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Open Division

2024 US Open Cup Qualifying: 109 clubs enter with Round 1 beginning Sept. 9-10

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Photo: UDA Soccer
Photo: UDA Soccer

The US Soccer Federation announced the 109 clubs that will take part in Open Division Local qualifying for the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. In addition, the federation has announced the match-ups and schedule for both the First Qualifying Round (Sept. 9-10) and Second Qualifying Round (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). There are clubs from 23 states plus the District of Columbia, with the lion’s share coming from United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) with 47 teams from that league. The four rounds of single elimination matches will take place over the rest of 2023 with 11 qualifiers being determined. Match-ups will be geographical to minimize travel for all teams. The schedule is as follows: 

  • September 9-10, 2023 – First Qualifying Round
  • September 30 – October 1, 2023 – Second Qualifying Round
  • October 21-22, 2023 – Third Qualifying Round
  • November, 18-19, 2023 – Fourth Qualifying Round

The pairings for the first two rounds can be found HERE. 67 teams in total will receive a bye to the second qualifying round, while the remaining 42 will contest the first round in 21 games total. 44 games will be played in the second round. By the end of the fourth round, only 11 teams will remain.

Two teams have already qualified for next year’s tournament and bypassed the qualifying phase. SC MesoAmerica from Los Angeles won the 2023 USASA National Amateur Cup earlier this month to qualify for their first US Open Cup. Likewise, AS Frenzi won the 2023 UPSL Spring Championship to qualify for 2024, becoming the first club to reach the First Round via this method.

Two other Open Division national leagues will bypass qualifying and enter in the First Round as well, using 2023 season results to determine entrants. USL League Two (USL-2) and National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) will each receive their own slots in the competition. UPSL, although meets Open Cup national league status, chose not to go down this qualifying route. Instead, it let each team in the league choose on its own if they want to participate or not in local qualifying.

The number of slots going to the Open Division qualifying track and the two national leagues is proportional to the number of clubs in each league or pool of teams. Based on the qualifying track receiving 11 slots for their 109 clubs, we can determine a rough estimate for the total number of Open Division qualifiers for the First Round next March.

As of publication of this article, US Soccer is planning for 34 to 36 total slots for the Open Division. This number will be adjusted as the professional leagues finalize their rosters of teams for the 2024 season. The reason it is a range is because the math works out for 34, 35, and 36 teams to result in 11 local qualifying slots for the 109 teams in that pool, which is the known value.

Here’s how it would work out if US Soccer has 34 slots for the Open Division in 2024.

  • SC MesoAmerica (Amateur Cup)
  • AS Frenzi (UPSL Spring Champion)
  • 11 Local Qualifying out of 109 teams
  • 9 NPSL out of 92 teams
  • 12 USL League Two out of 120 teams

If there are 35 teams, there would be 10 NPSL teams instead of 9. If there are 36 teams, there would be 10 NPSL teams instead of 9 and 13 USL League Two teams instead of 12. As the slots move up or down going into 2024 based on the professional leagues finalizing their teams for next season, those slots will be given to or taken away from the combined pool of the two national league track leagues, NPSL and USL League Two. Local Qualifying will remain at 11 slots permanently for 2024 and the two other qualifiers from the Amateur Cup and UPSL will also remain.

Here are the entries for the 2024 Open Division Local qualifying tournament:

ALABAMA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* FC Birmingham; Fultondale, Ala.

ARIZONA (3)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Coronado Athletic Club; Hereford, Ariz.
* SC Union Maricopa; Gilbert, Ariz.
Southwest Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* Sporting Arizona FC; Phoenix, Ariz.

CALIFORNIA (21)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Elk Grove Blues; Elk Grove, Calif.
* Escondido FC; Escondido, Calif.
* FC Folsom; Folsom, Calif.
* Irvine FC; Irvine, Calif.
* Irvine Zeta; Irvine, Calif.
* Laguna United FC; Laguna Niguel, Calif.
* Murrieta Soccer Academy; Temecula, Calif.
* Rebels Soccer Club; Chula Vista, Calif.
* Santa Monica Surf; Santa Monica, Calif.
* Trojans FC; Los Angeles, Calif.
* Valley 559 FC; Fresno, Calif.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* Bay Area United FC; Oakland, Calif.
* Capo FC; San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
* Jasa RWC; Redwood City, Calif.
* Temecula FC; Temecula, Calif.
San Francisco Soccer Football League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* International SF; San Francisco, Calif.
* SF Vikings SC; San Francisco, Calif.
* The Olympic Club; San Francisco, Calif.
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
* Marin County Union SC; San Rafael, Calif.
* Real San Jose; San Jose, Calif.
West Coast Soccer Association (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* UC Davis Club; Davis, Calif.

