Austin FC

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: Louisville City snap skid vs. MLS with upset of Austin FC

April 15, 2026 by Zach Allen-Kelly

Tola Showunmi of Louisville City FC dribbles the ball against Austin FC in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography

For the second time in club history — and the first since 2018 — Louisville City defeated an MLS side to advance in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Though they play in different leagues, visiting Austin FC were no strangers as the two sides have met in each of the last three preseasons. Mentality was key to the 2-1 victory, with the Louisville side never considering themselves underdogs in the matchup against the upper division opponent.

Louisville is on to the Round of 16 where they face the winner between MLS’ Houston Dynamo and fellow ULS-C squad, EL Paso Locomotive.

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“The expectation was we’re gonna win this game,” said Louisville City coach Simon Bird. “We want to win this game. We’re out here to win this game.”

Both sides looked eager to score early, starting the game off with a fast paced back and forth in the early minutes. The first big scoring opportunity for either side came in the 18th minute when Louisville City midfielder Evan Davila played through ball to forward Tola Showumni, leaving him one-on-one with Austin goalkeeper — and former Louisville City loanee — Damian Las. Las was aggressive off his line and was able to make a big save at the edge of his own box, keeping the game even at 0-0.

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Louisville continued to dominate the attack, forcing more big saves in the 21st and 25th minutes. The breakthrough goal came soon after, with veteran Louisville City defender Sean Totsch scoring off a well weighted Taylor Davila corner kick at the near post in the 26th minute. It’s fitting the opening goal would come from Totsch, the only remaining player from the team’s 2018 Open Cup victory against New England Revolution.

“You could see what it meant to the locker room by the effort that was put out there,” Totsch said. “Anyone that watched the game tonight knew that we wanted it and we wanted it the whole time.”

Austin was quick to respond, nearly drawing even just minutes later when a redirected corner kick fell to the feet of midfielder Nicolas Dubersarsky inside the Louisville six-yard box. Louisville City keeper Hugo Fauroux was quick to attack the shot off his line with a kick save to preserve the lead for the home side.

With the pace of the first half, it was clear one goal was probably not going to be enough to secure victory. Louisville City was finally able to open up a bit of daylight and improved its lead to 2-0 in the 32nd minute off a leaping right foot finish at the near post from Showumni on a quick cross from outside back Manny Perez.

Showumni troubled the Austin backline all evening, earning a Man of the Match honor and positioning himself at the top of the Golden Boot race for this year’s Cup.

The tone of the game was much different in the second half, with the home side sitting further back on defense looking to see out the 2-0 lead to a victory.

“The second half was a grind,” Bird said. “That’s natural when you’re playing against a top team and you’re up by two goals, they’re going to throw caution to the wind and attack and we were a little on the back foot.”

Austin played with the confidence of a team who had been in this position before, recovering from a 2-0 deficit in last season’s Round of 32 against El Paso to win 3-2 on their way to last year’s Open Cup Final.

Louisville City was able to weather the storm for much of the second half, but the breakthrough for Austin finally came off a set piece in the 70th minute. Joseph Rosales curled a free kick from just outside the top corner of the Louisville penalty box to the head of striker Calvin Fodrey, who subbed in just six minutes prior. Fodrey skipped a shot just past a diving Fauroux to keep the visiting side’s hopes alive with 20 minutes left in regulation.

Set pieces have been a strength for an Austin side that has struggled at the start the year, currently sitting at 13th in the MLS Western Conference.

A reinvigorated Austin side continued to dominate the attack in the closing minutes of the game, but the Louisville defence was up to the task, seeing through the victory.

2025 US Open Cup Final: Nashville SC edges Austin FC to bring Tennessee first major trophy

October 2, 2025 by Zach Stein

Nashville SC celebrate after defeating Austin FC 2-1 to win the 2025 US Open Cup title. Photo: Laura Gallo

The Boys in Gold from Nashville SC took the gold in the 110th Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final, which featured two first-time finalists facing off for the first time this season. The match was hosted by Austin FC at Q2 Stadium, with a sellout crowd of 20,738 that included about 300 traveling Nashville fans. Hany Mukhtar opened the scoring for the visitors, but Sam Surridge’s record-tying penalty kick goal in the 60th minute proved to be the difference as Nashville defeated Austin FC 2-1.

With the win, Nashville SC wins the club’s first major trophy since joining Major League Soccer in 2020 and becomes the first Tennessee-based club in the US Open Cup’s 110-year history to lift the trophy. It also is the first major trophy earned by a top-level professional team in any of the major sports leagues (MLS, NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL).

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Both teams played league matches last weekend, but only Austin’s starting eleven saw significant changes, with just four players kept in the lineup from their loss against Real Salt Lake. In contrast, Nashville’s starting eleven was nearly identical to how it was against Houston, with backup goalkeeper Brian Schwake in place of Joe Willis as the only replacement.

Nashville’s slow tempo making heavy use of crosses bore fruit in the 17th minute, as Hany Mukhtar volleyed in a ball that bounced off the chest of Jacob Schaffelburg into the far corner. It was Mukhtar’s fourth career Open Cup goal, and his first of the 2025 tournament.

Just two minutes later, Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake tripped Myrto Uzuni on a breakaway in the penalty box. The controversial call, which was upheld by video replay, led to Uzuni taking the penalty kick. However, Schwake made up for the foul by diving to his left to keep Austin off the scoresheet.

In the 30th minute, Dani Pereira received the first yellow card of the match on a reckless tackle. Austin’s aggressive pace put emphasis on creating one-on-one situations brought most of the first half’s chances, and on yet another one-on-one at the beginning of stoppage time.

Uzuni made up for his missed penalty by slotting captain Ilié Sanchez’s cross under Schwake to tie the match before halftime. In addition to being Uzuni’s third goal of the tournament, it was Sanchez’s first career Open Cup assist.

The second half was marred by numerous fouls, including a yellow card for Sanchez in the 50th minute. Seven minutes later, on a Nashville corner, Jeisson Palacios was fouled by Dani Pereira in the penalty box. Though Pereira avoided a second yellow card, Sam Surridge took the lead for Nashville by striking the ball right down the middle. The goal and the foul call that led to the PK would be a topic of post-game conversation.

Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC celebrates after scoring a goal against Austin FC in the 2025 US Open Cup Final. Photo: Laura Gallo

After the game, a number of Austin FC players and coaches did not hold back their criticism of the call made by referee Tori Penso, who made history on Wednesday night by leading the first all-female officiating crew for a US Open Cup Final in the tournament’s history.

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“It’s a Final, it doesn’t matter how you play, it’s about winning the game,” said Austin FC’s Jon Gallagher. “But when you see the decision that was made to win the game: poor. I think we need to have an honest reflection about … the call. The second goal was poor.”

Surridge’s score from the penalty spot was his sixth goal of the competition, tying the single-tournament record for the Modern Era (1995-present). The England native became the 11th player in the Modern Era to score six goals in a single tournament, and first to do it since 2019 (Darwin Quintero – Minnesota United FC).

Two more yellow cards were given in the 61st and 66th minutes to Austin’s Julio Cascante and Jack Maher respectively. However, the steady march of fouls wasn’t able to prevent either team from creating chances. Austin began to float crosses high in the box but couldn’t time their headers to get the ball past Schwake.

The match slowed to a crawl by the 80th minute, as Nashville began to waste time and Austin abandoned their aggression in favor of a methodical approach relying on crosses. The booking and fouls continued to pile up for both teams, culminating in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Surridge received a second yellow card after he kicked the ball away as Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver tried to restart play with a goal kick. Though they were reduced to ten men for the final few seconds, Nashville blocked Osman Bukari’s last-ditch effort to tie the game for Austin.

