Round Three of the US Open Cup Proper is set to kick off this week and while the winners of Round Two move on, we get introduced to the next level of professional clubs from the USL Championship. Our staff and guest contributors took time out of their busy schedules to tell us just what’s so interesting about these matchups anyways… so, let’s get stuck in!

Charlotte Independence (USL League One) vs Rhode Island FC (USL Championship)

Tues, 04/16 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, NC

All you have to do is show up - USL Championship expansion side Rhode Island FC head to USL stalwarts Charlotte Independence for their first foray into the US Open Cup. While Rhode Island, 0-4-1 in league play with a -3 goal differential, may not have any history of which to lean into, Head Coach Khano Smith who has over 130 appearances for US-based teams, surely knows the lay of the land and can select a team ready to compete. The Jacks’ Head Coach, Mike Jeffries, has his side in better nick - with two wins on the trot in league play and two more wins in a row in Cup play, having beat amateur sides Vereinigung Erzgebirge and SC United Heat, to earn their way to Round Three Proper.

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer / One League Under the C

Louisville City FC (USL Championship) vs Greenville Triumph SC (USL League One)

Tues, 04/16 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, KY

Two teams that are always in the conversation of being near the top of their respective league. Louisville had been on a hot start to the season up until their defeat against Charleston last Tuesday. Greenville meanwhile had their first loss of the season as well with a defeat against Charlotte on Friday. Both sides have been scoring goals for fun this season (Louisville averaging 3.5 goals a game vs Greenville averaging 1.8 goals per game), I expect it to be a thrilling contest with lots of goals

Ryan Allen - The USL Show

Detroit City FC (USL Championship) vs Michigan Stars FC (NISA)

Tues, 04/16 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, MI

Arguably, this game should be on National Television - its a Michigan Derby and kinda a big deal… you would think. DCFC is coming in hot, with four wins on the bounce in the USL Championship. Meanwhile, MSFC have three wins in a row; including cup wins over Steel City FC in Round One and MNUFC2 in Round Two. Now the Stars visit Detroit City FC, a team they haven’t beat since September of 2020 when both were in NISA.

Ben Brannigan - Protagonist Soccer

New Mexico United (USLC) vs Lubbock Matadors (NPSL)

Tues, 04/16 - 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET at Rams Soccer Field at Rancho HS

New Mexico United, led by Head Coach Eric Quill, are entering the Cup in this round - currently, they are 4th in the Western Conference of the USL Championship. With only 6 goals scored, by six different scorers, no “danger man” has arisen; additionally, no player has more than one assist so far. Add to that lackluster offensive output, they have a -1 goal differential and aren’t looking steady at the back. On the other hand, although they are amateurs, Lubbock Matadors have really earned their way to this third round. Head Coach Paul Gilbert has them grinding out wins; 2-1 over Arizona Monsoon in round one and 2-0 shutout in round two, defeating Foro SC. They don’t have to worry about league play until May, so Salvador Martinez, who has three in the tournament so far, can focus on adding to his tally. Shuma Sasaki and Toufik Najem have one each in the Cup as well. With three consecutive road games coming up in the league for New Mexico, there is a chance they could overlook Lubbock Matadors. The ingredients are just right for a Spicy Southwest style cupset.

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer

Oakland Roots SC (USLC) vs El Farolito FC (NPSL)

Tues, 04/16 - 7:30pm PT / 10:30pm ET at CSUEB Pioneer Stadium in Hayward, CA

For a lot of soccer fans El Farolito is a pleasant surprise - after entering with the other NPSL sides in Round One, El Farolito has traveled to Oregon and knocked out MLSNP pretenders Portland Timbers 2. Then they took a trip to Central Valley Cali, to Fresno, and knocked out division 3 professional side, Central Valley Fuego. They aren’t bunkering down either, they have outscored their professional opponents 4-2 and are simply not afraid to play on the front foot. The Oakland Roots are up next and really need to figure out how to track Dembor Onasis Benson Bodden, who scored in the the first round, alongside Jhohann Sebastian Yabur Perea who also had one; Bodden then had a brace in Round Two and is a serious threat to score.

The Roots are just entering the Cup this round and are in poor form in the league - they’ve just one win from five and have a -4 goal differential. To make matters worse, they head off to Eastern Conference leaders Detroit City just days later in what could be a critical game early in the season. Conditions may be just right for the 1984 Open Cup winners to continue their totally unsurprising 2024 USOC run.