COLORADO (5)
Colorado Premier League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
* Azteca FC; Denver, Colo.
* Colorado Rovers; Golden, Colo.
* FC Denver; Denver, Colo.
* Harpos FC; Longmont, Colo.
Mountain Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* Peak Eleven Football Club; Broomfield, Colo.

CONNECTICUT (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Ole Football Club; Ansonia, Conn.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (3)
American Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* Aegean Hawks FC; Washington, D.C.
* Yinz United; Washington, D.C.
DC Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* DCFC; Washington, D.C.

FLORIDA (18)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Chargers Soccer Club; Clearwater, Fla.
* Dade County FC; South Miami, Fla.
* Deportivo Lake Mary FC; Lake Mary, Fla.
* Florida Premier FC; Odessa, Fla.
* Harbor City FC; Melbourne, Fla.
* Leg-AZ World FC; Gainesville, Fla.
* Parkland Soccer Club; Parkland, Fla.
* Royal Palms Soccer Club; Palm Coast, Fla.
United States Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
* CFL GOSA Spurs; Sanford, Fla.
* City Soccer FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
* Florida Brothers; Dania Beach, Fla.
* Hodler Miami FC; Doral, Fla.
* Miami Soccer Academy; Miami Beach, Fla.
* Miami United FC; Miami Beach, Fla.
* Orlando FC Wolves; Longwood, Fla.
* O’Shea’s FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
* Soccer Paradise FC; North Miami Beach, Fla.
Florida Gold Coast League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* Hurricane FC; Boynton Beach, Fla.

GEORGIA (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Kalonji Pro-Profile; Dacula, Ga.
* North Georgia United; Calhoun, Ga.
Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* Majestic Soccer Club; Atlanta, Ga.
* Terminus FC; Atlanta, Ga.

ILLINOIS (5)
Midwest Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* Berber City FC; Chicago, Ill.
* Chicago House AC; Chicago, Ill.
* Edgewater Castle Football Club; Chicago, Ill.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Chicago Strikers; Chicago, Ill.
* Wisloka Chicago; Chicago, Ill.

MASSACHUSETTS (4)
Bay State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* CD Faialense; Cambridge, Mass.
* FC Omens; Boston, Mass.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Boston Street FC; Revere, Mass.
* Brockton FC United; Brockton, Mass.

MARYLAND (3)
Maryland Super Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Christos FC; Gambrills, Md.
* Steel Pulse FC; Windsor Mill, Md.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* MoCo 1776 FC; Gaitherrburg, Md.

NORTH CAROLINA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Mint Hill FC; Mint Hill, N.C.

NEW JERSEY (3)
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Real Central NJ Soccer; Lawrenceville, N.J.
Garden State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* SC Vistula Garfield; Garfield, N.J.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* New Jersey Alliance FC; Lyndhurst, N.J.

NEW MEXICO (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* UDA Soccer; Las Cruces, N.M.

NEVADA (1)
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
* BattleBorn FC; Carson City, Nev.

NEW YORK (9)
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Lansdowne Yonkers FC; Yonkers, N.Y.
* New York Greek American SC; Astoria, N.Y.*
* New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Astoria, N.Y.^
* Zum Schneider FC 03; Roosevelt Island, N.Y.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* New York Braveheart SC; Central Islip, N.Y.
* NY Renegades FC; Hicksville, N.Y.
* Sahara Gunners FC; Buffalo, N.Y.
Cosmopolitan Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Manhattan Kickers FC; Flushing, N.Y.
Rochester District Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* IASC Boom; Rochester, N.Y.

OHIO (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Valhalla FC; Cincinnati, Ohio.

