CHICAGO (March 20, 2025) – Three-time Champions New York Pancyprian-Freedoms returned to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2016 on Thursday evening, and they more than made sure the wait was worth it. A 5-4 comeback win in penalty kicks for the Queens-based amateur side – and 1980, 1982 & 1983 Cup winners – marked the lone upset by an amateur outfit during the seven games of Thursday’s Matchday Three of the 2025 Open Cup First Round.
The evening began with more pageantry than drama, as a trio of USL League One squads – Portland Hearts of Pine, Tormenta FC, and Forward Madison – won home contests by a combined score of 12-1. That dominance included a 4-0 shutout win for Portland over CD Faialense in Hearts of Pine’s Inaugural Game, as Maine’s first professional soccer club capped an impressive 18-month ramp up with a night full of memories – and goals.
Charlotte Independence FC made it a clean sweep for USL League One sides on the night, but their 3-2 victory in added extra time at Long Island Rough Riders put the North Carolinians through the ringer. Following a 1-1 deadlock after 90 minutes, Charlotte pulled ahead in both the 104th and 107th minutes to secure passage to the Second Round, albeit in nervy fashion.
MLS NEXT Pro squads Carolina Core and Tacoma Defiance both took care of business at home, with Core FC racing out to a 4-0 cushion in an eventual 4-2 result over Soda City FC. Across the country, Tacoma fell into an early 1-0 hole in a Greater Seattle Area derby against Washington Athletic Club, but the Defiance fought back with the next three tallies to take the victory at Tukwila’s Starfire Sports Complex.
One last First Round meeting remains, as Denver area-based Flatirons FC will host Union Omaha on Friday evening (9:00 p.m. ET, live on @USSoccer YouTube channel), this after wintery conditions postponed tonight’s previously scheduled contest.
Earlier in the day on Friday, the victors from this week’s contests will be paired off into 16 Second Round matches; opponents will be determined by prioritizing hosting availability and geographic considerations. Second Round opponents, dates, kickoff times, and venues will all be announced Friday afternoon at ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. The Second Round will take place April 1-2 and can also be streamed live exclusively via U.S. Soccer’s YouTube home.
Friday, March 21
Flatirons FC (USLL2) vs. Union Omaha (USLL1) – 9:00 pm ET; WATCH LIVE @USSoccer on YouTube
Thursday, March 20
Portland Hearts of Pine 4-0 CD Faialense
South Georgia Tormenta FC 3-0 Harbor City FC
Forward Madison FC 5-1 Duluth FC
Long Island Rough Riders 1-1, 2-3 (aet) Charlotte Independence
FC Cincinnati 2 0-0, 0-0 (aet), 4-5 (PKs) NY Pancyprian Freedoms
Carolina Core FC 4-2 Soda City FC
Tacoma Defiance 3-1 Washington Athletic Club
Wednesday, March 19
Columbus Crew 2 4-1 NY Renegades FC
Chattanooga Football Club 0-0, 1-0 (aet) Corpus Christi FC
Appalachian FC 0-3 One Knoxville SC
Richmond Kickers 1-3 Virginia Dream FC
Inter Miami CF II 4-2 Miami United FC
Sporting KC II 1-2 Des Moines Menace
Lexington Sporting Club 5-0 Southern Indiana FC
Little Rock Rangers 1-0 Birmingham Legion FC
El Paso Locomotive FC 5-1 Harpos FC
Real Monarchs 1-1, 1-3 (aet) El Farolito
Monterey Bay FC 4-0 International San Francisco
Ballard FC 0-0, 0-1 (aet) Spokane Velocity FC
LAFC 2 7-1 FC Arizona
Tuesday, March 18
Hartford Athletic 3-0 New York Shockers
Sarasota Paradise 1-2 FC Naples
Miami FC 4-1 Naples United FC
New Jersey Alliance 2-2, 2-2 (aet), 2-4 (PKs) Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
FC Motown 0-1 Westchester SC
Asheville City SC 0-0, 0-0 (aet), 3-4 (PKs) Greenville Triumph SC
