2025 US Open Cup

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: FC Naples scores early, defense shines in shutout of Little Rock Rangers

April 3, 2025 by Michael Anderer

Players from FC Naples celebrate after scoring a goal against Little Rock Rangers in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Naples

FC Naples waited until the 91st minute of their First Round US Open Cup match to score the game-winning goal against local rival, Sarasota Paradise. Last night, in front of an energetic home crowd, the USL League One leaders needed less than one minute to put away the game winning goal.

Midfielder Jayden Onen received a ball from Ian Cerro just outside of the visiting Little Rock Rangers’ box. Onen’s speed created the space he needed to score while most of the crowd of 2,174 fans were still settling into their seats.

Head coach of FC Naples, Matt Polland, started a rotated line-up for the Second Round match including giving a start to FC Naples Academy player, Roscoe Rubinstein, at the striker position. The balance of regular starters and reserve players was the right mix to breakdown the USL League Two opponent.

In the 14th minute, FC Naples defender, Brecc Evans, rose above his mark off a corner kick to head the second goal of the game. The goal gave FC Naples some breathing room but Polland said post-game that “After scoring the second goal we kind of went into cruise control for a little while which I wasn’t happy about, but the second half response was excellent. The defensive pressure, the effort was there obviously scoring another goal kind of put the game away.”

The third goal came for the home team came in 77th minute as substitute Andres Ferrin dribbled his way into the box and threaded a right-footed shot past Henry Hampshaw to seal the victory.

“Anytime we can give guys meaningful minutes it’s important,” said Pollard. “It allows for development. It’s a long season and you never know when you’re going to need to call on people so the ability to get more and more players meaningful minutes in these sorts of moments in very important for us for continuation through out the year.”

Little Rock played almost the entire game chasing a goal. Being the visitors, having to travel and face a team from a higher division was always going to be tough, but Little Rock did create problems for Naples.

It was not until the 60th minute when a foursome of FC Naples regulars subbed on that the imbalance between the two sides was truly exposed. In that last 30 minutes the home team constantly created dangerous chances barely letting the opposition out of their own half.

For FC Naples, the solid defensive performance combined with sustained attacking pressure was effective to secure their place in Round 3 in the club’s first appearance in the US Open Cup.

“We are feeling good, we are rolling right now,” said FC Naples defender Gustavo Fernandes. “Our mentality before the game was come out strong, come out with a lot of energy and I think we saw that in the first minute when we were able to get a goal so it was a good showing from us.”

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: One Knoxville SC avenges last year’s loss to Greenville Triumph

April 3, 2025 by Ian Livingston Brooking

Players from One Knoxville celebrate after scoring a goal against Greenville Triumph in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Wade Wimberly | TheCup.us

Almost a year ago to the day, Greenville Triumph broke the hearts of One Knoxville SC in the Second Round of the US Open Cup, taking a 3-2 thriller in extra time.

While head coach Ian Fuller was not with the club for last year’s defeat, the loss was on the minds of One Knoxville going into the rematch.

“We reminded them, for sure,” Fuller said with a coy smile. “I mean, it’s there. We know it and the good thing is every single one of our guys has a tremendous amount of pride.”

On Wednesday, Knoxville returned the favor in the upstate, Knocking out fellow USL League One side Greenville 3-1 in regulation.

One Knoxville came out swinging, netting two goals in the opening 25 minutes. Stavros Zarokostas opened the scoring in the 14th minute, picking up the loose ball outside the 18-yard box and rifling it into the bottom corner.

Zarokostas broke through the Triumph defense again not even 10 minutes later when he linked up with Mark Doyle on a counterattack, doubling the advantage.

“I was trying to find Marky a few times this game,” Zarokostas said. “I feel like we should’ve had a few more goals but I’m glad that one went through.”

The first half drama didn’t end there as Greenville were awarded a penalty just before stoppage time, only to see it saved by Knoxville’s Johan Garibay.

The drama carried over into the second half as the Triumph thought they had cut the advantage in half in the 48th minute but it was called back for offsides. Less than two minutes later, Rodrigo Robles Grajera was sent off following scuffle.

Despite being a man down, Greenville were finally able to breach the Knoxville defense in the 55^th minute after Ropapa Mensah slotted home the goal.

Players from One Knoxville SC and Greenville Triumph battle for the ball in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Wade Wimberly | TheCup.us

From there, Knoxville were on their heels and defense felt immense pressure from a Triumph side desperate for an equalizer.