PENNSYLVANIA (6)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Colonial SC; Plymouth Meeting, Pa.
* Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals; North Wales, Pa.**
* United German Hungarians; Ambler, Pa.
* Vereinigung Erzgebirge; Warminster, Pa.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Kensington Soccer Club; Philadelphia, Pa.
* Philadelphia Heritage SC; Philadelphia, Pa.

SOUTH CAROLINA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* South Carolina United Heat; Lexington. S.C.

TENNESSEE (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Tennessee Tempo FC; Nashville, Tenn.

TEXAS (9)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Alamo City Soccer Club; San Antonio, Texas
* Foro SC; Dallas, Texas
* Tenfifteen FC; Dallas, Texas
Austin Men’s Soccer Association (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Austin Longhorns; Austin, Texas
* Austin Thunder; Austin, Texas
Gulf Coast Premier League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* Central Texas Lobos; ; Austin, Texas
* Daggers CTX; Fort Hood, Texas
United States Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
* Athletic Katy FC; Katy, Texas
* Houston FC; ; Pasadena, Texas

UTAH (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Provo Athletic Club; Provo, Utah
 

VIRGINIA (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Arlington SA; Arlington, Va
* VA Revolution Pro; Leesburg, Va
* Villarreal CF Virginia; Springfield, Va
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
* NoVa FC; Centreville, Va.

WASHINGTON (3)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
* Bellevue Athletic FC ; Snohomish, Wash.
* Holac FC; Seattle, Wash.
Recreational Adult Team Soccer (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
* Sharktopus Football Club; Seattle, Wash.

* Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1967-69, 1974)
^ Three-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1980, 1982-83)
** Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1960-61, 1963, 1966)

Again, the match-ups and schedule for the first two qualifying rounds can be found HERE.

FACTS AND FIGURES

  • 25 different leagues represented
  • 23 different states plus the District of Columbia represented (two less than 2023 qualifying)
  • Four (4) teams have entered all five previous years of Open Division local qualifying: Colorado (2): Colorado Rovers, Harpos FC; New York (1): New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Pennsylvania (1): Vereinigung Erzgebirge

2023 US Open Cup: 107 clubs enter qualifying, will play for 9 places in 108th edition of tournament

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Wilber Gomez of Oyster Bay United (left) battles for the ball against a player from Westchester United in the final round of qualifying for the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Karla Esqueche | E&M Photography
Wilber Gomez of Oyster Bay United (left) battles for the ball against a player from Westchester United in the final round of qualifying for the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Karla Esqueche | E&M Photography

The US Soccer Federation announced the 107 clubs that will take part in Open Division Local qualifying for the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The tournament will begin the weekend of Sept. 17-18. There are clubs from 25 states plus the District of Columbia, with the lion’s share coming from United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) with 46 teams from that league. Three or four rounds of single elimination matches will take place over the rest of 2022 with nine qualifiers being determined. Match-ups will be geographical to minimize travel for all teams. The schedule is as follows: 

September 17-18, 2022 – First Qualifying Round
October 15-16, 2022 – Second Qualifying Round
November 19-20, 2022 – Third Qualifying Round
December, 17-18, 2022 – Fourth Qualifying Round

MORE: 2023 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule/Results

Along with the 107 teams, Bavarian United from Milwaukee, won the 2022 USASA National Amateur Cup on Aug. 8, bypassing qualifying fully and entering in the First Round of the 108th edition of the tournament next March. This makes for a total of 108 clubs playing for 10 slots in the First Round from the “local qualifying” track.

Two other Open Division national leagues will bypass qualifying and enter in the First Round as well, using 2022 season results to determine entrants. USL League Two (USL-2) and National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) will each receive their own slots in the competition. UPSL, although meeting the criteria for national league status, chose not to go down this route, letting each team in the league choose on its own if they want to participate or not.

The number of slots going to the Open Division qualifying track and the two national leagues is proportional to the number of clubs in each league or pool of teams. Based on the qualifying track receiving 10 slots for their 108 clubs, we can determine a rough estimate for the total number of Open Division qualifiers for the First Round next March.