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer / One League Under the C

North Carolina FC (USL Championship) vs Carolina Core (MLSNP)

Wed, 04/17 - 4:00pm PT / 7:00pm ET at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC

NCFC comes into the matchup sitting 8th in the East of the USL Championship after a 1-1 draw vs. Birmingham. This Open Cup match will test the depth of NCFC. They have started over 20 players in league play, and they have a spell of 3 games in 7 days. The Dead Whales faced The Core in preseason, beating them 5-2. Rotation is key, and Bradford has done a lot of that this season. Players are gelling, and Da Costa got his first goal for the club over the weekend. Players like Servania, Flores Blanco, and Somersall will probably get the nod on Wednesday. If they can keep the attack balanced and fast, they should have no problem and take this run into the next round.

Eboni Christmas - Shea Butter FC / Walkin’ 90 Podcast

Hartford Athletic (USL Championship) vs NYCFCII (MLSNP)

Wed, 04/17 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, CT

New York City FC II is one of two MLS NEXT Pro reserve sides remaining in the Open Cup. It’ll be heading to a place the NYCFC organization knows quite well; Connecticut. Joking aside, NYCFC II is struggling in the league yet has impressive wins in both its USOC matches. Taylor Calheira has been a threat upfront and the constantly shifting roster, due to factors like international break and GA Cup, has excelled. On the other side, Hartford Athletic is a completely new team. Outside a few names like stalwart captain Danny Barrera this roster is completely overhauled. And it's been working with the New England side sitting in the top half of the USL Championship Eastern Conference. Hartford has never lost an opening match in the Open Cup, but has also never beaten a professional team - one of these facts will change on Wednesday.

Michael Battista - Hudson River Blue / Red Bulls Nation

Richmond Kickers (USL League One) vs Loudoun United (USL Championship)

Wed, 04/17 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at City Stadium in Richmond, VA

In the classic form of the U.S. Open Cup, before moving on to opponents in other regions, teams would compete within their state associations until one was crowned champion. Over two rounds, Richmond has beaten Baltimore-based Christos FC and Maryland Bobcats of the DC Maryland suburbs. Now they face off against USL brethren Loudoun United located in the Northern Virginia suburbs. With D.C. United not represented in this year’s USOC, the team winning this matchup can lay claim to the 2024 DMV championship.

Dan Creel - Protagonist Soccer / One League Under the C

The Miami FC (USL Championship) vs. SG Tormenta FC (USL League One)

Wed, 04/17 - 7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET at FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami, FL

Few teams have coasted as seamlessly as the Fighting Ibises of Statesboro, Georgia these past couple weeks. After making in-state rival Savannah Clovers endure the longest 55-mile trip home, post 4-0 USOC second round shellacking, Tormenta FC dominated in-league opponent Lexington to the tune of a 3-0 victory. Couldn’t ask for a better form heading into an away evening at FIU Stadium this Wednesday.

Should South Georgia’s finest travel by bus, it’s a seven and a half hour trip from Statesboro to Miami. That’s enough time to watch the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ dismantling of Miami FC this past week five times, something I’m sure many of the Ibis lads will take full advantage or viewing.They may not have the firepower of the St Petersburg boys, but South Georgia can certainly make a match of it against a limping South Florida side that’s not found a win since the season opener over a month ago. If the Ibis are within a goal after an hour gone in this one, it could become a considerably more interesting contest in the final thirty (or more) minutes.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer / USL League 2 “The 2how”

Memphis 901 FC (USL Championship) vs Miami United FC (USSL)

Wed, 04/17 - 7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET at AutoZone Park in Memphis, TN

Every so often, it’s bandied about the twittersphere that a hypothetically popular change to the USOC format would be, in its current single-leg form, to allow the lower seed opponent to host. Wednesday’s match up between one of the last-standing amateur darlings in Miami United away to USLC near-doormat Memphis 901, feels like a notable ‘Exhibit A’ towards making that very change. Instead of an energetic night in South Florida and some slight home field advantage to one of 2024’s USOC Cinderellas, fans streaming the match will be treated to midweek evening in a baseball park hosted by slumping 901 side with one of the smallest fan atmospheres in the second division.

That atmosphere could still get loud in a hurry if Memphis can use a despatching of their amateur visitors to shake out of their current four-match losing slump. To avoid a similar fate of Chattanooga FC and Club De Lyon, Memphis will need to deny Miami the early goal that the South Floridians can then sit back on and defend for the rest of the game. A match that could be over by halftime OR deliver late intrigue, the determination of which story plays out might be told in the first twenty minutes of this one.

Ryan Stallings - Protagonist Soccer / USL League 2 “The 2how”

FC Tulsa (USL Championship) vs Northern Colorado Hailstorm (USL League One)

Wed, 04/17 - 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET at University of Tulsa, Hurricane Track

What a thrilling matchup for the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 2024 edition. As we enter the round where a handful of USL Championship teams come in, we get a USL Championship versus USL League One game. It’s FC Tulsa, who is now the home club of one of Hailstorm’s club legends Arthur Rogers. Northern Colorado will make the trip to Tulsa, making it the second time this cup run that they travel to Oklahoma. They beat Tulsa Athletics in the first round 4-1. Hailstorm has been great in the cup competition scoring seven goals and allowing three in their two victories. FC Tulsa has been pretty mid in the league this year, having won two, drawing two, and losing one - they have the firepower to win this cup game. The Arturh Rogers comeback game should be an exciting one and we know both teams can get a win in Tulsa. Kickoff is at 6.00pm MT game hosted at Hurricane Track, Tulsa..