Despite Austin having twice as many total shots and eight shots on target compared to Nashville’s two, Austin wasn’t able to make the most of their opportunities, while Nashville managed to stay clutch and composed against the sold-out crowd.

Nashville head coach B.J. Callaghan credited the Austin and Nashville supporters who combined for the seventh-largest crowd to witness a US Open Cup Final in tournament history.

“I give credit to the Austin fans, they made a difficult environment for us,” said Callaghan who went 5-0-0 in his first entry as a head coach in the US Open Cup this year. “But at the same time, I think it needs to be recognized that part of that largest crowd is a massive traveling crowd from Nashville. And how we handled it is that we heard them, we felt, you know, in the end of the game, you need that extra boost. So that hand on your back and then we were able to get that … credit for these guys, for putting in a big performance in a tough environment.”

After the final whistle blew, Nashville’s players jogged across the pitch to celebrate with the fans who gave them the boost they needed. With their US Open Cup title, Nashville have qualified for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup. Whether or not their next campaign in the Open Cup is successful, this tournament is undoubtedly the highlight of the young club’s history.

“It is important for us that we know that we can do it, that we can win a trophy,” Mukhtar told CBS Sports after the game. “It gives us extra confidence for the rest of the season.”

#USOC2025 Stats:

* Nashville SC goalkeeper Joe Willis and forward Teal Bunbury joined an exclusive club. Both players joined James Riley as the only players to win three US Open Cup titles with three different clubs in the Modern Era. Joe Willis lifted the trophy with D.C. United in 2013 and with the Houston Dynamo in 2018. Bunbury won the tournament with Sporting Kansas City in 2012 and the New England Revolution in 2016.

* Brian Schwake becomes just the 11th goalkeeper to win the US Open Cup in the Modern Era and play in every game. He is one of only three on that list to be the team’s backup goalkeeper (Matt Pickens and Andrew Tarbell)

Jeff Causey (Richmond Kickers) – 1995Zach THornton (Chicago Fire) – 2000Kevin Hartman (Los Angeles Galaxy) – 2001Jon Busch (Columbus Crew) – 2002Matt Pickens (Chicago Fire) – 2006Matt Reis (New England Revolution) – 2007Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders FC) – 2009Tim Melia (Sporting Kansas City) – 2015Tim Melia (Sporting Kansas City) – 2017Andrew Tarbell (Houston Dynamo) – 2023Brian Schwake (Nashville SC) – 2025

2025 US Open Cup Final Preview: Austin FC hosts Nashville SC in battle of first-time finalists

September 30, 2025 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

For just the third time in the last 20 years the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final will be contested by a pair of teams making their first appearance in the Final. In fact, Nashville SC and Austin FC had never even reached the Semifinals prior to this year, something that hasn’t happened since Atlanta United met Minnesota United in the 2019 Final.

The 2025 Final also marks the first time in the Modern Era the teams in an all-MLS championship game have not faced each other in any other official competition during the season. Neither team participated in the 2024 US Open Cup, with MLS NEXT Pro’s Austin FC II playing in place of their MLS parent club and Nashville SC having no representation.

US Soccer also announced that there will be history made with the officials. Wednesday’s Final will feature the first all-female officiating crew in the tournament’s history. Tori Penso will be the referee for the championship game with Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt as the assistants on the sidelines.

TheCup.us will have live updates of both games as both games will be streamed live on Paramount+ and the CBS Sports Network. You can find those updates on X (Twitter) and Blue Sky.

2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final
October 1, 2025
Nashville SC at Austin FC
Q2 Stadium – Austin, TX
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
TV: Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Nashville and Austin have not met each other in the 2025 MLS season, nor have they ever met in U.S. Open Cup play. Ironically, the clubs wrapped up their 2025 preseason on Feb. 15 against each other, with Austin prevailing 2-1 on a pair of Osman Bukari goals.

The last competitive match the teams faced each other in was an MLS game on Aug. 24, 2024, Austin won 2-0 on goals from Osman Bukari and Jon Gallagher.

ROAD TO THE SEMIFINALS: Nashville SC

In the Fourth Round, despite outshooting their opponents 14-3, Nashville only managed a 1-0 win over the Chattanooga Red Wolves from USL League One. Josh Bauer scored the lone goal in the 18th minute.

Their Round of 16 game at Orlando City was much closer. After drawing level after an Orlando City own goal, Ahmed Qasem gave Nashville a 2-1 lead minutes before halftime. Orlando pulled level 15 minutes into the second half, but with 11 minutes remaining, Wyatt Meyer scored the goal that eventually put Nashville in the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2022.

Nashville’s Quarterfinal affair at home against D.C. United got off to a rocky start, with the home side trailing 2-0 after 24 minutes. From then on, it was all Nashville who scored five unanswered goals, four in the second half, to prevail 5-2 and book their first ever Semifinal appearance. Team goalscoring leader Sam Surridge scored twice, and Jonathan Perez, Andy Najar and Walker Zimmerman provided the rest.

Nashville booked their first ever Open Cup Finals appearance with a win in their first ever Semifinals appearance. It turned out to be the Sam Surridge show, as the English striker netted all three goals for Nashville. Surridge struck first in the 36th minute after heading in a headed pass from Jeisson Palacios off a throw in. Surridge scored his second five minutes after halftime when he headed in a rebound from a Jacob Shaffelburg shot. The Union cut the lead in half in the 70th minute on a Quinn Sullivan goal, but Surridge slammed the door shut in the 84th minute when he beat Union goalkeeper Andrw Rick after a long pass from Daniel Lovitz. Surridge’s performance earned him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

ROAD TO THE SEMIFINALS: Austin FC

Austin FC staged a stunning comeback to win their opening game. Down 2-0 to the El Paso Locomotive for the first 73 minutes, Brandon Vázquez began a run that saw Austin score three times in eight minutes. Myrto Uzuni followed with the game-tying goal (assisted by Vázquez), then three minutes later, Vázquez scored his second in the 80th minute for a 3-2 lead. Owen Wolff assisted on both of Vázquez’s goals.

Despite being outshot 20-10, Austin came away with a 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo in the Round of 16. Goals from Brandon Vázquez, Osman Bukari and Ilie Sánchez built up a 3-0 lead that Houston was unable to overcome.

Austin’s match at San Jose came with good news and terrible news. The good, Austin advanced on penalties after a 2-2 draw. The terrible news was that leading goalscorer Brandon Vázquez tore the ACL in his right knee in the 70th minute, putting him out for the remainder of the season. It was Vázquez’s penalty shortly before his injury that tied the game at 1-1 and Myrto Uzuni converted another PK with five minutes left in extra time to make it 2-2. In the penalty kick tiebreakers, Austin made all four of their shots while Brad Stuver stopped of San Jose’s to move Austin to the Semifinals for the first time ever.

Like Nashville, Austin was making their first ever appearance in an Open Cup Semifinal, and came away with a dramatic 2-1 extra time win over Minnesota United. Osman Bukari opened the scoring in first half stoppage time when his close range shot trickled into the goal after being partially blacked by Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. The Loons equalized through Joaquín Pereyra in the 67th minute and the game ended up going to extra time. After 30 minutes of scoreless play a penalty shootout seemed certain, but in the 120th minute CJ Fodrey knocked in a rebound from a shot by Myrto Uzuni.