As of today, either 28 or 30 Open Division teams will participate in the 2023 US Open Cup next March. If that was to change, the qualifying track would be locked into their number of teams and the increase or decrease in the number of teams would be added to or taken away from the two national leagues. The only exception to this would be if the change is very large, where at that point they could add or take away teams from the qualifying track as well. This will all be determined in January 2023 when the pro leagues finalize their teams for the 2023 season.

We can also say based on the projected number of teams for each professional league for next season, as of today, the Division 3 teams will enter in the Second Round along with the Division 2 teams. Here is the current projected format for 2023

Round 1: 28 or 30 Open Division teams enter, 14-15 winners advance
Round 2: 45-46 Division 2 and Division 3 teams enter, with the 14-15 winners of the First Round, 29-30 winners advance
Round 3: 18-19 unseeded MLS teams enter, with the 29-30 winners of the Second Round, 24 teams advance
Round of 32: 8 seeded teams* enter, with the 24 winners of the Third Round, 16 teams advance
Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final from there

* seeded teams are the 4 CCL participants with the 2 best remaining MLS Eastern Conference teams and 2 best remaining MLS Western Conference teams.

However, there is still a chance the Division 3 teams will enter in the First Round. Again, this will be determined in January 2023 when the pro leagues finalize their clubs for the 2023 season.

Using those projections, here is how the Open Division slots would be allocated to each “track” and the 311 total clubs involved in this process. USL League Two has 111 eligible US based clubs in the league and NPSL has 92 eligible US based clubs in the league. As a reminder, Bavarian United is counted in the local qualifiers pool and takes up one of the slots given to that pool of teams.

28 teams:
Local Qualifiers: (108/311) * 28 = 9.72 clubs (rounded up to 10)
USL League Two: (111/311) * 28 = 9.99 clubs (rounded up to 10)
NPSL: (92/311) * 28 = 8.28 clubs (rounded down to 8)

30 teams:
Local Qualifiers: (108/311) * 30 = 10.41 clubs (rounded down to 10)
USL League Two: (111/311) * 30 = 10.71 clubs (rounded up to 11)
NPSL: (92/311) * 30 = 8.87 clubs (rounded up to 9)

Here are the entries for the 2023 Open Division Local qualifying tournament:

ALABAMA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
FC Birmingham; Fultondale, Ala.


ARIZONA (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Coronado Athletic Club; Hereford, Ariz.
FC Arizona; Chandler, Ariz.
Olympians FC; El Mirage, Ariz.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
SC Union Maricopa; Gilbert, Ariz.


CALIFORNIA (21)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
A.S. Los Angeles; Los Angeles, Calif.
Davis Legacy SC; Davis, Calif.
Desert FC; La Quinta, Calif.
Elk Grove Blues; Elk Grove, Calif.
Escondido FC; Escondido, Calif.
Irvine FC; Irvine, Calif.
Laguna United FC; Laguna Niguel, Calif.
OC Kings FC; Tustin, Calif.
Orange County FC; Mission Viejo, Calif.
Rebels Soccer Club, Chula Vista, Calif.
Trojans FC; Los Angeles, Calif.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Capo FC; San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
San Francisco Soccer Football League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Inter San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.
Southwest Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
LA Monsters FC; Redondo Beach
Modesto City Football Club; Modesto, Calif.
Olympiacos CA; Huntington Beach, Calif.
Outbreak FC, Long Beach, Calif.
Temecula FC; Temecula, Calif.
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
Marin County Union SC; San Rafael, Calif.
Real San Jose; San Jose, Calif.
West Coast Soccer Association (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
UC Davis Club Soccer; Davis, Calif.


COLORADO (7)
Colorado Super League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Athletic Club of Sloan’s Lake; Golden, Colo.
Azteca FC; Denver, Colo.
Boulder United FC; Boulder, Colo.
Colorado Rovers, Golden, Colo.
FC Denver; Denver, Colo.
Harpos FC; Longmont, Colo.
Mountain Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Peak Eleven Football Club; Broomfield, Colo.


CONNECTICUT (1)
Connecticut Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Newtown Pride FC; Sandy Hook, Conn.


DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (3)
American Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Aegean Hawks FC; Washington, D.C.
DC Premier League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
DCFC, Washington, D.C.
Team Tevez; Washington, D.C.