Riccardo Comminelli - Linners & Wosers / Area Sportsnet

Chicago Fire II (MLSNP) vs Indy Eleven (USL League Championship)

Wed, 04/17 - 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL

I know we’re all supposed to be rooting against the MLS Next Pro teams because they shouldn’t even be in the damn tournament, but this Fire II team seems to be pretty damn good. They already had players like Harold Osorio and Omari Glasgow, and they’ve been bolstered with names who could feature for the first team, like Wyatt Omsberg, Javier Casas, and Sergio Oregel. They’ll also be at the comforts at their home stadium again, which puts the odds in their favor. Indy Eleven won’t be bothered by any of that, though, and they’ll come into this game with some confidence after beating the Fire II in preseason. Indy’s close enough to Chicago so we can even count this as a local derby if we try hard enough. Can the MLS replacements keep on rolling, or will Indy pick up another statement win?

Adnan Bašić - Protagonist Soccer

Union Omaha (USL League One) vs El Paso Locomotive FC (USL Championship)

Wed, 04/17 - 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET at at Werner Park in Omaha, NE

Locomotive are still desperately seeking their first win of the 2024 campaign and a battle against a lower league side should be the cure for the winless streak. Except Omaha is the lower league side that knocked Locos out of last year’s USOC. Are we on the verge of a upset or a chance for El Paso to get off the snide?

Dan Vaughn - Editor, Protagonist Soccer

Birmingham Legion (USL Championship) vs Chattanooga Red Wolves (USL League One)

Wed, 04/17 - 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET at The University of Montevallo

In a rematch of last year’s second round matchup, Birmingham Legion FC and Chattanooga Red Wolves meet up again on Birmingham Legion’s entry into the competition. The last time these two met up in competitive competition, Legion won the battle 4-1, but this year Chattanooga comes in much improved and looks more like the 2022 versions of themselves. Despite a deep run in 2023, Legion have not had a ton of success in the Open Cup, meanwhile the Red Wolves seem to always find a way in 2024. Pair that with the friendly confines of a 200 capacity in Montevallo, Alabama, it should be an intense atmosphere on and off the pitch on Wednesday

Kaylor Hodges - The USL Show

Monterey Bay FC Union (USL Championship) vs Irvine Zeta (NISA)

Wed, 04/17 - 7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, CA

Monterey Bay Union enters the tournament on the strength of back-to-back league wins. To wit: the club has three wins from its first six USL-Championship matches this season and is currently third in the Western Conference after a 3-1 win over Las Vegas Lights FC on Saturday, April 13. Irvine Zeta FC is getting goal contributions from all over. First it was Shinya Kadono’s goal in a 1-0 win over MesoAmerica in the first round, then they beat Ventura County FC - aka L.A. Galaxy II - by a score of 3-0 in the second round with goals from Rafael Espinoza, George Almeida and Marcel Salceda. And then got a pair of goals from defenders in its NISA season opener. Who will score next?

Dennis Pope - Protagonist Soccer / Root and Branch Podcast

Las Vegas Lights (USL Championship) vs Spokane Velocity (USL League One)

Wed, 04/17 - 7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET at Cashman Field in LV, NV

Several amusing talking points will converge with this game and even if the product on the pitch brings the drama to fruition, it’ll be a shame that this game happens in Las Vegas. Last year, the Lights managed a whopping 300 total attendance for their 3rd round match vs. Real Salt Lake. Times have changed, or so I’m told, as Jose Bautista’s purchase of the Lights has been described to me as a lifeline to a club with an otherwise woeful history. Meanwhile, Velocity FC were fortunate to escape Ballard in the first round and couldn’t dispatch L.A. Force until the 85th minute of their second round match despite enjoying 70% of the possession.

The Lights have been surprisingly competent through 5 games in the Championship, earning 9 points alongside a positive goal differential of +2. So, it’s the reborn Lights vs. newborn Velocity. If more than 500 people show up, maybe Lights can continue their unexpected good form. Velocity FC’s biggest challenge will be match fitness (injuries) and roster depth (still only 20 players). Expect a debut from left-back Ariel Mbumba and another start for Elijah Amadin at left mid, which means Derek Waldeck could be played on the right if Leigh Veidman decides to start the veteran co-captain.

Benji Wade - Spokane Soccer Show

Edited by Joshua Duder
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