Meet the Final Qualifiers: Last Group of Seven Amateurs Book #USOC2025 Spots
Read up on the final seven amateur underdogs to come through our 2025 Qualifying Rounds unscathed – booking spots to chase the Open Cup Dream in the 2025 Tournament Proper.
There will be 32 amateur underdogs in the Tournament Proper of next year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – the 110th edition of this country’s most historic soccer tournament. The final batch of seven teams (of a total of 14) emerged from the annual Open Division Qualifying Tournament’s Matchday Four on December 7 and 8 of 2024.
Read on to learn more about the final seven and how they booked their place at next year’s Open Cup Party.
FORO SC | UPSL
Founded: 2019
Location: Dallas, Texas
Open Cup History: 2024 (Debut)
Dallas is one of the nexus points where the game of soccer thrives best. FORO SC have tapped into the local scene and carved out fast success since their founding just five years ago. “We've been to the UPSL Championship three times. We have one of the best squads that's not paid in the country,” said Bob Peinado, FORO CEO and founder. “We’ve got some really great committed players, who just love soccer, who have day jobs, who still aspire to go further.” Aside from success at UPSL level, FORO SC made a splash in their first Open Cup in 2024 – beating Austin FC of MLS NEXT Pro in the First Round (via a shootout after a 2-2 draw) before coming up short against fellow Texas-based amateurs Lubbock Matadors at the next hurdle. They scored four goals in each of their three 2025 Qualifying Round games (conceding just four in total) so look out for more of the same in their sophomore Open Cup outing.
Harbour City FC | UPSL
Founded: 2024
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Open Cup History: 2025 (Debut)
This ambitious – and free-scoring – side from Florida may be taking their first steps in our Tournament Proper – but they shouldn't be taken lightly. After simple Qualifying Round wins over Deportivo Lake Mary FC (4-0) and Palm Beach Flames SC (5-1), they knocked off FC America CFL Spurs via a shootout (following a tense goalless draw through 120 minutes) to book their place in the 110th edition of the U.S. Open Cup. With the win, they eliminated a side that reached the Tournament Proper in 2024 and were expected to do the same again. “This is one of the things that we’ve been working on,” said Douglas Bonney, Harbour City’s head coach. “We won our league and finished second in Florida [UPSL]. This has been a goal of ours since we’ve started the club — to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup because we’re trying to build the club, and work our way up, so this is huge for us.”
International San Francisco | SFSFL
Founded: 2021
Location: San Francisco, California
Open Cup History: 2023 (Debut)
In a San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL) defined by its glorious (and deep) history, new boys Inter San Francisco made their mark after a recent launch in 2021. The team – run by player-coach Amir Darabi – rocketed up the standings and gained promotion to the top division before qualifying for the Open Cup for the first time in 2023. Led by former MLS forward and USL Championship top-scorer Matt Fondy, Inter tore through the 2025 Qualifying Rounds again this year after failing to reach our tournament in 2024. They bagged 18 goals in their four 2025 Qualifying games and conceded just one. “We’ve had some troubles in recent years,” said Darabi, whose team finished fourth in the Premier Division of the SFSFL this fall. “And this Open Cup in 2025 is going to change our destiny.”
Laguna United FC | UPSL
Founded: 2011
Location: Laguna Niguel, California
Open Cup History: 2025 (Debut)
Qualifying via the amateur soccer hotbed of Southern California, Laguna United FC – of the nationwide United Premier Soccer League – will be a team to watch in the 2025 edition of the Tournament Proper. They opened their Qualifying account with a bang, putting 14 past Trojans FC without reply on Matchday Two (after receiving a bye through Matchday One). A 3-1 win over Irvine FC followed and set up an all-or-nothing Final Rounder against Internacional of San Diego – a contest Laguna United won 6-2 on the road. Hungry for goals and eager to make a mark on their first-ever Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, keep a close eye on the boys from Laguna Niguel.
Miami United FC | UPSL
Founded: 2012
Location: Miami, Florida
Open Cup History: 2015 (Debut) 2017, 2018, 2020 (cancelled), 2023, 2024
Miami United FC, founded in 2012 by Roberto Sacca, are among the top amateur clubs in the country.And their regular presence in our Open Cup since debuting in 2015 is a constant reminder of their standing. Led by striker Robertino Insua – who scored more goals than any other player in the last three Open Cup Qualifying Rounds – the Miamians won out 11-2 in their three 2025 Qualifiers. Having reached a third Tournament Proper in a row (and a seventh overall since 2015) Miami United FC will hope to pull off similar heroics to those they weaved in 2024 – when they beat pro side Chattanooga FC of MLS NEXT Pro before reaching the Third Round, where they lost to second-division Memphis 901 FC of the USL Championship. “This is a tournament I love,” said the Argentina-born Insua. “In a knockout competition like this, you have to be ready all the time – because everything is on the line.”
Tulsa Athletic | UPSL
Founded: 2013
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Open Cup History: 2014 (Debut), 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024
There’s no serious discussion about the best amateur teams in the country without talk turning to Tulsa Athletic. Founded back in 2013, by local restaurateur Sonny Dalesandro, the Oklahomans are heading into their seventh U.S. Open Cup after knocking out fellow national amateur giants Chicago House AC. They’ll aim to make the kind of waves they did back in 2023. That year, a win at their home base of Hicks Park over local USL Championship pros Tulsa FC set up a game in the Third Round against MLS side – and four-time Open Cup Champions Sporting KC. “We know what the Open Cup represents and we do what we do to show who we are,” said Aaron Ugbah, veteran player of that famous side from 2023 and a six-season member of the team. “It’s all about family and working hard here at Tulsa Athletic.”
Washington Athletic Club | SRATS
Founded: 2015 (Club founded in 1930)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Open Cup History: 2025 (Debut)
Washington AC follow in the footsteps of The Olympic Club of San Francisco as historic West Coast-based Athletic clubs with long histories to Qualify for the Open Cup in recent years. Unlike the Olympic Club, though, whose debut in the Tournament Proper was scuppered by Covid-19 and the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, WAC have every reason to believe they’ll be making their much-awaited debut in March. The club itself was founded in 1930, but the soccer program is a more recent thing – established in 2015. They benefited from some disorder in the Las Vegas Legends’ camp during this year’s Qualifying Rounds, meaning they reached the Tournament Proper via a Final Matchday forfeit. Even so, they looked great in their previous three games – a 4-3 win over Bellevue Athletic FC, a 2-1 win over Holac FC and a 5-0 rout of Deportivo Rose City of Portland, Oregon.
Angelo Maduro is a senior reporter at large for usopencup.com.