Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

2024 US Open Cup

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: Kalani Kossa-Rienzi’s late winner sends Seattle Sounders past Phoenix Rising, back to Quarterfinals

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Kalani Kossa-Rienzi of the Seattle Sounders celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner -Sounders FC Communications
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi of the Seattle Sounders celebrates after scoring the go-ahead goal against Phoenix Rising FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner -Sounders FC Communications

The Seattle Sounders FC hosted Phoenix Rising FC in a Round of 16 match at Starfire Sports Complex on Wednesday night. Starfire, in Tukwila, Wash., continues to be a fortress for Seattle as the four-time Open Cup champions came back in the second half to beat the defending USL Championship title holders, 2-1.

The Sounders have now lost just once in 25 all-time games at Starfire (22-1-2) and will advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.  

Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer rotated his squad heavily, with only two normal starters in the game and a bench mostly composed of call-ups from the Sounders’ USL affiliate Tacoma Defiance. Working through a stretch of eight games in 24 days, Schmetzer elected to dig deep into the roster and trust a number of players with less first team experience.

Phoenix took advantage, testing the Sounders throughout the match and looking like the better team for long stretches. However the Sounders flipped the script in the second half as Kalani Kossa-Rienzi scored a late winner to advance.

The Sounders looked comfortable to start the match at home, holding possession and often maintaining passing sequences deep in Phoenix’s half. Sounders midfielder Dany Leyva almost started the game with a bang, nearly scoring off a 5th minute corner, smashing it off the crossbar. However Phoenix fielded a very strong lineup and remained compact, absorbing the pressure and releasing forward Remi Cabral on a number of runs in behind the Sounders back line. Their quality showed through after 15 minutes, with a long stretch of possession leading to a number of opportunities. 

Despite Phoenix controlling the game, Sounders forward Danny Musovski got in behind twice in the 41st minute and should have scored to take the lead. Phoenix made the Sounders pay for their misses and their pressure paid off, with Sounders standout midfielder from the last round Dany Levya committing a penalty just before halftime.

Cabral took advantage and sent last round’s penalty hero Andrew Thomas the wrong way to take the lead. Cabral is the second in his family to score against the Sounders this year, with his twin brother Kevin Cabral scoring for the Rapids against the Sounders earlier this year in MLS play.

Coming out of halftime the tides began to turn in the Sounders favor, and in the 60th minute Alex Roldan subbed in and looked to take over the game. In the 67th minute he hit a strike from well outside the box that took a deflection and then hit a hand in the box. He stepped up and buried the penalty past a diving Patrick Rakovsky, who guessed the right way but couldn’t push the ball around the post.

The game looked destined for extra time, until Tacoma Defiance call-up Kalani Kossa-Rienzi won the game for the Sounders with a skillful 88th minute finish. He had shifted forward a line just minutes before after playing at right back the entire game, with Sounders coach Schmetzer saying “that was something we saw from him in preseason” and “It made sense for us to move a player like that with attacking ability forward at that point.”

Kossa-Rienzi took a flicked ball from Danny Musovski off his chest with his back to goal, took two touches laterally past three defenders, and wrapped his foot around the ball to send it into the top corner. Almost more impressive than the touch was his handspring/backflip goal celebration, reminding many in the Starfire Stadium crowd of Sounders legend Obafemi Martins.

After winning the US Open Cup four of their first six years as an MLS team (2009-2011, 2014), this is the furthest the Sounders have advanced in eight years. They’ll look to capitalize on the opportunity on the road against the Sacramento Republic in the next round.

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: FC Dallas holds off Tampa Bay Rowdies to earn historic trip to Quarterfinals

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Logan Farrington of FC Dallas celebrates with Marco Farfan after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Round of 16 in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Dallas.
Logan Farrington of FC Dallas celebrates with Marco Farfan after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Round of 16 in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Dallas.

In the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 16 matchup between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC Dallas, the Texans were able to overcome a determined club in St. Petersburg, Fla. While the hometown team challenged their opponents, a difference in quality was most apparent between these teams when it came to finishing. Despite looking dominant at times, the second division Rowdies from the USL Championship had a terrible time beating Maarten Paes, in net for the Major League Soccer side. Dallas’s finishing, including from outside of the box, put them ahead and they would not relinquish the lead, winning 2-1. 

With the win, Dallas punches their ticket to the Quarterfinals for the 17th time. This ties them with Kutis Soccer Club (St. Louis area) for the most Quarterfinal appearances in the history of the competition, dating back to 1913. Dallas will take on Sporting Kansas City in the next round the week of July 9-10. FCD has never defeated Sporting in four previous attempts.

From the very first minute, the hosts wanted to take it to their opponents. Tampa Bay won two corners off of two very dangerous shots in the second minute. As per usual for the Green and Gold, most of the chance creation stemmed from their wingbacks, Blake Bodily on the left and Pacifique Niyongabire on the right. Despite some slight rotation in the attacking positions, the Rowdies were able to break through Dallas multiple times. 

As the adage goes, you have to put your chances away. Failing to do so opened the door for the top-tier visitors to put themselves ahead – and they would walk right through at times. Two goals in ten minutes for the Toros both started from set pieces going down Dallas’s right side. The first was a short corner which found Jesus Ferreira’s feet. At the top of the box sat Patrickson Delgado, waiting for his chance. Perfectly placed off the left peg, the Ecuadorian rifled it into the net.

The second goal in the 26th minute looked easier, as Logan Farrington was seemingly able to waltz into the Rowdies’ box and pick out a corner. 

Going into the second half, both teams started much the way they did in the first 45 minutes. The Rowdies were aggressive and got after it yet again. They wanted to be the protagonists and created many chances. This would play out in the final statistics. Tampa Bay ended the game with 30 total shots, of which 10 were on target. Their Big Chances tally, according to FotMob, was five. These are numbers that usually would lead to a win. The problem? Maarten Paes was in net for Dallas. 

Paes, who recently received his Indonesian citizenship, became a mixture at times between a brick wall and an agile cat. He refused to be beat from point-blank range on several occasions. The only way the hosts could get past him ultimately came from the final of their Big Chances, one taken from the penalty spot. Carl Sainte gave away the foul and Josh Perez stepped up to slot it home.

The Rowdies would not have enough time after that to create anything strong enough to slip past Maarten’s paws again. 

The game ended 2-1 for the visitors and they will move on to the Quarterfinals.

Dallas manager Nico Estevez noted how far his team have come after the game.

