110th Edition of the US Open Cup Kicks Off
Image courtesy of US Soccer
By Griffin Cappiello
What do retired soccer players, Mexican restaurant chain owners, and Luigi Mangione’s cousin all have in common? They all played in the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup!
Last week, the longest continuously run soccer competition in the United States kicked off for its 110th iteration. Since 1914, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup (USOC) has provided an avenue for soccer clubs throughout the country to compete for the US Soccer crown.
From March until April, 96 professional and amateur teams will compete in this single-elimination tournament – the only team-based competition in the US that gives the opportunity for amateurs to compete directly against professionals.
The USOC’s First Round ran from March 18 to March 21 and consisted solely of amateur vs. professional matchups.
Over the past several months, teams from various amateur leagues across the country participated in qualifying rounds. The 32 qualifying teams advanced to face 32 professional teams from the second and third division of American soccer: 14 teams from DIII USL League One, 10 from DIII MLS NEXT Pro, and the 8 lowest-ranked teams from DII USL Championship.
The 32 winners of each match in the First Round advance to the Second Round, with each matchup being determined based on the geographical proximity of the teams. In the Third Round, Second Round winners each face off against the 16 highest-ranked teams from the DII USL Championship.
The winners of the Third Round are matched up against the 16 teams from DI MLS that were previously selected to participate in the tournament. After this round, the tournament proceeds as any other single-elimination competition would, with no new teams entering the competition.
Prior to 2023, all MLS teams participated in the Open Cup. However, in December of that year, MLS attempted to pull all of its teams from the tournament, replacing them with the MLS NEXT Pro affiliates of each club taking their place.
US Soccer blocked this move as the Federation’s Professional League Guidelines state that “US-based teams must participate in all representative US Soccer and CONCACAF competitions for which they are eligible.”
Currently, it seems that some sort of agreement has been reached between US Soccer and MLS, as 16 MLS teams participate in the USOC, with most of the absent teams being represented by their MLS NEXT Pro affiliated teams. Unfortunately for CUA students hoping to catch a local game, DC United is the only MLS team not appearing in the tournament that does not have an MLS NEXT Pro affiliate to represent the club. Luckily, all matches in the First and Second Rounds are streamed live on US Soccer’s YouTube channel.
Thus far in the tournament, there have already been five “cupsets,” in which an amateur team defeated a professional club.
On Matchday 1, FORO SC of the semi-professional United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) defeated Texoma FC of USL League One 2-1 to complete their second consecutive cupset victory in the USOC First Round.
Matchday 2 saw four more cupsets. Semi-pro USL League Two’s Des Moines Menace recruited several recently-retired MLS and USMNT legends to play for their side throughout the tournament as their team is typically made up of out-of-season college soccer players. Despite cold weather and old age, the Menace managed to hold off Sporting Kansas City II of MLS NEXT Pro for a 2-1 win.
San Francisco-based El Farolito, a team run by the same family that owns a chain of Mexican restaurants, held off Real Monarchs of MLS NEXT Pro 1-1 in regulation time, before coming victorious 3-1 after extra time.
Virginia Dream FC of the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) managed a 3-1 win over the historic Richmond Kickers, while USL League Two’s Little Rock Rangers defeated their interstate opponents, the USL Championship’s Birmingham Legion, by a score of 1-0.
Finally, on Matchday 3, three-time champions, the New York Prancyprian Freedoms returned to the USOC for the first time since 2016. They faced FC Cincinnati II, a team that many suspect features the cousin of Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of the United Healthcare CEO. After finishing the match with a score of 0-0, the amateurs were victorious, winning the penalty shootout 5-4.
The Second Round of the tournament is set to take place on April 1-2. Even if you aren’t typically a soccer fan, I highly recommend watching a game or two – the USOC is truly a one-of-a-kind tournament. The entertainment value of the matches is unrivaled, and the competition itself is essential to the stability and growth of soccer in the United States. Check out the Open Cup, and you certainly won’t be disappointed.