CURRENT FORM

Outside of reaching the Open Cup Final, August and September have been a pair of months to forget for Nashville. A 12-game unbeaten run helped them to vault up the MLS Eastern Conference table and into the top three of the Eastern Conference. However, a 2-5-0 run has sent them tumbling down the standings to sixth place. While Nashville has clinched a playoff spot, they only have two games left to try and move back into the top 4 and regain home field advantage for the First Round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

Nashville’s attack is led by Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar. Surridge leads the team with 22 goals scored, and Mukhtar has 14. Surridge is third in MLS behind Lionel Messi (24) and Dennis Bouanga (23). Mukhtar also leads the team with assists at 11, with Andy Najar behind him with 10. Goalkeeper Joe Willis is in the league’s top 10 with 9 clean sheets, though the last time Nashville shut out an opponent was a 1-0 win on July 19 vs. Toronto.

Austin has been living near the bottom half of the playoff field for most of the year, and a 3-3-2 record in August and September has both kept them from pulling away from the playoff cutoff and kept them close to it. Currently they are six points clear of the final playoff spot with three games to go. Since losing Brandon Vázquez for the season on July 8, Austin has increased its goalscoring output, netting 19 goals in the 10 games since Vázquez went down, as opposed to 15 goals in 21 games before his injury.

Austin has the lowest goals scored total among playoff teams and are fourth lowest in the entire league. Myrto Uzuni leads Austin with six goals and Owen Wolff is right behind with five, and Wolff shares the assist lead with Osman Bukari with 7.

NASHVILLE SC
Major League Soccer | Nashville, TN
5th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: BJ Callaghan
Overall: 11-2-2 (0-2 PK) | 7-1-1 (0-1 PK) (as MLS)
Away: 1-2-1 (0-1) | 1-1-1 (0-1) (as MLS)
vs. MLS: 5-1-0 (0-1 PK) | 4-1-1 (0-1 PK) (as MLS)
Best finish: Fifth Round (2018, USL) | Quarterfinals (2022, MLS)

In their first year as a USL club in 2018, Nashville knocked off the Colorado Rapids on their way to the Fifth Round. Once joining MLS they reached the Quarterfinals in 2022 and made another three-game run in 2023 while starting a round earlier. Last year, Nashville SC did not enter the competition.

The first notable club from the city of Nashville to participate in the Open Cup was the Nashville Blues in the late 1980s, though they didn’t have much success. In the Modern Era, the A-League’s Nashville Metros reached the Quarterfinals in 1997, upsetting the Kansas City Wizards (Sporting KC) 3-1 in the Third Round.

AUSTIN FC
Major League Soccer | Austin, TX
3rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Nico Estévez
Overall: 4-2-1 (1-0 PK)
Home: 3-1-0 (1-0 PK)
vs. MLS: 4-1-1 (1-0 PK)
Best finish: Fifth Round (2023)

Next to St. Louis CITY SC, Austin FC has the least experience in the Open Cup among MLS clubs prior to the 2025 tournament, with just four games played.

The City of Austin also has a limited history in the Open Cup. The highest profile team in the pre-Modern Era is perhaps the Austin Soccadillos, who entered the 1991 tournament, winning their group in USISL qualifying only to fall 3-0 to the other group winner in the USISL qualifying final, the Richardson Rockets, who would go on to reach the 1991 US Open Cup Final. In the Modern Era, six other teams represented Austin in the Open Cup. First up was the Austin Lone Stars of the USL D-3 Pro League, appearing in three tournaments from 1997-1999, only posting a 2-3 record.

Amateur club Real Madrid won the USASA Region III qualifying tournament in 2002 but lost their lone Cup game.

In 2008, the Austin Aztex U-23s qualified through the PDL (now USL League Two), being eliminated on penalty kicks by the Atlanta Silverbacks after a 2-2 draw. The Aztex U-23s were the development team of the USL’s Austin Aztex, who would move in 2010 and become Orlando City SC.

The new Austin Aztex qualified as a PDL cub in 2013 and 2014 without much success, then again in 2015 when the club turned pro and moved up to the USL, reaching the Third Round where they lost 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo.

In 2019, the USL Championship’s Austin Bold matched the Aztex 2015 run, reaching the Third Round before also falling to the Houston Dynamo, this time 3-2.

Finally the only other team currently calling Austin its home is Austin FC II, who appeared in 2024 and were upset by amateur side FORO SC on penalties.

Enter for a chance to win tickets to the 2025 US Open Cup Final in Austin

September 26, 2025 by Josh Hakala

Graphic: Frank Lanham | Photo: Seth Steffenhagen – Northland Soccer Journal

CONTEST HAS ENDED

On Wednesday night, Austin FC will host Nashville SC in the 110th edition of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final. Both teams will be seeking their first US Open Cup title.

How would you like to be there at Q2 Stadium to see which team will lift the trophy for the first time?

TheCup.us launched a Patreon account in an effort to pay the dozens of reporters that help cover this tournament. Each tier offers different membership benefits from as little as $5/month up to and beyond $50/month. The top tier gets you 2 tickets to the US Open Cup Final for every year you are a member at that level.

Jon Hunt is one of our top tier members and because of his generosity, he is offering his two Open Cup Final tickets to the fellow readers of TheCup.us.

If you can correctly answer an Open Cup trivia question, then you will be entered in a drawing for the tickets. As a bonus, if you join our Patreon team, you can get an additional entry. For every $5/month you commit to, you get an additional entry (i.e. If you join at the $10/month level, you would get two additional entries in the drawing).

In honor of Jon being a Lexington Sporting Club supporter, here’s the challenge:

Name a member of the Lexington Sporting Club organization who has lifted the US Open Cup trophy (Hint: One of them used to work for one of this year’s finalists)

Submit your answers HERE with “Trivia” in the subject line.

The contest will end on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The tickets will be sent out to the winner via email. Tickets are not to be re-sold.

2025 US Open Cup Semifinals: Seconds away from PKs, CJ Fodrey of Austin FC stuns Minnesota United

September 18, 2025 by Ashle Lynn Paige

Austin FC players celebrate after scoring a goal against Minnesota United FC in the 2025 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen - Northland Soccer Journal — Austin FC players celebrate after scoring a goal against Minnesota United FC in the 2025 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen – Northland Soccer Journal

Austin FC and a good amount of fans traveled to St. Paul to take on Minnesota United FC on Wednesday night for the clubs’ third meeting of 2025 across all competitions. The North Star State vs. the Lone Star State clash determined who would advance and host the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final.

Austin took the lead in first half stoppage time, holding it until Minnesota United leveled the match with a spectacular free kick in the 67th minute. The chippy and foul-riddled match headed to extra time where Austin scored at the death of the second extra time period to send Los Verdes to their first ever Open Cup championship game.

In the 110-year history of the tournament, Austin becomes just the fourth team from South Texas (9th from Texas overall) to reach the US Open Cup Final. Over the last eight years, four of those title games have featured a team from the Lone Star State (FC Dallas in 2016, Houston Dynamo in 2018 and 2023, Austin FC in 2025). The last three times a Texas team has reached the Final, they have won.

With each side coming off a league match just days prior, there were some changes made to each team’s starting eleven. Austin FC made six changes from their loss to FC Dallas the previous weekend. Minnesota United made just three changes, retaining most of the eleven starters that defeated San Diego 3–1 on the prior Saturday night. For the Loons, the biggest missing piece was Canadian international Tani Oluwaseyi who was sold to Spanish top flight side Villarreal late during the previous transfer window.

The opening 45 minutes of play were pretty low key compared to what the match became. Twenty-five minutes into the match Osman Bukari was issued the first yellow, and what by the laws of the game is a red card, for kicking Anthony Markanich away from the run of play. Shortly after Kelvin Yeboah took a wild bump, where no foul or card was issued, that ended with him being subbed off for Joseph Rosales.

“I’m not sure of the severity of it,” said Minnesota United manager Eric Ramsay on Yeboah’s injury. “It wasn’t obviously so serious that he immediately had to remove himself from the pitch – he felt like he could give it another go. So, by the time we get the imaging tomorrow we will have a good idea.”