“We’re happy with advancing after a lot of years. Now we have that chance,” said Estevez.

He said of the Tampa Bay Rowdies: “For these teams this is the game of the year. Tampa is also a really good team. Trust me: this team is a really good team.” He also noted that during the 90 minutes, his side “didn’t come into the game with the right intensity. Tampa did. We were very effective and ruthless.” That will be the final takeaway from this tie: ruthlessness in the attack.  

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: Indy Eleven first Indiana club to reach Quarterfinals in 32 years after shutout of Detroit City FC

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Benjamin Ofeimu of Indy Eleven celebrates after scoring a goal against Detroit City FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Schlotzhauer - Indy Eleven
Ben Ofeimu of Indy Eleven celebrates after scoring a goal against Detroit City FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Trevor Ruszkowski – Indy Eleven

Three first half goals and a solid defensive effort was enough to propel Indy Eleven to a 3-0 home win over Detroit City FC on Wednesday night in the Round of 16 of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

An early own goal by DCFC and a pair of goals three minutes apart by Augustine Williams and Ben Ofeimu proved to be the difference at historic Michael A. Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis. Indy goalkeeper Hunter Sulte faced 17 shots and made seven saves to earn his club a third straight clean sheet.

With the win, Indy Eleven advances to the Quarterfinals for the first time in club history and becomes just the second Indiana team to ever reach the last eight. The only other team to do it was the Indianapolis Inferno in 1992. Indy’s next opponent in the competition will be a road match against Atlanta United FC (MLS) the week of July 9-10.

Detroit City FC and Indy Eleven were the lone USL Championship vs USL Championship matchup in the Round of 16, guaranteeing that a team from the Division II league would make it into the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup for the seventh consecutive year and 15 of the last 16 tournaments.

However, the day before, New Mexico United and Sacramento Republic beat Detroit and Indy to that honor by beating NYCFC II from MLS NEXT Pro and San Jose Earthquakes from MLS, respectively. 

Detroit reached the Round of 16 by defeating MLS’s Houston Dynamo, the tournament’s defending champions, after coming from behind to send the game to extra time after a 3-3 draw. It then took all 30 minutes of extra time and 20 penalty kicks when Houston’s goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell pushed his attempt wide, and DCFC’s goalkeeper Carlos Saldaña finished his attempt down the middle to send the defending champs home.

Indy Eleven’s path was smoother as they defeated San Antonio FC 2-0 thanks to early goals from Augustine Williams and Jack Blake.

Tonight’s US Open Cup match between Detroit City and Indy Eleven marked the third time this season that the league foes have played each other. Indy came out the victors in a 3-1 preseason affair in late February. In an early season matchup a month later, Detroit City flipped the script and pulled a late-game 2-1 winner in the 88th minute thanks to Maxi Rodriguez. The teams came into tonight’s game even in points in the Eastern Conference table, but with Detroit City having games-in-hand due to a less cluttered early season schedule. Since the two teams faced each other on March 30, Indy has played seven league games while Detroit City has played five games. While Indy is in the midst of a stretch of three games in eight days, Detroit City hasn’t played since May 11 and don’t have their next game until May 29. Clearly the teams came into this game with different needs for managing player’s bodies. 

They also came into the game as different teams than when they faced each other in March. Detroit has gone 2-1-2 in league play since the March matchup, while Indy came into the game on a seven-game unbeaten streak across all competitions after taking a couple of bad beatings from Louisville City and the Charleston Battery. Indy’s confidence in their recent run-of-form versus Detroit City’s confidence of having beaten an MLS side to reach this game was what was at play tonight. It was Indy’s confidence that ultimately won the night. 

Starting lineups from both teams showed that they were taking the game seriously, with players that they would use in a normal league game. The teams had all the appearances of playing this game like a league playoff game. In early action, both teams looked to put themselves on the front foot to try and get an early lead. A breakaway for Detroit led to a tangling of feet, a yellow card to Indy’s Ofeimu, and a free kick for Detroit from just outside the 18-yard box. The kick was blocked by the wall, but the yellow card to Ofeimu put pressure on Indy’s back three to prevent a scenario where they were playing down a man, which generally spells defeat for teams in knockout games. 

As the game approached the quarter hour, Indy’s Ben Mines sent a pass to an overlapping Ofeimu on the right side of the pitch, who promptly sent a cross to the six-yard box towards Martinez. The ball didn’t reach Martinez, but instead ricocheted off of Detroit’s Stephen Carroll to get the scoring started for the home team. It would be difficult to say the goal was completely against the run-of-play, but much of the play up to the goal had been in Indy’s defensive end, but generally in non-threatening positions. The goal by Indy ramped up Detroit’s pressure as they looked to immediately bring the game back to level.

Just shy of the 22-minute mark, Detroit finally and cleanly broke through the middle of the Indy lines and forced Sulte into a low stretching save to prevent Morris from finding that equalizing goal. The goal was pushed to his left and out for a corner kick that was cleared away by Indy. At this point in the game, Morris and Rodriguez were pulling the strings in the center of the pitch, but the team couldn’t get clean shots on target.

The lack of ability to get on the board came back to haunt Le Rouge as Indy tacked on goals in the 33rd and 35th minutes. For the first goal, after a series of corner kicks from both teams, Indy recycled a ball that Blake put over the top as both Martinez and Williams beat the offside trap. Martinez one-touched the ball to Williams who slotted it past Saldaña to double Indy’s lead.

Two minutes later and yet another corner kick for Indy resulted in a headed goal from Ofeimu from Stanley’s back post kick.

In the remaining 10 minutes, Detroit continued to dominate possession, but Indy was content to sit back and absorb some of that pressure to prevent the late goal from Detroit that would give have given the visitors some life and momentum going into the halftime locker room. As the half progressed through the three minutes of stoppage time, Detroit forced Indy into intense defending and spectacular saves from Sulte.

A seventh corner kick in the first half for Detroit as time was expiring nearly found the left side of the goal, but Sulte blocked the shot up into the air, and then punched the resulting ball out of bounds, allowing Indy fans to take a deep breath as referee Araki blew his whistle for the halftime break. On the flipside, a raucous Detroit contingent of fans was left wondering what changes head coach Danny Dichio would have in store to get their team back into the game after watching the first half largely take place in Indy’s defensive side of the pitch, but sitting in a large hole.

