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U.S. Open Cup Preview: 2026 First Round Defined by High-Stakes, Regional Rivalries
Vermont Green FC, Indy Eleven, FC Motown, BOHFS St. Louis to be showcased on Paramount+, CBS Sports platforms
The 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup—U.S. Soccer’s annual club championship—is finally here, kicking off with a 31-game, three-day First Round between March 17 and 19 made up exclusively of professional vs. amateur contests.
TUESDAY, MARCH 17
6:30 p.m. ET; City Stadium; Richmond, Va.; YouTube
One of 12 former U.S. Open Cup champions competing in the 2026 edition of the tournament, the 1995 champion Richmond Kickers will aim to advance beyond the First Round for the fourth time in five years as they face Northern Virginia FC for the second time in club history. The pair last faced off in Leesburg, Va. in the Second Round of the 2022 Open Cup, with that contest going the way of the visiting Kickers via David Olsen’s first-half winner. For NoVa FC, the USL League Two side is looking to advance to the Second Round for the third time (2000, 2022) in what is its fifth appearance in the Open Cup.
7 p.m. ET; Centreville Bank Stadium; Pawtucket, R.I.; YouTube
The U.S. Open Cup is back at Centreville Bank Stadium for just the second time—the first since Rhode Island FC fell to MLS’ New England Revolution on a last-minute goal in last year’s Round of 32. Now, another team from Massachusetts, historic amateurs CD Faialense, will make the trek to Pawtucket in hopes of knocking off the 2024 USL Championship Eastern Conference champions.
The marquee matchup of the First Round has to be defending USL League Two champions Vermont Green FC hosting second-year USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine. Despite both clubs being in their infancy, the pair of New England-based sides have enjoyed fervent fan support and community buy-in. The results on the pitch haven’t been half bad either; Vermont won the 2025 USL League Two Final last year, and Portland advanced to the Semifinals of the 2025 USL League One Playoffs. Both Vermont and Portland are set for their second participation in the U.S. Open Cup and each has a unique connection to the historic tournament: Vermont’s first win against a professional opponent came against then-USL League One side Lexington SC in 2024, while Portland’s first competitive victory in club history came in the 2025 edition of the tournament against CD Faialense last March.
Fabled giant-killers Detroit City FC will look to build off a strong 3-0 showing against Brooklyn FC in its USL Championship season opener over the weekend as the club transitions to Open Cup play to host the NPSL’s Michigan Rangers. The 3-year-old Rangers are set for their first voyage in the tournament proper, while Le Rouge of Detroit City will be eager to advance beyond the First Round for the fifth consecutive year.
2025 USASA National Amateur Cup champion West Chester United SC are back in the Open Cup for the second successive season, playing host to USL Championship side Loudoun United FC in the latter’s fourth participation in the tournament. The contest is a rematch of last year’s First Round clash in Wayne, Pa. which saw the professionals escape YSC Sports with a narrow 3-2 victory against the Predators.
8 p.m. ET; Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo.; YouTube
USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC and Denver-based Colorado Premier League club Azteca FC are set to face off for the first time on Tuesday in a First Round tilt at Weidner Field. Azteca FC is seeking its first Open Cup win in its fifth participation in the tournament, while the 2024 USL Championship title-winning Switchbacks are chasing a 10th consecutive trip to at least the Second Round of the tournament.
8 p.m. ET; Grand Park Events Center; Westfield, Ind.; Paramount+/CBS Sports Golazo Network
Second-division USL Championship side Indy Eleven has enjoyed several great cup runs in recent years, finishing as the farthest advancing lower-division club as a quarterfinalist in 2024 before advancing to the Round of 32 in 2025. This year, the Boys in Blue will take on the ever-dangerous Des Moines Menace of USL League Two. Though this contest marks the first matchup between the pair, both sides boast rich histories in the Open Cup with over 10 appearances apiece; Indy enjoyed that club-best run to the Round of 32 last year and Des Moines has progressed to the Third Round or beyond on five occasions.