FLORIDA (19)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Clearwater Chargers SC; Clearwater, Fla.
Doral SC; Doral, Fla.
Florida Premier FC, Odessa, Fla.
Florida Soccer Soldiers; Medley, Fla.
Gainesville City FC; Ocala, Fla.
International Soccer Association; Boca Raton Fla.
Juventus Academy; Miami, Fla.
Naples City FC; Naples, Fla.
O’Shea’s FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
City Soccer FC; West Palm Beach, Fla.
Florida Brothers; Dania Beach, Fla.
Hurricane FC; Boynton Beach, Fla.
Miami Soccer Academy; Miami Beach, Fla.
Miami United FC; Miami Beach, Fla.
Naples United FC; Naples, Fla.
West Palm Beach Academy CF; West Palm Beach, Fla.
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Club de Lyon; Orlando, Fla.
Deportivo Lake Mary FC; Lake Mary, Fla.
Central Florida Soccer League (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
Orlando FC Wolves; Longwood, Fla.


GEORGIA (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Kalonji Pro-Profile; Dacula, Ga.
TCSA; Ailey, Ga.


INDIANA (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Club Soccer)
1927 SC; Fort Wayne, Ind.

ILLINOIS (1)
Midwest Premier League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Chicago House AC; Chicago, Ill.


KENTUCKY (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Bowling Green FC; Bowling Green, Ky.
Metro Louisville FC; Louisville, Ky.


MASSACHUSETTS (4)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Boston Street FC; Revere, Mass.
Unations FC; Worcester, Mass.
Bay State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Brockton FC United; Brockton, Mass.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Ruggles Pro FC; Framingham, Mass.


MARYLAND (3)
Maryland Super Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Christos FC, Gambrills, Md.
Steel Pulse FC; Windsor Mill, Md.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Germantown City FC; Gaithersburg, Md.


NORTH CAROLINA (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Mint Hill FC; Mint Hill, N.C.
Triangle Adult Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Tobacco Road FC; Durham, N.C.


NEW HAMPSHIRE (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Santa Cruz FC; Nashua, N.H.


NEW JERSEY (5)
Garden State Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Jackson Lions FC; Toms River, N.J.
SC Vistula Garfield; Garfield, N.J.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
New Jersey Alliance FC; Lyndhurst, N.J.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Real Central NJ Soccer; Lawrenceville, N.J.
Scots-American Athletic Club; Nutley, N.J.


NEW MEXICO (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
UDA Soccer; Las Cruces, N.M.


NEVADA (1)
NISA Nation (U.S. Adult Soccer Assn.)
BattleBorn FC; Carson City, Nev.


NEW YORK (8)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Oyster Bay United FC; Sea Cliff, N.Y.
Queensboro FC II; Queens, N.Y.
Sahara Gunners FC; Buffalo, N.Y.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Lansdowne Yonkers FC; Yonkers, N.Y.
New York Greek American SC; Astoria, N.Y.*
New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Astoria, N.Y.^
Rochester District Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
IASC Boom; Rochester, N.Y.
Cosmopolitan Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Manhattan Kickers FC; Flushing, N.Y.


OHIO (1)
Ohio Valley Premier League (US Club Soccer)
Valhalla FC; Cincinnati, Ohio.


PENNSYLVANIA (8)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals; North Wales, Pa.**
United German Hungarians; Ambler, Pa.
Vereinigung Erzgebirge; Warminster, Pa.
West Chester United SC; Chester Springs, Pa.
Lancaster City FC; Lancaster, Pa.
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Lancaster Elite; Lancaster, Pa.
Philadelphia Lone Star FC, Philadelphia, Pa.
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Kensington Soccer Club; Philadelphia, Pa.


SOUTH CAROLINA (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
South Carolina United Heat; Lexington. S.C.


TENNESSEE (1)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Beaman United FC; Nashville, Tenn.


TEXAS (6)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Alamo City Soccer Club; San Antonio, Texas
D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club; Desoto, Texas
FC Fort Worth; Fort Worth, Texas
National Soccer League (United States Specialty Sports Association-Soccer)
D10 Lions FC; Spring, Texas
Galveston Pelicans FC; Galveston, Texas
Houston FC; Pasadena, Texas


VIRGINIA (1)
Eastern Premier Soccer League (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Nova FC; Centreville, Va.