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Detroit immediately made substitutions out of the locker room, taking off Brett Levis and Maxi Rodriguez for Alex Villanueva and Victor Bezerra, respectively. A surprising substitution bringing Rodriguez off given his importance to the recent Open Cup result. Indy, contrarily, despite the fixture congestion this week, stayed with the starters to open the second half.

There didn’t appear to be any major tactical changes for Detroit with the substitutions as they continued to try and play through the center of the pitch, looking for moments when they could unbalance the Indy midfield and defenders. The corner kicks continued to mount for the visitors, but continued to be off on their delivery. 

Around the 60th minute, the physicality took another step up as the referee’s early lack of whistle translated to players realizing that the minor fouls called during league play were not going to be whistled today. The Indy players felt aggrieved when Matthews appeared to purposefully kick Martinez after a corner kick. Then Amoo-Mensah picked up a yellow card in the 61st minute after a hard challenge to even the card count briefly before Blake picked up Indy’s second yellow card seconds before he was substituted out of the game. 

The remainder of the game took on a much different pace as Detroit began to look like they realized it wasn’t their night and Indy was content to defend to keep a clean sheet and counterattack when possible. Indy’s manager Sean McAuley continued his trend of substituting in his normal substitution windows to manage his player’s minutes looking ahead to their league match on Saturday against Phoenix Rising. Indy could be described as efficient in their offense in the first half and they let it carry them to the victory tonight.

Augustine Williams of Indy Eleven scores a goal against Detroit City FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Schlotzhauer - Indy Eleven
Augustine Williams of Indy Eleven scores a goal against Detroit City FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Schlotzhauer – Indy Eleven

“We were dangerous when we needed to be. We scored three goals and we had a chance to get another couple,” said McCauley. “Everybody knows their role, of what we want them to do, where to be at the right time, and what to do defensively. It’s people know their jobs, and once they know their jobs, you ask yourself ‘can they do their jobs?’ Currently the form is showing, yeah they can. When you win the ball back, you know you’ve got the opportunity to create numbers up in spaces they’ve left, and I thought we did that really well. Efficiently, in the first half.”

Indy and Detroit will face off yet again this season in league play so this rivalry will once again be on display later this year. For the night, though, in the 109th edition of the US Open Cup, Indy Eleven took the victory and move onto the tournament’s quarterfinals

Much has been documented recently about Indy Eleven’s stadium and MLS controversy, but the Indy fans can take solace in the fact that their team is proceeding through the U.S. Open Cup with a series of games without conceding a goal.

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: New Mexico United blanks final MLS NEXT Pro team, returns to Quarterfinals

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New Mexico United players celebrate after scoring a goal against NYCFC II in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Eric Lovato - New Mexico United
New Mexico United players celebrate after scoring a goal against NYCFC II in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Eric Lovato – New Mexico United

The clock struck midnight for New York City FC II in the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Tuesday night. Against a deep, well-performing New Mexico United, the last remaining MLS NEXT Pro team fell, 3-0, at Belson Stadium on the campus of St. John’s University in Queens, New York. 

“I’m super proud for the club tonight. It’s not easy. A lot of long travel. Credit to New York City FC II for making it this far. They (have) a quality squad with a lot of young up and comers that have bright futures,” said New Mexico United head coach Eric Quill. “I thought we played extremely well.”

Originally set for a 7:30 start, the match was delayed for over 30 minutes. Medical staff, particularly the ambulance, was caught in New York City traffic. However, that did not hinder the excitement of the crowd, officially marked at 534. However in person the total felt closer to sub 1,000.

The fervent NYCFC supporters chanted and had an impressive drumline. A large contingent of children from the organization’s academy sat nearby as well, looking to watch many of the same NYCFC II players that had played where they are currently. Not far away, an impressive contingent of NMU supporters sat in the Belson bleachers.

The traveling support meant a lot to the players on the field, and especially for New Mexico’s first-year manager.

“That’s why I came to New Mexico United was their fan base,” Quill said. “They are loyal, they’re committed, they’re energetic, they show up. It’s the state of New Mexico. That’s what I love about it. The team name is New Mexico United. It’s not a city, the whole state is behind it. You feel that on a day to day basis and you want to reward that commitment, that loyalty that they show.”

Both the home and away side were gifted with an entertaining, if not at times sloppy first half. NYCFC II started two notable first-team players, Jovan Mijatović and Strahinja Tanasijević. The former was playing in his second consecutive Open Cup game and second match overall in three days after a fierce Hudson River Derby win against the Red Bulls. On the other side, former New York City FC defender Chris Gloster started at left back for New Mexico United. The former U.S. youth national team player spent two years in the NYCFC organization with both the first and second teams.

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

Each team had chances to produce the go ahead goal but failed to get anything threatening. An NYCFC corner kick in the 25th was headed over the net by defender Strahinja Tanasijević. A few minutes later, a free kick from 25 yards out was struck by Taylor Calheira looking for his fourth goal of the tournament. The low shot got through traffic but was saved by NMU goalkeeper Alexandros Tabakis.

In the 30th, a blocked New Mexico shot fell back at the feet of Marco Micaletto who launched a shot from outside the box. Despite going wide right, NYCFC keeper Tomás Romero.

The next best chance came in the 38th minute when New York City’s Piero Elias ripped a low shot from outside of the NMU box that went wide left.

One of New York’s best aspects was its ability to catch NMU offside. The backline, missing Christian McFarlane due to him playing with the England U-17s, was able to implement a high press. The risky tactic worked, as NMU was caught offside three times and only able to get three shots off.

The other key aspect of the first half was physicality. Players on each team earned a caution and both sides committed 12 fouls each ahead of halftime.

While New Mexico was being outshot at the break, 8-3, there was no nervousness according to defender Anthony Herbert.

“The goal today was to keep the clean sheet and even though things weren’t going well and the way that we expected, we know that we were one step ahead of continuing that and we had a clean sheet and we basically trust ourselves,” Herbert said. “We trust the team. We know if we keep the ball and we pass the ball and play with that to play, eventually we (will) score and that was it. (There) was no nervousness, there was no anger, the coach trusted us. We trust ourselves and we came out and we played our brand of football and it worked out for us.”

That mentality proved to be the case and the second half was the beginning of the end for the hosts.

In the 49th minute, Jovan Mijatović nearly capitalized on a poor defensive pass in the New Mexico end. Jonathan ‘JJ’ Jiménez jumped on the ball, running it into the box before passing off to the Serbian import. With just Alexandros Tabakis to beat, Mijatović shanked his shot wide right. The deflated look on his face was only matched by Jiménez throwing his hands over his hand in astonishment.

