Late Goals Highlight Dramatic Second Night of 2023 U.S. Open Cup Third Round

CHICAGO (April 26, 2023) – The 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s national championship, is down to the final 32 teams after a night of dramatic late twists and turns drew the curtain on a thrilling Third Round. The roller-coaster evening was highlighted by USL Championship side Memphis 901 FC pulling the night’s only Cupset with a come-from-behind, 2-1 extra-time win on the road against 2019 U.S. Open Cup champions Atlanta United.

Memphis joins Monterey Bay F.C. (USLC), who topped San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 on Tuesday, as the only two teams to defeat a higher-division opponent in this year’s Third Round. In all, eight USL Championship (Division II) clubs advanced to the Round of 32. They are joined by 16 Major League Soccer (Div. I) sides that triumphed in the Third Round as well as eight seeded MLS squads that will enter the tournament in the next stage. 

• #USOC2023 THIRD ROUND - Results & Schedule

While the remaining teams chase the competition’s ultimate prize, one club, Tulsa Athletic has already claimed the $25,000 prize awarded to the amateur (Open Division) team with the best results in the tournament. While Tulsa and Chicago House AC both reached the Third Round, Tulsa claims the prized based on its defeat of USL Championship (Div. II) outfit FC Tulsa – a club two divisions above it – in the Second Round. Chicago beat USL League One (Div. III) side Forward Madison FC in the Second Round.

With three rounds now in the books and only teams from the top two professional divisions remaining in the competition, attention turns to the Round of 32 Draw which will take place on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET. Watch on the B/R app and B/R Football YouTube as all the exciting match-ups are drawn for the Round of 32 which is scheduled for May 9-10.

The teams in the Round of 32 Draw have been pooled geographically into groups of four, with the Division I clubs first entering the competition and any teams who are precluded from playing each other until the Final being placed in different groups. A random draw will determine the pairings within each group.

ROUND OF 32 DRAW GROUPS

THIRD ROUND RECAPS

Loudoun United FC (USLC) 5, Flower City Union (NISA) 0

Loudoun United set the tone early, peppering the opposition’s goal with 23 total shots, 15 from inside the penalty area. When the final whistle sounded, the hosts had converted that dominance into a 5-0 demolition of Flower City Union. After three first-half goals, including a brace from forward Tommy Williamson, there was little doubt regarding the final result. Zachary Ryan and Abdoul Zanne also notched goals either side of half time, scoring in the 39^th and 49^th minutes, respectively. Kalil Elmedkhar also had an eventful evening, assisting one of Williamson’s goals and notching one of his own in the 61^st minute. The win vaults Loudoun United into the Round of 32 in their first tournament appearance.

FC Cincinnati (MLS) 1, Louisville City FC (USLC) 0

Nineteen-year-old forward Arquimides Ordonez could not have made his first goal for the MLS side any more dramatic as he scored in the 85th minute in the Dirty River Derby at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. A couple of second-half substitutes set up the game-winner. Luchiano Acosta passed to Alvaro Barreal, who sent a left-wing pass into the box. Ordonez then slid his shot from close range past goalkeeper Kyle Morton. Cincy goalie Alec Kann made five saves en route to the shutout. The hosts fielded a young side. Stiven Jimenez, who at 15 is the youngest player signed by FC Cincinnati, made his debut as a starter before he was replaced by Junior Moreno in the 76th minute as FCC won a third straight Open Cup meeting against their former Div. II rivals.

Atlanta United (MLS) 1, Memphis 901 FC (USLC) 1 (1-2 AET)

With mere seconds remaining in the second-half injury time, Memphis 901 reversed their fortunes by scoring a penalty kick, forced Extra Time, and stole a victory from Atlanta United, winning 2-1 on the road. Atlanta United looked to be the winner after scoring a third-minute goal, but after scoring its last-second penalty kick to force overtime, Memphis took the lead in the 100th minute through a great finish from Nighte Pickering. For the remaining 20 minutes, Atlanta United scratched and clawed to find an equalizer, but fortune was not in their favor. The hosts suffered their earliest exit from the U.S. Open Cup in club history. With the win, Memphis 901 defeated an MLS club for the first time in club history and matched their furthest run in the tournament by reaching the Round of 32 for the first time since 2019.

