three league matches.

Throughout the 2022 US Open Cup tournament, Sacramento has yet to trail in a single match. Aside from the semifinal match against Sporting Kansas City, Sacramento was able to take an early lead in every match by way of a first-half goal.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Sacramento showed no difficulty in casting aside the Portland Timbers U-23s, taking a 6-0 lead at halftime and not looking back.

In the third round, Central Valley Fuego equalized in the second half, but Sacramento’s Rodrigo Lopez scored a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time to dismiss the USL League One club.

The Fourth Round saw Sacramento face a familiar foe in fellow USL-C club Phoenix Rising. The Republic scored an early goal from Luis Felipe and a late goal by Douglas Martinez and added another home victory to their tournament run.

Sacramento was able to exorcise their demons in the Round of 16 by defeating MLS club San Jose Earthquakes for the first time in five attempts.

While playing LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals, Sacramento was finally able to bring a touch of their home magic with them on the road and defeated their second MLS squad in the tournament.

The Semifinals were decided from the penalty spot and Sacramento was able to outlast Sporting Kansas City in front of a raucous and joyful Sacramento crowd.

Sacramento Republic FC (USL Championship)
7th US Open Cup appearance
Overall: 18-6-2 (1-1 PKs)
Home: 16-1-1 (1-0 PKs)
vs MLS: 4-4-2 (1-1 PKs)
Best finish: 2022 Final

Current Season
12-7-8, 35 GF 29 GA, 4th in USL Championship – Western Conference
Goal scoring leader: Tied – Maalique Foster & Douglas Martínez, 5
Assists leader: Rodrigo López, 7
Goalkeeping leader: Danny Vitiello, 18 games, 1.0 GAA/5 Clean sheets

Last three games
August 13th (USLC): 0-1 loss at Monterrey Bay FC
August 17th (USLC): 3-0 win vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
August 20th (USLC): 1-2 loss at Las Vegas Lights FC

Non-MLS Finalists since 1996:

  • Rochester Rhinos
    • 1996: Runner-up
    • 1999: Champion
  • Charleston Battery
    • 2008: Runner-up
  • Sacramento Republic FC
    • 2022: TBD

History behind California clubs in US Open Cup

  • Including this year’s Final, there have been 34 Finals with a California-based club vying for the Cup.  15 of those 34 were successful in winning the cup.
  • 5-time champion: Maccabee AC (Los Angeles)
  • 2-time champion: Greek-American AC (San Francisco), LA Galaxy, Los Angeles Kickers
  • 1-time champion: McIlvaine Canvasbacks, CD Mexico, San Francisco IAC, San Jose Oaks
  • Modern Era: LA Galaxy (2-time winner)

How Sacramento Republic got to the Final:
Round 2: Won 6-0 vs Portland Timbers U23 (USL2)
Round 3: Won 2-1 vs Central Valley Fuego (USL1)
Round 4: Won 2-0 vs Phoenix Rising (USLC)
Round of 16: Won 2-0 vs San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
Quarterfinals: Won 2-1 vs LA Galaxy (MLS)
Semifinals: Won 0-0 (5-4 PKs) vs Sporting Kansas City (MLS)

Orlando City SC players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Orlando City SC players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

ORLANDO CITY: FIVE WINS DOWN, ONE TO GO
by Austin David

Orlando City are chasing their first trophy in their history in MLS as they get the chance to host the US Open Cup Final against Sacramento Republic.

After hosting every match so far in their cup run, the Lions have a chance to cap a historic day by becoming just the second Florida club in tournament history to lift the trophy.

Coming into the match, Orlando have won their last three matches thanks to goals in the 89th minute or later, riding a four game winning streak through the month of August. The team is now hoping that their good fortune and red hot offense will make a difference in the biggest game in club history.

With Sacramento coming in winning their last two of four, Lions Head Coach Oscar Pareja was quick to point out how his side is not taking their opponents lightly.

“It’s a very good team,” Pareja said on Tuesday, “We have the most respect for them and their coaches and obviously they are here for a reason. Their journey has not been easy to get to this point. So we have been approaching this match and our preparation has been very precise like any other competition, obviously, but this will be in a final. Recognizing what they can do to hurt us and like any other team, what weaknesses we can find and making our game plan clearer for the players.”

The two teams have played eachother only once in their history, back when Orlando City was still in USL Pro. Sacramento was just playing their inaugural season as the Lions were primed for an MLS move the next year. That game, played out in Sacremento, ended in a scoreless draw. Rodrigo Lopez played a full 90 minutes in that match.

With Orlando in the final, they become the third Florida team to make it all the way, joining the St. Petersburg Kickers and the Miami Fusion (MLS). This is the first time in 22 years that a Florida team has participated in the final.

Teams from Florida in the Open Cup Final

1989 St. Petersburg Kickers *
2000 Miami Fusion
*-Won US Open Cup

How Orlando City SC got to the Finals

Round 3: Won 2-1 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C)
Round 4: Won 2-1 vs. Philadelphia Union (MLS)
Round of 16: Drew 1-1 vs. Inter Miami CF (MLS) — Advanced on penalties 4-2
Quarterfinals: Drew 1-1 vs. Nashville SC (MLS) — Advanced on penalties 6-5
Semifinals: Won 5-1 vs. New York Red Bulls (MLS)

Orlando opened their 2022 Open Cup run with a 2-1 win at home over the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship in the Third Round. Alexandre Pato and Junior Urso scored second-half goals.

The Lions followed the same script in the Fourth Round when they hosted the Philadelphia Union. After a scoreless first 45 minutes, Orlando scored a pair of goals by Ercan Kara, and a 30-yard rocket from Andres Perea early in the second half. And once again, despite giving up a goal in the 77th minute, Orlando held on for the 2-1 win.

In the Round of 16, it was another matchup of teams from the Sunshine State as Inter Miami CF traveled to Orlando. While there were no goals scored in the first half for the third game in a row, there was also no scoring in the second half. In extra time, the game came alive as each team traded goals in the first seven minutes. Jean Mota would open the scoring in the 94th minute, and Facundo Torres would equalize three minutes later for Orlando. The match would end up in a penalty kick shootout and for the fourth time in as many tries in team history, Orlando would prevail, winning 4-2.

The Quarterfinals saw Orlando City going to penalties once again, this time to topple Nashville SC after a 1-1 extra-time draw. After Hany Mukhtar gave Nashville a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute, Orlando needed every bit of the remaining time to find their equalizer. In the 4th minute of stoppage time, Rodrigo Schlegel sent to game to extra time, scoring from a free kick sent into the goalmouth. After a scoreless extra time. Orlando finally prevailed when goalkeeper Pedro Gallese saved Eric Miller’s penalty to give Orlando a 6-5 shootout win.