“We didn’t quite match what we had asked of them in the second half, but you know, luckily we were able to get a hold of the game from minute 60 to 80,” Fuller said.

There were numerous times in the final 10 minutes where it looked like Greenville would force extra time. However, a long ball up the left side of the field found Babacar Diene, who hustled his way into the box and found the back of the net deep into stoppage time, sending the USL League One side to the third round for the first time in club history.

“We’re going to keep fighting through every round,” Fuller said. “We love this competition.”

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: El Paso Locomotive earn first pro win after blanking Ventura County FC

April 3, 2025 by Ignacio Cervantes

History was made by El Paso Locomotive FC in its 3-0 win over Ventura County FC that ended with 20 players on the field.

The Locos are US Open Cup third rounders for the first time following an experienced performance on the road that included early set-piece goals by Daniel Carter and Tony Alfaro at Dignity Health Sports Park Track & Field Stadium in Carson, Calif. on Wednesday.

Jason Bucknor was sent off for VCFC just after half an hour when the midfielder collected a second yellow card in 5 minutes — leaving the hosts a man down with a 2-goal deficit.

“We’re a professional team and professional players that have been playing for much longer,” Locos captain Eric Calvillo, who played in the competition for Major League Soccer side San Jose Earthquakes in 2019, said. “We’re more experienced and we wanted to demonstrate that and I think that’s what we did.”

Locomotive goalkeeper Sebastian Mora-Mora saved both of Ventura’s attempts on target to help collect the shutout after a tame display from VCFC’s offense who missed Aaron Bibout’s clinical finishing.

The forward was sold to Swedish second division side Vasteras SK one week after scoring a hat-trick in the tournament’s first round.

Before his goal, Alfaro found himself at the center of contribution during the game’s first goal.

His headed flick at the near post from a corner kick after 17 minutes trickled toward the back-post and toward the goal before Carter helped the ball beyond the line.

A minute before the half hour mark, Alfaro got his turn to celebrate by doubling Locomotive’s lead when VCFC goalkeeper James Marcinkowski’s miss-judged punch attempt left the defender with a gaping goal with the ball at his feet from close range that could not be blocked.

“One of the threats that they have is set-pieces,” VCFC head coach Matt Taylor admitted about the early set-piece goals. “Being a younger, less-experienced team it’s something we wanted to really focus on.

“The first two goals were both set pieces and before you know it the game hasn’t even settled in yet and we’re down 2-0 and chasing.”

The inexperience trickled from set-piece situations into the discipline side of the game when Bucknor — who had already collected a yellow card for arguing — followed up what he felt was a no-call from the referee against his favor with a clumsy tackle that got a second yellow and a sending off.

Locomotive went into the half with a 2-goal lead and enjoyed 30 minutes enjoying the man-advantage before Alfaro joined Bucknor for an early shower after collecting his second caution.

Taylor made substitutions after being brought to even strength, but Locomotive’s pair of substitutes Andy Cabrera and Roberto Avila combined for the game’s third goal.

“It’s our second win in the Open Cup,” Calvillo said. “Win in the cup is history.

“It’s another round for us, another big win and the team is feeling great.”

To find out its next opponent, Calvillo and company will be featured in the Round 3 draw which is set for Thursday, April 3 at 1 p.m. EST.

The 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round 3 will take place the week of April 15-16.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: 10-man Union Omaha hold off MLS stars from Des Moines Menace

April 3, 2025 by Ginevra Spinelli

On a windy afternoon in West Des Moines, Iowa, the home team Des Moines Menace faced Union Omaha, a USL League One team in the Second Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. While the headlines entering Wednesday’s contest centered around the Menace who had assembled a roster full of former Major League Soccer stars, it was Union Omaha who spoiled the storyline with a 2-1 win.

It was the second year in a row, and the third time in the last four years that Union Omaha eliminated Des Moines from the competition.

The first half was dominated by the visiting team, with Omaha scoring two goals in the 17th and 33rd minutes respectively with Dion Acoff opening the scoring and Aarón Gómez following.

Although the Owls seemed to easily control the game, shortly after the start of the second half, the Menace got a penalty kick then scored by former Sporting Kansas City star Benny Feilhaber, which reopened his team’s hopes. The two-time US Open Cup champion (Sporting KC 2015 & 2017) scored to cut the lead in half.

On the penalty kick, Union Omaha player Brandon Knapp, received his second yellow card, thus leaving his team with ten men for the remaining 35 minutes of the match. Although control of the game shifted to the home team’s hands, the Owls would hold on for the 2-1 win.

