The Round of 32 in the US Open Cup is upon us - we’ve followed our favorite amateur teams, underdogs, and Cinderella stories so far and this week Major League Soccer enters the fray. Our writers and guests take a look at the matchups and give you quick hits about who to look out for or what the vibes are so far. Who will be the big story after this week - who will provide the cupsets! Let’s get stuck in!

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USL Championship) vs FC Tulsa (USL Championship)

Tues, 05/07 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh made waves last season during the cup by beating eventual MLS champions, and now CONCACAF finalists, Columbus Crew, in front of a packed Highmark Stadium. Though it’s been a slow start to the season for the Riverhounds, you can never count them out of this competition.

Ryan Allen - The USL Show

Atlanta United FC (MLS) vs Charlotte Independence (USL League One)

Tues, 05/07 - 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Atlanta, GA

Atlanta United are two things: disappointing this season, and a guaranteed early exit in the U.S. Open Cup. Since their 2019 Open Cup win over Minnesota United Atlanta have looked less than stellar in the USOC, and I doubt this year will be any different. Despite coming into the year with one of the best rosters in MLS, the team has looked rough to start the season, Late goals, and a lack of offensive identity plagued this team last year and it seems as if Pineda’s side is experiencing the same issues this season. This could be a hot seat match for Pineda, as a loss or even going into extra time with a League One side is not a good look for the coach of a team that has spent as much as Atlanta has. For Charlotte, this is a prime opportunity to pull off a Cupset.

Atlanta look rough, are not playing in their cavernous stadium, and are likely rotating their lineup due to some injuries and overall fatigue. Beyond the starters, depth has been an issue for Atlanta, and this will be another test of what the “next man up” can do. Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. has found himself in the League 1 golden boot race early in the season, and he will be one to watch against an Atlanta backline that has been shaky to start the year

Elijah Newsome - SB Nation / CHN Radio

Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) vs Detroit City FC (USL Championship)

Tues, 05/07 - 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, TX

It was just last year that the Houston Dynamo won the whole thing - entering in the 3rd round and beating the Rowdies, SKC, Minnesota United, Chicago Fire, RSL, and Messi’s own Inter Miami along the way. Currently, the Dynamo are 8th in the West with 4 wins from 10 played and a -1 goal differential.

In order to be the champs, you have to beat the champs and DCFC, who were knocked out in the 3rd round last year, will travel to Houston to attempt just that. Detroit are in pretty good nick; they’re third in the USLC Eastern Conference and although they haven’t scored prolifically, they’ve only allowed 6 goals in all competitions this season - including their 1-0 win over rivals Michigan Stars of NISA in the last round.

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer

FC Dallas (MLS) vs Memphis 901 FC (USL Championship)

Tues, 05/07 - 5:30 pm PT / 8:30 pm ET at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX

The Dallas MLS Franchise is a storied one - with two US Open Cup titles, one as the Dallas Burn back in 1997 and a second in 2016 in their current branding. However, that didn’t help them last year, when FC Dallas entered the US Open Cup in the Round of 32 and were summarily knocked out right away. This year, they come into the tournament in bad shape - 2nd bottom in MLS’s Western Conference, have only won once in the last 9 games, and are averaging just a goal a game.

Memphis 901 FC, who were also knocked out last year in the Round of 32, are faring a little better in their league. They swapped the Eastern Conference for the Western Conference and while it was a tough start, they have won three out of their last four, including a cup win over Miami United, and have outscored opponents 10 - 3 in that stretch. If Bruno Lapa, Marlon, and / or Pickering are feeling it, FC Dallas could be staring at a big ol’ Cupset… but will anybody even show up in Frisco to see it?

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer

Orange County SC (USL Championship) vs Loudoun United (USL Championship)

Tues, 05/07 - 7:00pm PT / 10:00pm ET at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, CA

When these two teams have met head to head in regular season USL-C matches, Orange County has definitely been the stronger team with two resounding wins vs Loudoun. OC has better regular seasons in general. Open cup matches are another story altogether and Loudoun seems to have a small upper hand. That makes this weekend's meeting a bit of a conundrum and definitely a match to watch to see if either team can flip their script.