Heading into the Semifinals, there were a lot of questions surrounding Orlando’s offensive output over their last number of games. Oscar Pareja went with a new look front line and it paid off and then some. After the Red Bulls opened the scoring late in the first half, Cesar Araujo tied things up just before the half. That led to four goals unanswered in second half for the Lions, en route to a dominant 5-1 win over New York and a first berth to the Open Cup Final.

Orlando City SC (MLS)

12th US Open Cup appearance (6th as MLS)
Overall: 20-11-5 (5-0 PKs) | as MLS: 8-5-5 (5-0 PKs)
Home: 14-4-3 (3-0 PKs) | as MLS: 5-3-3 (3-0 PKs)
MLS: 6-9-4 (4-0 PKs) | as MLS: 4-3-4 (4-0 PKs)
Best finish: 2022 Final

Current Season
12-6-10 (42 pts.) 35 GF 40 GA, 5th in MLS Eastern Conference
Goalscoring leader: Ercan Kara, 9
Assists leader: Mauricio Pereyra, Facundo Torres, 9
Goalkeeping leader: Pedro Gallese, 27 games, 1.44 GAA / 8 clean sheets

Last Three Games

August 21 (MLS): 2-1 win at Charlotte FC
August 28 (MLS): 2-1 win vs New York City FC
August 31 (MLS): 3-2 win vs Seattle Sounders

Former USL Pro opponents take winding roads to meet again in 2022 US Open Cup Final

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With an announced crowd of 18,461, Orlando City SC supporters achieved the third-largest Semifinal attendance in US Open Cup history. Photo: @OrlandoCitySC Twitter
With an announced crowd of 18,461, Orlando City SC supporters achieved the third-largest Semifinal attendance in US Open Cup history in 2019. Photo: @OrlandoCitySC Twitter

Two teams separated by 2,800 miles but connected by a shared season in the USL Pro league in 2014 – Sacramento’s first season of USL play, Orlando’s last before moving up to MLS – are now meeting again for a chance at US Open Cup glory.  Though they only met once due to a geographically-influenced unbalanced schedule – a scoreless draw in front of a sell-out Florida crowd – the two teams split the titles that year.  Orlando City resoundingly claimed the Commissioner’s Cup, the award given for the best regular season record, beating second-place Sacramento by seven points. But their run of form ran out in the playoffs as they fell in the quarterfinals to the eighth-seeded Harrisburg City Islanders, the team that Sacramento had no trouble dispatching in the playoff final to win the 2014 USL Pro championship.

The 2014 USL Pro season was the only time these two teams have been in proximity to each other, and their paths have diverged since then.  Only one player from either team’s 2014 rosters will be on the field or bench in the Open Cup final: Sacramento’s Rodrigo Lopez, who took a winding path in the past eight years and returned to Sacramento before this season (interestingly enough, Lopez was once on Orlando’s roster in their USL days).  One team left to try their luck at top division soccer and the other stayed to find their way in a league landscape that changed around them, hoping to one day follow suit in the first division.

Orlando City enjoyed a lot of success in the USL Pro league, right from the get-go.  The team won the regular season and the championship in their first season, setting the standard for fans with the expectation that they were the best in the league.  The success of that season proved to be no fluke, and they claimed top spot for the regular season three out of four years in USL Pro and winning the championship in 2011 and 2013. But their entrance to MLS was quite a different story.

In 2013, Orlando City SC traveled to Kansas City and upset their second straight MLS opponent. Photo: Jamila St. Ann | Sporting Kansas City
In 2013, Orlando City SC traveled to Kansas City and upset their second straight MLS opponent. Photo: Jamila St. Ann | Sporting Kansas City

 

Despite signing Brazilian Balon d’Or winner, Kaka, the team put on the field by Orlando City wasn’t composed of big names ready to win the league. Orlando struggled in the transition to MLS both on and off the field. Phil Rawlins, who was instrumental in forming the team, relocating to Orlando, and moving up to the top division left, and the team went through three coaches in five years as they went year after year without making the playoffs.

But one area where Orlando didn’t always struggle was connecting with their city.

As Austin David of The Orlando Soccer Journal puts it, after moving the team from Austin to Orlando to play in USL Pro “the ownership was very good at cultivating the community.” They held soccer clinics, community events, and had dedicated staff for their foundation for underprivileged children.

When they moved up to MLS, they seemed to try to continue this trend to market their team to the city at-large, while splashing less cash on famous players (Kaka notwithstanding) than fellow 2015 expansion team New York City FC.

David remembers “Magnet Mondays” where fans could stop by the club office and pick up free car magnets to give to their friends—covering the city with them and making it impossible not to see the team’s presence. But that’s not to say the team ownership hasn’t had a sometimes-contentious relationship with their fanbase. The previous ownership group didn’t seem to make a huge effort to connect, leaving long-time fans with a less-than-friendly, though not necessary adversarial, relationship, particularly around 2017-2019. However, it appears that those brought in by the Wilf family, who purchased the team last summer, have been making an effort to be more active and engaged with fans through meetings, social media, and even dropping by tailgates.

Carlos Alvarado, an Orlando City fan since their inception in USL and member of the Iron Lion Firm, mentioned that “you can tell there’s a proactive approach to it … based on hiring and money in all aspects of the club, at least you can see the genesis of being more involved in the community, which is more initiative and effort than we saw from the former group.” One specific example he mentioned was that there seemed to be more resources given to community relations staff, led by Kay Rawlins.

Meanwhile, as Orlando was trying to find their way in the top division, Sacramento Republic was taking hold of their city and trying to meet the expectations set in their first season of existence. Though the USL Pro team was new to the scene, their welcome was robust. Long-time Republic reporter, Evan Ream, remarked on this reception, saying, “I don’t think anybody knew what to expect before the first home game … Sacramento always supported sports teams in their city , but nobody thought it was going to this big.”

Sacramento Republic fans in 2014. Photo: Twitter @AmericanCasual1
Sacramento Republic fans in 2014. Photo: Twitter @AmericanCasual1



Twenty thousand fans showed up to that first game, setting a single-game record for USL Pro, a record previously set at close to 11,000 by Orlando City in 2013. The team would go on to set a single-season record for attendance, all for a team just getting started. The front office was instrumental in jump starting demand for tickets. Dan Tyree, a Republic supporter and Tower Bridge Battalion member from the start, expanded on this, stating, “they did a good job with supply and demand … They offered two-for-one ticket deals and the stadium was packed several times that season … The club leadership was totally different then, and they were really smart in understanding that community engagement is huge. They had a lot of events outside of the game and cemented lots of long-term relationships.”

