Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Tampa Bay Rowdies

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Teenager sparks Orlando City blowout of Tampa Bay Rowdies

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Gustavo Caraballo of Orlando City SC dribbles the ball against Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Gustavo Caraballo of Orlando City SC dribbles the ball against Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC

While the I-4 in Florida is known for standstill traffic, that is certainly not the case when it comes to the derby that shares its name. While these sides don’t meet as often, that makes every encounter more meaningful. The supporters were ready. Orlando’s Iron Lion Firm arrived with a thick cloud of purple smoke and pyrotechnics being shot in the air. Those same smoke canisters were then thrown on the field as they marched into the stadium. Rowdies fans responded in kind with a tifo before kickoff. The stage was set for another chapter in this Floridian Derby.

The Rowdies hosted the I-4 Derby for the first time, on the 50th anniversary of their club. While Tampa Bay’s league form hasn’t been great, maybe a magical cup run can be just the thing they need to steer the ship around and gain some momentum. 2022 Open Cup winners Orlando City are making their return to the Open Cup after not being able to participate last year. Their fanbase were one of the most vocal online last year about their club’s exclusion from the tournament. They entered this year with the hopes of winning it all again.

Orlando’s hopes off lifting the trophy again got off on the right foot with three first half goals in an eight-minute span, two of them by 16-year-old Gustavo Caraballo. The Lions didn’t look back, adding two more second half goals and cruised to a 5-0 win, their third victory in as many meetings against the Rowdies.

Right at the start, both teams immediately tried to dictate the pace. The Rowdies came out with a more physical approach, racking up fouls in the first 10 minutes. While Orlando had a suffocating high press which had the Rowdies on the ropes and playing keep away within the 18-yard box. The first card of the match was given to Rowdies’ Daniel Crisostomo who had to stop a possible Orlando scoring opportunity after they regained possession from a bad giveaway on Tampa’s part.

Before the hydration break, Orlando had the better chances in front of goal. Rowdies goalkeeper Dante Campisi did his best to keep the score at bay as Orlando continued their onslaught in front of goal. A breakaway opportunity presented itself for them, but an errand chip shot by Leonardo Fernandes squandered one of the few chances they had to get on the board.

The Open Cup is a great tool for coaches to evaluate young talent. For these players, the cup provides them an opportunity they might not get in regular season matches. Wednesday night at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla., a star may have been born.

Gustavo Carballo is a regular player for Orlando’s NEXT Pro side and recently signed for the main squad. He was a leading part in the team’s triumph in the Generation Adidas Cup by scoring a brace in the final. Today, he got the nod from Oscar Pareja to start and rewarded his club in kind with another brace against the Rowdies. With those goals, he became the youngest goalscorer for the club.

“I’m just super happy I was able to get those two goals to help the team,” said the 16-year-old man of the match. “It was a great way to start off (the) Open Cup, and I’m just happy to have helped.”

After the second goal, the wheels seemed to have fallen off for the Rowdies. Orlando delivered one more blow before halftime with a goal from Ramiro Enrique. It was evident that the unfortunate struggles for the Rowdies in league play had bled over into the Open Cup.

Both sides made changes at halftime which reflected their mindset. Orlando looked to close down the game, while Tampa brought in reinforcements since they were chasing the scoreline. After a nice sequence of play started by captain Rodrigo Schlegel, one of Orlando’s subs, Duncan McGuire, would score the team’s fourth goal of the night near the 60-minute mark.

The Rowdies showed some fight in the dying minutes, with a few good chances involving Oliver Basset. However, Orlando would take one more goal at the ninetieth minute, scored by Dagur Thorhallsson. With that, the Rowdies’ run in the 2025 edition of the tournament comes to an end and Orlando City move on to the round of sixteen.

“We’re very happy to advance in the Cup. We really appreciate the fact that we are representing our club in this prestigious tournament,” said Pareja, who won the US Open Cup as a manager with FC Dallas in 2016 and Orlando City in 2022.

He went on to congratulate Gustavo Caraballo’s achievement in the match and also congratulated the academy which helped develop him.

“They have done a tremendous job in developing these kids and putting them on the first team for us is a privilege,” added Pareja. Orlando will host visiting Nashville SC in two weeks time.

Once the final whistle blew, the entire Rowdies squad huddled up to process the loss. To their credit, they showed face to the supporters and gave them the opportunity to voice their disappointment with the season so far. There are only a handful of teams in this country which have the level of history the Rowdies have. What should be a season of reflection and celebration, has turned into a nightmare.

“With 15 to 20 minutes to go, it was important for me to stand on the touch line and take in the atmosphere and understand that, the game itself, is a performance business,” remarked Rowdies interim head coach Steve Coleman.

“(The supporters) have every right to be disappointed in the team and the staff involved.”

 

2025 US Open Cup Round 3: Tampa Bay Rowdies survive PK shootout with FC Naples

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Players from FC Naples and the Tampa Bay Rowdies battle for the ball in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Naples
Players from FC Naples and the Tampa Bay Rowdies battle for the ball in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Naples

It took until the 10th round of penalty kicks for the struggling Tampa Bay Rowdies to show that they were the better side on the night against the lower division hosts, FC Naples.  This game proved that the slightest of margins divides the bottom of the Championship division from the top of League One.  A fitting match-up for the two leagues that have agreed to bring promotion and relegation to at least part of the United States soccer pyramid. 

