CHICAGO (April 7, 2022) – The final matchday of the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Second Round brought three more cupsets and was capped off by an explosion of goals (11 in total) in the last two games of the evening. In all, eight final teams punched their ticket to the Third Round, which will see the entrance of 17 lower seeded U.S. based Division I (MLS) clubs when play takes place from April 19-21 on ESPN+.
The match between Charleston Battery (USLC) and South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 6 was postponed to Thursday morning due to inclement weather. Tormenta FC won the match 1-0 at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. to kick off the final Second Round matchday with a cupset. They were followed by impressive upsets from Chattanooga FC (NISA), who dispatched Memphis 901 FC (USLC) 3-1, and Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) who slipped past Oakland Roots (USLC) 2-0.
Elsewhere, Rochester New York FC (MLSNP), Hartford Athletic (USLC) and Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) all cruised to victory before the fireworks began out west where Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) scored a 6-0 rout of Portland Timbers U23 with all the goals coming in the first half -- and California United Strikers FC (NISA) blanking local qualifiers San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) 5-0.
Besides the 17 MLS squads, the Third Round will feature 15 clubs from Div. II (USL Championship), 14 from Div. III: USL League One – 8, NISA – 4, MLS NEXT Pro – 2, and two Open Division amateurs: USL League Two – 1, NPSL – 1.
U.S. Soccer will conduct the Third Round Draw, pitting the 31 clubs that advance from the Second Round against 17 lower-seeded Division I (MLS) clubs, on Friday, April 8 at noon ET/11 a.m. CT. Watch the Third Round Draw on Twitter (@opencup) and YouTube to see all the exciting match-ups as they’re drawn!
Teams in the Third Round will be pooled geographically into groups of either four or six (depending on geographic distribution), with the Div. I clubs distributed as evenly as possible among the groups. All Div. I sides will be drawn to face a Second Round winner. The groups for the Third Round Draw will be as follows:
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Northeast (6) |
Piedmont (4) |
Southeast (4) |
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D.C. United (MLS) |
Charlotte Football Club (MLS) |
Atlanta United FC (MLS) |
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FC Motown (NPSL) |
Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) |
Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) |
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Flower City Union (NISA) |
North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) |
Chattanooga Football Club (NISA) |
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Hartford Athletic (USLC) |
Richmond Kickers (USLL1) |
South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) |
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New York Red Bulls (MLS) |
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Rochester New York FC (MLSNP) |
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Florida (4) |
Central (4) |
North (6) |
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Inter Miami CF (MLS) |
Columbus Crew (MLS) |
Chicago Fire FC (MLS) |
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Miami FC (USLC) |
Detroit City FC (USLC) |
Forward Madison FC (USLL1) |
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Orlando City (MLS) |
FC Cincinnati (MLS) |
Louisville City FC (USLC) |
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Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) |
Minnesota United FC (MLS) |
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St. Louis CITY 2 (MLSNP) |
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Union Omaha (USLL1) |
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Texas (6) |
Mountain (4) |
Northern California (4) |
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Austin FC (MLS) |
New Mexico United (USLC) |
Bay Cities FC (NISA) |
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FC Dallas (MLS) |
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1) |
Central Valley Fuego FC (USLL1) |
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FC Tulsa (USLC) |
Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) |
Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) |
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Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) |
Real Salt Lake (MLS) |
San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) |
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Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USLC) |
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San Antonio FC (USLC) |
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Southern California (6) |
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California United Strikers FC (NISA) |
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FC Tucson (USLL1) |
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LA Galaxy (MLS) |
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Los Angeles Football Club (MLS) |
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Orange County SC (USLC) |
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San Diego Loyal SC (USLC) |
Charleston Battery SC (USL Championship) 0, South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL League 1) 1
An unexpected overnight stay was worth the wait for South Georgia Tormenta FC. Arthur Bosua’s header in the 61st minute was the difference as Tormenta FC waited out the weather to strike the crucial blow at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Bosua shaped his body to get his head on a corner kick from Adrian Billhardt, sending the ball unto the upper right corner and out of the reach of Battery SC goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux for the game’s only goal. Tormenta looked more likely to score as the winds whipped in the second half, and a shot on target from Curtis Thorn deflected up as calls for a goal line handball against the Battery were unanswered by the referee in the 80th minute. Mauro Cichero’s close-range effort went inches wide of the post in the 92nd minute as Conor Casey’s Charleston side was unable to find a late equalizer.
Rochester New York FC (MLS NEXT Pro) 1, Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y) 0
Gibran Rayo's goal five minutes into first-half stoppage decided this encounter on a rainy, windy afternoon at John L. DiMarco Field at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y. Playing in its third competitive match in its inaugural season – and its first home game – RNYFC dominated the opening half but had nothing to show for its efforts until injury time. That's when Rayo completed a pretty give-and-go with Pedro Dolabella, beating goalkeeper Kabo Danso from seven yards to the near left corner. Lansdowne pushed for the equalizer in the second half, but the hosts held steady as goalkeeper Phillip Ejimadu made a diving save on Kyle Parrish's free kick in the 62nd minute. RNYFC became the second Rochester pro side to secure a third-round berth in less than 24 hours -- after Flower City Union (NISA) edged Western Mass Pioneers (USL League Two) in extra-time, 1-0, on Wednesday.