Open Cup debutants San Ramon FC will have their hands full in their first matchup against professional opposition, as 2023 USL Championship title-winners Phoenix Rising FC will look to advance beyond First Round for the 11th time in as many tries. Phoenix have excelled in Open Cup play of late, advancing to the Round of 32 twice (2022, 2025) and Round of 16 once (2024).
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
One of two MLS NEXT Pro teams represented in the 111th edition of the Open Cup, Chattanooga FC will hope to advance to the Second Round for the fourth time in last five years. On the other hand, UPSL side Kalonji Pro-Profile is set for its first Open Cup match in club history.
6:30 p.m. ET; Greenwood Field (UNC Asheville); Ashville, N.C.; YouTube
USL League One heavyweights Greenville Triumph SC will match up against USL League Two power Asheville City SC for the second time in as many seasons. The pair of Carolina clubs last faced off in the First Round of the Open Cup a season ago, where Triumph SC narrowly escaped a raucous Greenwood Field with a 4-3 victory on penalty kicks following a scoreless 120 minutes of action. Hosting once again, Asheville City is looking to secure its first-ever Open Cup victory and first victory against professional opposition, while Greenville are eager to remain perfect against amateur opposition.
6:30 p.m. ET; Patriots Point; Mount Pleasant, S.C.; YouTube
Ben Pirmann’s Battery are set for another cup run, building on the success of a strong regular season and postseason in the USL Championship, as well as deep runs in the Open Cup in recent years. The historic club has progressed to at least to the Round of 32 in each of the last three editions of the Open Cup. For the Badgers from Florida, the upstart UPSL team is set for its first Open Cup participation.
7 p.m. ET; Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky.; YouTube
Perennial USL Championship power Louisville City FC will be tasked with remaining perfect against amateur opposition as the back-to-back Players’ Shield winners welcome the visiting Southern Indiana FC from just across the Ohio River. Separated by less than 10 miles, the matchup marks the closest opponent LouCity has ever faced, though they’ll be confident in their ability to move to 5-0-0 all-time against amateur opponents.
Following a strong debut season in USL League One which ended with a one-goal loss to eventual league champions One Knoxville SC in the Semifinals of the USL League One Playoffs, FC Naples will look to build on a promising performance in the Open Cup a season ago in which the newcomers advanced to the Third Round, falling in a thrilling penalty kick shootout, 9-8, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. For the Miami-based Red Force FC, the Premier Futbol League side is back in the tournament proper for the fifth time and first since 2018.
The Morristown, N.J.-based FC Motown is back in the Open Cup for the fifth consecutive season, this time qualifying via USL League Two rather than the NPSL. The Celtics have a big task ahead of them on a big stage, as Motown will welcome USL Championship side and defending USL Cup winners Hartford Athletic to Lubetkin Field with the match broadcast nationally on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network. Motown will look to replicate the success of its 2022 Open Cup run in which the Celtics advanced to the Third Round and became the farthest advancing Open Division side, but Hartford will be hungry to advance beyond the First Round for the sixth time in as many tries.
Following a trio of one-goal victories in the Qualifying Rounds, the 74-year-old SC Vistula Garfield has punched its ticket to the tournament proper for the first time in the modern era after enjoying success in the tournament in the 1970s. The APSL side will welcome the defending USL League One champions and Players’ Shield winners to Garfield, with the visitors aiming to advance to the Second Round for the fourth consecutive campaign.
BOHFS St. Louis are gearing up for a massive first Open Cup tilt, as the recently founded Midwest Premier League side will welcome USL League One juggernauts Union Omaha to Lindenwood University in front of a national television audience on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The Owls have been one of the more dominant lower-division professional sides in recent years, advancing to the Quarterfinals and downing a pair of MLS opponents in 2022 before advancing to the Round of 32 in each of the last seasons. Notably, the Owls have never lost to an amateur opponent in five previous matchups.