WASHINGTON (2)
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
Bellevue Athletic FC; Snohomish, Wash.
Federal Way Men’s Open Sunday (US Adult Soccer Assn)
Legend Football Gold; Lake Forest Park, Wash.

* Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1967-69, 1974)
^ Three-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1980, 1982-83)
** Four-time U.S. Open Cup Champion (1960-61, 1963, 1966)

FACTS AND FIGURES
23 different leagues represented
25 different states plus the District of Columbia represented
5 teams have entered all five previous years of Open Division local qualifying: California (1): Outbreak FC; Colorado (2): Colorado Rovers, Harpos FC; New York (1): New York Pancyprian Freedoms; Pennsylvania (1): Vereinigung Erzgebirge

Eric Wynalda returns to assist Las Vegas Legends in 2022 US Open Cup

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Eric Wynalda looks on from the sidelines in the Las Vegas Lights’ Third Round match against Orange County SC in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Lucas Peltier – lucaspeltierphoto.com

UPDATE (3/22/22): Eric Wynalda has clarified that he is not the head coach of the Las Vegas Legends, but is working more behind the scenes with the club, assisting head coach Jose Rivera

National Soccer Hall of Famer Eric Wynalda announced on his podcast Wynalda for the Win on Friday that he will be making a return to coaching this season to lead the Las Vegas Legends. The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) side is making it’s tournament debut in the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The former US men’s national team star’s announcement marks his first foray into coaching since being appointed to lead Las Vegas’s USL Championship team, the Las Vegas Lights, during their 2019 season. In 36 games as head of the Lights, Wynalda posted a 12-16-8 record before being replaced by Frank Yallop midway through the 2020 season.

After the Lights, Wynalda was hired to coach New Amsterdam FC (NISA) in July of 2020, but stepped down due to personal reasons shortly before the beginning of the season.

The father of six will make his return to Las Vegas soccer this time at the amateur level with the Legends, where he will hope to duplicate the US Open Cup success he had as manager of Cal FC. In 2012, with Wynalda in charge, Cal FC reached the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup in a Cinderella run that saw them defeat both USL Pro side Wilmington Hammerheads 4-0, followed by a stunning road upset of MLS’ Portland Timbers, 1-0 in extra time.

US Open Cup Coaching Win % (Modern Era)
(min. 8 games)
1. Dave Sarachan – 0.789
2. Scott Schweitzer – 0.750
3. Tom Soehn – 0.727
4. Tom Fitzgerald – 0.700
5. ERIC WYNALDA – 0.692

“I like to discover these players who haven’t really had the opportunity to play at the club level … and now through a platform like this, like the Lamar Hunt Open Cup, we can assemble a team that in my opinion, can go toe to toe with any MLS side,” Wynalda said during his podcast.

The victory over the Timbers, who played their regular starting lineup in the match, marked just the sixth time that an amateur team eliminated an MLS team. However, it was the first time an Open Division Local amateur side defeated an MLS team in a non-shootout. It remains not only one of the biggest upsets of the US Open Cup’s Modern Era (1995-present), but one of the biggest in the history of the tournament.

As a player, Wynalda played in just five US Open Cup games, two of them in 1998 with the San Jose Clash (now Earthquakes), and three of them in 2001 when he helped the Chicago Fire reach the Semifinals. He has had much more Open Cup success as a head coach for four different clubs (Cal FC, Atlanta Silverbacks, Los Angeles Wolves FC, Las Vegas Lights). Out of all the Modern Era coaches since 1995, Wynalda has the fifth best win percentage (0.692) with a 9-4-0 record. In his four Open Cup runs, he has reached the Third Round every time and his deepest run in the competition came in 2014 when he led the NASL’s Atlanta Silverbacks to the Quarterfinals. Atlanta was one of five North American Soccer League clubs to ever reach the Quarterfinals.

Wynalda will be looking to help the Legends recapture that magic.

“The reason I came to Las Vegas was to see this city grow, and to capitalize on the talent pool that exists here in Las Vegas,” Wynalda added. “Because at times, in my experience, I would say it is just as good if not better than what I have seen in Los Angeles.”