Ream described the Republic’s championship in their inaugural season as “one of the best and worst things for Sacramento,” as it set their expectations very high right off the bat. Since that first season, Sacramento hasn’t enjoyed quite the levels of success they hit in 2014.  But they haven’t been unsuccessful either and were consistently one of the better franchises in the league. Though the team’s results have been a little up and down, they made the USL playoffs every single year until 2021 and continued their streak of great attendance at games.

In 2019, they hit another high point, but this time off the field.  The top division of American soccer announced that Sacramento had been successful in their bid for an MLS expansion slot, a goal of the team’s ownership from the very beginning. The team was set to join in 2022 (later pushed back to 2023 due to the pandemic) with the whole city behind them and a plan for a new stadium in the works.

Unfortunately for the city, the pandemic did more than simply push Sacramento’s MLS debut back; it suspended it entirely. In February 2021, Ron Burkle, the team’s lead investor who was to privately finance the new stadium, pulled his investment, leaving the ownership group without the funds to make the jump to the top division. MLS pulled their bid and is set to choose another city to be the 30th team in the league, with no announced plans to continue expansion in the immediate future.  Tyree mentioned this left “a huge amount of bitterness toward MLS” in the Republic’s fanbase. But even so, the plan for a new stadium for the team (albeit a scaled-down version) is still in place, with the possibility to expand the design should the team ownership find new investment and MLS come calling again in the future.



Though both teams have had their trials since their USL Pro clash, there is still plenty for their fans to be proud of.  In a weird pandemic-affected 2020 season, Orlando had a breakout performance led by a front trio of Daryl Dike, Chris Mueller, and Nani in the MLS Is Back Tournament, finishing as runners up to the Portland Timbers. They followed this up with a dramatic first round playoff win in penalties against fellow 2015 MLS debutants New York City FC in which fullback Rodrigo Schlegel had to fill in as keeper after Pedro Gallese received a second yellow card for coming off his line too soon and Orlando was out of substitutions. Orlando would go on to lose in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but the excitement around the team after their first ever playoff win was palpable. On the coaching side, the team has enjoyed stability under Oscar Pareja that has offered room for success. In the front office, the Wilf family acquired the team in July 2021, and they and their new front office staff have been active and engaged with the fanbase and wanting to improve the team.

For Sacramento Republic, MLS bid aside, ownership for the team has been stable since 2014, stadium plans are still a go, and they have been one of the more successful franchises since their debut—making the playoffs every year but last.  And of course, their historic Open Cup run has captured the hearts of not just the city, but the nation. It is rare that a lower-division team makes it to the final (the Republic will be the first non-MLS team to make it since the 2008 Charleston Battery) and even rarer for that lower-division team to beat three top-division sides on their way there. A lower-division team hasn’t won the Open Cup final since the 1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos (who beat four MLS sides on their way to the trophy).

As is fairly common in both the American and international soccer landscape, the relationship between the supporters’ groups for Orlando City and Sacramento Republic and their respective front offices are not always warm and friendly or seeing eye-to-eye, but the fanbases’ passion for their teams is unmatched. Both groups truly believe in their team’s chances at winning the trophy. Alvarado thinks it’s good when teams like Sacramento make it to the final of this tournament, but he doesn’t like their chances of winning. He said, “Sacramento really hasn’t had an MLS side at full-force … they’re going to be walking into hell. Playing in Orlando when Orlando is popping off is a really hard environment.” He goes on to say, “with Orlando not playing the weekend before, they’ll be playing with an A+ team … Sacramento are in for a rough night.”

In 2015, Kaka became just the third World Cup champion in the Modern Era to score a US Open Cup goal. Photo: Orlando City SC
In 2015, Kaka became just the third World Cup champion in the Modern Era to score a US Open Cup goal. Photo: Orlando City SC


On the other side, Tyree sees things a bit differently, mentioning that he wouldn’t be traveling all the way from California to Florida if he didn’t believe they have a chance.

“Knowing these guys, they’re going to have a shot; anything is possible,” he said. “We believe in this team; they have a kind of quiet confidence … this is a different group; they love playing for each other, and they love playing for the city.” He goes on to say that he knows none of the players are getting on that plane thinking they’re going to lose.

When Sacramento Republic came on the USL scene, there were comparisons made with Orlando City’s success in the league and subsequent rise to MLS. People wondered if Sacramento would be the next team to dominate in USL and then move on to bigger and better things.  And though the two clubs have traveled different paths, the teams have both become entrenched in their communities, building a strong foundation for the excitement that is now pulsating through their cities, destined to culminate in a historic and sold-out US Open Cup final: a final taking place nine years to the day after Orlando City’s last trophy win and just twenty days shy of eight years since Sacramento Republic’s.

This year’s tournament has reenergized fan bases in Orlando and Sacramento and fueled excitement through soccer communities there and nationwide. Two teams in different leagues, but with intertwined dreams will meet once again, but only one will get to write their names in the history books as the 2022 US Open Cup champion.

2022 US Open Cup Semifinals: Danny Vitiello of Sacramento Republic voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Danny Vitiello Sacramento Republic 2022 US Open Cup Player of the Round

After 120 minutes of a scoreless draw had passed, the only remaining form of defense left against Sporting Kansas City was Sacramento Republic’s goalkeeper Danny Vitiello. Tied at 4-4 in penalty kicks, only 12 yards separated him from glory and it came down to the last kick. Sporting veteran Graham Zusi stepped up to the dot with the hopes of securing his club’s entry into the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Finals, but Vitiello had other plans.

As Zusi shot the ball to his right, Vitiello reacted quickly to his left and parried the ball wide of the goal. Moments later, Vitiello’s teammate and team captain Rodrigo Lopez sealed their tickets to the Final. Having already saved eight shots on goal from Kansas City and then saving that crucial penalty kick, Danny Vitiello has been voted as TheCup.us Player of the Round for the Semifinals of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

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.

“It’s a great honor. Especially because all 11 guys, along with the subs who came on the pitch, worked their tails off for 120+ minutes,” said Vitiello. “I think a lot of people could’ve been rewarded with it. Defensively, everybody put their bodies on the line and showed tremendous toughness to get the result we did. I’m proud of the whole group.”

At 26 years old, Vitiello night in the spotlight is a drastic change from only a few years ago. Back then, the young goalkeeper was struggling to find a club to really call home. During his time at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany), he spent three seasons with three different Premier Development League clubs, now known as USL League Two. By the end of 2018, Vitiello had amassed a collegiate career line of 60 appearances, earning 24 clean sheets, and a 0.98 goals-against average. In 2019, he signed a professional contract with USL Championship (USL-C) club Nashville SC, only to be loaned out to New Mexico United (also of the USL-C) nine months later. Spending more time on the bench than ever, Vitiello would soon find traction and made good use of his time.