Neither side was able to mount a real chance to score during most of the first half. None of Minnesota’s six shots went on target, at least one of which probably came closer to hitting the local Target store than going into the back of goal.

Austin struggled just as much in the opening frame, snagging five shots through the first half and until stoppage time. None of the shots really made MNUFC goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair work and it appeared that the match would head to the break at a 0-0 draw.

That all changed right as the clock passed the minimum stoppage time of three minutes. Owen Wolff sent a long ball into Austin’s attacking third that was picked up by Osman Bukari, who broke out cleanly down the right side. Bukari sent a dribbler of a shot from twelve yards out, that slipped through the legs and hands of Dayne St. Clair and slowly rolled its way across the goal line despite a Minnesota defender’s attempt to save it. Austin FC would enter the halftime break with a 1-0 lead.

The second half then seemed to become a totally different match. After managing six first half shots, the Loons came roaring into and through the second half of play. Snapping 13 shots compared to just three for Austin, in what was an extremely chippy half where 17 fouls were called with only a single yellow card being shown.

Twenty-two minutes into the second half, Minnesota United had finally put themselves on the board when Joaquín Pereyra curled a banger of a free kick around the defensive wall to score for the hosts. It was his first career US Open Cup goal for the designated player from Argentina.

More than 100 Austin FC fans made the trip to Allianz Field to watch their team beat Minnesota United FC 2-1 in extra time in the 2025 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen - Northland Soccer Journal — More than 100 Austin FC fans made the trip to Allianz Field to watch their team beat Minnesota United FC 2-1 in extra time in the 2025 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen – Northland Soccer Journal

While Minnesota continued to control and dominate the remainder of the half, the Loons were still unable to get another big chance to score, setting the match up for extra time. The first half of extra time was played with little gusto on the part of either side. Only two shots and two fouls happened during 15 minutes that looked more like the match from the Simpsons than it did a cup semifinal.

The second half of extra time was a different feeling altogether, now looking like two sides fighting and scrapping for a spot in a championship. Every foul called in the final 15 minutes was on Minnesota and four of the six shots came from Austin. With the 120th minute approaching, it appeared certain this would continue on into penalties. But in the final minute, Austin changed that and sent themselves to the USOC final. After Dayne St. Clair parried away a shot from Myrto Uzuni, CJ Fodrey sent the rebound past Dayne St. Clair and straight into the goal.

Joaquin Pereyra of Minnesota United bends the ball around an Austin FC wall for a free kick goal in the 2025 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen - Northland Soccer Journal — Joaquin Pereyra of Minnesota United bends the ball around an Austin FC wall for a free kick goal in the 2025 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen – Northland Soccer Journal

“I think we set up a good tactical setup where we minimized their strength,” said Austin FC manager Nico Estévez. “The important thing against them is not being defending all the time and that you have opportunities to go forward and put them in difficult situations.”

After securing the victory, Austin FC went over to the northeast corner of Allianz Field to celebrate with the more than 150 fans that traveled more than 1,000 miles north for a Wednesday night match.

Austin FC will host the 110th US Open Cup Final at Q2 Stadium on October 1 where they will face Nashville SC, who defeated the Philadelphia Union 3-1 on Tuesday night to punch their ticket to the title game.

2025 US Open Cup Semifinals Preview: Winner of Austin FC vs. Minnesota United will host Nashville SC

September 16, 2025 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

With the elimination of D.C. United and the Chicago Fire in the Quarterfinals, we’re guaranteed to have a first-time US Open Cup Champion in 2025. Minnesota United and Philadelphia Union have reached the Final before, only to fail to lift the trophy. For Austin FC and Nashville SC, this is the furthest they’ve gone in their short Open Cup history.

Nashville SC will host the Philadelphia Union on Tuesday, followed by the Minnesota United FC welcoming Austin FC to the Twin Cities on Wednesday.

UPDATE: Sam Surridge’s hat trick leads Nashville SC to first US Open Cup Final

TheCup.us will have live updates of both games as both games will be streamed live on Paramount+ and the CBS Sports Network. You can find those updates on X (Twitter) and Blue Sky.

The winners of these two Semifinal games will square off in the 110th US Open Cup Final, scheduled for Oct. 1. The game will be hosted by the winner of Austin FC and Minnesota United.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Austin FC (MLS) at Minnesota United FC (MLS)
Allianz Field – St. Paul, MN
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
TV: Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network

It’s been seven years since Minnesota found themselves this far in the Open Cup. Just like in 2019, Minnesota has gotten past two fellow MLS teams to reach this point. For Austin this is brand new territory, having been bounced early in their previous two appearances in 2022 and 2023. They’ll have to manage without top scorer Brandon Vazquez, who tore the ACL in his right knee in the Quarterfinals. Vazquez is also the top scorer in the 2025 US Open Cup with four goals.

Brandon Vazquez of Austin FC celebrates after scoring a goal against El Paso Locomotive FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Laura Gallo

As an MLS club, Minnesota United are 5-0-1 in the Open Cup at home against other MLS teams. The lone draw also led to advancement, winning a PK tiebreaker against Philadelphia Union after a 3-3 draw in the 2023 Fourth Round.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Like Philadelphia and Nashville, Austin FC and Minnesota United have never met in the Open Cup. Their two MLS meetings both took place back in May.

The first meeting at Austin’s Q2 Stadium was won handily by Minnesota 3-0. The Loons opening goal was officially recorded as an own goal from Austin’s Ilie Sánchez, who slightly nicked a deflected a shot from Joaquín Pereyra that rolled through the legs of Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver in the 22nd minute. Thirteen minutes later, Minnesota would double the lead when Anthony Markanich headed home a cross from Jefferson Díaz. Austin looked to have made the score 2-1 in the 77th minute, but Guilherme Biro’s strike was nullified by an offside ruling. Austin were denied again in the 85th minute when Julian Gressel cleared Brandon Vázquez’s shot off the goal line while goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair was out of position. Minnesota closed the door in stoppage time when Joaquín Pereyra scored on a shot from outside the penalty area.

Just 21 days later the clubs met at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn., playing to a 1-1 draw. Michael Boxall opened the scoring for Minnesota when Nicolás Romero redirected a Joaquín Pereyra corner kick to Boxall. Austin responded soon after Osman Bukari and Myrto Uzuni strung passes together to feed Žan Kolmanič, who hammered home his shot from the top of the box.

ROAD TO THE SEMIFINALS

Sang Bin Jeong of Minnesota United avoids a tackle in a Quarterfinal match against the Chicago Fire FC in the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen - Northland Soccer Journal — Sang Bin Jeong of Minnesota United avoids a tackle in a Quarterfinal match against the Chicago Fire FC in the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Seth Steffenhagen – Northland Soccer Journal

Austin’s match at San Jose came with good news and terrible news. The good, Austin advanced on penalties after a 2-2 draw. The terrible news was that leading goalscorer Brandon Vázquez tore the ACL in his right knee in the 70th minute, putting him out for the remainder of the season. It was Vázquez’s penalty shortly before his injury that tied the game at 1-1 and Myrto Uzuni converted another PK with five minutes left in extra time to make it 2-2. In the penalty tiebreakers, Austin made all four of their shots while Brad Stuver stopped two for San Jose’s to move Austin to the semifinals for the first time ever.

Despite being outshot 15-6, Minnesota United went to Kentucky and escaped with a 1-0 win over Louisville City FC (USL-C). Darius Randell scored the lone goal in the 65th minute. Minnesota traveled to St. Louis for the Fifth Round to face St. Louis CITY SC after jumping out to a 1-0 lead after ten minutes through Kelvin Yeboah, Minnesota fell behind 2-1 by the 65th minute. Along came Anthony Markanich to the rescue, scoring in the 85th and 88th minutes to give the Loons a 3-2 comeback victory.

