US Open Cup

For the second year in a row and just the fourth time in the Modern Era (1995-present), the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup will be full of Major League Soccer teams.

The 2026 US Open Cup champion will be guaranteed to be a team from MLS after the three remaining lower division teams all went on the road and crashed out in the Round of 16. One Knoxville SC fell to the Columbus Crew 4-1 followed by Louisville City taking the Houston Dynamo to extra time before falling 2-1. The round concluded on Wednesday night with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks taking the Colorado Rapids to penalty kicks, but the MLS original prevailed.

The silver lining was that despite their extra time loss, Louisville City won the 2026 US Open Cup Division 2 prize money. Lou City and the Colorado Springs Switchbacks both advanced to the Round of 16, but with three regulation wins, the men in purple won the tiebreaker over the Switchbacks’ two wins as City is now $50,000 richer.

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The Rapids are one of the teams returning to the Quarterfinals for the first time in a long time. Colorado reaches the final eight teams for the first time since 2007. The Columbus Crew are back in the quarters for the first time since 2010.

Then you have teams who will try to accomplish something they’ve never done before: St. Louis CITY SC and New York City FC will both try to win a Quarterfinal game for the first time in their respective club’s history.

Half of the remaining eight teams have never won the US Open Cup before (Colorado Rapids, New York City FC, San Jose Earthquakes, St. Louis CITY SC), while the other four have won just five Open Cup titles between them. The Houston Dynamo are the only club left that has won the tournament multiple times.

The draw for the remainder of the 2026 US Open Cup will take place on Thursday.

Below you will find a brief recap of all eight of the Round of 16 games with links to a full game recap (with video highlights).

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Charlotte FC (MLS) 
0:2
Atlanta United FC (MLS)
Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, NC

By Jake Sillick

The Five Stripes advanced to the Quarterfinals with a 2-0 victory over Charlotte FC. Both sides saw rotated lineups and while it was an even match statistically, Atlanta was more clinical on their chances. In the 22nd minute, Luke Brennan would have a nice combo play with captain Aleskey Miranchuk, who at the top of the box put a beautiful looping shot into the top corner beating the keeper.

In the 71st minute,the teenager Cooper Sanchez played on a great long ball, and he used his speed to get around the keeper and a defender to find a wide open goal for the final goal of the night.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) 
4:2
Minnesota United FC (MLS) 
PayPal Park; San Jose, CA

By Jake Sillick

It was a romp tonight for the Earthquakes with a flurry of goals in the second half. Minnesota did posses in stretches of this game, but San Jose’s quality was too much in the second half.

The Earthquakes would get this one going in the 15th minute when a poor clearance by Minnesota United would find Beau Leroux and he would blast this one home to give the hosts the lead going into the break.

Minnesota did look like the better team for this stretch though and would be rewarded finally in the 59th minute when a cross to the back post intended for Anthony Markanich would be put in by Ronaldo Viera for a San Jose own goal. Just a few minutes later in the 64th minute though, Tomas Chancalay made a great run down the side and an even better finish to put Minnesota ahead.

From there though, the Quakes would find a flurry of goals to put this one to bed. First in the 68th minute by Jack Skahan, then Beau Leroux with a great shot in the 73rd. Finally, a clearance by San Jose found Ousseni Bouda and Niko Tsakiris all alone 2v1 on the keeper and Tsakiris would finish this one off.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

New York City FC (MLS) 
3:1
Red Bull New York (MLS)
Sports Illustrated Stadium; Harrison, NJ

by Connor Bunnell

Wednesday night’s Hudson River Derby went against its traditional Open Cup grain, as New York City FC rolled into New Jersey and bested Red Bull New York 3-1.

Red Bulls fans entered the night with comforting history on their side, as they’d never allowed City to score on them in any of their previous Open Cup clashes. However, the Pigeons trashed that trivia just nine minutes in, as club legend Maxi Moralez served up a corner for Kai Trewin, who headed it precisely to open the scoring. Five minutes later, RBNY’s Julian Hall made things level again, taking the torch from Cade Cowell and launching an impressive chip over City keeper Matt Freese.

