First Round

2022 US Open Cup Round 1: NC Fusion awarded forfeit win, decide to play game anyway against SC United

March 26, 2022 by Lawson Murrell

The crowd of 1,384 at SEFL Soccer Complex in Columbia, SC thought they were watching a 2022 US Open Cup First Round match. Instead they unknowingly saw an exhibition game between the North Carolina Fusion U-23s and SC United Bantams. Photo: SC United Bantams

On Wednesday, the North Carolina Fusion U-23s pulled off a dramatic extra time win, 3-1, over SC United Bantams at the SEFL Soccer Complex in Columbia, S.C.. For the fans in the stands and those watching the YouTube broadcast, they thought they were watching a First Round game in the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

As it turns out, it was just an exhibition game.

During pre-match roster checks, the South Carolina United FC 18-player roster was found to only have 10 players eligible to compete in the US Open Cup. The host club was presented with two options; play the match with the 10 eligible players or accept a forfeit and play a friendly against the Fusion.

With both teams already warmed up and a crowd assembled, the teams agreed to the latter option. The exhibition match was not under the authority of the US Open Cup. The original tournament contest was officially recorded as a forfeit and the Fusion were awarded a 1-0 win to advance to the Second Round.

Despite the cup match being called off and an exhibition game played in its place, the game was still streamed live on US Soccer’s YouTube channel. According to a team official for South Carolina United, the team was informed that the forfeit would be announced by the USSF. However, during the broadcast commentators made no mention of this being an exhibition match. On multiple occasions, it was noted that the winner of this game would move on to play the Charlotte Independence in the next round.

In accordance with the official US Open Cup handbook any team that forfeits a cup game is subject to fines determined by the Adjudication and Discipline Panel. Said team will also be assessed/forfeit the performance bond ($1000) that each team provides when registering.

According to the USSF, the commissioner will not recommend further disciplinary action as far as a team suspension or a match ban. South Carolina United FC competes in the USL League 2 and is managed by volunteer and part-time team officials. The complete Bantams roster was cleared to compete in the league, however, eight of the players remained ineligible for the cup which the team was alerted to just before the match was scheduled to begin.

A Bantams team official expressed good will towards the USSF and US Open Cup and pointed to a simple clerical error in not registering the full roster with the cup, emphasizing the team did not intentionally attempt to field ineligible players.

Match Broadcast, Still titled “2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup”

2022 US Open Cup First Round matchups revealed

February 2, 2022 by Jake Sillick

For 32 amateur teams, their roads in the 2022 US Open Cup finally have a starting point. The United States Soccer Federation announced the pairings for the First Round of the 107th edition of the tournament. The 16 games between March 22-23 will be the earliest start the tournament has ever had in the Modern Era.

The hosts for the First Round, and all future rounds, are determined by random selection. If both teams apply to host and both teams meet the federation’s minimum venue standards, then the home team is decided by random draw.

The winners from the opening round will advance to the Second Round which is scheduled to be played April 5-7. This round will introduce professional teams into the competition as all Division II (USL Championship) and Division III (MLS Next Pro, National Independent Soccer Association, and USL League One) teams will enter.

Of note, many teams within Division III will need waiver forms signed either because their schedule was not announced to the public by January 31 or in the case of USL League One, their season does not begin at least 7 days prior to their first Open Cup match.

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Lansdowne Yonkers wins second Amateur Cup, qualifies for 2022 USOC
2022 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule / Results
2022 US Open Cup Qualifying Opening Round Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying October Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying November Game-By-Game Review
You can read the December Game Recaps by scrolling down on the Schedule / Results page

In our 18th year of covering the US Open Cup, support TheCup.us by joining our Patreon team!

ESPN+ will be the home of the US Open Cup again in the final year of the broadcasting deal. While every match in the tournament has been broadcasted on ESPN+ for the 2019 tournament (and would have for the 2020 tournament,) we should note that US Soccer now say a broadcast schedule is to be determined. We’re awaiting word from US Soccer on why a broadcast schedule is needed if every match is supposed to be on ESPN+ regardless.