One advantage that the Legends have going for them is the minimal roster restrictions for Open Division National teams (NPSL, USL League Two). As long as the players that are recruited aren’t cup tied (i.e. played for another team in last fall’s US Open Cup qualifying tournament), and are willing and able to sign an amateur reinstatement form, they can recruit whoever they want.

The Legends were founded in 2012 as an indoor soccer team, splitting home games between the Orleans Arena and the Las Vegas Sports Park until the team’s dissolution in 2016. In 2019, team owner and general manager Meir Cohen announced the team’s return, this time as an outdoor member of the NPSL. After its debut season was cut short due to the pandemic in 2020, the team finished first in the league’s Southwest Division last year. Thanks to the league’s playoff format and a number of other western teams taking 2021 off due to COVID, the Legends high place finish allotted them one of the NPSL’s automatic tournament berths.

This will be the team’s first season competing in the US Open Cup, which was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years, ending the tournament’s run of 106 consecutive years of play.

2022 US Open Cup: Round 2 pairings and hosting scenarios announced

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Players from the Tampa Bay Rowdies (right) and The Villages SC battle for the ball in their Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Players from the Tampa Bay Rowdies (right) and The Villages SC battle for the ball in their Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies

The professional teams in Division II and Division III leagues (USL Championship, USL League One, National Independent Soccer Association, and MLS Next Pro) now know who they will or could face in the Second Round. The United States Soccer Federation announced the pairings for the Second Round of the 107th edition of the tournament. The 31 games between April 5-7 will feature the 16 Open Division winners from the First Round along with 46 professional teams. This is the largest round in terms of number of matches in the Modern Era.

#USOC2022 ESSENTIALS
Click here to follow most of the 103 #USOC2022 teams on Twitter

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
2022 US Open Cup Qualifying October Game-By-Game Review
2022 US Open Cup Qualifying November Game-By-Game Review
You can read the December Game Recaps by scrolling down on the Schedule / Results page
2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Schedule, Results

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

The hosts for the Second Round, and all future rounds and the previous one, 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.

The process for determining Second Round matchups first involved pairing a First Round matchup with a nearby Division II or Division III team. After that process is done, the remaining Division II and Division III teams were paired up against each other, with teams from the same division prevented from playing each other. This was also done as travel friendly as possible with matchups that don’t fit geographically being determined by random selection.

The Oakland Roots will have the longest travel for this round. It is 2,212 miles between their respective home stadiums. Other long road trips for this round include Rio Grande Valley FC (Edinburg, TX) to North Carolina FC (Raleigh, NC) at 1,320 miles, and Central Valley Fuego FC (Fresno, CA) to El Paso Locomotive FC at 834 miles. All three are longer than the longest First Round match (Azteca FC/Denver, CO to Tulsa Athletic) at about 700 miles. These are longest road trips since the 2015 Second Round which had Portland Timbers 2 (USL) traveling to Michigan Bucks (PDL), Real Monarchs (USL) traveling to Long Island Rough Riders (PDL), and Seacoast United Phantoms (PDL) traveling Tulsa Roughnecks (USL).

Dates and times are TBD so that US Soccer can try and schedule these matches to fit within their broadcast capacity on ESPN+. There is a limited amount of matches they can broadcast at once with their broadcast partner VISTA Worldlink.

The winners from Round 2 will advance to the Third Round which is scheduled to be played April 19-21. The 17 lowest ranked Division I (Major League Soccer) teams will enter in that round.

Second Round

Division II vs. Division III (15 games)