8 p.m. ET; Episcopal Collegiate School; Little Rock, Ark.; YouTube
The Rangers will venture beyond the friendly confines of the cavernous War Memorial Stadium, welcoming Division II professionals FC Tulsa to Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock. Tulsa have enjoyed a resurgence of late, topping the USL Championship’s Western Conference a season ago and finishing just short as postseason runners-up. The Rangers are no stranger to playing the underdog, though, as just a season ago the perennial League Two contenders toppled USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC in the First Round of the Open Cup. Luke Spencer’s Scissortails will be eager to pick up their first win and score their first goal of the season after posting a loss and a draw to start the new league campaign.
8:30 p.m. ET; Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas; YouTube
2022 USL Championship title-winners San Antonio FC will look to make it five consecutive Open Cups with a trip to at least the Second Round, as the second-division professionals host Houston Football Association amateurs ASC New Stars. The New Stars are back in the Open Cup for the fourth time—their first since 2012. For Sam Antonio, Carlos Llamosa’s side will look to make it three consecutive matches unbeaten across all competitions to start its 11th season.
2019 and 2024 Open Cup Quarterfinalists New Mexico United will play host to NPSL side Cruizers FC in a First Round clash set to be played at UNM Soccer Stadium. The Black and Yellow have had no problem dealing with amateur sides in the past; the USL Championship side has amassed an unblemished 3-0-0 record against amateur opposition in official competitions, notably constructing a +13 goal differential across those three matchups. The 2026 edition of the tournament marks Cruizers’ first participation in the Open Cup, enjoying a productive first NPSL season a year ago.
10 p.m. ET; Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif.; YouTube
1993 U.S. Open Cup champions and NPSL darlings El Farolito are seeking a fourth consecutive First Round victory, though will be tasked with taking down USL Championship heavyweight and 2022 Open Cup finalist Sacramento Republic FC at the cavernous Heart Health Park. While El Farolito have kicked off the last two tournaments with victories over third-division professional outfits from MLS NEXT Pro, the San Francisco-based amateurs have never had to face a second-division professional club in the First Round. On the opposite end, the Quails of Sacramento Republic will look to advance beyond the First Round for the 10th consecutive time and hope to rekindle the success they found a season ago when they topped El Farolito in the Third Round of the tournament.
10:30 p.m. ET; Lancaster Municipal Stadium; Lancaster, Calif.; YouTube
AV ALTA FC will hope to conjure up some of the cup magic from a season ago in which the USL League One expansion side advanced all the way to the Round of 32, coming up just short against MLS side FC Dallas. The second-year club from Lancaster, Calif. Will host Fresno-based Valley 559 FC in what will be the USPL side’s first Open Cup journey.
10:30 p.m. ET; Ventura College Stadium; Ventura, Calif.; YouTube
Spokane Velocity FC returns to the Open Cup for the third time as the young club kicks off its third season in USL League One. Velocity FC has enjoyed some absolutely thrilling Open Cup victories, notably picking up multiple victories with dramatic goals deep in stoppage or extra time in both 2024 and 2025. Alternatively, Ventura County Fusion returns to the Open Cup for just the third time since 2017; the 2022 USL League Two champions are looking to pick up their first Open Cup victory since progressing to the Third Round in 2015.
Laguna United will take the 15-mile drive up I-5 to Championship Soccer Stadium where the UPSL side will take on USL Championship professionals Orange County SC. The contest marks the second Open Cup participation for Laguna United after first qualifying for the tournament proper a season ago. For Orange County SC, the 2021 USL Championship title-winner will push to advance to at least the Second Round of the Open Cup for 14th consecutive tournament.