However, by that point, NYC had already found Metro’s Achilles heel, and they worked ruthlessly to exploit it. In the 39th minute, Moralez again found his man on a corner, serving it up so Raul Gustavo could head it home and secure the lead for the Sky Blues going into halftime. Then, in the 57th, Moralez did it a third time, with Thiago Martins doing the honors. Add in RBNY shutting down and shooting just once in the whole second half, and you have the recipe for City sealing the deal and painting the town blue.

With this win, New York City are back in the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2022.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

New England Revolution (MLS) 
3:4 
Orlando City SC (MLS)
Centreville Bank Stadium; Pawtucket, RI

In a neutral’s dream match, Orlando City SC pulled out a whiplash 4-3 victory at the New England Revolution on Wednesday evening. The two sides approached the match very differently – Orlando with a senior-heavy lineup; New England opting to rest many starters including Carles Gil and Luca Langoni.

The match began slow and methodical, with New England taking a slight edge in match control. In the 21st minute, New England took the lead through a goal from Malcom Fry. Once the first went in, the floodgates well and truly opened: Orlando and New England traded goals back and forth, end-to-end gameplay well represented by the scoreline – finishing 2-2 in the second half.

After Marcos Zambrano took back the lead for the Revolution 13 minutes into the second half, Orlando City’s superiorly experienced bench showed its teeth. Orlando got the best of the remaining chances in the game. Justin Ellis would take advantage of a goalkeeper error to level and nearly restored the lead after an extremely tight offside call. Zakaria Taifa had the last word, though, putting away an excellent low cross from Tyrese Spicer a quarter of the way through eight minutes of stoppage time to send his team into the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

Columbus Crew (MLS) 
4:1
One Knoxville SC (USLL1)
ScottsMiracle-Gro Field; Columbus, OH

By Brandon Gee

After knocking off DC United, One Knoxville SC’s underdog run came to an end at Columbus’ Scotts Miracle Grow field with the Crew putting up a decisive four goals in their Round of 16 match. 

Columbus’ Hugo Picard continued his USOC scoring streak with the Crew’s first two goals. In the 10th minute, Picard opened scoring as he walked up the left side of the box before cutting to the middle and sending the shot past the keeper before the Knoxville defense could reach him. One Knoxville would answer their MLS opponents right back after Braudilio Rodrigues evened the game one minute later with a header off a rebound from the Crew keeper. But from there, the young Crew roster would take over. Amar Sejdic’s arcing shot wound up crossing over the traffic in front of the Knoxville net and ended up at the feet of Picard. Undefended, the midfielder put the home side ahead for good in the 22nd minute. Picard’s 4 goals have him tied for the tournament’s scoring lead with Louisville’s Tola Showunmi

In the second half, Knoxville came out ready for another equalizer but they couldn’t mount much pressure in the Columbus end. As the half wore on, Columbus gained control and Daniel Gazdag would give the Crew some insurance in the 72nd minute. Receiving a short pass at the bottom-left corner of the box, Gazdag chipped in goal number three. Shortly thereafter, 18 year old homegrown signing Chase Owens notched the fourth for Columbus. It was also Owens’ first goal as a member of the Crew’s first team.

The Crew now await tomorrow’s draw to see who they’ll play in the quarterfinal round. This will be the Crew’s eighth appearance in the USOC quarterfinal round but is their first in 16 seasons (where they would end up runner’s up in the 2010 tournament).

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

Chicago Fire FC (MLS) 
1:2
St. Louis CITY SC (MLS)
SeatGeek Stadium; Bridgeview, Ill.