Promotion was not at stake on Wednesday night in Florida, but what was at stake was the opportunity for the victors to advance into the next round and possibly face an MLS side as that league joins the US Open Cup.  

Tampa Bay Rowdies interim head coach, Steve Coleman, did not think his team was the better one on the night.  He added, “It’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s important to build momentum in games like tonight. I think in this game in our week of three games in seven days is likely to be one of the tougher ones with the big crowd here tonight looking and smelling for an upset.”  His message emphasized why this tournament is so important for the fans and the teams to win.  Because it does come in the midweeks and during the regular season.  It was a Wednesday night and still the FC Naples crowd showed up en masse to the tune of 3418 in stadium that at capacity holds 4600.  

Tampa Bay earned the lead in the 26th minute when Manuel Arteaga fed a ball to Pacifique Niyongabire inside the FC Naples box and Niyongabire found the far post.  The celebration for the visitors would be short-lived when Luka Prpa scored the equalizer just two minutes later.  The teams would trade chances for the rest of the game but it would end tied and go into extra time.  FC Naples had one of their best chances to win in the last minute of regulation as Jayden Onen would find himself running past the Rowdies backline into space.  The defense recovered only to have Onen pass off to Naples striker, Karsen Henderlong, who then gave it up to Andres Ferrin.  Ferrin would beat the Tampa Bay keeper with his effort but center back, Forrest Lasso, was there on the goal line to save the moment.

Lasso would be the hero of the match for the visitors eventually putting away the game winning penalty.  The captain praised his teammates for their effort saying, “We used a lot of guys that maybe have not been used through out the year and everybody carried their weight. We made it to 10 PK’s so literally everyone on the field had to do something tonight.”  He added, “The Open Cup is magical, there’s chaos, there’s opportunities left and right.  Every team brings everything they have.”  When asked about the next round of opponents Lasso ended in saying that as a team they don’t really watch the other results, they focus on themselves and getting ready for the next league match on the weekend.

 

2024 US Open Cup Round 5: FC Dallas holds off Tampa Bay Rowdies to earn historic trip to Quarterfinals

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Logan Farrington of FC Dallas celebrates with Marco Farfan after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Round of 16 in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Dallas.
Logan Farrington of FC Dallas celebrates with Marco Farfan after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Round of 16 in the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Dallas.

In the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 16 matchup between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and FC Dallas, the Texans were able to overcome a determined club in St. Petersburg, Fla. While the hometown team challenged their opponents, a difference in quality was most apparent between these teams when it came to finishing. Despite looking dominant at times, the second division Rowdies from the USL Championship had a terrible time beating Maarten Paes, in net for the Major League Soccer side. Dallas’s finishing, including from outside of the box, put them ahead and they would not relinquish the lead, winning 2-1. 

With the win, Dallas punches their ticket to the Quarterfinals for the 17th time. This ties them with Kutis Soccer Club (St. Louis area) for the most Quarterfinal appearances in the history of the competition, dating back to 1913. Dallas will take on Sporting Kansas City in the next round the week of July 9-10. FCD has never defeated Sporting in four previous attempts.

From the very first minute, the hosts wanted to take it to their opponents. Tampa Bay won two corners off of two very dangerous shots in the second minute. As per usual for the Green and Gold, most of the chance creation stemmed from their wingbacks, Blake Bodily on the left and Pacifique Niyongabire on the right. Despite some slight rotation in the attacking positions, the Rowdies were able to break through Dallas multiple times. 

As the adage goes, you have to put your chances away. Failing to do so opened the door for the top-tier visitors to put themselves ahead – and they would walk right through at times. Two goals in ten minutes for the Toros both started from set pieces going down Dallas’s right side. The first was a short corner which found Jesus Ferreira’s feet. At the top of the box sat Patrickson Delgado, waiting for his chance. Perfectly placed off the left peg, the Ecuadorian rifled it into the net.

The second goal in the 26th minute looked easier, as Logan Farrington was seemingly able to waltz into the Rowdies’ box and pick out a corner. 

Going into the second half, both teams started much the way they did in the first 45 minutes. The Rowdies were aggressive and got after it yet again. They wanted to be the protagonists and created many chances. This would play out in the final statistics. Tampa Bay ended the game with 30 total shots, of which 10 were on target. Their Big Chances tally, according to FotMob, was five. These are numbers that usually would lead to a win. The problem? Maarten Paes was in net for Dallas. 

Paes, who recently received his Indonesian citizenship, became a mixture at times between a brick wall and an agile cat. He refused to be beat from point-blank range on several occasions. The only way the hosts could get past him ultimately came from the final of their Big Chances, one taken from the penalty spot. Carl Sainte gave away the foul and Josh Perez stepped up to slot it home.

The Rowdies would not have enough time after that to create anything strong enough to slip past Maarten’s paws again. 

The game ended 2-1 for the visitors and they will move on to the Quarterfinals.

Dallas manager Nico Estevez noted how far his team have come after the game.