The game-winning goal came a minute later in the 50th minute. A throw-in from the NMU end found Micaletto at midfield. He passed off to Avionne Flanagan, who broke down the left flank and fired a strike past Romero into the top right corner.

Flanagan, who hadn’t played in nearly a month for his side, earned praise from his coach who knows how much the moment meant to him after going nearly a month without playing a match.

“I thought he was a game changer,” Quill said. “I’m proud of him. He’s kept his fight and his mentality. He deserved tonight’s goal.”

The situation spiraled for the home side not long after. In the 53rd minute, Samuel Owusu battled Micaletto for the ball near midfield, leading to the NYCFC player essentially slapping the midfielder from behind. Both teams came together to but ends, and as the dust settled Owusu was shown a straight red card for the offense. NMU’s Micaletto was also shown a yellow card for his part in the scuffle.

New Mexico looked to double its lead from there. A poor New York City clearance in the 58th was headed back towards a waiting NMU player, who fed Daniel Bruce for a shot that went just wide left of the net. Not long after, a United throw in deep in the NYC end began on the right side, came back to midfield, and eventually came into the box where Andrew “Drew” Baiera tried to head towards Romero. Instead, the ball went out for a corner kick.

That kick was played to Micaletto on the left side, who sent a long ball into the box towards a waiting Talen Maples. He lifted his right leg to redirect the ball into the left corner and passed a nearly non-moving Romero in the 65th minute.

As New York attempted to counter, trying in vain to cut into the deficit, the situation proved to be fruitless. The home side was limited to just four shots in the final 45 minutes. The team got very little time in the New Mexico box after going down to 10 men. The sloppy play also continued which gave New Mexico ample time to try and extend the lead, even as starters were beginning to get rotated out.

The game was iced in the 85th minute by a man who knows the field at Belson very well. Defender Anthony Herbert, who played for the St. John’s Red Storm in 2021, was in the right place in the 86th minute as a corner kick found Greg Hurst, who’s strike was saved by Romero. The ball floated in the air, allowing the Brooklyn native to jump up and head in the ball.

FULL MATCH VIDEO: NYCFC II vs. New Mexico United

“Well, for me it means a lot because I think it was really ironic being able to come back here finally be able to get my family to come to see me because (my team is) all the way in New Mexico,” Herbert said after the game. “For me as a footballer it was always a roller coaster. I was (at Ocean City Nor’easters in USL League Two), then I was at St. John’s and I got a deal in Finland in the premier division and now I’m back home. I’m just enjoying the moment, enjoying the career and working out every day to see where it takes me.”

NYCFC II’s run ends with multiple positives. The team earned the $25,000 prize as the farthest reaching Division III team in the tournament this year. Furthermore, the team now holds the honor of being the most successful MLS reserve team in the tournament’s history. That honor was previously held by Seattle Sounders 2, who reached the Round of 32 in 2015.

New Mexico heads to the Quarterfinals for the second time in team history, the first since the organization’s run in its inaugural 2019 season.

Scoring Summary

  • 50’ – New Mexico United – Avionne Flanagan (Marco Micaletto)
  • 65’ – New Mexico United – Talen Maples (Marco Micaletto)
  • 86’ – New Mexico United – Anthony Herbert

Lineups

New York City FC II: Tomás Romero (GK), Strahinja Tanasijević, Samuel Kwaku Owusu, Christopher Tiao, Andrew Baiera, Taylor Calheira, Jacob Arroyave, Piero Elias (Klevis Haxhari 81’), Jovan Mijatović, Jonathan Jiménez, Máximo Carrizo (Jake Rozhansky 64’)

Unused subs: Camil Azzam Ruiz, Matthew Leong, Stevo Bednarsky, Jonathan Shore, Will Meyer

Manager: Matt Pilkington

New Mexico United: Alexandros Tabakis (GK), Jon-Talen Maples, Anthony Herbert, Chris Gloster (Harry Swartz 75’), Abdi Mohamed, Marco Micaletto (Dominick Hernandez 75’), Landry Nanan Houssou, Zico Bailey, Daniel Bruce (Greg Hurst 83’), Avionne Flanagan (Arturo Astorga 75’), Mukwelle Akale (Jackson Dubois 87’)

Unused subs: Dayonn Harris, Kristopher Shakes

Manager: Eric Quill

Yellow Cards

  • Strahinja Tanasijević, NYCFC II 9’
  • Landry Nanan Houssou, New Mexico United 20’
  • Eric Quill (Head coach, officially given to the bench), New Mexico United 30’
  • Marco Micaletto, New Mexico United 55’
  • Jake Rozhansky, NYCFC II 80’

Red Cards

  • Samuel Kwaku Owusu, NYCFC II 55’

Attendance

Official: 534
Unofficial: 900~

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: LAFC in control throughout in 3-0 win over Loudoun United

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Los Angeles FC players celebrate after scoring a goal against Loudoun United in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: LAFC
Los Angeles FC players celebrate after scoring a goal against Loudoun United in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: LAFC

Los Angeles FC is into the Quarterfinals of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

A 3-0 victory over USL Championship club Loudoun United FC at BMO Stadium earned The Black and Gold a spot in the final eight of America’s oldest soccer tournament.

“The Open Cup is a very quick way to win a title,” LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman said. “That’s what we want to do.

“We want to win every single game. That’s what it’s about.”

Second half goals by Cristian Olivera and Tomas Angel followed Tillman’s eighth minute opener in a game where star forward Denis Bouanga contributed with a pair of assists.

With the win, LAFC remains undefeated against Division 2 opposition in the club’s relatively short team history (5-0-1, 1-0 PKs)

The Black and Gold withstood a tricky first half that ended with a narrow 1-0 lead.

Loudoun United head coach Ryan Martin’s defense — a backline of three center-backs and flanking wing backs on each side — stood firm for 50 minutes, but ultimately fell victim in the second half with the notorious 3252 behind them.

Tillman, who was summoned by US Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter for the national team’s 27-man training camp, put LAFC in the lead with a close-range, tap-in goal.

The start was near perfect for the hosts who figured out how to take control from the start against Loudoun United following the slow start against the Las Vegas Lights in the previous round.

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

“We kind of lost our way a little bit defensively,” LAFC assistant coach Ante Razov, who filled in for the suspended head coach Steve Cherundolo following a red card against the Lights, said. “Lapses in concentration mostly.

