To date, the Open Cup has only had a Fourth Round six times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013).
Minnesota Thunder
Things you should know about the Semifinals of the US Open Cup
Since 1996, only six teams have advanced to the Semifinals after beginning play in the First Round. The Rochester Rhinos (2009), Charleston Battery (2008), Carolina RailHawks (2007), San Francisco Bay Seals (1997) and the Seattle Sounders who did it twice in 2007 and 2008. San Francisco remain as the only “third division” club (now the USL Pro) to advance to the final four during that span.
2011 US Open Cup: Richmond Kickers are ‘The Last Men Standing’
Heading into the 2011 US Open Cup Quarterfinals the Richmond Kickers are the last men standing as representatives of the lower divisions in the tournament, As the lone underdog in the Elite Eight, the club will need to defeat three top flight Major League Soccer teams in order to become the second lower division team to win the championship since the 1996 launch of MLS. The ‘Last Men Standing’ club is a small group comprised now of seven sides that have been the solitary lower division team remaining in the tournament on nine occasions.
Notable upsets in the Second Round of the US Open Cup
The Mid-Michigan Bucks have always been one of the lower division troublemakers of the US Open Cup, and this match against the New England Revolution at Foxboro Stadium helped build that reputation. Goalkeeper Eric Pogue was the early hero for the Bucks, saving a Shaker Asad penalty kick in the 7th minute to keep the score 0-0. The Bucks stayed with the Revolution for 90 minutes using a high-tempo style of play and eventually sending the sparse crowd of 1,857 Revolution fans home disappointed.
Notable upsets in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup
There have only been seven “upsets” in the Quarterfinal round of the US Open Cup since 1995, therefore all of them are, in fact, “notable.”
2009 Third Round recap: Portland, Seattle renew rivalry, Houston face Battery (again)
The underdogs of the USL ruled on day one of the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, but the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo each earned wins on Wednesday to level the tournament with four MLS teams and four USL teams in the Quarterfinals. For the second year in a row, the USL will have at least one team in the Semifinals.
The Houston Dynamo defeated the Austin Aztex 2-0 on Wednesday to set up a date with the Charleston Battery next Tuesday at Blackbaud Stadium. This will be the third year in a row that the Battery and the Dynamo square off in the Open Cup with Charleston eliminating Houston in both years.
2009 Third Round: Wizards need penalty kicks to survive extra time thriller with Minnesota Thunder
The nightcap of the first day of the Third Round turned out to be arguably the most exciting of them all. Six goals, including two in extra time, weren’t enough to settle this battle between the Kansas City Wizards and the Minnesota Thunder, so in penalties, the Wizards emerged triumphant as Boris Pardo made two saves to lead Kansas City to the Quarterfinals.
2009 Second Round recap: Thriller in Carolina, Barons are last amateur survivor
The Ocean City Barons and the Wilmington Hammerheads pulled off the lone upset of the US Open Cup Second Round. The Barons get a penalty kick in the 108th minute and JT Noone breaks a scoreless tie and Ocean City earns a date with DC United at the Maryland Soccerplex in Round 3. The Barons, based on the rest of the results, won the $10,000 prize money as the amateur team that has advanced the farthest in the tournament.
2009 Second Round: Minnesota Thunder roll 4-0 in rainy game vs. PDL’s Chicago Fire
Not even the rain could cool off the Minnesota Thunder.
Leonel St. Preux and Brian Cvilikas scored in a 16-minute span in the first half, and perennial U.S. Open Cup scorer Melvin Tarley came off the bench and added two late goals as the Thunder rolled past the PDL’s Chicago Fire 4-0 at the National Soccer Center in Blaine, Minn.
2009 First Round recap: Favorites survive first day, Barons pull off upset, Hawks just upset on day 2
If seeing the underdogs prevail is your thing, then you went to sleep disappointed last night.
Of the fourteen matches first round U.S. Open Cup matches last night, only one was won by a team from the lower division, and even that wasn’t much of an upset.