Interesting Notes:

There are 4 matches total between the same qualifying pools (allowed under the exception for the First Round to minimize travel costs)
- 1 USL League Two vs. USL League Two match
- 1 NPSL vs. NPSL match
- 2 LQ vs. LQ matches
Shortest travel: D’Feeters Soccer Club to Denton Diablos (36 miles)
Longest travel: Azteca FC to Tulsa Athletic (566 miles)

2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Competition Schedule

First Round

Date	Game (home team listed first)	Time	Venue
March 22	FC Motown (NPSL) vs. West Chester United SC (USLL2)	7 p.m. ET	MSU Soccer Park; Montclair, N.J.
March 22	Hartford City FC (NPSL) vs. Oyster Bay United FC (N.Y.)	7:30 p.m. ET	Dillon Stadium; Hartford, Conn.
March 22	South Carolina United FC (USLL2) vs. NC Fusion U23 (USLL2)	7:30 p.m. ET	SEFL Soccer Complex; Columbia, S.C.
March 22	The Villages SC (USLL2) vs. Orlando FC Wolves (Fla.)	7:30 p.m. ET	The Villages SC Complex; Summerfield, Fla.
March 22	Denton Diablos FC (NPSL) vs. D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (Texas)	7:30 p.m. CT	UNT Soccer and Track & Field Stadium; Denton, Texas
March 22	Southern States SC Stars (NPSL) vs. Georgia Revolution FC (NPSL)	7:30 p.m. CT	The Oakes; Hattiesburg, Miss.
March 23	San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) vs. Escondido FC (Calif.)	2:45 p.m. PT	Sepulveda Basin Sports Complex; Encino, Calif.
March 23	Lynchburg FC (Va.) vs. Nova FC (Va.)	7 p.m. ET	Lynchburg City Stadium; Lynchburg, Va.
March 23	Ocean City Nor’easters (USLL2) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.)	7 p.m. ET	Carey Stadium; Ocean City, N.J.
March 23	Cleveland SC (NPSL) vs. Chicago FC United (USLL2)	7:15 p.m. ET	George Finnie Stadium; Berea, Ohio
March 23	Miami United FC (NPSL) vs. City Soccer FC (Fla.)	7:30 p.m. ET	Ted Hendricks Stadium; Hialeah, Fla.
March 23	Western Mass Pioneers (USLL2) vs. Brockton FC United (Mass.)	7:30 p.m. ET	Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass.
March 23	Des Moines Menace (USLL2) vs. Minneapolis City SC (NPSL)	7 p.m. CT	Valley Stadium; West Des Moines, Iowa
March 23	Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) vs. Azteca FC (Colo.)	7 p.m. CT	Case Soccer Complex (ORU); Tulsa, Okla.
March 23	Portland Timbers U23 (USLL2) vs. Contra Costa FC (Calif.)	7 p.m. PT	John Chambers Field; Salem, Ore.
March 23	Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) vs. Park City Red Wolves SC (USLL2)	7:30 p.m. PT	Peter Johanan Soccer Field (UNLV); Las Vegas, N.V.

April 5-7 Second Round (Division II and III teams enter)

April 8 Third Round Draw
April 19-21 Third Round (18 lower-seeded Division I teams enter)
April 22 Round of 32 Draw
May 10-11 Round of 32 (6 higher-seeded Division I teams enter)
May 12 Round of 16/Quarterfinal Draw
June 24-25 Round of 16
June 21-22 Quarterfinals
July 26-26 Semifinals
Sept. 6-7 or Sept. 13-14 Final

2016 US Open Cup Round 1: Aromas Cafe’s OT winner helps amateur side win cup debut

May 12, 2016 by Craig Tower

Jake Van Yahres delivered the game-winning goal as the Charlottesville, Virginia-based United States Amateur Soccer Association (USASA) side Aromas Café FC took down the National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) Richmond Strikers by a final score of 2-1.

