A warm night in Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee saw tempers flare in the 2025 National Amateur Cup Semifinals on Friday night. There were a grand total of six red cards across both games. In the end, RWB Adria (IL) and West Chester United SC (PA) both secured their place in Saturday night’s national championship game with a spot in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on the line.
Saturday night’s Amateur Cup Final is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. A live stream will be available on YouTube.
RWB Adria, the Chicago-area club that dates back to 1959, will be playing for its third National Amateur Cup title, having previously won the tournament in 2011 and 2013. Since US Soccer started awarding a spot in the US Open Cup to the Amateur Cup champion in 2018, RWB has not reached a title game. However the team has reached the national semifinals twice (2019, 2023). Former Las Vegas Lights FC and Inter Miami CF II striker Tyler Bagley is currently tied for 2025 National Amateur Cup Golden Boot with six goals with RWB.
West Chester United is trying to finally become National Amateur Cup champions for the first time. The team nearly accomplished the feat in 2018 but fell in the Final to the Milwaukee Bavarians, 2-0. Since then, the group has improved and have added to their trophy case. WCU has won two Werner Fricker Open Cups, a Hank Steinbrecher Cup, and the American Premier Soccer League championship earlier this summer.
2025 NATIONAL AMATEUR CUP – SEMIFINALS
FRIDAY, JULY 25
RWB Adria (IL, Region II)
1:0
Say Word FC (NC, Region III)
Pat Jones Field at Uihlein Soccer Park – Milwaukee, WI
By Mitchell Meerman
RWB Adria held on to a 1–0 win over Region III champions Say Word FC in a combative affair that saw five red cards in the second half at Pat Jones Field at Uihlein Soccer Park.
Say Word FC got an early chance with a free kick on the edge of RWB’s penalty area in the 3rd minute, but was blocked away by the defense. In the 24th minute, an Adria corner kick popped out to Bryan Terrazas, who rocketed a half-volley off the crossbar that bounced down and away from the net.
The Chicagoans of RWB finally would break through in the 37th minute off another corner, when a scramble in front of net had a touch from Jonathan Rodriguez fall to Aaron Sandoval, who would slot it home.
The second half started with Say Word FC getting two quality shots off from the edge of the box within the first three minutes, both saved by RWB Adria’s goalkeeper. Minutes later, RWB’s Victor Manon got in behind and couldn’t beat the Say Word keeper in a one-on-one.
The match quickly turned sour, when a poor challenge from a Say Word player went uncalled in the 54th minute. In the 62nd minute, a fight broke out when Say Word’s Alexander Palme directed abusive language towards RWB midfielder Gerald Sainz, who responded with a headbutt. Both players were immediately sent off.
Adria would find themselves increasingly agitated with the officiating. Yellow cards to Nick Klabjan and Joseph Frater, as well as an RWB player being taken down in Say Word’s box with no call given, caused the Adria bench to loudly air their grievances.
Their frustration came to a head in the 83rd minute. Bryan Terrazas would go in the book for dissent, leading to their head coach receiving two yellow cards in quick succession. Terrazas would immediately receive yet another yellow for dissent, receiving his own marching orders.
Unfortunately for Say Word, they were unable to capitalize with 10 men versus 9. They would receive another red card in the dying moments, to Brandon Rothfuss for violent conduct.
RWB Adria will continue on to the National Amateur Cup Final on Saturday night against West Chester United Predators, who defeated Sin City FC 3–2 in the other semifinal. Unfortunately for RWB Adria, if they are going to win the club’s third Amateur Cup title on Saturday night, they will have to do it without Bryan Terrazas, Gerald Sainz and their head coach, who all received red cards on Friday night.
Goal scorers
RWB:
- Aarón Alexis Sandoval 37’ (Jonathan Rodriguez)
West Chester United SC (PA, Region I)
3:2
Sin City FC (NC, Region IV)
Stadium at Uihlein Soccer Park – Milwaukee, WI
By Michael Battista
West Chester United started the match in control and Sin City played back, trying to get fast breaks and counters. The United Soccer League of Pennsylvania side missed multiple chances to take the lead in the opening half hour, which gave Sin City the chance it needed.
A pass to Andy Rodriguez in the middle of the field allowed the player to get up the field. Near the edge of the box, he played around a West Chester player and shot into the right corner to give Sin City the 1-0 lead.
Six minutes later, West Chester capitalized on a bad pass by Sin City in their own end. The Eastern Pennsylvania side moved the ball into the box, Ridge Robinson crossed across the goal line, where former Philadelphia Union II and current Princeton University midfielder Jack Jasinski was there to finish the attempt off.
United did not need very long to get the go-ahead goal in the second half. A run into the box by the Predators’ Ridge Robinson saw a Sin City player dive to block him, but he missed, giving a lot of space for a cross right in front of the net. Dominick Bachstein, with defenders all around him, connected with the ball and squeezed it into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1 in the 47th minute.
Momentum swung both ways, with West Chester bottling a chance to extend the lead in the 56th minute when Ridge Robinson went on a 1-v-1 run with the Sin City keeper. He tried to cross the ball again but instead kicked it out of play. Sin City got more aggressive and emotions boiled over when Miguel Higareda and WCU’s Augustus Guilini were battling for the ball. After it was played away, Higareda clipped Guilini from behind, sending him to the ground. The main referee, who hadn’t seen the play had a discussion with the assistant referee, which led to him showing Higareda a straight red card in the 68th minute.
West Chester scored its third in the 79th when a corner kick ended up with the ball loose near the far post, which was finished off by Dwayne Hickerson. Sin City got one back in the 82nd minute when a corner kick found Julio Vargas outside of the box on the left side, who sent a beautiful shot into the top right of the net past a diving West Chester keeper. Despite more offense, West Chester held on to advance.
Goal scorers
WCU:
- Jack Jasinski 31’ (Ridge Robinson)
- Dominick Bachstein 47’ (Ridge Robinson)
- Dwayne Hickerson 79’ (Unassisted)
SCFC:
- Andy Rodriguez 25’
- Julio Vargas 82’
MATCH BROADCAST
