On the Pitch
On the Pitch
Vermont Green FC Triumphant Against Portland Hearts of Pine on Opening Night of 2026 U.S. Open Cup
Home teams, professional sides dominate first day of action; First Round rolls on with 15 matches on Wednesday
The 111th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicked off with a thrilling first day of action featuring eight matchups between professional and amateur teams. The theme of the evening was home-field advantage—all but one of the eight hosts secured a victory, but the game of the night was the much-anticipated inaugural matchup between budding New England rivals Vermont Green FC and Portland Hearts of Pine.
The 1995 U.S. Open Cup champion Richmond Kickers have advanced to the Second Round of the tournament for the 23rd time in club history following their 2-0 victory against USL League Two’s Northern Virginia FC. The contest was the first of this year’s tournament proper, and USL League One’s Kickers got the Open Cup going with their first win of the season across all competitions courtesy of Josh Kirkland’s 31st-minute winner and Lucca Dourado’s second-half, bar-down banger.
Rhode Island FC 4 – 0 CD Faialense
USL Championship club Rhode Island FC is back in the Second Round for the third time in as many tries thanks to a 4-0 victory against Bay State Soccer League’s CD Faialense at Centreville Bank Stadium. Khano Smith’s side got things going early, as RIFC jumped out to a two-goal lead inside half an hour through goals from Dani Rovira and Calvin Williams. In the second half, Nick Scardina’s first goal for the club and a Faialense own goal shortly thereafter all but confirmed Rhode Island’s first win of the season and third-largest victory in club history.
Vermont Green FC 1 – 0 Portland Hearts of Pine
The first upset of this year’s tournament played out in front of a sold-out, raucous Virtue Field in frigid Burlington, Vt. In the first meeting between budding New England rivals Vermont Green FC and Portland Hearts of Pine, the defending USL League Two champions stunned second-year USL League One side Portland with a 1-0 victory. Former University of Vermont national champion David Ismail scored the winner on his VGFC debut to send Virtue Field into a frenzy and seal the Green’s second-ever victory over a professional opponent.
Detroit City FC 5 – 1 Michigan Rangers
The USL Championship’s Detroit City FC spoiled NPSL side Michigan Rangers’ Open Cup debut, overcoming an early deficit and finishing strong to outlast the amateur side at Legacy Center in Brighton, Mich. Former Salernitana and Charlotte Independence man Giuseppe Barone stunned the DCFC goalkeeper with a rocket from long range, but the rest of the contest favored the hosts. Three players notched multiple goal contributions: Tabort Etaka Preston leveled the match before halftime, later completing his brace in the 86th minute; DCFC legend Maxi Rodriguez scored his first goal since returning to the club over the offseason, later adding an assist; and former FC Tulsa midfielder Alex Dalou excelled in his second match with the club, recording a goal and two assists. With the win, Le Rouge are through to the Second Round for the fifth consecutive year.
West Chester United SC 1 – 2 Loudoun United FC
The only team to win on the road on the first day of the First Round, USL Championship side Loudoun United FC picked up a victory over United Soccer League of Pennsylvania’s West Chester United SC for the second straight year after downing the Predators in the First Round a season ago. Former New England Revolution man Marcos Dias and longtime Championship forward Elvis Amoh each recorded their first goal contributions for Loudoun in the match, as the pair linked up twice to give the visitors a two-goal lead inside 25 minutes. West Chester struck back through Jackson Martin’s 84th minute score, but the visiting professionals ultimately held on to progress beyond the First Round for the fourth time in as many tries.
2024 USL Championship title-winners Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC handled Denver-based Colorado Premier League side Azteca FC on Tuesday evening, relying on a quick start and strong finish to advance beyond the First Round for the 10th time in club history. Midfielder Jonas Fjeldberg opened the scoring in the sixth minute before goalkeeper Christian Herrera denied an Azteca equalizer with the seventh penalty kick save of his professional career. From there, the hosts largely controlled the match, and the professional side comfortably sealed the match with a pair of late goals from Sadam Masereka on his professional debut and Khori Bennett in his third match with the Switchbacks.
In the first meeting between Midwest heavyweights Indy Eleven of the USL Championship and Des Moines Menace of USL League Two, the professionals out of Indianapolis prevailed in a 3-0 victory against the ever-dangerous Menace. A defensively stout Indy side limited Des Moines to four shots on target, all of which were saved by former Coventry City goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook. On the opposite end of the pitch, the Boys in Blue picked up a trio of scores through Togolese winger Loïc Mesanvi in the 31st minute, former Canada international Noble Okello in the 60th minutes and forward Charlie Sharp in the 75th minute.
Phoenix Rising FC 4 – 0 San Ramon FC
USL Championship outfit Phoenix Rising FC rounded out the first day of First Round action with a convincing 4-0 outing against The League for Clubs side San Ramon FC, advancing to the Second Round for the 11th time in as many tries. Rising were lifted to their first victory of the season through a quartet of goalscorers: 2025 USL Championship All-League midfielder Hope Avayevu opened his 2026 account; former Millonarios forward Juan Carvajal scored his first goal for the club in his second appearance; Serbian defender Aleksandar Vukovic bagged his first professional goal; and 16-year-old Anthony Capetillo closed out the evening with the first goal of his young professional career, becoming the youngest goalscorer in club history.
