CHICAGO (Dec. 9, 2024) – The Fourth and Final Matchday of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds concluded with a flurry of goals (22 in Sunday’s four games) as a final batch of seven teams booked their places in next year’s Tournament Proper. They’ll line up among a field of 32 amateur underdogs chasing The Dream of Open Cup Glory in our historic competition’s 110th edition.
The last weekend of the 2025 Qualifying Rounds (December 7-8) began with a walkover. Washington Athletic Club of Seattle booked a place in their first Tournament Proper via a Las Vegas Legends forfeit.
Harbour City FC also reached a first-ever Tournament Proper with a slim victory over FC America CFL Spurs. The Melbourne, Florida-based UPSL side won out via a 5-4 penalty shootout after a goalless draw through regular and extra-time – Harbor City’s third win of these Qualifying Rounds
The first day (Saturday) of the Final Matchday finished with FORO SC, the ambitious UPSL club out of Dallas, beating fellow Texans Houston Regals SCA 4-2 to book a place in the Tournament Proper for a second-straight year.The Chicago side were hunting a place in a third-straight Tournament Proper, but it was the visitors from Oklahoma who claimed a fourth consecutive berth - via a tight 5-4 penalty shootout win that followed a 0-0 draw through regulation and extra-time.
Sunday’s quartet of games kicked off with a marquee affair of the U.S. amateur scene – with Tulsa Athletic, darlings of the 2023 Open Cup, up against a Chicago House AC side that also set that 2023 tournament alight with a run to the Third Round. The Chicago side were hunting a place in a third-straight Tournament Proper, but it was the visitors from Oklahoma who claimed a fourth consecutive berth.
Two of the four winners on Sunday will return for a second-consecutive Tournament Proper. Tulsa Athletic will hope to match the run from 2023 that saw them beat crosstown USL Championship pros FC Tulsa before eventually losing out to MLS’ four-time Open Cup Champions Sporting Kansas City.
Miami United FC beat fellow South Floridians Red Force FC 3-2 in extra-time to return to the Tournament Proper for a seventh time since 2015. They’ll have a chance to match the 2024 run that saw them reach the Third Round after wins over pros Chattanooga FC and Club de Lyon.
International San Francisco – ever the goal-hungry swashbucklers – came out on the right side of a 5-4 OT thriller against Valley 559 FC to return to the Tournament Proper for the first time since 2023, when they lost 3-0 to local amateur legends El Farolito 3-0 in the First Round.
Another winner from Sunday’s four contests who didn’t reach last year’s Tournament Proper is Laguna United FC – who’ll make their triumphant debut in March with confidence high after a 6-2 hammering of San Diego Internacional.
The above seven teams now join the seven winners from last month’s Qualifying Matchday Three in next year’s Tournament Proper. They’ll comprise a block of a 32-team amateur field that also includes USASA National Amateur Cup winner NY Pancyprian Freedoms, UPSL Spring Champion Soda City FC and 16 teams from the National League Qualifying Track, split between the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two.
The Tournament Proper will begin with the First Round in March of 2025. Details on schedule and full field to follow.
2025 Fourth Qualifying Matchday RESULTS
Saturday December 7:
Washington Athletic Club 1 vs. 0 Las Vegas Legends (Forfeit)
FORO SC 4 vs. 2 Houston Regals SCA
Harbor City FC 0 ( 5 ) vs. 0 ( 4 ) FC America CFL Spurs (PKs)
Sunday December 8:
Chicago House AC (4) 0 vs. 0 (5) Tulsa Athletic (PKs)
San Diego Internacional 2 vs. 6 Laguna United FC
Miami United FC 3 vs. 2 Red Force FC (AET)
International San Francisco 5 vs. 4 Valley 559 FC (AET)
The 2025 Qualifying Round Winners
CD Faialense | Cambridge, Massachusetts (Bay State Soccer League)
FORO SC | Dallas, Texas (UPSL)
Harbor City FC | Melbourne, Florida (UPSL)
Harpos FC | Boulder, Colorado (Colorado Premier League)
International San Francisco | San Francisco, California (SFSFL)
Laguna United FC | Laguna Niguel, California (UPSL)
Miami United FC | Miami, Florida (UPSL)
Tulsa Athletic | Tulsa, Oklahoma (UPSL)
West Chester United SC | West Chester, Pennsylvania (USL of Penn.)
Virginia Dream | Falls Church, Virginia (Virginia Super Soccer League)
Southern Indiana FC | Jeffersonville, Indiana (UPSL)
NY Renegades | Hicksville, New York (UPSL)
New Jersey Alliance | Clifton, New Jersey (UPSL)
Washington Athletic Club | Seattle, Washington (SRATS)
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – U.S. Soccer's Club Championship – has crowned a champion since 1914 in every year except 2020 and 2021. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024 with LAFC beating four-time Champions and fellow MLS side Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.
Our historic tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The U.S. Open Cup winner earns $300,000 in prize money, a berth in the Concacaf Champions Cup and has its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally-contested trophies in American team sports now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The Runner-up takes home $100,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division earns a $25,000 cash prize.
usopencup.com is the official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