Hartford Athletic (USL Championship) 3, Oyster Bay United FC (N.Y.) 1
Midfielder Luka Prpa snapped a 1-1 deadlock in the 70th minute as Hartford Athletic recorded its first win of the year and halted Oyster Bay United FC's giant-killing run in the rain at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, Conn. Prpa slotted home a rebound from eight yards after a Jean Perez save. A pair of substitutes put a bow on the victory as Rashawn Dally's long ball set up Prince Saydee's counterattack goal from eight yards two minutes into stoppage time. Hartford, winless in league play (0-2-1), drew first blood in the 48th minute as Joel Johnson headed home a corner kick. Oyster Bay, amateurs who qualified for the Open Cup via the Local Qualifying track, leveled the match on Junior Rosero's 59th-minute penalty kick after defender Abdel Yacoubou took down Sebastien Ruiz in the box a minute prior. Rosero fired his shot into the lower left corner as keeper James Slayton dove in the opposite direction. During last fall's Local Qualifying Round, Oyster Bay upset former Open Cup champions N.Y. Greek Americans and N.Y. Pancyprian Freedoms. The Long Island-based club then eliminated Hartford City FC (National Premier Soccer League), 3-0, in the First Round at Trinity Health Stadium on March 22.
Chattanooga FC (NISA) 3, Memphis 901 FC (USL Championship) 1
When it comes to soccer, Chattanooga FC remain the titans of Tennessee. Alex McGrath put the ball into the back of the net less than one minute into the match, and Chattanooga FC ran away from Memphis 901 FC at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, TN. McGrath buried the feed from Brett Jones just inside the far left post for a 1-0 lead in the 56th second, and Travis Ward slotted home an inch-perfect deep cross from Ian Cerro in the 29th minute for a two-goal lead. Defender Patrick Seagrist hit a banger in the 39th minute to get Memphis 901 on the scoreboard, but it wasn’t enough to catch Ron Underwood’s NISA powerhouse. Cerro got a second assist when Taylor Gray tucked in another attacking ball in first-half stoppage time for Chattanooga FC, which set the record for goals scored in a match by a NISA club in the U.S. Open Cup.
Greenville Triumph SC (USL League One) 2, Oakland Roots (USL Championship) 0
All the possession in the world means little when a player puts in a world-class goal. Jacob Keegan scored against the run of play midway through the first half to break a deadlock, and 33-year-old Don Smart tucked in a late one as Greenville held only 29 percent possession in a shutout victory at Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College in Greenville, SC. Lucas Coutinho’s pass led Keegan just inside the penalty area where Chattanooga’s No. 9 sent a chip over the head of Roots goalkeeper Taylor Bailey and into the net in the 30th minute for what proved to be the game-winner. Smart added a goal on a breakaway in the 94th minute to pad the lead for Greenville, who only produced nine attempts on goal while Oakland had 17 shots. Paul Christensen made six saves for manager John Harkes’ side in the win. Harkes won three U.S. Open Cups as a player.
Birmingham Legion FC (USL Championship) 3, Southern States SC Stars (NPSL) 1
Birmingham Legion FC did all its scoring during a 15-minute span in the second half to break open a scoreless draw at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. Three minutes into the half, Prosper Kasim produced a bit of magic and a 1-0 lead as he lofted a dipping 22-yard shot over goalkeeper Hector Grajeda into the net. Bruno Lapa, off an Enzo Martinez pass, doubled the margin in the 62nd minute. Second-half substitute Marlon Santos got into the act only minutes after coming on, converting Anderson Asiedu's feed to the near right post in the 63rd minute. Southern States pulled one back in the 73rd minute, when goalkeeper Matthew Oekel allowed Mason Walsh's shot to trickle into the goal. Former U.S. Men's National Team forward and MLS veteran Juan Agudelo made his Birmingham debut and played the opening 56 minutes.
Sacramento Republic FC (USL Championship) 6, Portland Timbers U23 (USL League 2) 0
It was an indomitable win in the Indomitable City. Markhus ‘Duke’ Lacroix had two goals in the first 35 minutes as Sacramento Republic FC scored six times before halftime in a rout of Portland Timbers U23 at Heart Health Park in Sacramento, CA. Lacroix, a 28-year-old USL veteran, opened the scoring in the 13th minute, and Dami Viader scored his first for Sacramento in the 22nd minute before an own-goal by Timbers U23 gave the home side a 3-0 lead inside the first half hour. Republic FC captain Rodrigo Lopez sent a scorcher into the back of the net for a 4-0 lead before Lacroix added his second for a 5-0 advantage. Zeiko Lewis also scored his first professional goal in the win as Sacramento set a club record for goals in a U.S. Open Cup match. Goalkeeper Quinn McCallion made three saves for Timbers U23, which will not begin its USL League Two season until May.