Austin FC players celebrate after defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 in penalty kicks in the 2025 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Dario Cruz | FUTWRK

In Minnesota’s 3-1 extra time win over the Chicago Fire, it was Kelvin Yeboah turn to score two late goals. Robin Lod tied the game at 1-1 in the 47th minute, and in extra tine Yeboah scored in the 95th minute then again from the PK spot in the 120th, earning him TheCup.us “Player of the Round” honors.

CURRENT FORM

Minnesota has spread their six defeats through the season, never losing two in a row and always posting a run of a win or draw two games or more between defeats. The Loons started the season hot, going 4-2-4 in their first two months, and are currently on a four game unbeaten run including a 3-1 win this past Saturday over conference leaders San Diego.

Minnesota scored at least one goal in 13 of their last 14 games. Tani Oluwaseyi leads the team with 10 goals, one ahead of Kelvin Yeboah. Six other players have two or more goals. Joaquin Pereyra leads with 10 assists, and Oluwaseyi has 8.

Supporters celebrate after Minnesota United defeated St. Louis CITY 3-2 in the Round of 16 of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Steffenhagen Photography - Northland Soccer Journal — Supporters celebrate after Minnesota United defeated St. Louis CITY 3-2 in the Round of 16 of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Steffenhagen Photography – Northland Soccer Journal

Out of the four Semifinal clubs, Austin FC is the only one fighting for a spot in the MLS Cup, as the other three have their spot secured. Austin are currently in 7th, just two points clear of the two play-in spots, but they have a seven-point cushion over 10th place Real Salt Lake. Austin are 4-2-4 over their last ten games.

Austin has the lowest goals scored total among playoff teams, and are fifth-lowest in the entire league. Myrto Uzuni and Owen Wolff share the goalscoring lead with five goals apiece, and Wolff shares the assist lead with Osman Bukari with 7.

Austin FC
Major League Soccer | Austin, TX
3rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2021
Manager: Nico Estévez
Overall: 3-2-1 (1-0 PK)
Away: 0-1-1 (1-0 PK)
vs. MLS: 1-1-1 (1-0 PK)
Best finish: Fifth Round (2023)

Next to St. Louis CITY SC, Austin FC has the least experience in the Open Cup among MLS clubs, with just four games played. The City of Austin also has a limited history in the Open Cup. The highest profile team in the pre-Modern Era is perhaps the Austin Soccadillos, who entered the 1991 tournament, winning their group in USISL qualifying only to fall 3-0 to the other group winner in the USISL qualifying final, the Richardson Rockets, who would go on to reach the 1991 US Open Cup Final. In the Modern Era, six other teams represented Austin in the Open Cup. First up was the Austin Lone Stars of the USL D3 Pro League, appearing in three tournaments from 1997-1999, only posting a 2-3 record.

Amateur club Real Madrid won the USASA Region III qualifying tournament in 2002 but lost their lone Cup game.

In 2008, the Austin Aztex U-23s qualified through the PDL (now USL League Two), being eliminated on penalty kicks by the Atlanta Silverbacks after a 2-2 draw. The Aztex U-23s were the development team of the USL’s Austin Aztex, who would move in 2010 and become Orlando City SC.

The new Austin Aztex qualified as a PDL cub in 2013 and 2014 without much success, then again in 2015 when the club turned pro and moved up to the USL, reaching the Third Round where they lost 2-0 to the Houston Dynamo.

In 2019, the USL Championship’s Austin Bold matched the Aztex 2015 run, reaching the Third Round before also falling to the Houston Dynamo, this time 3-2.

Finally the only other team currently calling Austin its home is Austin FC II, who appeared in 2024 and were upset by amateur side FORO SC on penalties.

Minnesota United FC
Major League Soccer | Saint Paul, MN
13th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2010
Manager: Eric Ramsay
Overall: 15-10-3 (2-1 PK) | 9-5-2 (2-0 PK) (MLS)
Home: 7-4-1 (1-0 PK) | 6-1-1 (1-0 PK) (MLS)
vs. MLS: 7-8-1 (1-0 PK) | 6-5-1 (1-0 PK) (MLS)
Best finish: Final (2019)

Since Minnesota joined MLS in 2017 they’ve had respectable results, reaching the Final in 2019 and going three games deep in 2022 and 2023. In MLS, the Loons have yet to win a championship but have reached the playoffs five of the last six seasons.

The Twin Cities were represented by the Minnesota Thunder earlier in the Modern Era, reaching the Semifinals in 2005. Thunder legend Johnny Menyongar is tied for second with three other players with 13 Open Cup goals in the Modern Era.

According to TheCup.us records, the first known team from Minnesota to enter the Open Cup was the Minneapolis Tigers in 1958.

Throughout the 1960s, teams like the St. Paul Blackhawks and Ukrainian SC would represent the region in Open Cup play but found little success.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Philadelphia Union (MLS) at Nashville SC (MLS)
GEODIS Park – Nashville, TN
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
TV: Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network
UPDATE: Sam Surridge’s hat trick leads Nashville SC to first US Open Cup Final

Could this be the year Philadelphia puts it together for a double? The three previous times they’ve reached the Open Cup Final (2014, 2015, 2018) they either missed the MLS Cup playoffs or were bounced early. Similarly, the three times Union finished first or second in the MLS standings (2020, 2021, 2022) the Open Cup either wasn’t played, or they were eliminated early. This year the Union find themselves on top of the MLS Eastern Conference and two wins away from winning the Open Cup for the first time.

Philadelphia Union players celebrate after scoring a goal against the New York Red Bulls in the 2025 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Lynelle Leinbach (@star_basker) for TheCup.us

Since their last visit to the Open Cup, Philadelphia’s three appearances up until this year (2019, 2022 and 2023) all ended after one game, all at the hands of MLS teams.

Like Austin FC, Nashville are making their first appearance in the Semifinals. Their previous best was reaching the Quarterfinals in 2022 where they fell to Orlando City on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Nashville is undefeated at home in Open Cup play, going 8-0-1 as a USL and MLS club, and are currently on a six-game unbeaten streak in home Open Cup games.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Philadelphia and Nashville have never met in Open Cup play. In their two meetings this year in MLS, Nashville has won both.

Just four weeks into the season on March 16 in Chester, Pa., Nashville handed the Union their first setback with a 3-1 win. Sam Surridge scored his first goal of the season in the 15th minute to give Nashville 1-0 lead, but Jovan Lukić answered for Philadelphia 17 minutes later. Just one minute before the halftime whistle Ahmed Qasem put Nashville back in front for good.

In the 82nd minute, Hany Mukhtar extended the lead to 3-1 with a successful penalty conversion. Philly’s Olwethu Makhanya was sent off in second half stoppage time for hitting Nashville’s Jacob Shaffelburg with a thrown ball while out of bounds. Surridge was denied a possible hat trick in the opening half when a goal was called back due to a foul in the 16th minute and then hitting the upright in the 26th minute.

The second meeting came on July 5 in Nashville, and the hosts came out 1-0 winners, it marked the only time Philadelphia has lost back-to-back league games this year, following a 1-0 loss to Columbus. Goalkeeper Andre Blake and the upright kept Nashville off the board in the 15th minute. Hany Muhktar’s shot was stopped by Blake, then Mukhtar sent the rebound off the upright being a prone Blake. Nashville went a man down in the 63rd minute when Jonathan Pérez caught Philly’s Tai Baribo with a high boot to the face while going after the ball. Kai Wagner nearly gave Union a 1-0 lead when his 88th minute free kick hit the post. Nashville finally won it in stoppage time when Mukhtar was awarded a penalty through VAR after being fouled by Olwethu Makhanya. Mukhtar stepped to the spot himself and won the game for Nashville. The win was the last positive result in Nashville’s 12-game unbeaten streak, they would lose 2-1 to Inter Miami the following week.