MaryBeth Zmuda - Protagonist Soccer

San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) vs Oakland Roots SC (USL Championship)

Tues, 05/07 - 7:00pm PT / 10:00pm ET at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA

Is this a proxy for the heart of Oakland? Probably not, but it sure feels like it can be. When “The Town” news broke about its connection to the Earthquakes and their owner John Fisher, the internet became a keyboard battleground for lower-division soccer. This matchup can bring that spice to the pitch, and I'm sure fans of community-based soccer teams have a rooting interest in this match.

Alan Underwood - The USL Show

Sacramento Republic FC (USL Championship) vs Monterey Bay FC (USL Championship)

Tues, 05/07 - 7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET at Heart Health Park in Sacramento, CA

It’s actually a shame these two have to face each other already - aren’t there any other MLS teams to knock out? Sacramento Republic, the darlings of the 2022 Open Cup, who knocked out the Quakes, then the Galaxy, and then SKC, and lost a heart-breaker to Orlando City, enter the tournament in this round and have hardly had a chance to make a dent.

Meanwhile, Monterey Bay Union, who entered the Cup in the previous round, and defeated NISA’s Irvine Zeta FC to get here, now have to travel to Sacramento and take on one of the best teams in their league. Sacramento and Monterey are 1st and 4th respectively in the USL Championship’s Western Conference and have yet to face off yet this regular season. It’s sad to see one of these sides exit so soon because both are playing great soccer right now.

Joshua Duder - Protagonist Soccer

North Carolina FC (USL Championship) vs Phoenix Rising FC (USL Championship)

Wed, 05/08 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC

A USL “super cup” match here in the round of 32, as last year’s winners of both the Championship and League One face off with a spot in the last sixteen on the line. North Carolina enters this match with no wins in the league in their last five games, and could use a run in the Open Cup to jumpstart their first season back in the second tier.

Ryan Allen - The USL Show

Indy Eleven (USL Championship) vs San Antonio FC (USL Championship)

Wed, 05/08 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at The Butler Bowl in Indianapolis, IN

Indy Eleven has had a rough couple of weeks with the stadium drama and MLS to Indianapolis. You know all this. Mighty San Antonio has one win in their last five Championship matches. This feels like a match of two clubs that would love a big win in the USOC.

Dan Vaughn - Protagonist Soccer

Charleston Battery (USL Championship) vs SG Tormenta FC (USL League One)

Wed, 05/08 - 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, SC

Tormenta may have a problem. Charleston is on fire in the Championship, currently 7-3-0 and decemating opponents, scoring 3 or more goals in half of those matches. Battery is on a tear. Tormenta is currently 7th in League One, winning 2 out of 7 matches. Expecting Charleston to march to the Sweet Sixteen easily.

Dan Vaughn- Protagonist Soccer

Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship) vs Birmingham Legion (USL Championship)

Wed, 05/08 - 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET at Al Lang Stadium in St Petersburg, FL

The Tampa Bay Rowdies are a US Soccer Legacy Team - a name and aesthetic that dates back to the good ol’ NASL days, but one thing they never brought home was the US Open Cup. Technically a team who plied their trade in St Petersburg has won the US Open Cup, the Kickers back in 1989, but it was not the Rowdies. They might be keen to do so.

They host the Birmingham Legion, who had a magical run last year, making to the Quarterfinals after beating teams like Chattanooga FC, Memphis 901 FC, and MLS’s Charlotte FC - they then lost 1-0 to eventual finalist, Inter Miami. Both the Legion and Rowdies are currently in playoff positions in their USL Championship Eastern Conference and even play each other in a critical league match just days later - this one will be decided by which manager goes all in on the limited opportunity of the cup, possibly sacrificing a league result.

Josh Duder - Protagonist Soccer

NYC FC II (MLSNP) vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USL League Championship)

Wed, 05/08 - 4:30 pm PT / 7:30 pm ET at Belson Stadium in Queens, NY

As we approach the Round of 32 of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC enter this round facing off against New York City FC II on the road. The Switchbacks are the last remaining team standing from Colorado to represent the state in this historic competition and although their horrific start to the 2024 USL Championship season, they have found some good form lately getting well fought out wins.