“We’re happy with advancing after a lot of years. Now we have that chance,” said Estevez.

He said of the Tampa Bay Rowdies: “For these teams this is the game of the year. Tampa is also a really good team. Trust me: this team is a really good team.” He also noted that during the 90 minutes, his side “didn’t come into the game with the right intensity. Tampa did. We were very effective and ruthless.” That will be the final takeaway from this tie: ruthlessness in the attack.  

2024 US Open Cup Round 4: Tampa Bay Rowdies blow 4-goal lead late, win wild OT game over Birmingham Legion

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Manuel Arteaga of the Tampa Bay Rowdies celebrates after scoring a goal against the Birmingham Legion FC in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Manuel Arteaga of the Tampa Bay Rowdies celebrates after scoring a goal against the Birmingham Legion FC in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies

The Tampa Bay Rowdies hosted Birmingham Legion in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 32, romping to a 3-0 lead in the first half before the Legion stormed back and forced extra time. The home team eventually scored a wonder goal, courtesy of Manuel Arteaga, on the way to a 6-4 win after 120 jam-packed minutes. 

The first 45 of those were very one-sided, with 10 shots for Tampa Bay and just two for Birmingham. Rowdies coach Robbie Neilson decided to use this match to rotate his squad, and the Rowdies still overwhelmed the Legion with balls over the top and intense pressing when out of possession. 

Left wingback Blake Bodily created a number of chances for the Green-and-Gold. Originally up against Dawson McCartney, the Legion right back had to switch sides following an injury to their starting left winger, Diba Nwegbo. Neither McCartney nor his replacement Mujeeb Murana were able to contain the Rowdies’ attacks, however. Bodily would have two assists in the first 45 minutes. 

While the Legion had almost as much possession as the home team, what they could achieve with it was initially lacking. Enzo Martinez and Tyler Pasher, two of Birmingham’s most lethal players, frequently had to drop deep to receive the ball and turn with it. Both moved higher up the field to apply further pressure in the second half. That would lead to an unlikely turnaround. 

After a hat trick for forward Cal Jennings, Tampa Bay took its foot off the gas, thinking 4-0 would be adequate to get the job done. This allowed Legion to creep back into things late in the game. Enzo Martinez scored in the 82nd minute, followed by second half-substitute Kobe Hernandez-Foster seven minutes later to halve the deficit.

In stoppage time, Tyler Pasher scored a double, including one from the penalty spot, to take the match to extra time. Rowdies fans could be heard booing anything and everything at the end of regulation, stunned that somehow it was actually 4-4.

In the extra 30 minutes that followed, the Rowdies had much of their usual starting XI on the field. This played out to good effect for the home team. The wings are where Tampa Bay thrives – and interplay from out wide led to a pair of goals scored by Manuel Arteaga. While the second was a good finish off a deflected shot, the first was a screamer, something in between a bicycle and a scissor kick that every striker dreams about when they go to sleep. 

All at once, a Rowdies crowd that previously was shell-shocked roared to life again. A red card deep into extra time for their hero Arteaga could not dampen the hometown fans’ spirits at the final whistle. Jennings said after the game, “we can be better; but, we survived and we’re moving on.” Manager Robbie Neilson seemed to feel the same way: “It was an entertaining game. It was a stressful game in the end; but, we managed to get over the line – and we’re now in the next round of the Cup, which was really important for us. It’s the furthest we’ve been before.”

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: Teenager Brooklyn Raines gives Houston Dynamo win over Tampa Bay Rowdies

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Brooklyn Raines of the Houston Dynamo attempts a shot against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo
Brooklyn Raines of the Houston Dynamo attempts a shot against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo earned a narrow shutout win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on the road, despite the home team’s best efforts to pull off an “cupset”. A first half goal by Houston’s 18-year-old homegrown signing Brooklyn Raines just before halftime was the difference as the Rowdies’ valiant effort in St. Petersburg, Fla. fell short. Despite being a lower-division squad, the Rowdies pushed their first-tier opponents Houston Dynamo right to the end — literally — with the last kick of the game being a shot blocked out to touch as Houston advanced in a 1-0 Third Round US Open Cup victory.

The Rowdies will desperately want those chances back, but the Dynamo left St. Petersburg, Fla. with a win in their opening game of the tournament for the ninth year in a row. 


From the first minute, each team seemed up for the occasion. The pressure was high and the club from Texas got the better of the early passages. Two set pieces to the far post found their man and the ball back into the middle was dangerous on both plays. However, the second-division Rowdies fought their way back and began to settle into a rhythm of their own. With cross field switches to men in space, Tampa Bay tried to break down the wings where they could whip a ball in or even shoot from far. Nothing would get close enough, though.

As the halftime whistle neared and the score remained level, Corey Baird found himself in space on the wing for Houston multiple times. The Dynamo tried to find him quickly, but could not do so before the 43rd minute. However, the break was on. The zone vacated by Tampa Bay’s 17-year-old left wingback became a trap after looking so open beforehand. Baird was closed down by left center back Aaron Guillen, only to find the streaking Brooklyn Raines open at the top of the box. A late tracking run from Johnson was not enough to put Raines off his shot, and the Orange went in 1-0 at the break.