From 2020 to 2021, Vitiello played for his third USL-C club, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds where things began to take off slowly. In his professional debut on Aug. 19, 2020 he earned a clean sheet against reserve side Loudon United. Later that same season, he was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week.  With eight games under his belt, Vitiello had displayed impressive stats: 0.778 save percentage and a 0.50 goals-against average. At the end of the 2020 USL-C season, he was awarded the Golden Glove, which honors the goalkeeper with the lowest goals-against average during the regular season.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

On Dec. 21, 2021, Vitiello signed a contract with Sacramento Republic FC and put himself on course for this epic US Open Cup performance.

“He was someone that we followed for a while,” said Sacramento Republic head coach Mark Briggs about his keeper. “He was recommended to us last year from his previous seasons at Pittsburgh and with our new goalkeeper coach having worked with him previously, it’s just made a lot of sense.”

“He’s a fantastic shot stopper, but for me how he commands his box and relieves pressure by coming for crosses is irreplaceable. On top of that, he’s a top human and wants to win.”

Fast forward to the penalty kicks against Sporting Kansas City. Before the first shot was taken, Vitiello already felt he had the advantage.

“I always go into penalties with the mindset that all the pressure is on the shooter,” said Vitiello. “So knowing that, as a goalkeeper, you just do your best to try and get into their heads before they take their shot and hope they give you a chance at making a save. You always tell yourself all you need is one save and you go from there.”

While describing the team huddle before the penalty kicks, he said, “During the team talk beforehand, guys kept saying that I’d put us in a position to win it and that meant the world to me. But I also have a lot of confidence in my team and know that my teammates hit them really well.”

When Vitiello was told that head coach Mark Briggs was quoted as saying, “We knew that Danny would save one,” it just reminded him of how much trust the group puts in him.

“It just gives you confidence. Mark and the whole coaching staff do a great job showing their belief in every single player that steps on the field and when you have that kind of support, it lets you play more freely and with more fight than ever,”  Vitiello explained. “That is what you see from us on a daily basis – a group that puts in a shift no matter the day, whether it be training or a game. That’s the type of team we have. We play for the name on the front of the jersey and everything/everyone it represents.”

With Vitiello saving Zusi’s shot and Lopez scoring the winning goal, the sold-out crowd at Heart Health Parkr erupted into pure jubilation. One moment, the players celebrated together with a dogpile. The next moment, the players embraced the fans by completing a full lap of high-fives with each outstretched hand. So what will Vitiello remember most about this night?

Sacramento Republic FC players celebrate after defeating Sporting KC 5-4 in a PK shootout (after a scoreless draw) in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC
Sacramento Republic FC players celebrate after defeating Sporting KC 5-4 in a PK shootout (after a scoreless draw) in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC

“It has to be the celebrations, everybody embracing each other knowing we accomplished something so special for our city,” Vitiello said. “From the dog piles, to all the hugging with my teammates, chatting with the Tower Bridge Battalion, seeing my wife on the field and share a moment with her, and the champagne shower in the locker room. It was one of the most special nights of not only my career, but my life.”

“Sacramento, that night was for you,” Vitiello added to the fans. “Without your guys support, we wouldn’t be going to the Cup Final. But the job is not done! And we’re going to need your support more than ever these next couple weeks in the league, as well as September 7th in Orlando. Let’s keep showing why the Sacramento Republic have the best fans in not only USL, but in America!”

Seeing Vitiello use “our city” let’s you know one thing is for sure: he’s found a home.

2022 US Open Cup Semifinals: Sacramento Republic defense carries underdog story to Final with PK shootout win

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Rodrigo Lopez (left) and goalkeeper Danny Vitiello celebrate after Lopez scored the game-winning penalty kick to give Sacramento Republic a 5-4 win over Sporting KC in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC
Rodrigo Lopez (left) and goalkeeper Danny Vitiello celebrate after Lopez scored the game-winning penalty kick to give Sacramento Republic a 5-4 win over Sporting KC in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC

In front of an electric, raucous and sold out Heart Health Park, Sacramento Republic FC played host to Sporting Kansas City FC Wednesday night in a semifinal match as part of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The two teams took the field minutes after the other semifinal match of the tournament was decided with Orlando City FC taking care of New York Red Bulls 5-1.

After a scoreless draw, the match would be ultimately decided by penalty kicks, with Republic FC winning 5-4 to advance to the 107th US Open Cup Final against Orlando City SC. With the penalty shootout tied at 4-4, it was Republic FC goalkeeper Danny Vitiello saving the final penalty shot from Graham Zusi and then Republic FC captain Rodrigo Lopez sealing the victory with a firm strike.  

With the win, Republic FC become just the third lower division club to knock out more than two MLS teams in one Open Cup and the first USL club to make the Final since Charleston Battery did it in 2008. Sacramento also extend their home unbeaten streak in the tournament to 12 games which is the longest active streak.

The Republic also became the first Northern California club to reach the US Open Cup Final in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present). Only eight Nor Cal teams in the 107-year history of the tournament have reached the Final, with the last coming in 1994 when Greek American AC (San Francisco) lifted the trophy just outside of Philadelphia. They will try to be the sixth Northern California team to win the competition.

Northern California teams in the US Open Cup Final
1962 – San Francisco Scots  (Lost)
1976 – San Francisco AC (Won)
1985 – Greek American AC (Won)
1988 – Greek American AC (Lost)
1992 – San Jose Oaks (Won)
1993 – CD Mexico (Won)
1994 – Greek American AC (Won)
2022 – Sacramento Republic FC (??)

“I thought the boys gave everything and played their hearts out,” said Republic FC manager Mark Briggs. “The boys hung in there, created opportunities at times, and all that matters is that we’re in the final. Everything else is a little bit blurry at this moment to be honest.”

Republic FC punched their ticket to the semifinal following a thrilling 2-1 road victory over LA Galaxy on June 21, while Sporting Kansas City earned their way into the semifinal with a 6-0 win over Union Omaha a day later and ending their magical run in the tournament.

The match started with a bang as both sides generated solid opportunities in the first five minutes. Following the flurry of early activity, Sporting Kansas City held the majority of the possession for the next 20 minutes, and created multiple chances to go ahead early. Republic FC eventually settled into the match creating opportunities of their own over the final 25 minutes, including a chance in the 40th minute when a series of shots and headers bounced in and around the front of goal, but the threat was ultimately fended off. 

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Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

In the second half, Republic FC mustered their best chance in the 62th minute, when a cross from Rodrigo Lopez wasn’t cleared well by Sporting Kansas City. The ball popped right out in front of goal, but Republic FC’s midfielder Keko Gontan’s right footed blast was cleared brilliantly by Sporting goalkeeper John Pulskamp to keep the match scoreless. 

In the first 15 minutes of extra time, Kansas City’s Danny Salloi received a lovely through ball and his shot violently hit the crossbar. The subsequent rebound would go just over the crossbar. Sporting would link up other dangerous chances in extra time, but Vitiello made save after save, like he had been doing all match, to keep his team in it and earning Man of the Match honors. 

