The 102nd edition of the National Amateur Cup began this week in the Midwest. Comfortable wins were predominant, one match was suspended by the weather and two games were forfeited so far in the first wave of games in the USASA Region II tournament for the 2026 Amateur Cup.
The 2026 edition of the United States Adult Soccer Association top tournament will once again grant an automatic bid into the follow year’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Meaning this is already 2027 Open Cup qualifying.
Region II, which is made up of teams from the Midwest, is just starting, but the eventual champion will be the representative at the National Finals, alongside the other three USASA Regions.
Here’s a look at each of the seven Region II games played so far. Interested in how the Northeast’s First Round played out? Check out our recap here.
Monday, March 23
Camargo FC (MN, MASL)
L:W
Green Bay Glory (WI, MWPL)
N/A
Round 1 kicked off with a forfeit as Minnesota side Camargo FC withdrew, allowing Wisconsin’s Green Bay Glory to advance. No date or venue was ever set for this game, and the above date represents the day TheCup was informed of the decision.
Northland Soccer Journal was able to reach Camargo FC and was given the following statement.
“Unfortunately, the travel required this early in the Amateur Cup created logistical challenges that we weren’t able to overcome within the three-week window between the schedule release and the match deadline. “
Green Bay advances to Round 2 which is scheduled to take place during the month of April. Last year, the Midwest Premier League side was defeated in Round 1 by United Serbian Soccer Club, 4-1, in Round 1.
Tuesday, March 31
Drita Soccer Club (MI, APSL)
5:4
Ypsilanti Athletic FC (MI, MUSL)
Michigan Stars Sports Center – Washington, MI
A nine goal slugfest officially opened up the Region II Amateur Cup as Drita Soccer Club beat Ypsilanti Athletic FC, 5-4, in the cozy confines of Michigan Stars Sports Center. Drita surged to a 3-0 lead 20 minutes in, before a back and forth saw YAFC make it 4-4 with just under twenty minutes to play. In the end, Dennis Cali secured his hat-trick with the game winning goal in the 73rd minute to advance his team.
YAFC looked a little overwhelmed after the rough start. But after Jayden Huxtable scored midway through the first half the team seemed to pick right up. Injury was the biggest detriment however. Midfielder Skyler Sebring was injured near the end of the game after a hard tackle. The team lost a lot of play making ability as he left the field.
Drita still played like a team early in its season, starting fast but allowing Ypsilanti to come back with careless mistakes. It was also a chance for the new APSL side to experience with experience and youth. Team captain Christian Margilaj was a constant threat on the ball for the visitors ball hawk. Elsewhere, University of Detroit Mercy commit Daniel Kadiu made his first team debut and scored in the first half.
Goal scorers
Drita:
- Dennis Cali 11′, 12′, 73′
- Dom Ivezaj 20′
- Daniel S. Kadiu 31′
YAFC:
- Jayden Huxtable 22′, 26′
- Ibrahima Dioubate 47′, 71′
MATCH BROADCAST (We Are Soccer)
Thursday, April 2
Livonia City FC (MI, APSL)
2:6
Monroe United (MI, APSL)
Two members of the American Premier Soccer League’s Mitten Conference, a new conference featuring Michigan teams, faced off in Round 1. In the end experience won out at Livonia City FC beat Monroe United, 6-2.
It was a different type of game for both teams. Livonia relied on a mix of young players and some older faces are they continue to prepare for their MWPL season. Meanwhile Monroe was playing their first-ever game as a team. The side, which had some high school players making their first team debut, only had one 11 v 11 training session the weekend prior.
Thomas Dono and former Gold Star FC Detroit forward Jacob Kunnath both earned braces for their side as Livonia scored five goals in the first half. Despite the result Monroe’s technical director Eric Perilla still saw positives from the game.
“It’ll take time, but it was a great experience and huge opportunity for the guys, especially the young ones still in high school,” Perilla said. “I’m just glad we finally got this going. Our second half looked much stronger too!”
Goalscorers
LCFC
- Caleb DuPree 12′
- Jacob Kunnath, 20′, 40′
- Thomas Dono 28′, 44′
- Patrick Smith 75′
MU:
- Jovanny Gallegos-Jimenez
- Israel Hernández-Vargas (Jovanny Gallegos-Jimenez)
Saturday, April 4
1927 SC (IN, MWPL)
W:L
Valhalla FC (OH, OVPL)
N/A
Hosts Valhalla FC forfeit their match against 1927 SC in Round 1, allowing the Indiana side representing the Ft. Wayne Sports Club to advance. Valhalla, which has been a regular in the Amateur Cup in recent years, was unable to have paperwork to host the match approved in time before the round window was set to end.
1927 lost in Round 1 last year, 4-2 AET, to Livonia City FC. The team’s best performance was in 2023, under the Ft. Wayne Sports Club name, where they reached the regional semifinals. Valhalla reached the regional quarterfinals in 2025 before losing to Michigan Stars U23, 5-1.
Steel City FC (IL, MWPL)
1:4 AET
Goshen City FC (IN, MWPL)
Everwise School Field – South Bend, IN
In an all Midwest Premier League clash, Goshen City FC beat Steel City FC, 4-1 after extra time, to advance. Home side Goshen took the lead in the first half thanks to Joao Laranjo before the visitors equalized in the second half off a Tim Slusarczyk goal.
Things were even up until the 89th minute, when Steel City’s Tre Adams was shown a second yellow card and given a red. A series of injuries in extra time brought SCFC down to eight men and Goshen pounced. Three unanswered goals lifted the home side into the next round of the tournament.