The second half presented an entirely different game from the first. Houston took off their goalscorer at halftime as well as their most famous player, Mexican central midfielder Hector Herrera. In their place came on players whose job would be to slow the game down, maintain control, and keep the Rowdies at bay. Further substitutions over the rest of the half did not allow the Dynamo to do that, however, and Tampa Bay came storming back.

Needing a goal to stay alive, the Rowdies made several attacking changes and hoped the fresh legs would lead to more opportunities. After hitting the post in the first half, Tampa Bay threw wave after wave at their Major League counterparts and did everything they could to find an equalizer. Conner Antley and second-half subs Dayonn Harris and Ryan Spaulding all had cross after cross repelled or blocked wide, while usual second-stringer Andrew Tarbell proved his worth in net for the Dynamo.

Good buildup went to waste in the end, as no player in Green and Gold could put it in the back of the net. After the game, manager Neill Collins — still serving a suspension following a contentious Open Cup match in 2022 versus Orlando City — said his Rowdies team could look upon their effort with pride even if they never got what they needed. He said they finally played the typical Rowdies way after what has been a very slow start to the USL season.

On the other side of things, Houston will take heart from their ability to weather a beating and come out on the other side. They bent and were bent, but they never broke. In their gray jerseys, the Dynamo drew like clouds over Tampa Bay, and spoiled a party for the locals. This experience will serve their young goalscorer well as they try to build as a team on this win for the Fourth Round to come.

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Lucky Mkosana leads Tampa Bay Rowdies to 2-0 win over Nona FC

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Lucky Mkosana of the Tampa Bay Rowdies celebrates after scoring a goal against Nona FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies
Lucky Mkosana of the Tampa Bay Rowdies celebrates after scoring a goal against Nona FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Tampa Bay Rowdies

On Tuesday night, the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup continued into the Second Round with the Tampa Bay Rowdies hosting Nona FC. Traveling from the Orlando region, Nona hoped to spark an upset after beating another amateur team in the First Round. However, with the clubs separated by two divisions, the gulf could not be overcome and the Rowdies came out 2-0 winners on the night. Local legend Lucky Mkosana had a hand in both goals for the team from Florida’s west coast.

It marked their third straight opening round home win over an amateur team from USL League Two’s Southeast Division. The last two years, they defeated The Villages SC.

The Rowdies welcomed into their starting lineup offseason signing Connor Sparrow, who had been out due to injury, while generally maintaining a strong XI from their prior games in 2023. Nona kept many of the players from their first match of the Open Cup, including two players with former professional experience. Hopes were pinned on Jeanderson, a defender previously on the books of the Portland Timbers, and William Eyang, a former Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Championship) player. Eyang had also scored the goal that put Nona into the second round. 

Starting the game, Nona didn’t look out of place playing a team both in season and in the professional ranks. Trying to break up Rowdies possession, they racked up chippy fouls and seemed to be keeping the opposition at bay. Then, in the 25th minute, JJ Williams broke the deadlock when he turned away from a defender and put the ball past Rafael Santos following a pass from Lucky Mkosana. Lucky would then become the beneficiary as Dayonn Harris found him in the 32nd minute.

For Mkosana, it was his eighth career US Open Cup goal, and his fourth as a member of the Rowdies. His four goals with Tampa Bay ties the club record with Georgi Hristov. 

In between these two chances that the Rowdies converted, Nona had a clear shot on net that would have drawn the game level. Unfortunately, Eyang was not up to the task this time around, and whiffed entirely on what seemed like a sure-fire goal. It’s a miss that could haunt him long afterwards, as the only other real opportunities for the team from Orlando came late in the first half, including a very ambitious shot from around the halfway circle. 

Coming in from the halftime break, Nona defender Anouar Adam could be heard yelling, “BELIEVE!” Whether or not he took inspiration from Ted Lasso we might not know. But, the loudest fans on the night were often a pocket of roughly twenty Nona FC academy players behind the Rowdies bench. All this goodwill and all this cheering couldn’t get the team rolling again in the second half, though. Following a couple substitutions, it was all one way traffic. 

Tampa Bay’s Lewis Hilton, who was also just returning from injury, went off after a very busy 45 minutes of football for Yann Ekra. He stepped in and, along with the rest of the midfield, thoroughly shut down Nona for the rest of the night. Without having possession statistics, we can only speculate. But, it seemed like the Rowdies edged near 60-70% in the second half of this game. Further substitutions for both teams slowed the flow of the game from the first half. Tampa Bay seemed content to let it play out and only try to push forward when the lanes really opened up for them.

With Nona increasingly agitating to get back into the game, more chippy fouls occurred and the yellow cards started flying. In the 50th, 55th, 71st, and 77th minute, a mixture of frustration and desperation led to bookings for the team from Orlando. The home crowd grew more angry at seeing their players writhing in pain, while Nona likely grew more angry at having the game further delayed. The match was mercifully brought to an end before the Rowdies’ anthem, a song from the team’s original days in the 1970s, started up on the loudspeaker. Nearly 2,023 fans got to go home happy and awaiting the draw for the third round. The roughly 30 fans who have to drive the hour-plus to Orlando will also have a good night to think about – even if they might rue missed chances that little bit more. 

