The road to the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup’s Tournament Proper officially kicked off over the weekend as 52 amateur sides from across the country battled in the First Qualifying Round. With an average of nearly five goals scored per match, the 25 contests featured plenty of action.
There were some lopsided results over the weekend, the largest of which saw DMV foes Yinz United throttle Patuxent FA by a 10-1 margin. Elsewhere, a trio of crosstown matchups ended with identical 6-0 scorelines: Nashville’s Tennessee Tempo FC defeated Tennessee United SC, Atlanta’s Terminus FC dispatched UFA Lawrenceville, and in Denver, FC Denver downed Timbers SC. Out West, STG Premier FC thrashed Las Vegas’ Be Pro FC in St. George, Utah, defeating its Southwest Premier League rival, 5-0.
Four matches were knotted up after full time, as two were settled in extra time and two were decided in a penalty kick shootout. In Virginia, UPSL side Doradus FC outlasted APSL side NoVa FC in extra time, as a brace from captain Collins Frimpong lifted the hosts to victory against its intra-state opponent on a damp night just outside Washington, D.C. In Indiana, Ohio Valley Premier League side Mockingbird Valley Premier shocked Southern Indiana FC, 3-1 after extra time, picking up its first Qualifying Rounds victory and knocking out a SIFC side that participated in the Tournament Proper earlier this year.
In an intra-UPSL fixture in Chicagoland, Ethos United advanced on penalties against the Chicago Strikers thanks to shootout heroics from Ethos goalkeeper Alex Ortiz. On the opposite side of the Great Lakes, USL League Two’s Steel City FC inched closer to a second consecutive Tournament Proper appearance after defeating historic North Coast Soccer League side Croatia Cleveland in the Qualifying Rounds for the second time in as many years, this time besting the 1975 semifinalists in a shootout.
One of the highest-scoring matches of the weekend—an Atlanta-area thriller between the APSL’s Peachtree FC and UPSL’s Kalonji Pro-Profile—featured a 5-4 goal fest in which Kalonji Pro-Profile emerged victorious in its quest to return to the Tournament Proper for the second consecutive year. Former Jamaica Premier League forward Zain Hylton scored four of his side’s five goals—including a second-half hat trick—helping Kalonji Pro-Profile overcome an early deficit in north Atlanta.
In another high-scoring, one-goal affair, Lorain County Leviathan FC nearly mounted an improbable comeback against Akron City FC, attempting to overcome a 3-0 deficit on the road. Of note, Akron City’s Tamas Nagy scored twice against his brother, Lorain County goalkeeper Zoltan Nagy, to help Akron City hang on in a 4-3 thriller in Ohio.
On Long Island, Haitian-American-owned Osner’s FC overcame a pair of ASC New York lead changes to defeat Fighting Tomcats, 3-2, courtesy of Joel Favard’s dramatic 86th-minute winner. Over in New Jersey, 74-year-old Polish-American side SC Vistula Garfield staved off Five Rivers SC thanks to a four-goal second half, overcoming a scoreless first half in which it was forced to play with 10 men due to a late arriving player. Vistula Garfield secured the victory through Gabriel Costa’s match-winning bicycle kick against its Garden State opposition.
Down in Florida, Florida Badgers FC defeated Red Force FC in a matchup of 2025 Tournament Proper participants; Dave Don’s second-half winner proved decisive for the UPSL side. Also in Miami, fellow UPSL side Boca Jrs Miami FC defeated Florida Island United FC, 3-2, in a contest that featured a red card shown to both teams in the first half. On the Paradise Coast, Naples United FC—bolstered by former FC Naples professionals Chris Heckenberg and Gustavo Fernandes—dominated SWFL SC by a final score of 5-1.
One additional First Qualifying Round match—the contest between Atlanta sides Buckhead SC and Potros FC—has been postponed to Sept. 19. The 26 winners from the First Qualifying Round will enter the 128-team Second Qualifying Round, featuring 64 contests held Oct. 3-4.
The Qualifying Rounds will continue Oct. 31-Nov. 1, which will determine the 32 clubs that will advance to the Final Qualifying Round, scheduled for Nov. 21-22. The Final Qualifying Round will determine the 16 teams that earn a spot in the Tournament Proper, where they will face off against professional clubs in April 2027.
FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
Saturday, Sept. 12 (12 matches)
DC Hyper (DC / UPSL) 3 – 0 Oranje FC (MD / DC Premier League / USASA)
Naples United FC (FL / Sunshine Conference League / USSSA) 5 – 1 SWFL SC (FL / UPSL)
Florida Island United FC (FL / UPSL) 2 – 3 Boca Jrs Miami FC (FL / UPSL)
Croatia Cleveland (OH / North Coast Soccer League / USASA) 1 (3) – 1 (4) Steel City FC (PA / USL League Two) (AET & PKs)
Bowleys Athletic (MD / UPSL) 4 – 1 MSI (MD / UPSL)
Florida Badgers FC (FL / UPSL) 1 – 0 Red Force FC (FL / Premier Futbol League / USASA)
Swarm FC (GA / USL League Two) 5 – 1 Prima Football Club (GA / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
Lansdowne Yonkers FC (NY / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA) 1 – 0 New York Athletic Club (NY / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
Temecula FC (CA / UPSL) 5 – 1 Problems FC (CA / NISA Nation / USASA)
Chicago Strikers (IL / UPSL) 1 (3) – 1 (4) Ethos United (IL / UPSL) (AET & PKs)
STG Premier FC (UT / Southwest Premier League / USASA) 5 – 0 Be Pro FC (NV / Southwest Premier League / USASA)
Sin City Football Club (NV / NISA Nation / USASA) 2 – 1 Las Vegas United Football Club (NV / Southwest Premier League / USASA)
Sunday, Sept. 13 (14 matches)
Peachtree FC (GA / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA) 4 – 5 Kalonji Pro-Profile (GA / UPSL)
Southern Indiana Guardians FC (IN / UPSL) 1 – 3 Mockingbird Valley Premier (KY / Ohio Valley Premier League / US Club Soccer) (AET)
Five Rivers SC (NJ / UPSL) 1 – 4 SC Vistula Garfield (NJ / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
Arlington SA Pro (VA / UPSL) 0 – 2 Virginia Dream FC (VA / UPSL)
Lorain County Leviathan FC (OH / USL League Two) 3 – 4 Akron City FC (OH / USL League Two)
Doradus FC (VA / UPSL) 2 – 1 Nova FC (VA / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA) (AET)
Tennessee United Soccer Club (TN / UPSL) 0 – 6 Tennessee Tempo FC (TN / UPSL)
UFA Lawrenceville (GA / UPSL) 0 – 6 Terminus FC (GA / Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League / USASA)
Timbers SC (CO / Mountain Premier League / USASA) 0 – 6 FC Denver (CO / Colorado Premier League / USSSA)
Osner's FC (NY / UPSL) 3 – 2 American Soccer Club New York (NY / NPSL / USASA)
Yinz United (VA / Super Soccer League / USASA) 10 – 1 Patuxent FA (MD / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
FC Kanks (FL / UPSL) 1 – 2 Shark Coast FC (FL / USL League Two)
StrikerZ DFW (TX / Dallas Soccer Alliance / USASA) 1 – 4 FORO SC (TX / The League for Clubs / USASA)
Peak Eleven FC (CO / Mountain Premier League / USASA) 4 – 0 Colorado Rovers (CO / Colorado Premier League / USSSA)
Saturday, Sept. 19 (1 match)
Buckhead SC (GA / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA) vs. Potros FC (GA / UPSL)