The referee whistled the start of the game accompanied by the enthusiasm of the many fans of the Des Moines team who had come to the stadium for this match of their team against a higher-class formation. After 17 minutes of almost total possession, Union Omaha’s Acoff, launches his teammate Gómez toward the goal, to then collected the cross and turned it into the opening goal. The Menace continued to defend until in the 33rd minute Gómez, the author of the previous assist, again made his mark by scoring the second goal.

At the end of the first half, Des Moines Menace, who by now had nothing left to lose, took courage and appeared on a few occasions in the opponent’s half of the field before going to the locker room for halftime. Their chances of hanging with the defending USL League One champions took a blow 15 minutes into the first half when former MLS star Bradley Wright Phillips had to leave the game due to injury. Des Moines brought on some fresh legs at halftime and it gave them a spark.

The decisive moment, however, was at the beginning of the second half, when halftime sub Feilhaber, the Red Army’s No. 10, entered the field putting the captain’s armband on his arm. He scored from the penalty spot just eight minutes after entering the game. Shortly after the goal, Sacha Kljestan subbed out of the game. In the 69th minute, Kljestan would be sent off from the bench after arguing with the referee.

Now, in numerical superiority and with the confidence given by the penalty kick, the Menace increased the pressure. Des Moines maintained an orderly ball possession that, in the 80th minute, produced the best scoring chance of the game for Leroy Enzugusi, who came in to replace Kljestan. He found himself one-on-one with Union goalkeeeper Cole Jensen who made the save. After five minutes of stoppage time, the match ended with the Owls advancing to the Third Round for the fourth year in a row.

“As a player, you always feel like you are in it, especially once you get a goal, you are a man up with about 30 minutes left you think you have a chance,” said Feilhaber. “They defended very well, it becomes tough in those moments to find balls in between the lines but we had some chances, couldn’t convert any of them and they were deserved winners in the end.”

Feilhaber gave credit to his team, especially the younger players who gave everything to put the team in a position to win.

Union Omaha’s defense had to remain compact for almost the entire second half to avoid a Menace comeback.

“We did well in defending, staying together and not conceding the second, because it would have been difficult to go into overtime with a man down,” said Union Omaha defendere and captain Marco Milanese. “I’m very happy with how we defended and how we managed to bring home the result.”

With this victory, Uunion Omaha secures a spot for the Third Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup to be played the week of April 15-16. The draw will take place on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: Chattanooga Red Wolves edge Chattanooga FC in PKs in long awaited rivalry debut

April 3, 2025 by Timothy Belin

With an announced attendance of 12,131 at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, the US Open Cup game between Chattanooga FC and Chattanooga Red Wolves was just shy of the Modern Era record for a Second Round game. Photo: Patrick MacCoon @PMacCoon

In front of a rocking Finley Stadium, Chattanooga FC and Chattanooga Red Wolves needed penalties to separate the Scenic City’s two professional soccer teams in their first ever encounter.

An at-times feisty Chattanooga Derby drew 12,131 fans for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Second Round matchup, and the on-field performance did not disappoint. In a game of close margins, set pieces provided the only goals and were the biggest threat throughout the 120 minutes.

With nothing to split the sides following extra-time, the game went to penalties after an intense back-and-forth. The Red Wolves won the shootout 5-4 thanks to a Ricardo Jerez save on Daniel Mangarov’s spot kick, sparking wild celebrations from the traveling fans.

“That was a lot of fun,” Scott Mackenzie, Red Wolves head coach, said. “We showed tonight that this is a soccer city, both sides.”

It took CFC just over 90 seconds to set the tone for the night with an early foul. Four minutes later, another one set the Red Wolves up perfectly for a free-kick on the edge of the penalty arc. Omar Hernandez stepped up and deftly lofted the ball over the wall and into the bottom right corner, leaving Eldin Jakupovic stranded.

“That gave us a nice little early boost,” Mackenzie said. “I think we should have capitalized on it more. We could have settled the game and controlled a little bit.”

Steeve Louis Jean, who gave up the free-kick with a foul on Matthew Bentley, nearly made immediate amends for CFC. As the hosts attacked the other end, the young midfielder took a powerful shot from the edge of the five-yard box, but it was straight at the goalkeeper who parried it out for a corner.

The resulting corner was headed over by Logan Brown, but it was a sign of Chattanooga FC’s growing presence in the game.