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Orlando City beats Tampa Bay Rowdies as Florida rivalry renewed

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Alexandre Pato of Orlando City SC celebrates after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Alexandre Pato of Orlando City SC celebrates after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC

Orlando City SC faced a foe from their past during the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup when the Tampa Bay Rowdies came to town.

City won 2-1 against the Rowdies to advance to the Round of 32 in a feisty affair at Exploria Stadium that included 32 fouls, eight yellow cards and a red card for Rowdies coach Neil Collins. The two teams were bitter rivals when they both played in USL Pro.

“I love to play derbys, and we were talking this week about this game,” Jr. Urso said. “Oscar told us ‘don’t play like it’s a friendly game because they will come to push us.’”

After a slow first half, City switched to a 3-5-2 which opened the game up. The scoring opened with an Alexandre Pato penalty conversion in the 51st minute. 


The play began when Pato received the ball on the edge of the box and hit it first time back to Mauricio Pereyra who then sent in a running Benji Michel who got past the defender and forced a bad tackle. A penalty was awarded which Pato converted calmly.

Orlando City’s lead doubled when Pato avoided multiple defenders on the outside of the box by chipping the ball over a lunging defender to Pereyra. With space a few yards outside of the box, Pereyra sent a cross into the box. Michel drew a defender, but the ball went over them both to a waiting Urso who slotted it in and celebrated by putting on a fan’s sunglasses.

Pato and Pereyra had a lethal attacking connection the whole second half after Pereyra was subbed in.

Orlando City SC players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Orlando City SC players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC

“Mauricio is a player who glues us together,” Pareja said. “Not just because of his ability on the ball, but he’s in a very strategic position where the ball gets to him and he just connects us.”

After Orlando doubled the lead, Tampa Bay caught Orlando City sleeping, sending a long ball shortly after play restarted to the outside. The ball was sent into the box to Sebastian Guenzatti. The ball was awkwardly deflected, leaving City keeper Mason Stajduhar out of position. Lucky Mkosana was able to slot the deflection into the back of the net in the 65th minute.

Thomas Williams, the 17-year-old academy product, earned his first start for Orlando City and was a solid defender the whole game. He was under pressure in dangerous spots a few times but stayed composed and kept possession for his team.

“I think I just tried to keep my composure as much as possible,” Williams said. “If I didn’t see any good passes I just went long with it and just tried to make the best decision.”

Rowdies coach Collins was issued a yellow card at halftime for dissent and received a straight red card in the 90th minute. The Rowdies had earned a free kick, but Orlando City kicked the ball toward the bench, some cheeky time wasting. Collins ran onto the field to kick the ball back to his team, which resulted in his red card.

Orlando City advances to the Fourth Round where they will host the Philadelphia Union on May 10.

2022 US Open Cup Round 2, Day 1 Review: MLS Next Pro wins debut, one amateur side survives

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Toby Sims Pittsburgh Riverhounds Maryland Bobcats 2022 US Open Cup
Toby Sims of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds dribbles against the Maryland Bobcats in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger | Pittsburgh Riverhounds

The first MLS NEXT Pro team to enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup scored the league’s first win in the Second Round of the tournament, and USL League Two scored an upset over a nearby USL League One counterpart Tuesday night as 11 teams punched their tickets to the next round of the 107th edition of the US Open Cup. 

Round 2 continues Wednesday with 13 matches, with seven more to be decided Thursday. All of the games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ 

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

Several MLS clubs will join the competition in the Third Round, which will hold a draw Friday to determine the matchups. The draw is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. 

Here’s a look at all 11 Second Round matches from Tuesday.

Click here for a preview of all the Round 2 games on Wednesday and Thursday

North Carolina Fusion U-23s (USL League Two) 4:2 Charlotte Independence (USL League One)
American Legion Memorial Stadium – Charlotte, NC
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The North Carolina Fusion U23 pulled off the first upset of the second round, knocking off their professional USL League One opponent Charlotte Independence 4-2 in Charlotte.

Charlotte opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Shalom Dutey found the end of a Ayrton Paez free kick just in front of goal near the post, beating Fusion goalkeeper Josh Perryman. Twenty-three minutes later, a shot by Faisal Almabaslat was blocked by Charlotte goalkeeper Keegan Meyer, but Luis Neto was right there to put away the rebound to draw the Fusion level 1-1. It took Charlotte just five minutes to regain the lead, as Ivan Luquetta took the ball to the touch line in the penalty area, then passed back to Paez for the goal.