West Chester United SC 2-3 Loudoun United FC
Texoma FC 1-1, 1-2 (aet) FORO SC
Tulsa Athletic 0-1 FC Tulsa
AV ALTA FC 3-1 Ventura County Fusion
Ventura County FC 7-0 Laguna United
Portland Hearts of Pine (USLL1) 5-0 CD Faialense (USASA)
An evening of firsts played out for Portland Hearts of Pine at the Franklin Athletic Complex in Lewiston, Maine. Priority number one on a historic night for Hearts was making its Inaugural Game a win, and a dominant effort throughout secured Maine’s first professional soccer team that and so much more. The first goal in Hearts of Pine annals came 17 minutes in via Walter Varela, whose low shot from 15 yards snuck past traffic straight through the heart of the area to secure the Cabo Verdean a slice of club history. Next, Azaad Liadi notched a well-earned brace, a hooking volley of Titus Washington’s cross that doubled the Hearts lead near the half hour mark followed by his rebound on the doorstep of Washington’s shot from distance off a quick restart as the full hour approached. In the 68th minute, left back Nathan Messer sent the newfound Portland faithful into a tizzy with his stunning free kick that picked out the upper right 90. By the time Lewiston H.S. product and offseason combine MVP Khalid Hersi entered his old pitch as a substitute – and the first Mainer to represent Hearts of Pine – the celebration was fully on for not only the supportive sold out crowd, but for an entire state that took its first full embrace of the pro game via the Open Cup.
South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) 3-0 Harbor City FC (UPSL)
The ‘Storm’ has never failed to reach the Second Round. Niall Reid-Stephen scored twice in the second half, and goalkeeper Samuel Jones was untouchable as South Georgia Tormenta FC shut out Harbor City FC at Tormenta Stadium in Statesboro, Ga. The victory moves Tormenta FC on to the Second Round for the sixth time in as many Open Cup appearances, and within reach of advancement to the Third Round for a third straight trip. In the 23rd minute, Tormenta FC gained a turnover and worked the ball around to Jonathan Nyandjo, who slotted the opening goal into the lower right corner. Tormenta added an insurance goal in the 75th minute when Reid-Stephen tucked in a quick counter attack, and the Barbados international scored his second on a free kick around the wall in the 80th minute. Harbor City FC fell in its Open Cup debut, this after defeating Deportivo Lake Mary, Palm Beach Flames SC, and CFL Spurs in local Qualifying Rounds to reach the tournament proper.
Forward Madison FC (USLL1) 5-1 Duluth FC (NPSL)
For the second straight year, Forward Madison dispatched Duluth FC from the Open Cup in a First Round affair at Breese Stevens Field in the Wisconsin capital. A tight opening half hour soon shifted in the 34th minute when Duluth FC’s Aleksander Mihov struck Madison forward Nico Brown in the head to earn a straight red. It took only four minutes for the ‘Mingos to take advantage through Ferrety Sousa, whose bouncing ball went through Juan Galindrez’s dummy at the six and inside the far post to move the scoreboard first. Madison racked up shot after shot, but Duluth FC held firm and eventually leveled against the run of play in the 64th minute courtesy of Mario Hernandez’s rebound of Dylan Sumner’s saved effort. However, Madison clawed back the lead for good when Eddie Munjoma slotted home in the 73rd minute, then used a classy half-volley by Galindrez to remove all doubt five minutes from time. Goals in stoppage time by John Murphy (93+’) and Galindrez again (96+’) were the cherries on top of the Old Fashioned for the Badger State’s lone rep in the 2025 tournament.