Ten minutes later, another corner led to the equalizing free-kick. Despite a clearing header at the front post, CFC played the ball around the box before drawing a foul on the right side of the penalty area. Mangarov stepped up and sent a left-footed rocket into the upper 90.

While Jakupovic had been left motionless on his line for Hernandez’ free-kick earlier in the game, Jerez’ full-length dive could do nothing to prevent the 1-1.

The equalizer confirmed the switch in momentum as Chattanooga FC started dominating the game, coming close with another corner in the 26th minute, when Callum Watson’s header dropped inches wide of the post. Robertson then sent a free-kick crashing onto the crossbar seven minutes later as CFC continued to look like the most likely team to break the deadlock.

They thought they had done so in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time after bundling in a corner, but the referee called it back for a foul on a defending Red Wolves player.

“It’s one of those, a set-piece that on another day goes in and the game potentially changes,” Chris Nugent, Chattanooga FC head coach, said. “We had some good opportunities, and that’s all we ask. From open play, from set-pieces, can we create some good opportunities? We did that, but unfortunately today just wasn’t our day to finish them.”

The second half was more even, though CFC went closest to getting the crucial go-ahead goal. They would have done so from yet another free-kick, this one swung in from the side, if not for a full-extension save low to his right by Jerez.

The Red Wolves’ best chance of the half came from a shot from distance by second-half substitute Alhassam Alhassam, but the powerful drive was straight at Jakupovic.

As the minutes ticked on, the tension in the stadium and on the field continued to grow until finally boiling over with a brief melee in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. After separating the two teams, the referee administered yellow cards to CFC’s Mangarov and Red Wolves’ Jerez and Owen Green. It was a sign of the growing feistiness in the local rivalry game, which ended with six yellow cards to the hosts and seven to the visitors.

“Whatever side of the fence you sit on, you’ll be able to see that there are instigators on both sides, no doubt,” Mackenzie said. “And both teams lost control sometime and regained it, and I think that’s what derby football should look like. I think there should be an intensity beyond normal; that was there. I think there should be a competitiveness beyond normal; that was there. And I think it was two teams who were really going out to try and win a football game.”

Both teams had already gone to extra-time in their first round matchups, winning in the 112th for CFC and on penalties for the Red Wolves. That prior experience was clear as neither overcommitted in the extra half-hour, with big chances few and far between.

The final opportunity went the Red Wolves’ way in the 120th minute, when a long throw into the box bounced around the five-yard box before Jakupovic could pounce on it. Red Wolves’ Eric Kinzner went for the ball even after the keeper had it in his grasp, resulting in another scrum, a brief injury break for the CFC goalkeeper, and a yellow card for the visiting defender.

Moments later, the referee signalled for full-time, sending the game to penalties.

Mangarov, CFC’s goalscorer, went first, but Jerez read the shot and dived well to save it in the bottom right corner. The next seven penalties all hit the back of the net, prompting a do-or-die moment for CFC’s Ethan Dudley with his team’s fifth attempt.

Though Jerez saved Dudley’s penalty initially, the goalkeeper had come off his line and Dudley got to retake it, making no mistake at the second attempt. The decision made no difference in the end, as Green stepped up for the Red Wolves to make it 5-4 and send his team into tomorrow’s Third Round Draw.

“Penalties aren’t about ability, they’re about mindset,” Mackenzie said. “And I keep praising these guys’ mindset. That’s why we won today.

“Obviously very proud of my guys,” he added. “The intensity, the grit, the personality they showed, it’s massive.”

As Red Wolves players and fans celebrated getting the win, with one visitor rushing to plant a red flag in the CFC center circle, Chattanooga players went over to applaud the thousands of home fans who showed up early and sang the whole way through.

“It’s huge,” Nugent said. “We know that the community loves us, the fan support is excellent.

“It means a ton to us,” he added. “It’s what makes the club so special, and it’s bigger than just a game. It’s what people give to us and what we can give to them. I wish we could have sent them home a little bit happier with it, but I’m proud of the display we had. And, like I said, I think another goal and there’s a party tonight.”

The Red Wolves will discover their Third Round opponent at 1 p.m. ET tomorrow, with games set to be played April 15 and 16. Before then, they will turn their attention to their USL League 1 game against South Georgia Tormenta on Saturday.

Chattanooga FC will look to bounce back from their disappointment when they return to MLS NEXT Pro action Saturday against Orlando City II.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: Clinical FC Tulsa too much for Forward Madison

April 3, 2025 by Robert Chappell

Players from FC Tulsa and Forward Madison batle for the ball in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Forward Madison

FC Tulsa put just three shots on target but they all went in, and Tulsa goalkeeper Bryan Dowd made six saves as the USL Championship side held off a scrappy Forward Madison squad for a 3-1 win in Madison to advance to the third round of the US Open Cup on Wednesday evening.