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
6 p.m. ET; Truist Point; High Point, N.C.; YouTube
Independent MLS NEXT Pro side Carolina Core FC returns to the tournament proper for the third consecutive year, hoping to remain unblemished against amateur opposition in official competition. For Virginia Dream FC, the chic UPSL outfit will aim to down another professional opponent, like the club did a year ago in a 3-1 First Round upset against USL League One’s Richmond Kickers.
6:30 p.m. ET; Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, N.C.; YouTube
The Independence return to Matthews, N.C. to host Baltimore-based UPSL side Ristozi FC in the latter’s first venture into the tournament proper. Although Charlotte has dropped three Open Cup contests against amateur opponents between 2018 and 2022, the Jacks have still never failed to advance beyond the First Round in nine prior Open Cup participations.
6:30 p.m. ET; Don Batchelor Stadium; Grand Blanc, Mich.; YouTube
USL League Two’s Flint City Bucks are no strangers to a good upset, previously downing mighty MLS foes New England Revolution (2000) and Chicago Fire FC (2012). Now, the Bucks’ sights are set on the ‘Mingos of Forward Madison FC, fresh off a fifth consecutive trip to at least the Open Cup’s Second Round. Though the ‘Mingos did post their worst performance in league play a season ago, they are flying high at the moment after defeating reigning League One champions One Knoxville SC in their season opener over the weekend.
One of the most intriguing rebuilds in the USL Championship this offseason, Javain Brown, Jonathan Lewis, Latif Blessing, Aaron Molloy, Phillip Goodrum and Co. will look to lead Lexington over former pro and current NPSL side Flower City Union. Both LSC and FCU will be tasked with advancing to the Second Round—the farthest either side has previously advanced in the Open Cup—in what will be just the second Open Cup contest at the recently christened Lexington SC Stadium. LSC’s last Open Cup match at Lexington SC Stadium resulted in a 5-0 rout of Southern Indiana FC in last year’s First Round.
7:30 p.m. ET; Mount Vernon Memorial Field; Mount Vernon, N.Y.; YouTube
Both USL League One’s Westchester SC and the UPSL’s NY Renegades FC are back in the tournament proper for the second time after making their debut in 2025. While the pair of New York City-based clubs are set to meet for the first time, the Renegades will also be seeking their first Open Cup victory and first win against a professional opponent. Westchester SC finished its inaugural season in last place in League One a season ago, and is looking to pick up its first victory of the season under new head coach George Gjokaj.
8 p.m. ET; Richard Siegel Soccer Complex; Murfreesboro, Tenn.; YouTube
Tennessee Tempo FC, formerly Beaman United FC, returns to the tournament proper for the first time since 2023, now seeking its first win since dropping its inaugural contest to the Des Moines Menace in the First Round. For League One originals Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, the 2022 league runners-up have gradually found more success in the Open Cup over the years. After being bounced in the First or Second Rounds between 2019 and 2023, the Red Wolves advanced to the Third Round in 2024 and the Round of 32 in 2025, notably advancing on penalty kicks in three consecutive matches to start the tournament before falling by one goal to MLS’s Nashville SC.
8:30 p.m. ET; PEG Energy Stadium; Laredo, Texas; YouTube
USL League Two’s Laredo Heat SC is gearing up to make its first Open Cup appearance since 2019, and the club will be able to show off its new PEG Energy Stadium in the process. The League Two side will play host to USL Championship professionals El Paso Locomotive FC which enjoyed a club-best trip to the Round of 32 in the Open Cup a season ago, succumbing to a three-goal comeback courtesy of eventual runners-up Austin FC.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25
An all-Pittsburgh affair heads to Highmark Stadium on Tuesday evening as defending USL Championship title-winners Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC take on local USL League Two outfit Steel City FC. The intra-city clash is meaningful for several reasons. Not only does it mark the first time the Riverhounds and Steel City have faced each other in official competition, but it also marks the first time in 69 years that two Pittsburgh-area clubs have faced off in the Open Cup. The last time that occurred was 1957, when eventual Open Cup champions Harmarville Hurricanes and Morgan Strasser clashed.