ROAD TO THE SEMIFINALS

Both teams entered the competition in the Fourth Round and Philly’s opening game saw them taken to the limit by Indy Eleven of the USL Championship, surviving a penalty kick shootout after a 1-1 draw.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute through Alejandro Bedoya, Indy tied the score right after halftime. Despite 33 shots, Philadelphia could not score the winner after 120 minutes. The Union converted all five spot kicks to win the shootout 5-4.

In the Round of 16, Philly knocked off the lone USL Championship club remaining, defeating the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 4-1, scoring two goals in each half to win the Keystone State derby.

Thanks to weather delays, the Union’s Quarterfinal match with the New York Red Bulls took over five weeks to complete. Heavy rain and lightning prevented the original kickoff on July 9, and on Aug. 13 lightning once again intervened, causing a two-hour delay. Philly and NYRB traded goals in the opening half and again the second. As extra time loomed, Olwethu Makhanya scored off a rebound in the 89th minute to end Union’s long-delayed return to the Semifinals.

In the Fourth Round, despite outshooting their opponents 14-3, Nashville only managed a 1-0 win over the Chattanooga Red Wolves from USL League One. Josh Bauer scored the lone goal in the 18th minute.

Jonathan Perez of Nashville SC celebrates after scoring a goal against D.C. United in the Quarterfinals of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC

Their Round of 16 game at Orlando City was much closer. After drawing level after an Orlando City own goal, Ahmed Qasem gave Nashville a 2-1 lead minutes before halftime. Orlando pulled level 15 minutes into the second half, but with eleven minutes remaining, Wyatt Meyer scored the goal that eventually put Nashville in the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2022.

Nashville’s Quarterfinal affair at home versus D.C. United got off to a rocky start, with the home side trailing 2-0 after 24 minutes. From then on it was all Nashville who scored five unanswered goals, four in the second half, to prevail 5-2 and book their first ever Semifinal appearance. Team goalscoring leader Sam Surridge scored twice, and Jonathan Perez, Andy Najar and Walker Zimmerman provided the rest.

CURRENT FORM

Philadelphia Union players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph - Philadelphia Soccer Now — Philadelphia Union players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph – Philadelphia Soccer Now

Nashville used a 12-game unbeaten run to vault up the MLS Eastern Conference table and are currently seven points behind leaders Philadelphia, and are fighting to stay in the top 4, which would give them home field advantage in the opening round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. Nashville has hit a rough patch in league play, losing five of their last six games, including a loss to FC Cincinnati this past Saturday when Cincinnati scored the game-winner deep into stoppage time.

Nashville’s attack is led by Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar. Surridge leads MLS with 21 goals scored, and Mukhtar has 14. Mukhtar also leads the team with assists at 11, with Andy Najar behind him with 10.

Philadelphia became one of the first clubs in MLS to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs and now have their sights on the Supporters Shield. Like Nashville, Philadelphia had a lengthy unbeaten run during the season, playing 11 games (April 19-June 25) without a loss. The run ended with their only back-to-back losses of the year and has been followed by an ongoing 5-1-2 run. Union are coming off an embarrassing 7-0 loss at Vancouver this past Saturday with Thomas Muller leading the way with a hat trick. The seven goals were more than Philly had allowed in their last 14 games combined.

Gaston Brugman of Nashville SC dribbles against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC

Israeli international Tai Baribo leads the team with 16 goals, also good enough for 4th in MLS. Kai Wagner and Quinn Sullivan are the assist leaders, with 10 and 9 respectively. Goalkeepers Andre Blake and Andrew Rick have six clean sheets each.

Nashville SC
Major League Soccer | Nashville, TN
5th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2018
Manager: B.J. Callaghan
Overall: 10-2-2 (0-2 PK) | 6-1-1 (0-1 PK) (as MLS)
Home: 9-0-1 (0-1) | 5-0-0 (as MLS)
vs. MLS: 4-1-0 (0-1 PK) | 3-1-1 (0-1 PK) (as MLS)
Best finish: Fifth Round (2018, USL) | Quarterfinals (2022, MLS)

Philadelphia Union
Major League Soccer | Chester, PA
11th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2010
Manager: Bradley Carnell
Overall: 18-6-8 (4-4 PK)
Away: 1-4-5 (3-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 9-6-6 (2-4 PK)
Best finish: Final (2014, 2015, 2018)

Philadelphia has one of the better Open Cup resumes without winning a title among MLS clubs, though recent tournaments have put a blemish on that. They’ve been to three Open Cup Finals (2014, 2015, 2018), but their last three appearances in the competition have been “one and done” appearances against D.C. United in 2019, Orlando City in 2022 and Minnesota United in 2023.

Prior to the Modern Era, clubs from Philadelphia have made nine appearances in the Open Cup Final, winning the Open Cup five times. Leading the way are the Ukrainian Nationals, who won the tournament four times (1960, 1962, 1963 and 1966).

2025 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Austin FC use pair of PKs, PK shootout to beat San Jose Earthquakes

July 9, 2025 by Connor Bunnell

Late night soccer in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on the West Coast is always a recipe for drama. It remained true at PayPal Park Tuesday night when Austin FC knocked out the San Jose Earthquakes on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the Quarterfinals.

Austin FC fell behind twice in the game, but each time managed to equalize with a goal from the penalty spot. After a 4-2 win in the penalty kick shootout, Austin FC earns the club’s first-ever trip to the US Open Cup Semifinals.

In the early going, it looked like San Jose might run away with it. The hosts came out firing on all cylinders and controlling all phases of the game, and they quickly got their reward.

In the 12th minute, Ousseni Bouda, who was a crucial playmaker on the wing all night long, dealt into the center from the right, and Chicho Arango struck it confidently into the top-right corner to put the Quakes on the board first. They’d maintain that lead well and threaten for more, but even though they didn’t double their advantage, 1-0 going into halftime was still a positive start.

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Meanwhile, Austin looked to flip the 45 and catch the hosts on the B-side. Things started with modest improvement, as Los Verdes saw more of the ball and shot it more often, though San Jose maintained the edge in both categories.

In a one-score game, though, it only takes one little opening, and Austin found it when Earthquakes defender Max Floriani fouled Brandon Vázquez in the penalty area. A couple minutes later, Quakes keeper Daniel dove left, but Vázquez aimed to the right, and just like that, we were all square again.

On top of giving his team new life, it marked a significant individual achievement, as Vázquez brought his goalscoring total to a tournament-best four goals. It was also the US international’s 13th career US Open Cup goal, which bring him into a tie for second-most in the Modern Era (1995-present) with David Bulow, Kenny Cooper, Johnny Menyongar, and Jaime Moreno.

However, Vázquez wouldn’t get long to celebrate, because not even five minutes later, he fell untouched to the ground while the Quakes were on the attack. At first, the crowd assumed the Austin striker was just flopping to try and stop the flow of play, but when he continued writhing in pain and clutching his right knee after the sequence naturally ended, it was clear he was genuinely in pain. Vázquez ultimately left the pitch on a stretcher with his head in his hands, and Austin FC would have to figure out their way forward without him. (UPDATE: Brandon Vazquez suffers season-ending injury)

“As (Vázquez) was going off … all of us told him right then and there that we had him (and) we were gonna win the game,” said Austin’s captain and keeper Brad Stuver after the match. “He’s done a lot for us, and we wanted to make sure that he knew that we were all behind him.”