The game nearly took on a very different complexion in the seventh minute, when a long through ball from Madison winger Ferrety Sousa played Garrett McLaughlin in behind the Tulsa backline, but Dowd made a kick save to keep the game scoreless.

Tulsa displayed a preview of what was to come in the 19th minute, as Khalil ElMedkhar tapped an easy pass from Owen Damm into the back of the net, but Damm was flagged offside.

The visitors got it right just two minutes later, though. Taylor Calheira played a cutback into a pocket of space in the center of the penalty area, where Damm’s trailing run allowed an easy chip over Madison goalkeeper Owen Finnerty to open the scoring.

ElMedkhar doubled the lead in the 31st, taking a well-weighted through ball from Stefan Lukic and slotting it past Finnerty.

Finnerty kept the game within reach with a point-blank save on Calheira in the closing moments of the first half, but Tulsa put any doubts to rest just moments after the break.

It was Calheira one-on-one with Finnerty again, and Finnerty took Calheira’s legs out from under him, prompting a point to the spot. Calheira converted to make it 3-0.

The hosts got one back in the 68th on a well-worked training ground set piece – Jacob Crull looped a free kick toward the far post, where Timmy Mehl headed it back across the face of goal to the head of substitute Nazeem Bartman.

That was the last good look Madison would get against the USL Championship’s stingiest defense. Bartman’s tally was only the second goal Tulsa has allowed in the first six matches of the season.

FC Tulsa will head into the third round without midfielder Boubacar Diallo, who earned a second yellow card and was sent off in the 88th minute.

“The difference in the game was that they were clinical with their chances, and we weren’t,” Madison head coach Matt Glaeser said after the match.

“At the start of the game, there was a bit of a feeling out process,” said Tulsa’s first-year head coach Luke Spencer. “I thought both teams had chances. Brian Dowd came up big for us with a big-time save, kept it nil-nil. And then I thought as the first half went on, we were able to gain some momentum and obviously score some goals. It was just sticking to the plan, and having belief in what we were doing.”

Tulsa, currently sitting in second place in the Championship’s Western Conference, came into Madison riding the high of its first-ever win over Sacramento Republic on the weekend.

“We’re just trying to take it game by game. You know, our focus is on the next game,” Spencer said. “Yes, it’s nice to have momentum from the start of the season, and belief in what we’re doing, but you can lose that quick. For us, it’s staying focused and taking that one game at a time.”

While they await the third round draw, Tulsa will prepare to host Oakland Roots on April 12. Madison will head to Charlotte to resume USL League One play on April 11.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: 10-man Portland Hearts of Pine score late equalizer, oust Hartford Athletic in PKs

April 3, 2025 by Zach Marchick

On a chilly April night in front of a packed crowd of 3,002 at Lewiston High School in Lewiston, Maine, the Portland Hearts of Pine pulled off the improbable: beating Hartford Athletic for their first upset win in just the club’s third match since its founding. Playing down a man in extra time, they fell behind 1-0 and managed to score an incredible equalizer and send the game into penalty kicks. In the shootout, they prevailed 4-2 to become the first team from the state of Maine to reach the Third Round in the 110-year history of the US Open Cup.

The Hearts, coming off a thrilling 4-0 US Open Cup victory in their first match against CD Faialense, and a scoreless draw on the road in league play against FC Naples this past Sunday, faced a tough test against Hartford. Hartford, competing in the USL Championship – a tier above the Pines who play in USL League One – struggled through a sluggish first half in Round 2 of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, with neither team managing to find the net.

It looked as if it could be a slow game, with the first high-percentage scoring look coming in the 63rd minute, when Hartfold goalie Gerold Antony Siaha made two miraculous saves – with the second unfolding after the first shot hit the post.

In the 72nd minute, Hartford came close to scoring, but the Portland goalkeeper, Hunter Morse, made a brilliant save – only to outdo himself with another exceptional stop in the 84th minute.

With 90 minutes unable to separate the sides, the match headed into 30 minutes of extra time. Tensions flared in the 93rd minute when Farrell of Hartford and Liadi of Portland got into a scuffle; both players received yellow cards.