By Tim Abbott

The cities of St. Louis and Chicago have been playing each other since the 1920 Quarterfinals when St. Louis’ Ben Miller FC defeated Olympia FC of Chicago 2-1 on their way to winning the first Open Cup championship for St. Louis. More recently the MLS clubs representing the cities have met just once in the Open Cup. Fire are in the Cup for a 26th time, with four championships in that time. CITY are only in their third season as an expansion franchise and have yet to make it past the fifth round. Fire are unbeaten in their last five whereas the visitors are propping up the West with a single, solitary win to their name. 

When the Chicago Fire franchise was launched in 1998, they were an instant success, especially in the US Open Cup. The Fire are perhaps the most successful MLS club in the Open Cup with four championship wins in six Final appearances, 13 Semifinal appearances (most all-time in US Open Cup history), and 16 Quarterfinal appearances (2nd most all-time in US Open Cup history). No team in the Modern Era has more wins (48) and advances (52) than the Fire. 

The match-up might be a classic, the game was not. A goal-less first half was punctuated by the woodwork of Roman Burki’s goal being rung on more than one occasion. 

A Scandinavian combination just past the hour mark, set up the go ahead goal but Eduard Lowen helped set-up the equalizer and then smashed home St Louis’s first lead of the game in the 75th minute. Lowen has only recently returned from compassionate leave, having lost his wife to brain cancer. 

In what was a defensive masterclass at the end, St Louis pinned their opponents in the far corner for nearly two minutes and it was the underpowered team from Missouri who took the win. 

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)
2:1
Louisville City FC (USLC)
After Extra Time
Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, TX

By Zach Allen-Kelly

A pair of late goals in regulation and extra time see the Houston Dynamo through to the final 8 after being just minutes away from a cupset to visiting USL side Louisville City.

Houston started the game strong with a relentless attack in the opening half hour of the game, but was unable to find the back of the net.  The Dynamo’s best chance to take the early lead came in the 9th minute after earning a penalty kick off an ill timed tackle from City defender Amadou Dia.  Keeper Danny Faundez was able to parry Midfielder Jack McGlynn’s penalty into the crossbar to keep the game even at 0-0.  City was able to settle into the game late in the first half and we went to halftime where we started at 0-0.

Louisville was able to find the attack that was missing for most of the first half early in the second, and a pair of second half substitutions made an immediate impact when forward Chris Donovan found Ray Serrano alone at the back post to give the USL side the first lead of the half.

It looked like City was going to see the lead through to the next round as Houston struggled to find their way forward for much of the second half, but in the 89th minute midfielder Héctor Herrera was able to find the head of defender Erik Sviatchenko to send the game to extra time, where a goal from Ezequiel Ponce was enough to punch Houston’s ticket to the Quarterfinals.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USL-C) 
1:1
Colorado Rapids (MLS)
Colorado Rapids advance 5-4 on penalty kicks
DICK’S Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Col

By Ashle Lynn Paige

For the first time in 10 years Colorado Rapids and Colorado Springs Switchbacks met in the I-25 derby. It took penalties to get a winner after both sides scored once in the first half and once in the second half of extra time. Seven rounds of penalties later it was the hosts in Colorado Rapids advancing to the Quarterfinals for the first time in two decades.

Early on in the match the Switchbacks looked like the better side, dominating the Rapids at points in the first half. Twenty-five minutes into the match the Rapids got their break when Rafael Navarro scored from inside the box following a pass from Alexis Manyoma. Eight minutes later the Switchbacks struck back with Brennan Creek scoring the visitors first of the night following a corner.

The remainder of the first half and entirety of the second half was chippy and brutal with the referee handing out nine yellow cards and a red card by the final whistle. Neither of the two sides were able to score in the second half or the first half of extra time, sending the match to the final fifteen minutes of extra time at 1-1. As the second half of extra time wound down, Georgi Minoungou broke out on his own and popped an easy shot in goal to make it 2–1, seemingly handing the Rapids a win. But just before the final whistle a handball was called in the box giving Colorado Springs a penalty. Khori Bennett buried the shot sending the match to penalties. Seven rounds and multiple clanks off the post later Colorado Rapids sealed the win with a goal after four consecutive shots not going in.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)