“The game was lost in the boardroom, not on the field,” Steel City chairman Ivaldo Basso said after the game. “We under-resourced the team by not traveling with a full squad, and we paid the price for that. I take full responsibility.”
Goshen lost in Round 1 of the Amateur Cup in a thrilling penalty kick shootout to Michigan Rangers FC. Its a second-straight Round 1 exit for Steel, who reached the regional semifinals in 2024.
Goal scorers
SCFC:
- Tim Slusarczyk 56′
GCFC:
- Joao Laranjo 24′
- Teague Misner 105+5′
- Pedro Diegues 117′
- Javier Enciso 120+1′
MATCH BROADCAST (Goshen City FC)
RKC Third Coast SC (WI, MWPL)
1:4
Chicago House AC (IL, MWPL)
Fenwick Priory – River Forest, IL
Another all Midwest Premier League showdown saw Open Cup and Amateur Cup regulars Chicago House AC beat first-timers RKC Third Coast SC, 4-1.
Former pro Elias McCloud scored first for House but RKC fought back. A blocked penalty kick could have equalized but the visitors did that get goal just before halftime off the foot of Cole Rodgers. However the more experienced House side scored three unanswered in the second half to take the win. CHAC’s top goal scorer from last season Kikis Avalos scored the game winner in the 60th minute before Nico Williams got a brace within five minutes late in the half.
This marked RKC’s first-ever appearance in the National Amateur Cup tournament. House reached the regional Quarterfinals last year, where they lost to eventual regional finalist Michigan Rangers FC, 3-0.
Goal scorers
CHAC:
- Elias McCloud 25′
- Kikis Avalos 60′
- Nico Williams 75′, 80′
RKC:
- Cole Rodgers 44′
Minnesota Blizzard FC (MN, NPSL)
4:2
Vlora FC (MN, MASL)
Conway Dome – Saint Paul, MN
By Tim Abbott
Originally scheduled for McMurray Fields in St Paul, Minnesota, the game moved to the Conway Dome in the city as temperatures dropped to 37º with wind chill dropping even further. The two teams squared off for a second successive year at this stage, with last year’s going the way of Vlora FC by a score of 5-1. Both sides had decidedly makeshift appearance, with Vlora bringing in U21 players and Blizzard borrowing from their MASL indoor roster.
At half-time it was 0-0 and it was only 1-1 with 20 minutes left. The Minneapolitan Diego Yang proved the key man as he opened the game’s scoring in the 47th minute and after they went behind to a brace from Adonay Hans in the 52nd and 57th minutes, it was Yang who scored his second and third in the 62nd and 70th minutes to put the visitors back ahead. The icing to the first round cake was applied by Bertrand Ngo in the 90th minute.
Goal scorers
Vlora:
- Adonay Hans 52′, 57′
MBFC:
- Diego Yang 47′, 62′, 70′
- Bertrand Ngo 90′
Full Match Recap on Northland Soccer Journal
Tuesday, April 7
United Serbian SC (WI, MPL)
4:3
Bavarian United SC (WI, MWPL)
Heartland Value Funds Stadium, Glendale, WI
A game split over two days closed out Round 1 in Region II, as United Serbian Soccer Club beat Bavarian United SC, 4-3.
Originally scheduled for April 2, the game played out for 30 minutes with both teams getting on the scoresheet. Nemanja Medic struck first for the Serbians while Jack Bowden equalized for Bavarians. Weather closed in and heavy rain made the field unplayable in the 30th minute.
The game resume a few days later on April 7th, with both teams allowed to change their lineups based on availability. Aleksandar Prpa took five minutes and five days to get USSC back in front, while Medic notched his brace after nearly half a week break from his first goal. The game remained fast paced with the ball rarely staying in the middle of the field for long. That allowed Bavarians’ Sam Yarmulnik to notch a late goal to make it 3-2 just before halftime.
The fast pace continued into the second half but the scoring slowed down. It took nearly 20 minutes for Petar Krecak to score what would be the game-winning goal, though the home side tried to push until the end. A late penalty for Bavarians’ Buran Huseini, who missed the first one but was allowed to retake after the referee called the goalkeeper for being off the line on the save before converting the second chance, was not enough.
Its a second straight year of disappointment for Bavarian. After winning the National Amateur Cup in 2022, United lost in the final in back to back years the next two tournaments. In 2025, after being given a bye to the Quarterfinals as defending regional finalists, the side lost to RWB Adria in their first game. This marks a second straight one-and-done performance in the tournament for the six-time amateur cup champions. United Serbian reached Round 2 last year before losing to Vlora FC, 6-2.
Goal scorers
USSC:
- Nemanja Medic 15′, 41′
- Aleksandar Prpa 35′ (Nemanja Medic)
- Petar Krecak 72′
BUSC:
- Jack Bowden 25’
- Sam Yarmulnik 45’
- Buran Huseini 90’ (PK)
USASA Region II, Round 2 Matchups
(Away team listed first, games to be played between April 8 to 19)
Goshen City FC (IN, MWPL) v 1927 SC (IN, MWPL)
Livonia City FC (MI, APSL) v Drita Soccer Club (MI, APSL)
Minnesota Blizzard FC (MN, NPSL) v Chicago House AC (IL, MWPL)
Green Bay Glory (WI, MWPL) v United Serbian Soccer Club (WI, MPL)