California United Strikers FC (NISA) 5, San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) 0
For a side that had yet to score this season, Thursday night was a good time to break out. Tony Lopez scored twice, and 15-year-old Marcus Lee had a goal and an assist as California United Strikers FC won its U.S. Open Cup debut at Championship Stadium at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, CA. Lee, Lopez and Aydan Bowers all scored in the first half for Cal United, which has started its season with three consecutive shutouts with goalkeeper Jean Antoine in between the posts. SFV FC goalkeeper Steve Acosta made three well-timed saves in the first half to keep it from being a total runaway, but he couldn’t stop the flow of goals from one of NISA’s top teams. Guilherme Farias added a goal assisted by Lee in the 71st minute, and Lopez tacked on his second in the 78th minute to punctuate the win.
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Result |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
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2-4 |
Charlotte Independence (USLL1) vs. North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) |
American Legion Memorial Stadium; Charlotte, N.C. |
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2-0 |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) vs. Maryland Bobcats FC (NISA) |
Highmark Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pa. |
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6-0 |
Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) vs. The Villages SC (USLL2) |
Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, Fla. |
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3-0 |
Detroit City FC (USLC) vs. Michigan Stars FC (NISA) |
Keyworth Stadium; Hamtramck, Mich. |
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0-2 |
Indy Eleven (USLC) vs. St. Louis CITY 2 (MLSNP) |
Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium (IUPUI); Indianapolis, Ind. |
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2-1 |
Union Omaha (USLL1) vs. Des Moines Menace (USLL2) |
Morrison Stadium (Creighton Univ.); Omaha, Neb. |
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2-1 |
FC Tulsa (USLC) vs. Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) |
ONEOK Field; Tulsa, Okla. |
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3-1 |
San Antonio FC (USLC) vs. D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (Texas) |
Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas |
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5-0 |
New Mexico United (USLC) vs. Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) |
Univ. of New Mexico Soccer Complex; Albuquerque, N.M. |
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4-1 |
Central Valley Fuego FC (USLL1) vs. El Paso Locomotive FC (USLC) |
Lamonica Stadium (Clovis H.S.); Clovis, Calif. |
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5-2 |
Orange County SC (USLC) vs. Los Angeles Force (NISA) |
Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif. |
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Result |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
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0-0, 1-0 AET |
FC Motown (NPSL) vs. AC Syracuse Pulse (NISA) |
Montclair State University Soccer Park; Montclair, N.J. |
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1-2 |
North Carolina FC (USLL1) vs. Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USLC) |
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. |
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3-0 |
Miami FC (USLC) vs. Miami United FC (NPSL) |
Fla. International Univ. Soccer Stadium; Miami, Fla. |
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0-1 |
Western Mass Pioneers (USLL2) vs. Flower City Union (NISA) |
Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass. |
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1-0 |
Louisville City FC (USLC) vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USLL1) |
Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky. |
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0-1 |
Nova FC (Va.) vs. Richmond Kickers (USLL1) |
Virginia Revolution Sportsplex; Leesburg, Va. |
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3-0 |
Forward Madison FC (USLL1) vs. Cleveland SC (NPSL) |
Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis. |
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0-0, 0-1 AET |
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC) vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1) |
Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo. |
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3-2 |
FC Tucson (USLL1) vs. Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) |
Kino North Stadium; Tucson, Ariz. |
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0-0, 1-0 AET |
Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs. Valley United FC (NISA) |
Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass; Chandler, Ariz. |
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2-1 |
Bay Cities FC (NISA) vs. Monterey Bay F.C. (USLC) |
PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif. |
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1-2 |
ALBION San Diego (NISA) vs. San Diego Loyal SC (USLC) |
Canyon Crest Academy; San Diego, Calif. |
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Result |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
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0-1 |
Charleston Battery (USLC) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) |
Patriot's Point Soccer Stadium; Mt. Pleasant, S.C. |
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1-0 |
Rochester New York FC (MLSNP) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.) |
Monroe Community College; Rochester, N.Y. |
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3-1 |
Hartford Athletic (USLC) vs. Oyster Bay United FC (N.Y.) |
Trinity Health Stadium; Hartford, Conn. |
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3-1 |
Chattanooga FC (NISA) vs. Memphis 901 FC (USLC) |
Finley Stadium; Chattanooga, Tenn. |
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2-0 |
Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) vs. Oakland Roots (USLC) |
Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College; Greenville, S.C. |
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3-1 |
Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) vs. Southern States SC Stars (NPSL) |
Univ. of Alabama Soccer Stadium; Tuscaloosa, Ala. |
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6-0 |
Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs. Portland Timbers U23 (USLL2) |
Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif. |
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5-0 |
California United Strikers FC (NISA) vs. San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) |
Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif. |