As both sides scrambled to score the all-important next goal, the refs’ standing with the home crowd plummeted. The fans objected particularly strongly just past the 80-minute mark when Cristian Espinoza, who had subbed on earlier in the half and taken the captain’s armband from a still-playing Chicho, got bowled over in the box, but the refs deemed it insufficient to award San Jose a penalty.

Whether they got the calls or not, the two teams pressed on and pressed hard, creating furious chances and denying each other scores. However, just before we were supposed to go to extra time, an extra twist of controversy hit.

In the 96th minute, as Espinoza was trying to deal with a midair ball around midfield, Austin defender Mikel Desler made a careless challenge and put his spikes straight into Espinoza’s right leg, leaving a gash so deep it took ten stitches to close. Despite both the severity of the injury and the fact that VAR was available as of this round, Desler got away with a yellow, and Quakes coach Bruce Arena was very quick to note that in the post-match press conference.

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 <a href= — 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

“That foul on is a straight red card,” Arena told reporters. “The officiating was comical.”

Espinoza, for his part, would try to soldier on as best he could, but Arena soon pulled him from the game to receive medical attention while Chicho retook the captain’s band. Meanwhile, eight minutes of stoppage time turned into 13 minutes actually played before the referees finally blew the whistle and officially sent things into extra time.

Galvanized by recent events, the Earthquakes charged hard out of the gate, once again asserting control of the match’s tempo. Just as it had in the first half of regular time, that paid off in a hurry. In the 98th and 99th minutes, the Quakes decided to fight Austin captain and keeper Brad Stuver with sheer volume, as a scramble in net saw four straight shots saved or blocked before substitute Benji Kikanović finally turned a rebound into a result, scoring a two-touch right-footer to put the California squad back on top.

Austin FC players walk back up the field after scoring a penalty kick goal against the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2025 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Dario Cruz | FUTWRK

However, Austin still had plenty of fight in them, and when they earned a corner just before the 105th minute, it seemed like they might do some damage with it. In a melding of substitute minds, Žan Kolmanič took the corner and placed it expertly, while Myrto Uzuni took the ball relayed to him and headed it into the net. Unfortunately for him, though, the flag went up for offside, wiping his goal from the record and ensuring San Jose went into the break with the lead.

All San Jose needed from here was to close out the final 15 and punch that ticket to the Semifinals, but Austin had other ideas.

With the Quakes now finally easing up on possession, Los Verdes got all the time they needed to set up and threaten to score. They’d get another golden chance to do so halfway through the period when Quakes ironman Mark-Anthony Kaye fouled Owen Wolff in the box, meaning yet another penalty for Austin. Naturally, this went over about as well as a teacher announcing recess was cancelled. The younger fans in the crowd chanted “Ref, you suck!”, adults chanted something a bit more vulgar, and the Earthquakes themselves tried to insist the foul had actually taken place outside the box. That complaint proved unpersuasive, to say the least, and although Daniel guessed the incoming penalty correctly this time, Uzuni made sure to put it out of reach.

After being denied by a flag minutes prior, the Albanian finally had his goal, and with the score sitting at 2-2, a penalty kick shootout was back on the menu. The Quakes tried their best to avert it, making a couple more shot attempts, but none of them got through. As such, the game became the 13th Open Cup match of 2025 to go all the way to a penalty shootout.

As “Enter Sandman” set the mood for the 10,754 fans in attendance, San Jose got the chance to shoot first. However, their fight started on a disastrous note when Stuver stuffed Chicho’s stop-go shot. Chicho immediately protested that Stuver had been off the line, and photographs from behind the net suggest the Colombian may have had a point, but the refs dismissed it as yet more arguing from a player who’d been jawing with them all night and refused to grant a retake. Diego Rubio immediately pounced on the opening, putting his shot past Daniel to give Austin the advantage.

Josef Martínez quickly tied things up with his shot, but Myrto Uzuni fired back to make himself 2 for 2 on the night and gave Austin a lead they’d never hand back. Stuver cemented that in stone on the following kick, diving to his right to stop DeJuan Jones’s shot to put a cherry on top of the Austin captain’s phenomenal day in net. Then, with Robert Taylor’s shot straight down the middle, the Texan side officially had San Jose on the brink of elimination. For the first time all night, the Earthquakes’ supporters sections, who usually sandwich the stadium with noise from both ends, fell quiet enough to let Austin’s small faction of traveling fans be heard.

Austin FC players celebrate in the locker room after defeating the San Jose Earthquakes in a PK shootout (after a 2-2 draw) in the 2025 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Austin FC

Ian Harkes scored to keep the Quakes alive, but the math was not on their side as Owen Wolff stepped up with both sides’ fates in his hands. The 20-year-old ran up and fired in one fluid motion, sending the ball to the bottom-left and Daniel diving in the wrong direction, and Austin officially clinched the shootout 4-2.

For Bruce Arena, it was a bitter way to waste what had been, in many respects, a strong performance from his side.

“Our team played very well,” Arena said. “Austin was not at all dangerous in the attack the entire evening, and we conceded two penalty kicks. That certainly is our fault, and we’re to blame for that, for sure.”

The Earthquakes’ Jamar Ricketts, who played a valiant 95 minutes as a right midfielder before subbing off with a minor injury, also found plenty to praise about his side’s effort despite the result.

“I think it’s great, honestly, how the team rallied up,” Ricketts said, “and we kept fighting all 120 minutes. Especially the players that came on the field, or the players that came off the field—like, when Cristian was hurt, he was on the sideline yelling, coaching. I think it’s just great to know that somebody’s got your back. If somebody got beat, the next person was stepping up … We can take it to the next game knowing we have something to prove, and that we’ll rally behind every single player on the field.”

Meanwhile, for Los Verdes, it was a cathartic and hard-fought victory to put the club closer to its first trophy than ever before.

“Everyone that stepped on the field today brought something to help the team,” said Austin coach Nico Estévez, “and I think those nights are a big deal for the fans to enjoy. There is some magic on those type of nights.”

With this win, Austin now have an all-time Open Cup record of 3-2-1, with a 1-0 record in penalty kicks. More importantly, they’re in the Semifinals for the first time in team history, blowing all their previous appearances out of the water. Austin will travel up to St. Paul, Minn. the week of Sept. 16-17 to face Minnesota United, with the right to host October’s Open Cup final hanging in the balance.

2025 US Open Cup Round 5: Austin FC “happy and motivated” after 3-1 win over Houston Dynamo

May 22, 2025 by Laura Gallo

Ilie Sanchez of Austin FC celebrates after scoring a goal against the Houston Dynamo in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Laura Gallo

Austin FC made history Wednesday night, reaching the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals for the first time after a 3–1 win over in-state rivals Houston Dynamo FC at a roaring Q2 Stadium. Under coach Nico Estévez, Austin controlled most of the game and fed off the crowd’s energy, full of chants and excitement.

The breakthrough came in the 29th minute when Brandon Vázquez finished off a perfect cross from Jon Gallagher with a clever flick and a powerful shot to the far post. That goal marked Vázquez’s fifth in five matches and his third of this year’s Open Cup, which ties him for the tournament lead. .

After the match, Vázquez said, “Yeah, incredible — another ball in the net. Winning is what matters most. We’re happy and motivated. The group knows what we can do, and even when things aren’t perfect, our quality shows. If we keep this up, I think we’ll do well.”

Gallagher added insight on the team’s success: “Sticking to the game plan from the first minute and having the right mentality helped us. Being more direct and playing in strings worked well, especially with Brandon up front and Bukari creating one-on-one chances, even if not every pass paid off. We got good territory and controlled the game.”