“We tightened that up and paid attention to it the last few weeks in training, now we’re seeing it pay off.”

In the second half, Loudoun United opted to switch things up and start the half with a backline of four which helped the attack create a pair of opportunities that forced LAFC goalkeeper Abraham Romero into two saves to keep the visitors scoreless.

Moments later, Bouanga collected a pass in midfield before taking off on a lengthy run beyond four Loudoun United defenders and into the 18-yard box to lay the ball off for Olivera who dispatched beyond United goalkeeper Dane Jacomen.

Bouanga added his second assist nine minutes later.

“That play has happened a couple of times in training,” Angel, who featured in his first match as an LAFC player today and left with the game ball following his first goal, said. “I knew when he picked up his head it was the same play that’s been happening.

“So when he gave me the ball, you as a striker, you have to have the goal painted in your head and I knew right away that I had to finish rapidly and it was a goal — thanks to God.”

The live draw that will reveal the quarterfinal matchups is set for Wednesday night with the final eight meeting on July 9-10 for a chance to make the semifinal.

The Round of 16 loss for Loudoun United marks the club’s deepest run in the tournament since its inception in 2018.

After 11 games, the Red-and-White currently sit midtable in the USL Eastern Conference as a trip south of Los Angeles, down the 5 Freeway to Orange County is on the horizon for its second match at Orange County SC in 18 days on Saturday following a 2-1 Round of 32 win on May 7.

Conversely, LAFC is seven points from the top of MLS Western Conference standings with a game in hand.

Up next for The Black and Gold is a trip to Atlanta for a matchup against Atlanta United on Saturday.

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: Sacramento Republic strikes quickly in OT to complete comeback vs. San Jose Earthquakes

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Sacramento Republic players celebrate after scoring a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC
Sacramento Republic players celebrate after scoring a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Sacramento Republic FC

Sacramento Republic FC played host to Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes Tuesday night in the Round of 16 of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at Heart Health Park in front of a raucous crowd of 11,569. It was the fifth all-time meeting between the clubs with the Earthquakes holding a 3-1 match advantage. In the words of the beloved character Stefon from Saturday Night Live (Bill Hader), this match “had everything.”  

Behind a first half brace from Republic FC forward (and Huddersfield Town loanee) Kiernan Phillips and theatrics in the second period of extra time where the Republic got goals from Luis Felipe in the 106th minute (assisted by Rafael Jauregui) and Sebstian Herrera (assisted by Cristian Parano) in the 108th minute, the Quails held on for a 4-3 win and knocked the Earthquakes out of the Open Cup tournament for the second time in three years. The Earthquakes winless road streak in the Open Cup also pushed to 10 games, which is the most in the Modern Era (1995-present).

Sacramento now has eliminated six MLS teams in tournament play, which is tied for third of all of the lower division clubs of the Modern Era.  

“I thought the guys showed unbelievable heart, unbelievable character, and unbelievable resilience to come back in extra time after we conceded that third goal,” said Republic FC Manager Mark Briggs. “A lot of teams would have caved in, a lot of teams would have gone under, but they showed their grit and they showed heart and they showed the Indomitable Spirit at the end of the day. And we managed to come back into it. I thought Cristian Parano came in and was excellent, Sebastian Herrera came in and was excellent. And that’s the difference and that’s why we’re in the next round.”

The Earthquakes got on the board first in the 11th minute when forward Benji Kikanović made an unbelievable run up the left side, and his left footed cross found a wide open Preston Judd who calmly slotted it home to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead. 

That lead would last five minutes when in the 17th minute, Luis Felipe received a beautifully weighted ball from midfield from Trevor Amnan. He quickly dribbled up the left hand side, and his left footed cross found Republic forward Kieran Phillips to level the score at 1-1. 

Republic FC would strike again in the 38th minute when defender Jack Gurr played the ball up the right hand side, crossed the ball to Phillips, who had made a brilliant trailing run up the middle and hammered home his second goal of the half. With the goal, Phillips secured his first brace as a member of the Republic and third goal in two Open Cup matches, which ties him for second place in the 2024 tournament with Cal Jennings from the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

San Jose leveled the match in the 80th minute on a well-placed Christan Espinoza free kick.just outside the 18 yard box. After some dangerous chances for both sides in the final 10 minutes, they went to extra time tied 2-2. 

In the 100th minute, Hernan Lopez gave the Earthquakes a 3-2 lead on an assist from Jack Skahan, which seemed to be the end of the line for the Republic. That’s when things got wacky. 

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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 106th minute, Felipe tied the score at 3-3, and two minutes later, it was Herrera scoring the go-ahead goal, which sent Heart Health Park into an absolute frenzy. The Republic were able to hold off a mounting attack from the Earthquakes over the next 12 minutes and punched their ticket to the next round with a dramatic 4-3 victory. The win also moved Republic FC’s all-time home record in the Open Cup to 20-2-1 (1-1 in penalty shootouts). 

“Once again, the team showed great resilience to get scored on, go again, score goals, get scored on again, “said Felipe. just a great team performance overall gives us confidence to move on in the tournament. Every time we have a game like this here at home, we feel great. The atmosphere is insane. I love playing for the city, for this club. It’s amazing.”

Republic FC will learn their opponent and hosting rights on May 22 at 10 p.m. ET on U.S. Soccer’s YouTube page. 

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: Atlanta United remain unbeaten vs. Charleston Battery after PK shootout win

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Players from the Charleston Battery (Yellow) and Atlanta United FC battle for the ball in a Fourth Round match in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Wade Wimberly - TheCup.us
Players from the Charleston Battery (Yellow) and Atlanta United FC battle for the ball in a Fourth Round match in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Wade Wimberly – TheCup.us

The storylines were numerous entering Tuesday night’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Alonso Division Round of 16 match at Patriot’s Point in Mount Pleasant, SC.  

US Open Cup and Battery legend Ozzie Alonso along with several of his teammates from the 2008 Charleston Battery team that finished as the US Open Cup runner-up served as honorary captains in the packed-out park. The Battery were looking to finally advance past Atlanta United after dropping three previous USOC meetings in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to the Five Stripes.

Tuesday night’s match was their best chance to finally overcome the MLS side, taking the 2019 US Open Cup champs to penalty kicks after 120 minutes of scoreless soccer. In the end, Atlanta goalkeeper Josh Cohen saved the last two Battery attempts in the shootout to send United into the Quarterfinals by the score of 5-4.

