On the Pitch
Open Cup
On the Pitch
U.S. Open Cup Moment (2025 Quarterfinals): Austin FC’s Superman Felled
All manner of magic – the bright kind and the dark – breathes life into our historic and venerable U.S. Open Cup. Read about how cruel injury struck Austin FC’s soaring superhero.
When USMNT ace Vazquez went down, he was top-scorer in the 2005 Open Cup and an MLS All-Star
The 26-year-old Vazquez – once an Open Cup Champ with Atlanta United – carried off the field in San Jose
Scant seconds had passed from his goal to his fall. His Cup and his MLS season, sadly, are over. ACL rupture. Surgery. Best wishes. But his Austin FC team – guided largely by his incredible performances – survives in the 2025 Open Cup thanks to a slim win in a penalty shootout. So, it's onto a first-ever Semifinal for this young Texas club.
A win over Minnesota United FC on the road in St. Paul on September 17th would bring the U.S. Open Cup Final to Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium. Will Vazquez be there, a bespectacled Clark Kent in street clothes? We’ll have to wait and see how all the moments build toward that grand finale on October 1st.
The spark of a moment is ever alive in our Open Cup. High-highs turn to low-lows and vice versa – in an instant – making both promises and threats.