After neither team could find a goal in extra time, the drama continued into the penalty kick shootout.

After both teams converted their first two attempts, William Agada of Sporting KC stepped up to begin Round 3. Vitiello dove to his right to save Agada’s attempt, but the referee ordered Agada to re-take it as they ruled that Vitiello had come off his line too early. Agada would take advantage of the second chance by scoring and then celebrated with an acrobatic backflip which drew loud boos from the partisan crowd.

After both teams traded goals, Sporting was up 4-3 when Sacramento’s Maalique Foster stepped up to the spot. The Jamaican, in a clutch situation, stunned the crowd by chipping the ball ever so lightly right down the middle, panenka-style. The goalkeeper dove to his right and was helpless to stop it. Foster answered Agada’s gymnastics routine by doing a backflip of his own.

Moments later, U.S. international Graham Zusi stepped up to begin Round 5 and Vitiello guessed correctly by diving to his left giving Sacramento’s Rodrigo Lopez, the tournament’s co-leading scorer, a chance to send them to the championship game. The captain would not miss and the sold-out stadium erupted.

Following the match, Vitiello reflected on what this win meant to him and his teammates.

“To be playing for such a prestigious club like Sacramento right now, it means the world to me,” said Vitiello. “This group is unbelievable, what we’ve achieved in such a short time together, and to be able to put out performances like we did tonight … it’s unreal for such amazing fans who did their job tonight and came out with all they did.”

The talk prior to the match was that this was the biggest game in Republic FC history. Those who witnessed the Miracle at Bonney in 2014, which propelled the Republic into the USL Final, believe that was the biggest game in club history. Few would argue Wednesday night’s Semifinal will replace the ‘Miracle’ as the club’s greatest moment.

Only one non-MLS team has won the US Open Cup in the tournament’s Modern Era. Now, Sacramento is one win away from joining the 1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos in the record books. Republic FC advance to the Final where they will play on the road against Major League Soccer’s Orlando City SC on Sept. 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.  

2022 US Open Cup Semifinals: Big second half sends Orlando City past Red Bulls, Lions to host first Final

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Facundo Torres of Orlando City SC celebrates after scoring a goal against the New York Red Bulls in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Orlando City SC
Facundo Torres of Orlando City SC celebrates after scoring a goal against the New York Red Bulls in the 2022 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Orlando City SC

For the first time in their club history, the Lions are heading to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final. 

The New York Red Bulls may have struck first but Orlando City scored five unanswered to claim a 5-1 victory during Wednesday’s semifinal match in front of an announced attendance of 11,612 at a rain-soaked Exploria Stadium. 

“For us, it was believing it was a very important game for us,” Orlando head coach Oscar Pareja said after the game. “We come from a series of games where the players showed a lot of energy and we haven’t been that solid offensively and today the players took Orlando to another final, scoring five goals, and we hope it can serve them well but today a big game for the club and for them.” 

Lewis Morgan opened the scoring for the Red Bulls in the first minute of first-half stoppage time after a turnover from Alexandre Pato resulted in a New York counterattack, which resulted in Klimala finding Morgan to strike the ball past Gallese. 

The lead was short-lived, however. Four minutes later before halftime, Cesar Araujo tied the game after a corner kick from Mauricio Pereyra found Antonio Carlos, who headed the ball off the post before the Uruguayan midfielder cleaned up the play for the equalizer. 

Pereyra made it 2-1 in the opening minutes of the second half after a cross from Joao Moutinho found the Orlando City captain to strike the ball past keeper Carlos Coronel in the 47th minute. 

The scoring continued in the 62nd minute when Araujo notched his brace after striking the ball off a corner kick that originally found Benji Michel before landing at Araujo to strike home the play for a 3-1 lead. 

Facundo Torres added to the tally with Orlando’s fourth after a ball played by Junior Urso found the Young Designated Player to tuck the ball past Coronel. 

Benjo Michel capped the scoring in the 83rd minute after striking the ball past the keeper off a cross from Torres to make it 5-1. 

“I think the confidence that they show today as a group helped them a lot to put the things together,” added Pareja. “The team showed that we have talent and cohesiveness among the players. It’s just trying to get that consistency, and it’s a long season. The thing is we are aware of the things that we need to work on and today we showed ourselves that we have the tools to do it right.”

It was the first time this season that Orlando scored five goals. 

Wednesday’s result also marks the first time a Florida team returns to the Open Cup final since the Miami Fusion, which lost the 2000 edition against the Chicago Fire. 

The St. Petersburg Kickers are the only Florida team to win the tournament, and they lifted the trophy in 1989. 

Orlando City season ticket holders can purchase tickets to the final beginning Thursday at 2 p.m., and the general public will be able to purchase on Friday also at 2 p.m.

The Lions will play the Sacramento Republic FC on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. at Exploria Stadium. If Orlando is able to lift the trophy, they would be the first club in the Modern Era to win six home games en route to a championship.

2022 US Open Cup Semifinals Preview: Underdog Sacramento face 4-time champs Sporting KC; Red Bulls, Orlando City seeking first USOC trophy

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2022 US Open Cup Semifinals Preview

The Semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup have a little bit of everything in the four clubs seeking a spot in the Final.

New York Red Bulls: The team that has struggled in the Open Cup since switching to the Red Bulls name, not only find themselves within reach of their first Cup championship. They also sit near the top of the MLS standings with a chance at a double.

Orlando City SC: A team who began their Open Cup history outside of MLS as a USL club, look to better their semifinal performance in 2019 and claim their first Open Cup title.

Sacramento Republic FC: The non-MLS underdog, just the ninth different team from outside of MLS to reach the semis, also hold a 16-1-0 all-time record in Open Cup home games.

Sporting Kansas City: Despite being stuck in dead last in the MLS Western Conference with a 5-12-5 record, the four-time Open Cup champions have made their way to the final four in search of title number five, which would make them the first Modern Era team to tie the all-time record.

The Red Bulls and Orlando City kick off the night at Orlando’s Exploria Stadium at 7:30 p.m., and Sacramento will welcome Sporting Kansas City to Heart Health Park, a venue that has been sold out for a week in advance of this historic game.

Orlando City SC players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Orlando City SC players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC

New York Red Bulls (MLS) at Orlando City SC (MLS)
Exploria Stadium; Orlando, FL
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

Two teams who have never lifted the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup face off at Exploria Stadium in Orlando for a chance to capture the hardware in September.

After a few years of mid-table finishes, the Red Bulls have risen to their 2018 form when they won the MLS Supporters’ Shield. The Red Bulls are currently third in the MLS Eastern Conference, looking up at rivals Philadelphia Union and New York City FC. The club is one of a handful in MLS whose road record (7-3-2) is better than their home mark (3-3-4). Their record on the road in Open Cup games lags behind their current league season, sitting at 13-13-1 with 1 win on penalties.