Miami FC (USLC) 2, Inter Miami CF (MLS) 2 (3-5 PKs)

Inter Miami CF twice rallied from one-goal deficits – the latter at death’s door – before prevailing in a penalty kick shootout in a thrilling Miami Clasico at FIU Stadium. Kamal Miller converted the game-winning PK as Josef Martinez, Victor Ulloa, Franco Negri and Jean Mota also put theirs away. Home goalkeeper Drake Callender did not make a save as Ryan Telfer sliced Miami FC's fourth attempt high and wide to the left, providing the visitors the opportunity to finish off the game from the spot. Christian Sorto got the match off to a rousing start in the third minute. A nifty passing combination from Aedan Stanley to Claudio Repetto set up Sorto, who scored from the left side of the area. Inter Miami knotted things up with a dramatic goal in the 89th minute as Shanyder Borgelin headed home Jean Mota's right-wing cross at the far post past keeper Adrían Zendejas after Mota had hit the post a minute earlier. Miami FC retook the lead in the 116th minute as Inter Miami defender DeAndre Yedlin knocked the ball into his net for an own goal. The visitors, however, struck for another equalizer, on Ryan Sailor's one-bounce header off Negri's cross in the 118th minute.

DC United (MLS) 1, Richmond Kickers (USLL1) 0

After a scoreless first half, DC United bagged the game’s only goal thanks to Yamil Asad. The Argentinian punched home the deciding goal in the 51st minute by converting a penalty. The win marked the third in a row across all competitions for the Capital squad, giving it some much needed consistency after starting out the league season 3-2-4. For the Kickers, the 1-0 defeat marks an earlier exit in the chase for the Cup than last year where they made it to the Round of 32.

Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) 0, Houston Dynamo (MLS) 1

It was a quiet, decidedly non-rowdy night in Florida. Brooklyn Raines scored his first Open Cup goal, and Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell came up big late in the second half to win on the road at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. Raines finished off a counter attack to score minutes before halftime for Houston, the 2018 Open Cup champions, and Tarbell made two saves in second half stoppage time to get the Dynamo across the finish line. The Rowdies, who have not advanced out of the Third Round since 2016, were looking for a little magic that did not materialize. Jordan Doherty clipped the post with an early shot, and Tampa Bay was stymied by Tarbell on multiple shot attempts in the closing moments.

Columbus Crew (MLS) 1, Indy Eleven (USLC) 0

Columbus Crew capitalized on a great offensive possession to find a late winner against Indy Eleven. In the 83rd minute, the Black and Gold held the ball, combined along the flank, and Steven Moreira eventually fed a beautiful through ball to Mohamed Farsi, who finished the move with a clever touch inside the near post. The Crew were the clear favorites in the match, but simply couldn’t break the deadlock until the dying moments. Indy Eleven hasn’t advanced past the Third Round since 2016. The Crew once again advance to the Round of 32 - a feat they have accomplished in each season, except for one, since 2013.

Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) 1, Chattanooga FC (NISA) 1 (PKs, 4-3)

Trevor Spangenberg dove to his left to deny Leonel Alvarenga on the visitors’ fifth and final penalty kick as Birmingham prevailed in a shootout to survive a Cupset scare at Alabama Soccer Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Tyler Pasher, Gabriel Alves, Jake Rufe and Enzo Martinez fired their attempts past Chattanooga goalie Jean Antoine. Juan Agudelo, who took Birmingham’s second penalty, twice had his shootout try stopped by Antoine. On the first attempt, the referee ruled the keeper moved off the line. On the second spot kick, Antoine dove to his right to make a valid save. Birmingham had drawn first blood in the 31st minute when Prosper Kasim drilled a perfectly placed 22-yard shot home from the right side. Chattanooga FC equalized on Markus Naglestad's penalty kick in the 68th minute, the visitors' first shot on target, after Alex Crognale fouled Taylor Gray in the box.

Chicago Fire (MLS) 3, Chicago House AC (USASA/MWPL/Ill.) 0

It was an all-Chicago affair on Wednesday night, but only the Fire left SeatGeek Stadium celebrating as they defeated Chicago House AC 3-0. Kacper Przybylko started off the scoring with a goal in the 26th minute, and then Kendall Burks finished off the evening with a brace, scoring goals in the 37th and 70th minutes. Chicago Fire dominated throughout, winning the possession battle with 67% and unleashing 27 total shots against Chicago House. The visitors were only able to deliver three shots, of which two were on goal. This was Chicago House’s first appearance in the U.S. Open Cup, while the Fire are back in the Round of 32 for the first time since 2019.