In the 96th minute, Azaad Liadi of Portland collided with Joe Farrell while chasing down a ball headed back to Hartford’s goalkeeper. He was shown his second yellow card and sent off, forcing Portland to play the remainder of the match with 10 men. Emotions continued to boil over in the 97th minute, as both the Hartford goalkeeper and Portland’s manager were shown yellow cards.

The first half of extra time ended scoreless, with neither side able to find the breakthrough. Through it all, the Dirigo Union continued to provide massive support for Portland despite the cold and the added tension of extra time.

Hartford finally found the net in the 107th minute when Jordan Scarlett headed in a corner from Emmanuel Samadia. As the match wore on, snow began to fall in the 111th minute, heightening the drama. Jake Keegan was subbed on in the 113th minute and made an immediate impact.

In the 115th minute, Keegan scored a massive goal, chipping the Hartford keeper from 25 yards out to tie the game.

After Portland equalized to force a penalty shootout, Evan Southern scored the final penalty of an intense shootout to give the Hearts a 4–2 win on penalties. The Hearts will now advance to the Third Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, with the draw for the third round taking place at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 3. The third round will take place from April 15-16, with each team in the Third Round being pooled geographically into groups of four.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: Zach Ryan, Ben Mines lead Loudoun United past Virginia Dream

April 3, 2025 by Xavier Thompson

Ben Mines of Loudoun United celebrates after scoring a goal against Virginia Dream FC in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Loudoun United FC

The magic of the US Open Cup thrives on the unpredictable, where lower-division teams seize the opportunity to challenge established clubs in a true test of resilience and ambition. Much as Virginia Dream were able to accomplish in their first round victory over the Richmond Kickers.

In a highly anticipated matchup, Virginia Dream took on Loudoun United, hoping to prove their fortitude against a seasoned USL Championship squad. In the end Loudoun United would prevail, 4-2 to advance to the Third Round.

Loudoun’s Zach Ryan knew it would be a competitive game.

“We saw what they did to Richmond.”

With both teams eager to make a statement, the stage was set for a thrilling contest—one that delivered drama, intensity, and moments of brilliance.

The game began with an immediate big ball from Loudoun’s keeper and immediately drew a foul, setting the tone of the match. Loudoun won the half battle in all categorical stats.

Dream’s best chance came in the third minute with a mistake from Loudoun’s right back, but the chance was put wide. With this being their best look of the half Dream began to fall behind. All began to look down for the Dream when Malcolm McAllister picked up a yellow for a smack to the face.

Looking to capitalize and control momentum, Loudoun were able to keep the ball, and then create several opportunities with the Dream defense spread. This allowed them to spray the ball wide and over the top. Leading to several chances early.

An ambitious chance came from Florian Valot, who looked to chip the goalie from the halfway line. Showcasing Loudoun’s comfort in the attack.

After a yellow card, chances began to flow for Loudoun. In the 42nd minute a header by Riley Bidois off a corner broke the deadlock.

Dream looked to get even, after the goal, with a great free kick chance claimed easily by Loudoun’s keeper.

Loudoun United players celebrate after scoring a goal against Virginia Dream FC in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Loudoun United FC

As the second half began, Dream came out pressing early, trying to disrupt Loudoun’s rhythm, which proved vital as it was the visitors who capitalized at 50 minutes off a goal by Akingbolahan Akinkoye.

A goal 9 minutes later on a pass threaded to an onrushing Ben Mines put Loudoun in the lead 2-1 and Dream on the back foot.

“Getting out and running in transition is when I am at my best,” said Mines.

Loudoun’s ability to control possession forced Dream into a reactive approach, and as the game progressed, the physicality ramped up. Fouls piled up on both sides, making for a chippy contest.

Loudoun made second-half substitutions to maintain their edge. With impactful subs coming on, Loudoun struck again as Zach Ryan scored in the 77th minute.

A late push saw Dream pull one back through their big number 9 Nicolas Likulia in the 86th, but Loudoun’s ability to build from the back and execute in transition ultimately secured the result.

A stoppage-time goal by Ryan put the match to bed and secured him the brace. Ending Dream’s hopes of a late equalizer in a hard-fought, midweek battle.

In the end, Loudoun United’s quality and depth proved too much for Virginia Dream, sealing a hard-fought victory in the U.S. Open Cup clash.

Despite Dream’s early pressure in the second half and a late push later that same half, Loudoun’s ability to control possession, capitalize on key moments, and execute in transition made all the difference.

The match saw growing physicality as both teams fought for every inch, picking up several cards on the way, but Loudoun’s composure in front of goal ultimately secured the win.