The Fusion tied things up minutes into the second half when Joao Silva took a shot at the top of the box that deflected off a Charlotte defender. Charlotte was reduced to 10 men in the 76th minute when Tresor Mbuyu was sent off for an altercation with a Fusion player after a hard tackle. With just a few minutes remaining in regulation, Charlotte goalkeeper Meyer fumbled an easy shot by Alexandre Horveno, and Tom Marriott scored on a wide-open goal. The Fusion cemented the upset in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Colton Sessoms easily scored on a 3-on-1 breakaway, the youngster’s fourth goal of the night, to book a spot in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Maryland Bobcats (NISA) 0:2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Championship)
Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

On a rainy Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, the USL Championship Riverhounds entertained the visiting Maryland Bobcats of NISA. A pair of goals from Toby Sims on either side of halftime was all the Riverhounds needed to see off the Bobcats 2-0 and advance to the third round. Simms’ first goal came in the 38th minute from the center of the penalty area off a Luis Argudo assist. Almost 10 minutes into the second half, Simms tallied from the left side of the penalty area on a Mohamed Sesay assist. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

St. Louis CITY 2 (MLS NEXT Pro) 2:0 Indy Eleven (USL Championship)
Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium (IUPUI) – Indianapolis, IN
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

St. Louis City 2 notched the first-ever Open Cup win for a MLS NEXT Pro team with a 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven of the USL Championship.

St. Louis drew first blood when Joshua Yaro sent an attempted clearance back into the box, where Era Armstrong collected the ball and beat Indy goalkeeper Tim Trilk. The reserve club of the future St. Louis MLS club doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Armstrong passed to substitute Celio Martins, who then fed Wan Kuzain at the top of the box for the goal. From then on. Indy only managed a couple of chances on goal and the St. Louis reserves made their way to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Michigan Stars FC (NISA) 0:3 Detroit City FC (USL Championship)
Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, MI
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

In a battle of former NISA rivals, the USL Championship Detroit City FC smoked the Michigan Stars 3-0 in Detroit.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "Champions" shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “Champions” shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Just as the first half looked to end scoreless, Detroit stuck twice on corner kicks. In the 45th minute, Connor Ruiz put away a Maximilliano Rodriguez corner kick. In the second minute of stoppage time, Rodriguez served up another corner, and this time Matthew Lewis headed the ball home for a 2-0 lead. For the rest of stoppage time, the air was filled with smoke from jubilant City supporters.

 

After a pair of crosses Detroit extended their lead to 3-0 in the 63rd minute. After Michigan headed away an initial cross, Michael Bryant sent the ball back into the box, where Connor Ruiz headed the ball to the feet of Matthew Lewis for his second goal of the game. From that point, Detroit easily saw out the remaining time to book their first ever appearance in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Villages SC (USL League Two) 0:6 Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship)
Al Lang Stadium – St. Petersburg, FL
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Villages SC of USL League Two were no match for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship, with the hosts steamrolling to a 6-0 win. Lucky Mkosana quickly put the Rowdies ahead 2-0 with two goals early in the first half. Jordan Scarlett pushed the lead to 3-0 on a header from a Jake Areman free kick. In the 53rd minute Mkosana appeared to have completed his hat-trick, connecting on a cross from Jake Areman, however the goal was later credited to Kyle Greig.

The goals continued to flow in as Jake LaCava (63rd minute) and Laurence Wyke (73rd minute) finished the rout of their amateur opponents, and confirmed a spot in the third round for the Rowdies. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Des Moines Menace (USL League Two) 1:2 Union Omaha (USL League One)
Morrison Stadium (Creighton Univ.) – Omaha, NE
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Menace opened the scoring in the 15th minute when a shot from Gabriel Rodriguez struck the crossbar and was swatted away by Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu. Corey Hertzog then slammed home the loose ball. Five minutes later, Union found the equalizer when John Scearce headed home a corner from Joseph Brito.

Union Omaha kept control most of the second half, and with nine minutes remaining, Omaha gained the lead on a Menace mistake when Alefu Bertini accidentally headed a lobbed pass from Conor Doyle past his own goaleeper. Omaha withstood a desperate Menace search for an equalizer to win their debut Open Cup match and advance to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) 1:2 FC Tulsa (USL Championship)
ONEOK Field – Tulsa, OK
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The USL Championship’s FC Tulsa came out on top in the Tulsa derby, defeating the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletic, 2-1.

FC Tulsa wasted no time grabbing the lead, as Jorge Corrales sent a cross into the box that Brian Brown managed to put away while being pulled down by a Tulsa Athletics defender. FC Tulsa scored again in the 19th minute, this time on a Ronald Rodriguez header off a corner kick from Joaquin Rivas. Tulsa Athletic had a few promising free kicks in the rest of the half but the score remained 2-0 at the break.

Despite being outshot by a wide margin, Tulsa Athletic managed to cut the lead in half with thirteen minutes remaining. Halftime substitute Billy Nzojyibwami’s goal from the right side of the penalty area gave the amateurs a glimmer of hope. But FC Tulsa kept the visitors at bay in the final minutes to book their place in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

D’Feeters Kicks (USCS / The Roja League) 1:3 San Antonio FC (USL Championship)
Lynchburg City Stadium – Lynchburg, VA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

For 45 minutes, the amateur D’Feeters Kicks had hope of an upset over the professional San Antonio FC of the USL Championship. However, in four quick minutes that dream was interrupted.

San Antonio scored three goals in four minutes of the second half to separate themselves from their amateur guests en route to a 3-1 win. In the 53rd minute, Henrik Sakshaug scored from the top of the penalty area after a free kick pinballed between players from both teams. Just a minute later, a shot by Justin Dhillon deflected off a D’Feeters defender, allowing Connor Maloney to easily beat goalkeeper Anthony Rodriguez for San Antonio’s second goal. Three minutes later, Sakshaug struck again from the center of the penalty area, assisted by Shannon Gomez, and suddenly San Antonio were comfortably ahead 3-0.