The Switchbacks will look at this cup competition as a separate competition to take their minds off the league and go full throttle at a chance of silverware. They face off against an impressive MLS Next Pro side New York City FC II who were able to beat an amateur side, their MLSNP rivals, and a USL Championship side to get to this point. This fixture is a lot closer than one might think, with Colorado Springs being so poor this year and NYCFC showing real promise in this competition. Should be a good one, tune in!

Riccardo Comminelli - Linners and Wosers /Area Sports Net

Union Omaha (USL League One) vs Sporting Kansas City (MLS)

Wed, 05/08 - 5:00 pm PT / 8:00 pm ET at at Caniglia Field in Omaha, NE

The Owls come into this match up as one of the best teams in USL1, and with an eye on revenge as SKC spoiled their magical 2022 run that some then beat 2 MLS teams - Chicago and Minnesota before SKC routed them 6-0. SKC come into this as a interesting club, that is 20th in the MLS table, but has gotten points in 7 out of 10 league matches thus far this season, with the Owls having to play 3 matches in 8 days - luckily all at home, it will be interesting to see how they prepare for this matchup over the Jager Cup and a league match.

Jon Hunt - Guest Writer

A Second Shout:
This may be the trendy pick for an upset in the Round of 32. Sporting Kansas City is languishing near the bottom of the MLS Western Conference and went winless in the month of April. Omaha is as locked in as you can get. Los Buhos last lost a match during regulation on July 22, 2023. Since then they have gone 20-1-2 in competitive matches. Their only loss during this run was via PKs in the 2023 USL League One semifinals. Omaha plays a disciplined, opportunistic attack and a physical defense. Keeper Rashid Nuhu has the talent to keep Omaha’s opponents off the scoreboard while their multifaceted attack can score in varied ways.

Dan Creel - Protagonist Soccer

New Mexico United (USL Championship) vs Real Salt Lake (MLS)

Wed, 05/08 - 6:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm ET at Rio Grande Union Field at Isotopes Park

New Mexico wore the top dog hat in Round 3, beating Lubbock 3-1 on the road. Now the tables are turned and NMU will be the underdog against visiting Real Salt Lake. RSL is on a tear in MLS, sitting atop the standings in the West. Tough draw for the black and yellow, but playing at home gives them an edge. Can they turn that into a win?

Dan Vaughn - Protagonist Soccer

Seattle Sounders (MLS) vs Louisville City (USL Championship)

Wed, 05/08 - 7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA

This is a matchup that all USL fans should have circled and make sure they tune it for. Lou City is firing on all cylinders at the moment with one of the best attacks in the entire country while Seattle has not been off to the best start, currently sitting 24th in the Supporters Shield standings through 10 matches. USL teams want to win the Cup this year to prove how close USLC and MLS may be, but first the top dogs of USL will have to take down one of the struggling clubs in MLS to prove that gap is not as wide as some may think.

Jon Hunt - Guest Writer

Las Vegas Lights (USL Championship) vs LAFC (MLS)

Wed, 05/08 - 7:30 pm PT / 10:30 pm ET at Cashman Field in LV, NV

LAFC have a break… arguably one of the best teams in MLS over the last three years do NOT have to worry about being knocked out of the US Open Cup by their rivals for a 3rd year in a row! LA Galaxy, who have won the US Open Cup twice, inexplicably agreed to field their MLSNP team instead and have already been eliminated. LAFC, who won MLS Cup in 2022, lost in the Final last year, have slipped a little this season and find themselves at 7th in West. And while their GD is at 0, they have given up 19 goals in just 11 games - which conversely means they have scored 19 goals in that span as well and look to play a very dangerous open style of soccer.

If only the Lights were the type of team to take advantage of that. Sadly, they are sporting a -8 GD - especially after being outscored 13 to 3 in their last 4 league games. Their win over Spokane Velocity in the Third Round was not entirely convincing and if they don’t batten down the hatches, this game could be an absolute blowout.

Joshua Duder - Protagonist Soccer

Edited by Joshua Duder
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