As the MetroStars the club put in respectable performances in the Open Cup, reaching the Semifinals three times (1997, 1998, 2000) and hosting the Final in 2003 (falling to the Chicago Fire 1-0). Once the club switched to New York Red Bulls, their Open Cup struggles began. In seven tournaments from 2006-2014 the Red Bulls failed to make it past a second game, and three times they were one-and-done. Finally, in 2015, things started to turn around. A semifinals appearance in 2015 was followed by a return to the Final in 2017 (losing on the road to Sporting KC).

The New York Red Bulls celebrate the game-winning goal against FC Cincinnati in the 101st minute in the 2017 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Ryan Meyer | New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls celebrate the game-winning goal against FC Cincinnati in the 101st minute in the 2017 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Ryan Meyer | New York Red Bulls

Orlando City come into the game sitting fifth in the MLS Eastern Conference, although their recent league performance has slipped a bit. The club has just five points from their last five league games. Midfielder Mauricio Pereyra is tied for fourth in the MLS assists leaderboard with nine.

Orlando City SC started their Open Cup journey in 2009 as the Austin Aztex in the USL Pro League, advancing three rounds deep in 2009 & 2010. After two years the team moved to Orlando where they continued to have moderate Open Cup success, including a run to the Quarterfinals in 2013. In 2014, they moved on to MLS and repeated their Quarterfinal run in 2015 and 2018. They finally broke through to the Semifinals in 2019 where they fell to rival Atlanta United 2-0.

Teams from Florida only began participating in the Open Cup in 1979, and Orlando City’s entry into this year’s Semifinals marks just the ninth time a team from the Sunshine State has advanced this far. The St. Petersburg Kickers are the only Florida team to have won the Open Cup, doing so in 1989. The Miami Fusion (MLS) are the only other Florida team to reach the Final, doing so in 2000.

Teams from Florida in the Open Cup Semifinals

1979 – H. Brooks Dodge Chargers (St. Petersburg)
1982 – St. Petersburg Kickers
1984 – HRC Kickers (St. Petersburg)
1989 – St. Petersburg Kickers **
1993 – McCormick Kickers (St. Petersburg)
1994 – McCormick Kickers
2000 – Miami Fusion *
2019 – Orlando City SC
*-Reached Open Cup Final
**-Won Open Cup

Florida vs. NY & NJ in the Open Cup Semifinals

1979: Brooklyn Dodgers 3:0 H. Brooks Dodge Chargers

The very first time a Florida team met a team from New York & New Jersey was on June 3, 1979, it was the first year that teams from Florida entered the competition 1979 was also the first year the Open Cup was divided into four regions: Region I (Northeast) Region II (Midwest), Region III (South), and Region IV (West) with the winners of the four regions advancing to the Semifinals. The Chargers opponents at Norton Park in St. Petersburg, FL were the Brooklyn Dodgers, later to be known as the Brooklyn Italians.

Rick Monteveiro and Mike Malenkowju scored in the opening half for Brooklyn and Ciocchi added another in the second for a 3-0 win for the Dodgers. Brooklyn would win the Open Cup two weeks later over Croatian SC of Chicago.

1979 US Open Cup champions Brooklyn Dodgers
1979 US Open Cup champions Brooklyn Dodgers

1984: HRC Kickers 1:3 A.O. Krete

Florida took on a NY/NJ team again on June 23, 1984 at the St. Louis Soccer Park in Fenton, MO. This time their opponents were A.O. Krete of the Hellenic American Soccer League, a team that had previously never made a serious run in the tournament. Krete came out 3-1 winners behind a pair of goals from Michael Malenkow and another from Mirko Popovski, while the Kickers lone score was an own goal. Like the Brooklyn Dodgers three years earlier, Krete won the Open Cup over Croatian SC of Chicago.

2000: Miami Fusion 3:2 MetroStars

On Sept. 12, 2000, the New York Red Bulls were involved in the third Florida-NY/NJ encounter under their former identity of the MetroStars. The Miami Fusion were their opponents and Florida finally came out on top, 3-2 at the Mitchell Athletic Complex in Uniondale, NY. Andy Williams’ opening goal for Miami was countered by a Billy Walsh equalizer for the Metros. In the second half Welton and Diego Serna put the Fusion on top for good, and Adolfo Valencia gave the MetroStars a glimmer of hope with a late goal. Miami would fall short of an Open Cup title against the Chicago Fire a month later.

How New York Red Bulls got to the Semifinals
Round 3: Won 2-1 at Hartford Athletic (USL-C)
Round 4: Won 3-0 at D.C. United (MLS)
Round of 16: Won 3-1 vs. Charlotte FC (MLS)
Quarterfinals: Won 3-0 vs. New York City FC (MLS)

The Red Bulls reached the Fourth Round with a 2-1 win over Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship. Early goals from Lewis Morgan and Aaron Long was all NYRB needed while out-shooting Hartford, 30-4.

The Red Bulls had no trouble with their Fourth Round encounter with rivals D.C. United, leaving D.C’s Audi Field with a 3-0 win. Luquinhas opened the scoring in first half stoppage time, and John Tolkin added another just after halftime. Zach Ryan put the game to bed with his 68th-minute goal.

In the Round of 16 the Red Bulls played host to Charlotte FC at Montclair State University and sent the visitors back to the Queen City with 3-1 loss. Patryk Klimala put the Red Bulls on top after just two minutes, but Daniel Rios tied the game for Charlotte six minutes later. Dylan Nealis put New York on top for good in the 61st minute, and Tom Barlow added a goal in stoppage time.

In the Quarterfinals, the Red Bulls were tasked with hosting their Big Apple rivals, New York City FC, and NYRB ended up running away with a 3-0 win. After a scoreless opening half, Lewis Morgan scored in the 52nd minute, followed 18 minutes later by a Luquinas goal. Omir Fernandez topped the victory off with a stoppage time score.

How Orlando City SC got to the Semifinals
Round 3: Won 2-1 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C)
Round 4: Won 2-1 vs. Philadelphia Union (MLS)
Round of 16: Drew 1-1 vs. Inter Miami CF (MLS) — Advanced on penalties 4-2
Quarterfinals: Drew 1-1 vs. Nashville SC (MLS) — Advanced on penalties 6-5

Orlando opened their 2022 Open Cup run with a 2-1 win at home over the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship in the Third Round. Alexandre Pato and Junior Urso scored second half goals.

City followed the same script in the Fourth Round when they hosted the Philadelphia Union. After a scoreless first 45 minutes, Orlando scored a pair of goals by Ercan Kara, and a 30-yard rocket from Andres Perea early in the second half. And once again, despite giving up a goal in the 77th minute, Orlando held on for the 2-1 win.