D’Feeters regained a slight glimmer of hope when San Antonio goalkeeper Matt Cardone was unable to handle a long shot from the left side, allowing Sebastian Mendez to easily tap home the goal. With seven minutes remaining, D’Feeters were reduced to 10 men when Juan Ramirez was shown his walking papers after a hard foul. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) 0:5 New Mexico United (USL Championship)
Univ. of New Mexico Soccer Complex – Albuquerque, NM
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The NPSL’s Las Vegas Legends saw their luck run out in the second round as New Mexico United of the USL Championship rolled to an easy 5-0 victory.

The hosts set the tone in the seventh minute when Chris Wehan converted a penalty after Sergio Rivas was fouled by the Legends’ Hector Casillas. Jerome Kiesewetter scored the first of his two goals from close range in the 17th minute, and Randy Ovouka placed his shot in the bottom left corner of the goal five minutes from halftime for a 3-0 lead at the break.

Carl Sainte made it 4-0 from a shot outside the penalty area shortly after halftime. Eduardo Guzman was sent off in the 82nd minute, leaving Las Vegas with 10 men. New Mexico was awarded another penalty with four minutes remaining after another foul by Hector Casillas in the box. Kiesewetter stepped to take the penalty and New Mexico cruised to a berth in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

El Paso Locomotive (USL Championship) 1:4 Central Valley Fuego (USL League One)
Lamonica Stadium (Clovis H.S.) – Clovis, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Villyan Bijev scored a brace, and USL League One side Central Valley Fuego stunned El Paso Locomotive of the USL Championships, 4-1 at Lamonica Stadium in Clovis, California.

Nathan Smith and Christian Chaney also scored for the Fuego, which needed less than five minutes to score and never looked back.

Bijev opened the scoring in just the fourth minute, chipping the goalkeeper from the left side of the box to put Central Valley up 1-0 mere moments into the game. The goals kept coming, too, through Smith’s golazo in the 15th minute and a second from Bijev in the 44th minute en route to a 3-0 halftime advantage. Chaney added a goal in the 62nd minute for the Fuego.

Eric Calvillo scored in the 90th minute for El Paso, which turned out to be the first Open Cup goal in Locomotive history for the 2019 debutants. El Paso was playing its second of three games in eight days after a four-match winless skid to open USL Championship play, and had traveled up the California coast following Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the San Diego Loyal in league play.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

LA Force FC (NISA) 2:5 Orange County SC (USL Championship)
Orange County Great Park (Championship Stadium) – Irvine, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Former Real Salt Lake homegrown signing Milan Iloski had a goal and an assist as Orange County SC of the USL Championship rolled by the NISA’s LA Force, 5-2 at Championship Stadium in Irvine, California.

Daniel Pedersen, Sean Okoli, Mikko Kuningas and Kobi Henry each added a goal for Orange County, which converted five of its six shots on target into goals and out-shot the Force 22-15.

Samuel Goni scored a brace for LA Force FC, including a 37th-minute strike that pulled the Open Cup debutants within 3-1 at halftime. But Iloski dished a pinpoint backheel pass to Kuningas to restore Orange County’s three-goal lead, and Henry’s goal in the 69th minute helped seal the win for good.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Tampa Bay Rowdies cruise in rematch with The Villages SC

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Tampa Bay Rowdies The Villages SC 2022 US Open Cup Photo by Morgan Tencza
Kyle Greig (22) and Yann Ekra of the Tampa Bay Rowdies celebrate a goal against The Villages SC in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Morgan Tencza

For the second straight round, The Villages SC were part of a 6-0 result. However, instead of the drubbing they dealt Orlando FC Wolves in the First Round off the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, the USL League Two side was on the opposite end of the scoreline. The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship scored early and often en route to a Second Round victory. 

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An announced crowd of 2,579 witnessed a rematch of the Second Round of the last US Open Cup that was played back in 2019, also played at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Rowdies also won that match convincingly, by the score of 4-1.

Having cruised to a 3-0 lead on the back of two first-half goals from Lucky Mkosana — both assisted by Kyle Greig — Tampa Bay turned its attention towards some history for the club, handing professional debuts to just-signed Academy players Tate Johnson and Santi Castaneda.

“The most important thing was to move on to the next round,” said Rowdies head coach Neill Collins. “I thought it was important for two reasons. The players, I think they want that opportunity to play against the best. And for our fans. I get the impression they want us to progress and have those nights in the Open Cup hopefully here at Al Lang. So I’m pleased we’re on to the next round. Any night you can have the opportunity to give two young players that trained with us for two months and played in preseason games their professional debuts, that’s a good night.”