Notably, some of Loudoun’s biggest impact players came off the bench, demonstrating their squad depth and ability to close out games when it mattered most.

Dream showed flashes of promise, including a well-earned late goal, but struggled to sustain offensive momentum against a disciplined and strong Loudoun defense.

Loudoun’s extra firepower and late-game execution ensured their place in the next round, ending Dream’s dream in the U.S. Open Cup.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: AV ALTA FC last minute OT goal eliminates LAFC 2

April 2, 2025 by Connor Bunnell

Players from AV ALTA FC celebrate with their fans after defeating LAFC2 2-1 after extra time in the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: AV ALTA FC

In a Southern California showdown as dramatic as it was physical, USL League One side AV ALTA FC bested MLS NEXT Pro’s Los Angeles FC 2, 2-1, in extra time.

Tuesday night’s final showdown pitted two third-division sides from rival leagues against each other on a chilly night at Lancaster Municipal Stadium, and LAFC 2 got the better jump out of the starting gate. While neither team scored in the opening 45, los Halconcitos led practically every other metric in that stretch, out-possessing and out-shooting the Antelope Valley hosts. However, in a taste of things to come, LA also had to make an extremely early injury sub when right back Josh Santiago went down in just the ninth minute of play.

After a halftime stadium light show set to the sweet sounds of Steve Aoki and Maná, the visitors’ health woes continued into the second half, starting with center back Kenny Nielsen. Arguably LA’s best player up to that point, his injury sub made it two starting defenders down in 55 minutes. All the while, the attack kept clicking at the other end of the pitch, and it would soon finally add up to something major. In the 64th minute, winger Sebastian Nava made a nice pass to midfielder DeCarlo Guerra, who smashed it home with a right-footed strike to give Los Angeles the all-important lead.

With LA’s defense getting more crucial by the minute, disaster struck their back line once again. ALTA striker Emmanuel Alaribe had already shown a willingness to go for Puskas nominees, including an overhead kick that sailed high right before Guerra’s goal. However, in a chaotic 70th-minute scramble right in front of the LAFC 2 net, Alaribe’s bicycle kick missed the ball entirely and instead got all of Christian Díaz’s head. It wasn’t malicious, but it had to be a yellow card, and while the concussion sub effectively gave the visitors bonus swaps in the long run, it came at the cost of not having either of their starting center backs available for the final stretch.

That made things all the easier for ALTA, who’d played a significantly more animated and effective game since returning from halftime, but LA goalie Cabral Carter had risen just as eagerly to this challenge, looking unbeatable in open play. It would take some combination of smart play and dumb luck to get past him, and in the 80th minute, that exact mix arrived. In a post-free kick storm of chaos, Emmanuel Alaribe found his redemption, taking a bounce from Osvaldo Lay and tapping it in for the equalizer. With neither side satisfied, they both kept throwing haymakers in an attempt to end this in regulation, but no one found their mark — and as is seemingly tradition in this tournament, the last match of the day went to extra time.

Surprisingly little action ensued in the first bonus half. The biggest highlight was when ALTA substitute Joaquin Acuña attempted a diving header and wound up headbutting the post instead. Fortunately, he was unhurt, and his team remained the less battered of the two, but despite possessing the ball for 68% of that 15-minute stretch, the hosts did little with it.

After a bizarre miscommunication at the start of extra time’s second half effectively let LAFC 2 steal the kickoff, the final 15 proved a more dramatic affair, with the two sides each taking swings at glory. In a microcosm of the earlier regulation, los Halconcitos’ strong start faded into more and more ALTA momentum, but as penalties loomed, the hosts appeared to take a massive blow. In the 119th minute, ALTA manager Brian Kleiban said something to a referee that was apparently so offensive it merited a red card, a decision the home crowd loudly disapproved of.

However, this would prove to mean little. As the final seconds ticked down, ALTA had another corner on their hands. Though Carter made the initial save, Jimmie Villalobos grabbed the rebound, and with a left-footed blast at point-blank range, the ALTA substitute completed the comeback for his side, then took a second yellow for taking off his shirt and had to leave with his manager. Being short handed wasn’t a problem, though, as AV thwarted LA’s last gasps to take the victory.

With this win, AV ALTA are now 2-0-0 all-time in the Open Cup. They continue to sit in the strange position of being undefeated in the tournament where they debuted, but winless everywhere else. With USL-1 matches against Westchester SC and Chattanooga Red Wolves on the horizon, ALTA will hope to shake that status before the Third Round, which is set for April 15 and 16.