Atlanta are looking for any jumpstart to return to their magical form sitting atop the US Soccer landscape. Two teams who could not have more contrasting early-season arcs stepping between the lines; the Battery undefeated and soaring in first place of their USL Championship campaign facing off against a United side struggling to find its form in MLS action mired in inconsistent play sitting in 20th place in the Supporter’s Shield standings.  

Against this backdrop, both teams entered the field through the north stand tunnel where the two goalkeepers would write this fourth chapter of USOC history between these southeastern rivals.  

Atlanta United employed a heavily rotated squad of reserve players and academy prospects while the Charleston Battery ran out a nearly full-strength, first-choice lineup. One major change to the Battery lineup was the inclusion of goalkeeper Daniel Kuzemka making his first start of 2024.

The first half saw both teams looking to control the midfield spaces with things being very evenly played between the penalty boxes.  Neither team was able to unlock the opponent’s defense with any regularity and both teams settled for half-chances and hopeful services into well organized and concentrated defensive penalty areas.  When there were sporadic breakdowns in defense the goalkeepers were there to put out the danger and keep things scoreless.

Charleston called on Atlanta keeper Josh Cohen in the 14th minute off a recycled corner kick where he was up to the task before Kuzemka got his turn to make a big stop in the 18th minute. Charleston again asked questions of Cohen just past the 20 minute mark and again he followed the script and provided the answers to preserve things at 0-0 entering the half.

The second half saw this same pattern of play until Atlanta began to substitute in more regular team selections like Rios, Slisz, Lennon, and Gregerson. These additions provided more Atlanta control of the midfield but never translated into that final decisive ball into the Battery penalty box. The second half ended scoreless and it was off to extra time to decide who would advance into the Quarterfinals.

FULL MATCH VIDEO: Charleston Battery vs. Atlanta United FC

Again, the goalkeepers did enough to keep their opponents off the scoreboard as shots from both teams sailed high over the bar, ran wide of the target, or sputtered into the waiting hands of the keepers.  Extra time saw the Battery with two superb chances in the 114th and 115th minute to grab a late winner but both chances were blocked or off target. Penalty kicks would have to decide who would advance as two exhausted teams stepped to the spot.

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

Daniel Kuzemka saved the first Atlanta kick and gave the hosts an early advantage. The teams then traded goals through four kickers to see the Battery up 4-3 after four rounds.

Nicolas Firmino converted the fifth Atlanta kick to make things level and all eyes turned to Josh Cohen to save what could have been the Charleston victory. Cohen hadn’t saved a penalty over the first four kicks but seemed to get closer and closer to turning the Battery away and then delivered with his team on the verge of elimination with a save in the fifth round to give Atlanta new life. Stian Gregerson then converted the sixth Atlanta kick to give the visitors the lead for the first time and then Cohen pushed the very next Battery shot over the bar with a strong left hand to seal the victory.

Cohen after the save immediately jumped to his feet and sprinted towards midfield jumping and fist pumping before being mobbed by his teammates. The back-to-back saves by Cohen totally flipped the script in the penalty shootout and closed this chapter of the Battery and United USOC rivalry.

Atlanta United now moves on to the Quarterfinals in early July and will learn their opponent and pathway to the final during the draw on Wednesday night.

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: Sporting KC show no mercy, dominate FC Tulsa

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Sporting Kansas City players celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Tulsa in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City players celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Tulsa in the Round of 16 of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Sporting Kansas City

With the help of a brace from Felipe Hernández and goals from Stephen Afrifa and Marinos Tzionis, Sporting KC cruised past FC Tulsa and into the Quarterfinals of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Tuesday night in Kansas City.

With the 4-0 win, Sporting advanced to the Quarterfinals for the 13th time in their history, which is the fifth most in the history of the tournament (1913-present). Kansas City, who hasn’t won the Open Cup since 2017, is seeking a record-tying fifth title.

They will know their next opponent after the draw for the next round will take place at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday night. Due to the geographic reasons, the club is expected to be placed in a group with Atlanta United, the winner of Indy Eleven and Detroit City FC and the winner of FC Dallas and the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Sporting came out with a strong lineup featuring starters from last round’s Open Cup game vs Omaha and usual starters, as well as rotational players like Hernandez, Tzionis, and Afrifa starting. Four players who played at the weekend, and also John Pulskamp who is looked at as their “cup keeper” as he has only started one MLS game in the last year. Dany Rosero also made his return to the pitch, after he missed time due to a quad injury. Sporting’s stars came off the bench with Alan Pulido, Daniel Salloi, and Johnny Russell making late contributions.

Tulsa also rotated as they made five changes from their weekend defeat to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Michael Creek was between the sticks as Tulsa likes to rotate him and Joey Roggeveen. Owen Damm saw his first start as an FC Tulsa player, after recently joining from Louisville City. Sebastian Sanchez and Alexander Dalou also appeared in the lineup for the first time since their first-round matchup vs Northern Colorado. Six players started from the weekend, rounded out by captain Phillip Goodrum. 

Sporting kicked off to begin the half, and their dominance began right away. KC controlled possession for the first three minutes of the game. They seemed to lean toward attacking on the left side as Stephen Afrifa became involved early and often. In addition, the antics began quickly for both teams as Philip Goodrum kicked the ball away in the 8th minute while Dany Rosero was on the ground. Rosero responded quickly as he fouled Goodrum and they began to attack only 30 seconds later. 

FULL MATCH VIDEO: Sporting KC vs. FC Tulsa

The first big chance for either team came at the 10-minute mark. Erik Thommy hit a quick shot that ricocheted off Afrifa and back to Thommy. He then curled a shot that was saved by Michael Creek, his first of many. That then fell to Jake Davis whose shot hit a sea of bodies and was cleared back to Sporting’s half. Another few big chances came soon after, with Creek saving a Thommy curler in the 17 minutes, and a close-range chance from Fontas was put over the bar at the 20-minute mark. The Sporting chances continue as a low-driven Thommy cross is put in the box and is cleared out at the last second. Just past the 25th minute, Afrifa swung a curling shot that hit exactly in the upper 90, easily the best chance up until then. Sporting attack continued as Camilo Ponce chopped down Jake Davis, leading to a yellow card for him, and for Patrick Seagrist, who was booked for dissent. 