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
TBD ALBION San Diego (NISA) vs. San Diego Loyal SC (USLC) TBD Canyon Crest Academy; San Diego, Calif.
TBD Bay Cities FC (NISA) vs. Monterey Bay F.C. (USLC) TBD Cañada College; Redwood, Calif.
TBD Charleston Battery (USLC) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) TBD Patriot’s Point Soccer Stadium; Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
TBD Chattanooga FC (NISA) vs. Memphis 901 FC (USLC) TBD Finley Stadium; Chattanooga, Tenn.
TBD Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC) vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1) TBD Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo.
TBD Detroit City FC (USLC) vs. Michigan Stars FC (NISA) TBD Keyworth Stadium; Hamtramck, Mich.
TBD El Paso Locomotive FC (USLC) vs. Central Valley Fuego FC (USLL1) TBD Southwest University Park; El Paso, Texas
TBD FC Tucson (USLL1) vs. Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) TBD Kino North Stadium; Tucson, Ariz.
TBD Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) vs. Oakland Roots (USLC) TBD Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College; Greenville, S.C.
TBD Louisville City FC (USLC) vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USLL1) TBD Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky.
TBD North Carolina FC (USLL1) vs. Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USLC) TBD WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
TBD Orange County SC (USLC) vs. Los Angeles Force (NISA) TBD Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif.
TBD Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs. Valley United FC (NISA) TBD Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass; Chandler, Ariz.
TBD Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) vs. Maryland Bobcats FC (NISA) TBD Highmark Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pa.
TBD St. Louis CITY 2 (MLSNP) vs. Indy Eleven (USLC) TBD Ralph Korte Stadium (Southern Illinois Univ. Edwardsville); Edwardsville, Ill.

Division II vs. Open Division (8 games)

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
TBD Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) vs. Southern States SC Stars (NPSL)/Georgia Revolution FC (NPSL) winner TBD Protective Stadium; Birmingham, Ala.
TBD FC Tulsa (USLC) vs. Tulsa Athletic (NPSL)/Azteca FC (Colo.) winner TBD ONEOK Field; Tulsa, Okla.
TBD Hartford Athletic (USLC) vs. Hartford City FC (NPSL)/Oyster Bay United FC (N.Y.) winner TBD Dillon Stadium; Hartford, Conn.
TBD Miami FC (USLC) vs. Miami United FC (NPSL)/City Soccer FC (Fla.) winner TBD Fla. International Univ. Soccer Stadium; Miami, Fla.
TBD New Mexico United (USLC) vs. Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL)/Park City Red Wolves SC (USLL2) winner TBD Isotopes Park; Albuquerque, N.M.
TBD Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs. Portland Timbers U23 (USLL2)/Contra Costa FC (Calif.) winner TBD Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif.
TBD San Antonio FC (USLC) vs. Denton Diablos FC (NPSL)/D’Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (Texas) winner TBD Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas
TBD Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) vs. The Villages SC (USLL2)/Orlando FC Wolves (Fla.) winner TBD Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, Fla.

Division III vs. Open Division (8 games)

Date Game (home team listed first) Time Venue
TBD Nova FC (Va.) vs. Richmond Kickers (USLL1) TBD Virginia Revolution Sportsplex; Leesburg, Va.
   -or-
Richmond Kickers (USLL1) vs. Lynchburg FC (Va.) TBD City Stadium; Richmond, Va.
TBD FC Motown (NPSL) vs. AC Syracuse Pulse (NISA) TBD Montclair State University Soccer Park; Montclair, N.J.
   -or-
West Chester United SC (USLL2) vs. AC Syracuse Pulse (NISA) TBD WCUSC/PF Kildare’s Pub Turf Field; West Chester, Pa.
TBD Western Mass Pioneers (USLL2) vs. Flower City Union (NISA) TBD Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass.
   -or-
Flower City Union (NISA) vs. Brockton FC United (Mass.) TBD Marina Auto Stadium; Rochester, N.Y.
TBD California United Strikers FC (NISA) vs. San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.)/Escondido FC (Calif.) winner TBD Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif.
TBD Charlotte Independence (USLL1) vs. South Carolina United FC Bantams (USLL2)/North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) winner TBD American Legion Memorial Stadium; Charlotte, N.C.
TBD Forward Madison FC (USLL1) vs. Cleveland SC (NPSL)/Chicago FC United (USLL2) winner TBD Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis.
TBD Rochester New York FC (MLSNP) vs. Ocean City Nor’easters (USLL2)/Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.) winner TBD Monroe Community College; Rochester, N.Y.
TBD Union Omaha (USLL1) vs. Des Moines Menace (USLL2)/Minneapolis City SC (NPSL) winner TBD Morrison Stadium (Creighton Univ.); Omaha, Neb.

 

2022 US Open Cup First Round matchups revealed

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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.

#USOC2022 ESSENTIALS
Click here to follow most of the 103 #USOC2022 teams on Twitter

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

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