Fans of the 106-year-old Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup live by its magic moments. And the Round of 16 of the 2019 competition tossed up a good few of those between June 18 and 20. Join ussoccer.com for a look back at eight moments of note from the eight games in which old ghosts were revived across the country, holders Houston got too comfy at home and a pair of unlikely Sams joined the pantheon of Open Cup heroes.

This is what the Open Cup is all about - @USLChampionship side @NewMexicoUTD pull off the 2-1 win on the road (their 4th away win) against @FCDallas of @MLS to book a Quarterfinal date at @MNUFC. #CUPSET #USOC2019 | 📺 Highlights pic.twitter.com/IAsft1gJ1g
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) June 20, 2019

Two Upsets & Two Sams

There are those moments. They happen every year in this old Cup. An underdog forces a way in and sends their betters home with a lesson about what you can (and can’t) take for granted. New Mexico United, from out-of-the-way Albuquerque, won a fourth game on the road – and their second against an MLS opponent – when they traveled all the way to the campus of Southern Methodist University to see what 2016 champs FC Dallas were made of. A man named Sam Hamilton, center-back and an unlikely scorer, won the day. His second-half strike after a goalmouth scramble has his name alive in Open Cup lore henceforth. It was another Sam, Captain Sam Fink of Saint Louis FC, who sealed the deal in Fenton, Missouri. A native of the city, and another humble center-back, he climbed highest at the back post to head home and topple MLS’s FC Cincinnati. That goal, the roar and the exuberance and the flying beer in the stands, go down in the loose record of unexpected and happy surprises in a tournament that breathes them like air.

This...this was a BIG one‼@SaintLouisFC pulls off the #Cupset vs. @fccincinnati and moves on to the Quarterfinals! They will be hosted by @ATLUTD July 10th!#USOC2019 | 📺 Highlights pic.twitter.com/JMb2t5ZgoB
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) June 20, 2019

FC Cincinnati: An Open Cup Tragedy in Two Parts

This tournament is nothing without its underdogs. Neutrals line up behind those earnest strivers who dream biggest and reach farthest. And those Goliaths who stand in the way, well they better have a thick skin. All those neutrals bayed, this year, for FC Cincinnati’s blood. We craved their humiliation. Up against blue-collar second-tier darlings Saint Louis FC, we called for their heads. Hell, they’re an MLS team. They have every advantage. A big budget. A Designated Player. We need them torn down. We got what we wanted. So we celebrated the possibilities of a just cosmos. But let us not forgot. It wasn’t three years ago that we carried FC Cincinnati on our shoulders – and in our hearts. We shouted with them when they, then just a team with a dream from the second-division, toppled Bastian Schweinsteiger and his Chicago Fire in front of over 30,000 Ohioans in love, suddenly, with the possibilities. Some of us wept when their dream turned to ash at the feet of Bradley Wright-Phillips. Let’s not forget – this FC Cincinnati team now struggling with life under the bright lights – were once our heroes too.

WATCH: FC Cincy’s Cinderella 2017 Open Cup Run (VIDEO)

Dylan Wolpers: Never Forget

For those of you new to the U.S. Open Cup, it wasn’t always one click away and fully available on your chosen digital device. There were hiccups. There were twists and turns with venues spread over a host of time zones and through multiple leagues. It didn’t always go off without a hitch or two – and that was one of its charms. ussoccer.com did its best to provide every game via a live feed. But in Houston last year, a glitch in the system caused a broadcast interruption. Crossed wires with the big screen in BBVA Stadium replaced the image on many phone, tablet and computer screens with a message wishing a Happy B-Day to Dylan Wolpers. And in one of those moments when the Twitter-sphere reacted, in true human unison and with a sense of humor, the tweets and well-wishes rolled in. They came from Minnesota United fans, neutrals and Dynamo backers – most with tongue-in-cheek. And it was a moment no one wanted to let go. Mr. Wolpers, a wine salesman, gained Open Cup fame. This year, when the same two teams met on the same date in the same round – his birthday again, the #DylanWolpersDerby was everywhere.

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