Also making their mark on the scoresheet were Jordan Scarlett, heading in a cross from Jake Areman in the 36th minute; Kyle Greig, getting to another cross put in by Areman in the 53rd; Jake LaCava in the 63rd, hammering home shortly after being introduced as a second-half sub; and Laurence Wyke in the 73rd. The midfielder made a run down the right side before turning in and lobbing the ball at the near post, where Gried just missed out on tapping home, but a moment’s hesitation by the GK meant that Wyke’s ball found it’s way across the line. The six-goal outburst set a new club record for goals scored in an Open Cup match, surpassing the four Tampa Bay scored previously against The Villages in 2019.

“We had a vision going into the game,” Mkosana said. “Neill told us to press from the front and we were able to keep that organization. Everything came from just playing and taking our chances. It was a really good effort from the team.”

Despite the scoreline, the visitors put up a valiant effort and created several chances for themselves, most notably around the 30th minute, but were unable to give their contingent of traveling supporters something to celebrate.

Tampa Bay will now wait until Friday to learn it Third Round opponent and will undoubtedly hope to be handed an opportunity to host an MLS side at Al Lang Stadium, where the club is currently undefeated in its previous five Open Cup matches.

2019 US Open Cup Round 3: OKC Energy wins weather-delayed, back-and-forth shootout with Tampa Bay Rowdies

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Alexy Bosetti of OKC Energy FC celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2019 US Open Cup Third Round. Photo: Steven Christy | IG: @stevenchristyphoto
Alexy Bosetti of OKC Energy FC celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2019 US Open Cup Third Round. Photo: Steven Christy | IG: @stevenchristyphoto

The fans that remained for the 10 p.m. kickoff from John Crain Field on the campus of the University of Oklahoma were treated to an explosion of goals as Oklahoma City Energy FC dropped the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 4-3, in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Tuesday night. A near two-hour delay due to severe weather, including lightning and tornado watches, kept the match from starting at the originally planned time.

Alexy Bosetti did the heavy lifting for OKC on the night, scoring one goal and assisting on two others, including Deshorn Brown’s match-winner in the 60th minute.

OKC Energy FC players celebrate a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2019 US Open Cup Third Round. Photo: Steven Christy | IG: @stevenchristyphoto
OKC Energy FC players celebrate a goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 2019 US Open Cup Third Round. Photo: Steven Christy | IG: @stevenchristyphoto

With the win, the Energy advance to the Fourth Round for the fourth time in the last five years, which will earn them a fourth date with a team from Major League Soccer. The identity of that MLS team will be determined on Thursday morning when the United States Soccer Federation conducts the draw for the Fourth Round beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern Time.

It didn’t take long for Omar Gordon to draw first blood, hammering a low shot off the right post and past Tampa Bay’s Chris Konopka in just the second minute of action. Omar Gordon did well to get on the end of a long pass from Callum Ross before firing low from distance to score his third career tournament goal. It was the fastest US Open Cup goal in OKC’s six-year history.

The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Energy gave up a penalty kick in the 20th minute which Brandon Allen did well to convert under the outstretched arm of Bryan Byars. It was just the second penalty kick goal in Tampa’s US Open Cup history.

Tampa then capitalized on a fast break just four minutes later to go up 2-1 thanks to Antoine Hoppenot. The Frenchman received a pass from Bosetti on the right side, just outside the penalty area, cut inside to his left foot and fired a shot that beat the keeper in the upper corner just inside the far post. It was Hoppenot’s first US Open Cup goal since his days with the Philadelphia Union in 2012 when Freddy Adu assisted on his extra time game-winner in a Fourth Round road win over D.C. United.

Unfortunately for the Rowdies, the hosts continued their own offensive onslaught with a pair of goals in the 27th and 32nd minutes to claim a 3-2 advantage. First, Bosetti took advantage of a poor clearance by the usually reliable Rowdies defense, and curled a shot to the top left corner with the outside of his foot to restore parity. Bosetti followed that up by slipping a through ball into the box to Christian Eissele, who beat the keeper to put OKC on the front foot heading into halftime.

Rainbows appeared despite the severe weather that delayed kickoff of the OKC Energy FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies Fourth Round 2019 US Open Cup match. Photo: Steven Christy | IG: @stevenchristyphoto
Rainbows appeared despite the severe weather that delayed kickoff of the OKC Energy FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies Fourth Round 2019 US Open Cup match. Photo: Steven Christy | IG: @stevenchristyphoto

Tampa Bay didn’t need much time after the break to tie up the match at 3-3, scoring in the 47th minute. A well-worked bit of combination play down the left flank eventually led to Zach Steinberger sliding a pass to Allen who notched his second goal of the match. It was Allen’s third goal of the tournament, and the fifth of his career.

Bosetti continued to do work and set up the Energy to give the home squad the lead, yet again, in the 60th minute of action. Gordon made a streaking run down the right flank before splitting two defenders with an early cross to Bosetti on the back post. The Frenchman then slid the ball back to Brown who launched a low shot against his former team to earn OKC the victory.

For Brown it was his first US Open Cup goal, since he made history with the Colorado Rapids in 2014. In a Fourth Round 5-2 win over the USL’s Orlando City SC, Brown became the first Rapids player, and the first Jamaican player in the Modern Era to score a hat trick. He was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round.

Now, Brown will be on the other side of the David vs. Goliath matchup as his Oklahoma City team will take on a MLS team in Round 4.

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