Captain Ilie Sánchez notched his first goal for Austin off a low cross from Osman Bukari just after halftime. Sánchez told the media, “We take Open Cup games exactly as they are—playoffs. You win, you advance. You lose, you’re out.”

Bukari earned man of the match honors, scoring a penalty at 56-minute mark and assisting Sánchez’s goal shortly after. Despite recent criticism and rumors about his future with Austin FC, Bukari said he was unaware of the chatter and proved his value tonight with a strong performance.

Brandon Vazquez and Ilie Sanchez of Austin FC celebrate after scoring a goal against the Houston Dynamo in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Laura Gallo

The match was physical, with nine fouls called in the first 40 minutes. Houston held 59% possession in the first half and took seven shots but failed to test Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver with a shot on target.

Houston pulled one back in the 70th minute through Ezequiel Ponce, assisted by Franco Escobar, but Austin held firm.

The closing minutes grew intense as Houston pushed forward, putting Austin’s defense under pressure. In the 91st minute, Houston’s Brooklyn Raines received a second yellow card and was sent off. Just two minutes later, Austin’s Julio Cascante was shown a straight red card for a controversial challenge that stirred reactions from the crowd and sidelines. Cascante will now miss the club’s Quarterfinal match in July on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes.

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Austin FC’s Brandon Vazquez makes fans “believe” with comeback vs. El Paso

May 8, 2025 by Laura Gallo

Austin FC avoided an early exit from the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, overcoming a two-goal halftime deficit to defeat USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive, 3-2, at Q2 Stadium.

El Paso shocked the home crowd in the first half behind a pair of goals from a familiar name in Austin soccer circles. Beto Avila, who previously played for the now-defunct Austin Bold in the USL Championship, silenced Q2 Stadium with a pair of goals.

Less than a minute after having a goal called offside, Avila received a pass from Amando Moreno on the left wing. Avila took a couple of touches, gained the penalty box and fired a low shot which beat Austin goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland to the near post in the 20th minute.

Austin FC continued to put pressure on the El Paso goal. Moments after forcing a point blank save from El Paso goalkeeper Jamali Waite, Austin’s Brandon Vasquez put his head to a cross just outside the six-yard box. His header rang off the crossbar in the 32nd minute.

A minute later, El Paso sprang to live on the other end, forcing a diving save by Cleveland on a shot from about 30 yards out. Then shortly after that, in the 34th minute, Avila received a cross but his touch got away from him, only to have the ball deflect off a defender. Avila chased it down in the box and launched a shot to the far post.

The frustration among the Austin supporters was clear as loud boos rang out at halftime with the hosts trailing 2-0.

“What happened here in halftime was we had a real hard, honest talk amongst ourselves and some words were said,” said midfielder Jon Gallagher. “But I think we were addressing the facts and not caring about the guys’ feelings—we’ve got to do our jobs here, and that’s what we’re supposed to do.”

Despite the deficit, Austin created several chances—particularly through forward Brandon Vázquez, who was active throughout the first half but couldn’t find the breakthrough. As the saying goes, la red no quería ceder—the ball simply didn’t want to go in.

That changed in the 73rd minute when Vázquez finally got on the scoresheet. There was no celebration, just urgency and a sense of unfinished business. Owen Wolff, who had just entered the game, played Vazquez through to the box and the US international one-timed the ball to cut the lead in half.

“It felt like the goal just wouldn’t come. We were putting in all the work, and finally, I hit the back of the net,” said Vázquez. “It was an incredible feeling—and to come back, score, and win the game made it even better.”

Austin had flipped the momentum. Three minutes later, Vazquez played provider. With his back to the goal, Vazquez chested a ball down to Myrto Uzuni, who settled the ball at the edge of the 18-yard-box and fired a shot to beat a diving Waite, sending Q2 into a roar.

Vázquez added his second of the night in the 80th minute, when Wolff dribbled into the El Paso penalty area and just as he reached the box, he sent a low cross to Vazquez who powered a header into the back of the net. He sprinted to the supporters’ section with a scream of “Believe!” as Austin completed the comeback.

Vasquez’s brace gives him 11 career US Open Cup goals, which moves him into a tie for 7th with Dom Dwyer on the Modern Era (1995-present) goalscoring chart. His goal was his fourth game-winning goal in his Open Cup career, which is tied for second most of any player.

El Paso exit the tournament after a courageous first-half performance, but Austin FC’s second-half response—powered by key substitutions and relentless pressure—proved too much to contain. Austin FC will now face in-state MLS rival Houston Dynamo in the Round of 16, with that match also set to be played at Q2 Stadium.

2023 US Open Cup Round of 16: Chicago Fire continue quest for five with win over Austin FC

May 25, 2023 by Zach Smith

Austin FC vs. Chicago Fire FC - Photo: Scott W. Coleman — Photo: Scott W. Coleman

Frank Klopas wants to help the Chicago Fire become the winningest MLS team in US Open Cup history.

The Fire continued their journey towards an all-time record-tying fifth Open Cup trophy on Wednesday night, going on the road to beat Austin FC 2-0 at Q2 Stadium.

“If you’re in a tournament then you want to win,” Klopas said. “Every time we play we want to win. That’s the way we approach it. We’re always going to put our best team forward that is going to give us opportunities to win the game.”

Chicago will travel to face the Houston Dynamo in the Quarterfinals the week of June 6-7.

Despite losing the possession battle, the Fire were able to frustrate Austin FC and held a 12-9 advantage in shots, including an 8-2 lead in shots on goal.

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— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) May 25, 2023

Rafael Czichos opened the scoring with a header in the first half before Kacper Przybylko scored for the fifth time in all competitions off an assists from Xherdan Shaqiri in the second half.

“It was a great win,” Klopas said. “Any time you’re on the road, especially when you’re playing against a really good team in a great atmosphere, it’s always difficult. We had a really good gameplan. We were good with the ball and made them chase.”

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— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) May 25, 2023

Austin FC was on a bit of a high entering the Open Cup match after winning back-to-back MLS games for the first time this season to vault back up into a playoff spot.

“It’s disappointing to get knocked out,” Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff said. “This is a competition we wanted to progress in. Physically, we looked fatigued. When the team isn’t performing well, you’ve got to stay resolute.”

Both teams had their chances for the first 20 minutes of the game, but then Austin started getting sloppy with its passes, and Chicago started to have their way a bit more.

Kei Kamara took advantage of an Austin FC turnover with a shot from inside the penalty area in the 25th minute. Less than a minute later, Xherdan Shaqiri picked out Maren Haile-Selassie behind the back line for an open look, forcing Austin keeper Brad Stuver into a diving save.

The Fire took advantage of the ensuing corner as Rafael Czichos headed home a corner form Brian Gutierrez into the top corner to give Chicago the lead in the 27th minute.

The Cup Legend Leading the Fire ????» https://t.co/QlzcPznypi @ChicagoFire | #USOC2023 | ✍️ @jonahfontela pic.twitter.com/9FtZmG4MJR
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) May 24, 2023

“After 20 minutes, it looked leggy with a lot of sloppiness,” Wolff said. “It almost becomes contagious. It’s an elimination game, and dueling is important. It was concerning that we looked a little labored and physically slow.”

The Verde & Black started the second half strong, with headed chances on goal with headed caches for Gyasi Zardes and Aleksandar Radovanovic.

Shaqiri had his initial shot saved in the 77th minute, but he passed the rebound to a wide-open Kacper Przybylko in front of net for an easy tap-in goal to seal the win.

“We were very disciplined, organized and we had really good moments with the ball where we created lot of opportunities,” Klopas said. “We had some great individual performances, but from a collective standpoint, that was a the difference.”