Long Island Rough Riders (USLL2) 1-1, 2-3 (aet)Charlotte Independence (USLL1)
Forward Rafael Jauregui's second goal of the match in the 107th minute snapped a 2-2 draw as the visitors avoided an upset during a three-goal flurry in extra time under foggy conditions at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y. Jauregui intercepted a clearance and drove a 15-yard shot past goalkeeper Eryk Dymora in the 107th minute for match-winner that pushed Charlotte’s all-time Open Cup ledger past the .500 mark to 8-7-3. Jacob Woznicki lifted the Rough Riders into lead in the 49th minute as he slotted home a rebound of his own shot into upper right corner over goalkeeper Drew Romiq. Charlotte pushed forward and was rewarded in the 79th minute, when Jauregui slipped in a Christian Chaney pass from eight yards for the equalizer. Chaney lifted the Independence into a 2-1 advantage in the 104th minute, scoring off a half-volley from Clay Dimick's right-flank feed. A minute into stoppage time of the first extra-time period, Long Island leveled at 2-2 as Elias Khodri volleyed home a 14-yard shot, setting up the need for Jauregui's heroics soon after.
FC Cincinnati 2 (NP) 0-0, 0-0 (aet), 4-5 (PKs)NY Pancyprian Freedoms (USASA)
Defender Jens Hoff converted his penalty kick in sudden death in the shootout to lift the three-time Open Cup champion Pancyprian Freedoms to a comeback and upset at NKU Soccer Stadium in Highland Heights, Ken. After the teams battled to a scoreless tie through 120 minutes, the hosts took a 3-1 advantage during the spot kicks as Tega Ikoba, Alfredo Chavez and Juan Machado put theirs away against goalkeeper Josh Levine. Joe Holland scored on his PK for the Freedoms, but Luis Argudo hit the crossbar on his attempt. The visitors, however, rallied as Junior Rosero and Jack Sluys converted their tries against keeper Paul Walters. With Cincy 2 enjoying a 4-2 lead after Brian Schaefer scored, Brandon Kristel had the opportunity to record the game-winner in the fifth round, but he sent his attempt over the crossbar. That allowed Jordan Ballon to level it at 4-4. In sudden death, Will Kuisel hit the left post, and Hoff then fired his shot into the lower left corner for the win.
Carolina Core FC (NP) 4-2 Soda City FC (UPSL)
Joshua Rodriguez might just be the next pro. The 20-year-old had two goals and an assist before anyone else got on the scoresheet as Carolina Core FC beat Soda City FC at Truist Point Stadium in High Point, N.C. Rodriguez scored on a penalty in the 18th minute, added a second goal on a tap-in in the 59th minute and assisted on a third by Facundo Canete with a slick back-heeled pass in the 69th minute as Core FC grabbed a commanding lead. Captain Jacob Evans tacked on one more with a scorched 25-yard free kick in the 72nd minute to tie the second-year club’s single-match goals record. It also was the first Open Cup match at Truist Point for Core FC, which advanced to the Third Round in its expansion season. Soda City FC – the defending two-time UPSL national champion – got on the scoreboard in the 80th minute, when Lamar Thompson looped a volley over the outstretched arm of Core FC goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg. Rauf Salifu headed in a second four minutes later, but it was too little, too late for the Charleston, S.C.-based club that claimed the UPSL’s 2024 spring and fall season titles.
Tacoma Defiance (NP) 3-1 Washington Athletic Club (USASA)
Yu got it. Yu Tsukanome scored two goals in the second half to lead Tacoma Defiance FC past Washington Athletic Club at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. Playing in the Open Cup for the first time since rebranding from Seattle Sounders FC 2, Tacoma Defiance trailed early before Yu showed up. Washington Athletic Club grabbed the lead after Eric Lagos was taken down on a counter attack, and Nicholas O’Brien buried a free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 9th minute. Tacoma equalized before halftime on Edson Carli’s chipped shot from the left side, and Tsukanome gave the Defiance a 2-1 lead two minutes into the second half with a deft finish on an opportunity created by Sebastian Gomez’s defense-splitting run. Tsukanome’s tap in made it 3-1 in the 71st minute on an assist from Jackson Anthony Khoury, and Tacoma held off a late charge from Washington Athletic Club, the first amateur club from Washington to ever qualify for the Open Cup.
Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion.
Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.
The official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.