Finally, in the 32nd minute, Camilo Ponce created the first chance for Tulsa as his header was just pushed wide by Pulskamp. However, it didn’t take long for Sporting to push right back, as Thommy dribbled past his defender and drew a foul right on the edge of the bottom left of the box. The ensuing free-kick was hit right in the danger area, deflected off of defender Rashid Tetteh, and into the left side of the net. 

Sporting continued to pile on the pressure as quickly after, in the 1st minute of added time, Hernandez whipped in a corner that was headed off the post by WIlly Agada and fell to the alert Afrifa who slotted home the second goal of the night. This was Stephen’s first goal for the first team and the first Canadian to score for the club this decade.

Going into halftime, Sporting out-shot Tulsa 15-1 and held 80 percent possession. Felipe Hernandez had created five chances and also had shown a lot of promise taking set pieces. Thommy dominated the ball too as he won eight duels in the first half alone. On the other side, Michael Creek did his best at controlling damage as he made five saves during the half.

Sporting brought off some key players as Thommy and the returning Rosero came for Memo Rodriguez and Robert Castellanos. Tulsa, on the other hand, needed to catch up and brought on Stefan Stojanovic and Edwin Laszo to bolster their attack, though this quickly became futile. Almost immediately, Patrick Seagrist dove recklessly into Jake Davis causing him to earn his second yellow and be sent off. Sporting used this advantage and it didn’t take long to begin to push forward yet again. Agada hit the post three minutes after the red and had another chance grabbed up by Creek and minutes after that.

Tulsa seemed to get back in it as a free kick that was headed toward goal by Stojanovic was saved by Pulskamp and rebounded out to Camilo Ponce who put the ball in the back of the net, but Stojanovic had fouled Pulskamp in the process, disallowing the goal in the 60th minute. Tulsa continued to try and put on pressure but it wasn’t enough. In the 63rd minute, Agada led a breakaway in which he played Hernandez through, where he finished and scored his second goal of the game, and Sporting’s 3rd.

Not too long after, in the 65th minute, a similar breakaway began as Afrifa played through Marinos Tzionis who finished into the far left side of the goal and made it 4-0, and gave him his second goal in two Open Cup games. By this point, Sporting was outshooting Tulsa 21-1. Tulsa had another great chance as Pacheco was played through and Pulskamp was just able to get his body in the way of the shot, maintaining the clean sheet.

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

Sporting surprisingly brought on more firepower as the game went on with Johnny Russell and Alan Pulido being brought on for Tzionis and Afrifa in the 76th minute.

“It’s always good when an attacking player gets a goal because it’s a little bit of a confidence builder,” Sporting head coach Peter Vermes said about Afrifa’s performance.

For Afrifa, he was happy to finally get on the scoresheet.

“I’ve been looking for this goal for a long time, and I’m finally glad that it’s here,” said Afrifa. “It feels good.”

Then, Tulsa seemed to wave the white flag as they brought off captain Philip Goodrum for another striker Santiago Sanchez. Sporting continued to press in the last 10 minutes getting chances from Pulido and Salloi back to back that forced a double save from Creek. 

No added time was added and Sporting KC convincingly defeated FC Tulsa 4-0. 

This was Felipe Hernandez’s 2nd brace for the club, his first came in 2022 vs Union Omaha in the Open Cup as well. Afrifa also recorded his first assist along with his first goal for the club.

“The intensity, the aggressiveness, the front footedness to go and take the game to them was there, I think that ruled the day,” said Sporting head coach Peter Vermes.

2024 US Open Cup Round of 16 Review: 5 MLS teams advance, Sacramento OT thriller, New Mexico, Indy Eleven make history

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2024 us open cup round 5 recap
Graphic by Phil Naegely

Just eight teams are remaining in the 109th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

After the dust settled on the Round of 16, five Major League Soccer teams advanced to the Quarterfinals, along with three USL Championship clubs

New Mexico United partied like it was 2019 en route to the Quarterfinals, eliminating the last remaining third division team (NYCFC II), while Sacramento Republic upset the San Jose Earthquakes (again) in a dramatic extra time match on Tuesday night.

Atlanta United edged USL Championship side Charleston Battery in a penalty shootout, Elsewhere, four more MLS teams advanced with wins over USL Championship sides. Sporting Kansas City and Los Angeles FC both cruised to shutout wins, but the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas both held on for one-goal victories to punch their tickets.

Indy Eleven made history with a 3-0 win over Detroit City FC as they became the first Indiana club to reach the final eight in 32 years.

The draw for the Quarterfinals took place on Wednesday night and will see Sporting KC host FC Dallas, Indy Eleven will travel to Atlanta United FC, Sacramento Republic will welcome the Sounders and Los Angeles FC will bring New Mexico United to BMO Stadium. The games will take place the week of July 9-10.

You can find the schedule and results for the Round of 16 and the goalscoring leaders here. You can find a review of every Round 1 game HERE, the Round 2 games HERE, the Round 3 games HERE and the Round 4 games HERE.

Below you will find a brief summary of all eight Round of 16 games with links to the full match report with video highlights.

TUESDAY, MAY 21

Charleston Battery (USL-C)
0:0
Atlanta United FC (MLS)
Atlanta United advances 5-4 on penalty kicks
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Grace Ott

Atlanta United needed every second of the game and then some to prevent an upset in the Round of 16 against the Charleston Battery. The Battery attack had a sizable advantage in shots taken, but the Atlanta defense held strong to preserve a scoreless draw through regulation and extra time.  

In penalties, Charleston had Atlanta on the ropes after keeper Daniel Kuzemka saved the first kick from Brooks Lennon, but Diego Gutierrez’s potential game-winner was also saved, extending the shootout. Atlanta keeper Josh Cohen made another easy save on Charleston’s next kick, sending Atlanta to the next round. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

NYCFC II (MLSNP)
0:3
New Mexico United (USL-C) 
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Grace Ott

After a scoreless second half, New Mexico United turned up the heat and cruised to a 3-0 victory over MLS NEXT Pro side New York City FC II.  

The USL Championship team took the lead five minutes into the second half and NYCFC II was never able to recover after going down to 10 men following a red card in the 55th minute.  Despite being evenly matched in shots taken, New Mexico were the more clinical finishers, with six shots on target to NYCFC’s one, with three different goalscorers sending them to the next round. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

Sporting Kansas City (MLS)
4:0 
FC Tulsa (USL-C) 
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Jordan Beech

Sporting Kansas City enjoyed a 4-0 romp over FC Tulsa on Tuesday evening to secure passage to the Quarterfinals for the 14th time in team history. Felipe Hernandez led the way for SKC with two goals.