In the Round of 16, it was another matchup of teams from the Sunshine State as Inter Miami CF traveled to Orlando. While there were no goals scored in the first half for the third game in a row, there was also no scoring in the second half. In extra time, the game came alive as each team traded goals in the first seven minutes. Jean Mota would open the scoring in the 94th minute and Facundo Torres would equalize three minutes later for Orlando. The match would end up in a penalty kick shootout and for the fourth time in as many tries in team history, Orlando would prevail, winning 4-2. 

The Quarterfinals saw Orlando City going to penalties once again, this time to topple Nashville SC after a 1-1 extra time draw. After Hany Mukhtar gave Nashville a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute, Orlando needed every bit of the remaining time to find their equalizer. In the 4th minute of stoppage time, Rodrigo Schlegel sent to game to extra time, scoring from a free kick sent into the goalmouth. After a scoreless extra time. Orlando finally prevailed when goalkeeper Pedro Gallese saved Eric Miller’s penalty to give Orlando a 6-5 shootout win

Orlando City SC (MLS)
12th US Open Cup appearance (6th as MLS)
Overall: 19-11-5 (5-0 PKs) | as MLS: 7-5-5 (5-0 PKs)
Home: 13-4-3 (3-0 PKs) | as MLS: 4-3-3 (3-0 PKs)
vs. MLS: 5-9-4 (4-0 PKs) | as MLS: 3-3-4 (4-0 PKs)
Best finish: Semifinals (2019, 2022)

Current Season
8-8-6 (30 pts.) 26 GF 31 GA, 5th in MLS Eastern Conference
Goalscoring leader: Ercan Kara, 7
Assists leader: Mauricio Pereyra, 9
Goalkeeping leader: Pedro Gallese, 21 games, 1.43 GAA / 7 clean sheets

Last Three Games
July 13 (MLS): 1-1 draw at Colorado Rapids
July 17 (MLS): 1-1 draw at Atlanta United
July 23 (MLS): 1-0 loss vs. Philadelphia Union

New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
22nd US Open Cup appearance
Overall: 26-20-3 (2-1 PKs)
Away: 13-13-1 (1-0 PKs)
vs. MLS: 11-12-3 (2-1 PKs)
Best finish: Final (2003, 2017)

Current Season
8-4-5 29 Pts., 34 GF 25 GA, 3rd in MLS Eastern Conference
Goalscoring leader: Lewis Morgan, 9
Assists leader: Omir Fernandez, 6
Goalkeeping leader: Carlos Coronel, 21 games, 1.10 GAA, 5 clean sheets

Last Three Games
July 9 (MLS): 1-1 draw at FC Cincinnati
July 17 (MLS): 1-0 loss vs. New York FC
July 24 (MLS): 4-3 win at Austin FC

The Sacramento Republic celebrate after the club's 2-0 home win over the San Jose Earthquakes in the Round of 16 of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC
The Sacramento Republic celebrate after the club’s 2-0 home win over the San Jose Earthquakes in the Round of 16 of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC


Sporting Kansas City (MLS) at Sacramento Republic (USL-C)
Heart Health Park; Sacramento, CA
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN+

It’s the underdogs from the USL Championship seeking to continue writing new club history versus an MLS team mired in a miserable season looking to take advantage of perhaps their lone chance at a trophy in 2022.

Sacramento’s current USL Championship season has been middle of the road so far, as they sit in seventh place in the Western Conference in the final playoff spot. Rodrigo Lopez is the undisputed team leader, and he sits atop the Open Cup stats leaderboard with four goals and four assists.

Sacramento Republic have used the 2022 US Open Cup to reverse some negative trends in their cup history. First, they finally overcame the San Jose Earthquakes, whom Sacramento had gone 0-4 against in the Open Cup. Next, they reversed their poor performance on the road in the Cup with an away win over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Sacramento had a 1-4-1 road record in cup play, all four losses, including a penalty kick loss, coming at the hands of MLS clubs.

Sacramento has one huge advantage in that they posses one of the best home Open Cup records in the Modern Era at 16-1-0. They are in the middle of an 11-game winning streak, which ranks fourth since 1996. Their last home loss was a 3-1 upset by the PDL’s (USL-2) Kitsap Pumas in the Third Round in 2016.

Home Open Cup winning streaks (Modern Era)
17 – LA Galaxy (2001 Rd. 2-2016 QF)
16 – Seattle Sounders (2008 Rd. 2-2-04 Rd. 4)
14 – Chicago Fire (1998 Final-2008 Rd. 3)
11 – Sacramento Republic (2017 Rd. 2-Current)

Sacramento also joins an exclusive list with their first ever Semifinal appearance, becoming just the ninth different non-MLS club to reach this stage since 1996, and the first since FC Cincinnati in 2017. The 2008 Charleston Battery and 1996 Rochester Raging Rhinos made it to the Final, and the 1999 Rhinos famously became the only team outside MLS to win the Open Cup in the Modern Era.

Non-MLS semifinalists since 1996
2017 FC Cincinnati (USL)
2011 Richmond Kickers (USL Pro)
2009 Rochester Rhinos (USL First Division)
2008 Seattle Sounders (USL First Division)
2008 Charleston Battery (USL First Division) *
2007 Carolina RailHawks (USL First Division)
2007 Seattle Sounders (USL First Division)
2006 Minnesota Thunder (USL First Division)
2004 Charleston Battery (A-League)
1999 Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League) **
1999 Charleston Battery (A-League)
1997 San Francisco Bay Seals (USISL D3 Pro)
1996 Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League) *
*Reached Open Cup Final
**Won the Open Cup

Sporting Kansas City are making their sixth Semifinals appearance, having converted the previous five into four Open Cup championships. They’ll hope to make it to their fifth Open Cup Final to balance out what has been a disastrous MLS season. Perhaps the high point in the MLS season thus far for SKC was a stretch of six games in April & May where they went 1-1-4.

Johnny Russell of Sporting KC talks to his teammates in the huddle before the club's 2022 US Open Cup Fifth Round match against the Houston Dynamo. Photo: Sporting KC
Johnny Russell of Sporting KC talks to his teammates in the huddle before the club’s 2022 US Open Cup Fifth Round match against the Houston Dynamo. Photo: Sporting KC

However, a team in last place going so deep in the Open Cup is nothing new. 11 times a team that finished in last place in their MLS Conference have reached the Open Cup Semifinals. Kansas City did it in 2002 as the Wizards with a 9-10-9 record, but KC made the playoffs since 8 of the 10 teams qualified for the MLS postseason that year. D.C. United and the Chicago Fire have pulled it off three times each, with Chicago making the Final in 2004 with a 8-13-9 mark, and D.C. winning the Open Cup with a 3-27-7 record.