2025 US Open Cup Round 2: Burrito Boys of El Farolito stun Monterey Bay with chaotic game-winner

April 2, 2025 by Tom Arnison

A sparse but loyal crowd welcomed Monterey Bay FC (USL League One) and visitors El Farolito (NPSL) for the opening night of the Second Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. El Farolito entered the round as the sole-remaining club representing the National Premier Soccer League, as the other six were all eliminated in Round 1 by professional opposition.

They would keep their latest Cinderella run alive with a 2-1 win over Monterey Bay. The game was decided in dramatic fashion with an chaotic 84th minute goal by Edgard Kreye. With the win, the 1993 US Open Cup champions claimed their fourth upset of a pro team in the last two years.

“I am very proud of the team’s character throughout the game,” said El Farolito head coach Santiago Lopez. “We knew we were up against one of the best USL teams in the country but they showed no fear.”

The “Burrito Boys” entered the round having bested MLS NEXT Pro side Real Monachs 3-1 after extra time in Round 1 on the road.

Monterey Bay FC entered the night on a 4-game win streak, including their 4-0 opening round victory over International San Francisco (SFSFL).

El Farolito, unlike many amateur sides, has a much older group of players, with an average squad age of 28.5, The pros in the 18 for MBFC averaged just 25.5 years of age.

MBFC would start the match generally on the front foot, with El Farolito attempting long clearances and fast break attempts from early on in the contest.

In the 8th minute, El Farolito keeper Johan Lizarralde would attempt to spring his side on the attack with a quick punt that he harshly sliced into his team’s bench. This brought a round of ovation and several laughs from his teammates on the bench who were about to put on their raincoats just a few minutes later.

Lizarralde would make another mistake in the 18th minute when attempting to send the ball upfield from within his own 6 as pressure mounted on. The ball would travel just 30 yards and land at the feet of MDFC’s Xavi Gnaulati who dribbled forward and delivered a through ball into fellow midfielder Mobi Fehr who had his attempted cross snuffed out.

The next near miss would go through Gnaulati as well, who would pop the ball over El Farolito captain Johnatan Mosquera and deliver a volley from 8 yards into the glove of Lizarralde. The ball would trickle it’s way towards the goal line before being hacked away by Andres Zuluaga, only to be volleyed at goal again from the top of the 18, with a deflection up and off the crossbar, and down safely into the keeper’s hands.

Looking the more composed of the two sides through the first quarter of match, MBFC would win a penalty kick in the 27th minute of the match after a headed corner hit Dembor Benson’s arm on a bang-bang play at the near post.

Xavi Gnaulati would convert the kick for his third goal of the tournament, moving him temporarily into a tie at the top of the goalscoring list for the competition.

This is when the momemntum would change, however.

El Farolito started to command possession, and would dictate several attacks before the break, missing chances in the 35th minute but winning corner kicks.

Play would slow going into the break as Mosquera would have to exit the match in the 39th minute with an injury, being replaced by Omar Quiroga.

Rain would let up in the second half, but the field would remain slick, and El Farolito would show the few hundred in attendance that they knew how to manage a game going forward.

In the 54th minute, Johnatan Perez would deliver a cross into Benson who would show his special athleticisim with a leaping headed effort that would force a equally spectacular save MBFC’s GK Samuel Gomez.

In the 57th minute, Gabriel Arias would deliver a free kick deep to the back right post that would find Zuluaga ready to hack the ball again, this time into his team’s scoring goal.

With the game now level, El Farolito would not let their foot off the gas and nearly scored again two minutes later with Benson sliding into a Perez cross that would hit the wrong side of the post.

Winger Herlbert Soto would be the next to connect with with Benson in the 83rd minute, chipping a ball from the endline to the back right post. Benson would fail to convert with his head, forcing a brilliant reaction save from Gomez who would deflect the ball up and off the underside of crossbar. Perez woulld then deliver a left footed shot on the rebound, deflected back by a diving header from MBFC’s Joel Garcia Jr. The ball would then find Edgard Kreye twice: first, blasting the ball into the chest of another MBFC defender on the line, and then sliding the ball calmly past the two almost-hero defenders now in splits on the turf.

The match would end 2-1 giving the Burrito Boys another win over a professional opponent, and yet another upset on the road. MBFC head coach Jordan Stewart immediately went to shake hands with the El Farolito staff and players, and El Farolito players ended the night either dancing on the field, lying in star-pose, crying tears of joy, or carrying babies.