Nashville SC (MLS) 1, San Antonio FC (USLC) 0

Second-half substitute Fafa Picault and starter Eathan Zubak teamed up to score the game-winner in the 71st minute at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tenn. Picault ran onto a long pass on the left side, pulling San Antonio goalkeeper Jordan Farr out of the net. The Nashville speedster then fed Zubak, who slipped the ball into the right side of an empty goal as defender Lamar Batista slid in vain trying to stop the ball. Nashville goalie Elliot Panicco, playing in his first match this season, made five saves to secure the clean sheet.

Colorado Rapids (MLS) 3, Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1) 1

Jonathan Lewis wrote his name all over the first edition of the Platte River Derby. Lewis scored twice and added an assist as Colorado Rapids beat their newest in-state rival at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. Lewis scored in the 5th and 55th minutes and had the helper on Max Alves De Silva’s late goal as the Rapids, the 1999 Open Cup runner-up, advanced into Round of 32 for the eighth consecutive tournament. Northern Colorado’s Jackson Dietrich equalized with a diving header in the 40th minute on a deft cross from Bruno Rendon but it wasn’t enough for the Hailstorm, one of last year’s surprise teams that defeated MLS club Real Salt Lake on a magical run to the Round of 32.

New Mexico United (USLC) 2, Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) 1

New Mexico United got its U.S. Open Cup revenge a year later. After being put out in the Third Round in 2022 by Phoenix Rising, the New Mexico squad got it done 2-1 at Isotopes Park thanks to a pair of goals from Greg Hurst (42’) and Josh Dolling (87’). Phoenix Rising wouldn’t go quietly, punching in a goal in the 77th minute courtesy of Carlos Harvey. But the Arizona-based club played at a deficit the whole of the second half, after Baboucarr Nijie received a red-card in the waning minutes of the first half.

Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) 1, Oakland Roots SC (USLC) 0

Sacramento continued its march toward a second straight U.S. Open Cup championship game. Nearly eight months after reaching last year’s Final they dispatched their northern California neighbors and fellow USL Championship club Oakland 1-0 to once again reach the Round of 32. The goal came in the 49th minute when, assisted by Russell Cicerone, Nicholas Ross sent home the difference maker. Sacramento is yet to lose across all competitions this season.

Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) 3, San Diego Loyal (USLC) 3, (5-4 AET)

The circle of life is never far from view. San Diego Loyal’s Jackson Simba scored with his first touch upon entering as a substitute and also conceded the late, match-deciding penalty. Freddy Montero netted the opener and then the game-winner as Seattle survived at Starfire Sports in Tukwila, Wash. Joe Corona scored twice to help the Loyal, making just its second tournament appearance, to twice pick itself up from two-goal deficits before Kyle Adams scored with a thundering strike to tie it at 3-3 in second-half stoppage time. Reed Baker-Whiting put an exclamation point on a sensational seven-goal stanza with a tally early in the first overtime period for the Sounders, but Simba equalized for the Loyal in the 116th minute, heading a free kick from Corona into the top corner. Tangled up in defense on the other end minutes later, Simba was called for a penalty and Montero slotted the ball underneath the dive of Loyal keeper Jorge Ruiz Ojeda to send Seattle on to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2019.

Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) 0, Real Salt Lake (MLS) 0, (1-3 AET)

It took 105 minutes to get a goal but The King came through, with two. Damir ‘The King’ Krielach scored twice in a cracking, four-goal overtime as Real Salt Lake earned an Open Cup road win at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nev. Two scoreless 45-minute halves led to a shock scoring display in overtime, with Krielach opening the scoring before Las Vegas’ Lucas Stauffer found an equalizer in the 111th minute. Krielach doubled his fun four minutes later when he got the final touch on a square ball into the box from Carlos Gomez for a 2-1 lead. Daniel Musovski tallied just before the final whistle for Real Salt Lake, which has advanced to the Round of 32 in nine consecutive tournaments.

Portland Timbers (MLS) 3, Orange County SC (USLC) 1

Late drama in Providence Park saw the Timbers eke their way past Orange County SC 3-1 at the end of regulation. A late Orange County equalizing goal was ruled offsides in the 89th minute, and Portland turned around and scored its third goal of the night (90’+1) thanks to Jarosław Niezgoda. The Timbers established a 2-0 lead throughout the middle portion of the game thanks to goals from Marvin Loría (37’) and a Tyler Clegg header (48’). Orange County avoided the shutout with a goal from Milan Iloski, but it was the home team who advanced to the round of 32.