Hernandez opened the scoring in the 38th minute off a free kick and the hosts never looked back. Stephen Afrifa, who also had an assist on the evening, doubled the advantage in the third minute of first-half stoppage to make it 2-0 at the break. 

One minute into the second half, Patrick Seagrist was sent off for a second yellow-card infraction, allowing SKC to enjoy a man advantage for almost the entire second half. Hernandez used the advantage to score on the break before Marinos Tzionis put the finishing touches on the scoreline to move SKC to 34-16-7 all-time in Open Cup play and on to the next round. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

Sacramento Republic FC (USL-C)
4:3 
San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 
After Extra Time
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Jordan Beech

Back-to-back goals in the second half of extra time pushed a triumphant Sacramento Republic FC past the San Jose Earthquakes, 4-3, in the night’s lone Cupset. The Republic had to fight off San Jose’s comeback attempt, even briefly trailing in extra time, to secure passage to the club’s second Quarterfinals appearance in three years.

Following Preston Judd’s opening goal for San Jose in the 11th minute of action, Kieran Phillips added his second and third goals of the tournament in the 17th and 38th minutes, respectively. Phillips’ effort would see Sacramento head into the break nursing a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately, with a Cupset all but assured in regulation, Cristian Espinoza leveled in the 80th minute to send the match to extra time.

After forcing extra time, Hernan Lopez pushed the visiting Earthquakes in front in the 100th minute. However, the Republic responded with goals in the 106th minute by Luis Fernandes and 107th minute by Juan Herrera were enough for the USL Championship side to claim a sixth MLS scalp in the club’s eighth tournament appearance. It was the fifth all-time meeting between the two Northern California clubs. San Jose got the best of the Republic in the first three games, but Tuesday night’s game was Sacramento’s second win in a row against the MLS side. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

Los Angeles FC (MLS)
3:0 
Loudoun United FC (USL-C) 
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Jordan Beech

Los Angeles FC dispatched Loudoun United FC, 3-0, on Tuesday evening to maintain an unbeaten mark against Division 2 opponents in Open Cup play. Three different players scored for LAFC.

Timothy Tillman got the hosts started on the front foot early, scoring in just the eighth minute off an assist by Christian Olivera. Olivera added to the scoreline with a tally of his own off the fast break in the 52nd minute — Denis Bouanga provided the assist. A second assist for Bouanga materialized in the 61st minute when he assisted on Tomas Angel’s goal in the 61st minute.

The Angelenos are now 9-3-2 all-time in Open Cup competition and are one win away from matching their best-ever performance — a Semifinal appearance in 2018. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

Indy Eleven (USL-C)
3:0 
Detroit City FC (USL-C) 
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Jordan Beech

A trio of first-half goals saw Indy Eleven triumph over fellow USL Championship side Detroit City FC. As a result of the win, Indy Eleven becomes just the second Indiana-based club to reach the Quarterfinals, and the first to manage the feat in the Modern Era (1995-present).

The evening started off well for Indy with Detroit gifting an own goal to the hosts before a quarter-of-an-hour had elapsed. Augustine Williams and Ben Ofeimu than left no doubt of the result, tallying strikes in the 33rd and 36th minute, respectively. 

With tonight’s win, Indy Eleven moves to 7-7-1 all-time in Open Cup play across nine appearances in the tournament. The Circle City outfit is one of only three USL Championship sides remaining in the 2024 edition of the US Open Cup. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL-C)
1:2 
FC Dallas (MLS) 
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Jordan Beech

FC Dallas struck quickly and then held firm defensively to escape The Big Guava with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Rowdies outshot their MLS counterparts 30-7, forcing goalkeeper Maarten Paes into eight saves on the night.

Patrickson Delgado struck first for Dallas in the 15th minute by latching onto the end of a corner served in by Jesus Ferreira in the 15th minute. Logan Farrington doubled the advantage 11 minutes later, linking up with Herbert Endeley on what would eventually prove to be the matchwinner. The Rowdies pulled one back in the 85th minute via a penalty conversion by Joshua Perez to set the final scoreline.

The two-time Open Cup Champions, FC Dallas is now 38-21-6 all-time in tournament action. This will be the club’s 17th Quarterfinal appearance, and first since 2017. They are now tied with Kutis Soccer Club (St. Louis area) for the most Quarterfinal appearances in tournament history. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
2:1 
Phoenix Rising FC (USL-C) 
FULL MATCH VIDEO

BY: Jordan Beech

A pair of second-half goals helped Seattle Sounders FC escape a tricky test against the USL Championship’s Phoenix Rising FC in the final match of the Round of 16. Alex Roldan provided a goal and assisted on the matchwinner for the hosts from MLS.

Phoenix took the lead deep in first-half stoppage following Remi Cabral’s successful penalty conversion. Seattle followed suit with a penalty score of their own in the 68th minute through Roldan. Roldan then factored into the decisive 88th-minute winner for the Sounders, linking up with an assist to Kalani Kossa-Rienzi.

The winners of four Open Cup titles, Seattle moves on to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2016. {FULL MATCH REPORT}

2024 US Open Cup Live Stream: Watch Round 5 Online

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2024 us open cup fifth round preview graphic
Photo by Jacob Terrell | Graphic by Phil Naegely

The 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup resumes with eight matches across Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

The Round of 16/Fifth Round features five MLS vs USL-Championship matchups and one all USL-Championship match. The lone Third Division club remaining in the competition is NYCFC II from MLS NEXT Pro. 

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

It’s guaranteed at least one lower division team reaches the quarterfinals for the 7th year in a row and the 15 of the last 16 tournaments.

The winners of the Round of 16 will advance to the Quarterfinals which will take place the week of July 9-10. When the draw for the Quarterfinals takes place, the eight remaining teams will be divided into two groups of four.

You can find the schedule and results for the Round of 16 and the goalscoring leaders here. You can find a review of every Round 1 game HERE and the Round 2 games HERE and the Round 3 games HERE.and the Round 4 games HERE.

TheCup.us will have reporters at every Round 4 game and will be providing live updates on X (Twitter), @USOpenCup.

As a reminder all Round of 16 matches stream for free on US Soccer’s website. TheCup.us will have the live video embedded in one YouTube playlist for your convenience once the links are live.

The full YouTube playlist is here or you can watch each game individually below.

Tuesday, May 21

 

Wednesday, May 22

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