This feat isn’t just limited to MLS clubs. In 2004 the A-League Charleston Battery reached the Semifinals and finished second to last in the A-League with a 7-15-6 record. Going all the way back to 1937, the New York Americans won the Open Cup that year over Shamrocks from St. Louis despite finishing last in the American Soccer Leagues National Division at 4-11-7.

Granted, Sporting KC have a few more months to move out of last place and keep their name off this infamous list.

Last place MLS teams to reach Semifinals (end of season record)
1996 – Colorado Rapids 11-21 (Replacement for Colorado Foxes)
1997 – MetroStars 13-19
2001 – D.C. United 8-16-2
2002 – Kansas City Wizards 9-10-9 – MADE MLS PLAYOFFS
2004 – Chicago Fire 8-13-9 – MADE OPEN CUP FINAL
2010 –  D.C. United 6-20-4
2010 – Chivas USA 8-18-4
2012 – Chivas USA 7-18-9
2013 – D.C. United 3-24-7 – WON OPEN CUP
2015 – Chicago Fire 8-20-6
2016 – Chicago Fire 7-17-10

Non-MLS
2004 – Charleston Battery (A-League) 7-15-6 (finished 2nd to last in A-League)
1937 – New York Americans (ASL) 4-11-7 (last place in ASL National Division)

17 of SKC’s last 21 Open Cup opponents going back to 2014 have been fellow MLS clubs. Ironically, two of those games were against Minnesota United before that club joined MLS. This year marks the first time Kansas City have faced more that one team from outside MLS in a single tournament since 2013, when they defeated the Des Moines Menace of the PDL (USL-2) 2-0 in the Third Round, then lost to Orlando City of USL Pro 1-0 a game later.

How Sporting Kansas City got to the Semifinals
Round 4: Won 4-2 (AET) vs. FC Dallas (MLS)
Round of 16: Won 2-1 vs. Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Quarterfinals: Won 6-0 vs. Union Omaha (USL-1)

Sporting KC began their Open Cup journey in dramatic fashion. The four-time champs overcame a 2-0 halftime deficit to FC Dallas, scored an equalizer deep into second half stoppage time, and then tacked on two more goals in extra time to prevail 4-2. Marinos Tzionis scored the late equalizer for his first goal for Sporting KC. Four minutes into extra time an own goal from Edwin Cerrillo put KC up for good, and Khiry Shelton made it 4-2 in the 113th minute.

SKC would reach the Quarterfinals for the 12th time with a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo. Their 12 Quarterfinal appearances are tied for fifth-most in the tournament’s 107-year history. Johnny Russell scored both goals for Sporting, who was playing Houston for the fifth time in the last six tournaments.

Sporting KC had to play the role of the villain in the Quarterfinals, crushing Union Omaha 6-0 to end the Cinderella run of the USL League One club. Daniel Salloi (10th minute) and Kortne Ford (37th minute) gave KC a 2-0 halftime lead, but soon after the break the floodgates opened. Within 20 minutes in the second half the lead was 5-0 on goals from Salloi (53rd), Khiry Shalton (56th) and Felipe Hernandez (66th). Fernandez added a sixth in the 81st minute,

How Sacramento Republic got to the Semifinals
Round 2: Won 6-0 vs. Portland Timbers U23 (USL-2)
Round 3: Won 2-1 vs. Central Valley Fuego (USL-1)
Round 4: Won 2-0 vs. Phoenix Rising FC (USL-C)
Round of 16: Won 2-0 vs. San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
Quarterfinals: Won 2-1 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)

Sacramento had no trouble beating the Portland Timbers U-23s in the Second Round. Sacramento held a 6-0 lead at halftime and eased up in the second half so as not to run up the score on the youngsters. 

In Round 3, it was Rodrigo Lopez to the rescue again. After assisting on the opening goal of the game, Central Valley Fuego (USL-1) equalized in the second half. Lopez then scored the game-winner from the penalty spot five minutes deep into second half stoppage time to send the Republic into Round 4.

In the Fourth Round, Sacramento hosted a battle of USL Championship Western Conference rivals, facing off with Phoenix Rising. Republic added to their outstanding home Open Cup record with a 2-0 win, Luis Felipe scoring in the first half and Douglas Martinez adding the second in the 88th minute.

In the Round of 16, Sacramento broke through the San Jose blockade, beating the Earthquakes for the first time in Open Cup play in four tries. Over 11,000 packed Heart Health Park in Sacramento on a sweltering night. Luis Felipe opened the scoring in the 28th minute on a Rodrigo Lopez assist, and then Lopez closed out the game with a fantastic shot in the 84th minute to propel Sacramento to the Quarterfinals for the first time.

The Republic booked their first-ever Semifinal appearance with a 2-1 upset over the Los Angeles Galaxy away from home. Rodrigo Lopez got Sacramento started quickly with a 4th minute goal, but Conor Donovan gifted the Galaxy an equalizer through an own goal. In the 70th minute a shot by Luis Felipe from outside the penalty area found its way past Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsman, and Sacramento held on for the remaining 20 minutes,

Sporting Kansas City (Major League Soccer)
22nd US Open Cup appearance
Overall: 31-15-6 (4-2 PKs)
Away: 8-8-4 (2-2 PKs)
vs. Division 2: 7-2-2 (1-1 PKs)
Best finish: U.S. Open Cup Champions (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017)

Current Season
5-13-5 20 Pts., 19 GF 40 GA, 14th in MLS Western Conference
Goalscoring leader: Johnny Russell, 6
Assists leader: Cameron Duke, Felipe Hernandez, 3
Goalkeeping leader: Tim Melia, 21 games, 1.65 GAA / 4 clean sheets

Last Three Games
July 9 (MLS): 1-1 draw at Minnesota United
July 17 (MLS): 3-0 loss at Real Salt Lake
July 23 (MLS): 2-0 loss vs. Los Angeles FC

Sacramento Republic FC (USL Championship)
7th US Open Cup appearance
Overall: 18-5-1 (0-1 PKs)
Home: 16-1-0
vs. MLS: 4-4-1 (0-1 PKs)
Best finish: Semifinals (2022)

Current Season
8-5-6 30 Pts., 22 GF 19 GA, 7th in USL Championship Western Conference
Goalscoring leader: Maalique Foster, 4
Assists leader: Rodrigo Lopez, 3
Goalkeeping leader: Daniel Vitiello, 14 games, 1.14 GAA / 3 clean sheets

Last Three Games
July 9 (USL-C): 3-3- draw vs. Oakland Roots
July 16 (USL-C): 1-0 loss vs. Birmingham Legion FC
July 23 (USL-C): 0-0 draw at Phoenix Rosing FC

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