The win sends the amateur side into a matchup with a professional team, the Richmond Kickers in Round 2 of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Aromas Café FC overcame some pretty tough odds just to qualify for the first round of the tournament. In their first open division qualifying match back in the fall, they broke up a DC-metro area dynasty by defeating the Aegean Hawks, who had represented the nation’s capital in regional qualifying for nine of the previous 10 years. Then in the second round of qualifying they beat a Tartan Devils side that was undefeated in three seasons of Greater Pittsburgh soccer league play. Now they’re headed to the second round of the tournament itself after Douglas Clare’s brace lifted his side to a dramatic victory.

The game got off to a somewhat slow start and was scoreless at the half. Then right out of the gate in the 47th minute, Douglas Clare scored the first of his two goals on the evening. Richmond would go on to equalize through a penalty kick from assistant coach/striker Will Bates. If the name sounds familiar, Will Bates came up through the Strikers’ youth system and went on to star at the University of Virginia before being selected by the Seattle Sounders in the 2013 Supplemental Draft. He earned a roster spot with Seattle, but was let go soon after that and bounced around the lower divisions for a couple seasons before ending up back home in Virginia.

But Aromas would not be denied their fairy tale victory as Van Yahres blasted home the game-winner before the first period of extra time ended and his team held on in the second to advance in the team’s first-ever cup run.

As fate would have it, they’ll come right back to the Virginia capital on Wednesday, May 18 to face another Richmond side: the United Soccer League’s Richmond Kickers.

2015 US Open Cup Round 1: Chattanooga FC goalkeeper uses hands, right foot to overcome Ocala Stampede in PKs (video)

May 16, 2015 by Jon Sicotte

Chattanooga FC used a late goal to propel them to extra time against the Ocala Stampede and goalkeeper Gregory Hartley scored from the mark to secure a victory in the First Round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Luke Winter scored in the 87th minute and Hartley scored the final penalty kick goal for Chattanooga as they won the shootout, 4-2.

A spectacular late goal put the game into extra time as Chrispin Ochieng received a cross into the box and headed it to Winter who put his back heel on the ball, beating Ocala’s Lex Craggs for the tying mark.

A record opening-night crowd of 2,483 at Chattanooga’s Finley Stadium watched the Stampede of the PDL score in the 61st minute to take the initial lead.

Freddy Ruiz ran and give-and-go to the right side of Hartley, then fed a pass out to the top of the box, finding Lewis Hilton for the strike. His shot traveled low and to the right of Hartley to beat him and give the Stampede the lead.

A spirited first half saw neither team score, but both had their chances, especially in the final 15 minutes of the stanza.

Ocala cracked the crossbar in the 39th minute while two minutes later, Chattanooga went on the attack, but Craggs turned away the shot.

Both teams had chance to take the lead late in extra time, but could not capitalize.

In the 112th, Ocala got a feed into the box, but the shot went off the top of the striker’s foot and went high. Three minutes later, Chattanooga had its best chance as a feed in from the right side found its way onto a left-footed shot. The kick trickled by Craggs but a Ocala defender was able to knock the ball out. On the ensuing corner, Chattanooga also threatened, but a kick sailed wide.

In the 119th, Chattanooga got into Craggs’ box, but miscommunication between the two offensive players for CFC ended with no strike.

CFC advances to the US Open Cup Second Round and will head to North Carolina for a matchup with the USL’s Wilmington Hammerheads on May 20.

Chattanooga FC will look to build on a historic performance from last year. Then, they beat the Hammerheads to become the first NPSL side to upset a professional team in the tournament after 21 losses.

For Ocala, it was its third straight US Open Cup appearance. The match was its first match of the season. CFC opened play with a 6-0 win against the Georgia Revolution on May 9.

Highlights: Ocala Stampede at Chattanooga FC

Full match replay: Ocala Stampede at Chattanooga FC