CHICAGO (May 9, 2023) – The first matchday of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 delivered a compelling curtain-raiser as USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (Division II) earned an impressive road Cupset, 1-0, over early MLS Supporters Shield leaders New England Revolution (Div. I). Just as notable, both 2022 Open Cup Finalists exited the competition – title holders Orlando City SC (MLS) fell 1-0 to Charlotte FC (MLS) while runners-up Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) put in a valiant effort in a 4-2 loss to the Colorado Rapids (MLS).
Elsewhere, Inter Miami (MLS) continued its recent renaissance with yet another Open Cup victory, 1-0 over Charleston Battery (USLC), and the New York Red Bulls (MLS) grabbed a ray of sunshine by downing Atlantic rival D.C. United, 1-0.
Chicago Fire FC joined the Red Bulls as teams that grabbed a rivalry win after recently parting ways with their head coach. The Fire took the first edition of what could become a quality rivalry with St. Louis CITY SC, winning 2-1 at their old home in Bridgeview, IL.
In the night’s most exhilarating match, Minnesota United FC prevailed 7-6 on penalty kicks after battling the Philadelphia Union to a 3-3 draw. The Union twice fought back, getting a pair of wonder strikes from Kai Wagner – the first to tie matters 2-2 with the last kick of regulation – to match Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s heroic doble. In a cruel twist of fate, it was Wagner’s missed shot in the penalty shootout that gave the Loons the win.
The night’s final match also ended in a shootout. A youthful LAFC (MLS) lost an early lead before battling back in overtime to draw 2-2 and send the match to penalties where they ultimately prevailed over Monterey Bay F.C., 5-4.
The Round of 32 concludes with Wednesday’s slate of eight games. Four matches will stream on the B/R app and B/R Football YouTube, two will air on CBS Sports Golazo Network, and two will be available on U.S. Soccer YouTube. Check usopencup.com for the full schedule and links to watch all the games.
Inter Miami CF (MLS) 1, Charleston Battery (USLC) 0
Defender Sebastian Palma's own goal turned out to be enough for Inter Miami CF as it held off Charleston at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. A cross from the right wing hit Palma in the head and sailed into the Charleston net past goalkeeper Trey Muse in the 48th minute. The Battery came close to equalizing in the 71st minute when forward Augie Williams' shot hit the left post. Keeper Nick Marsman made one save to record the clean sheet as Miami extended its unbeaten streak to four games after having lost six straight.
Charlotte FC (MLS) 1, Orlando City SC (MLS) 0
The reign of the Open Cup kings has been ended by the Queen City club. Kamil Jozwiak bagged the only goal in the second half and Charlotte FC held on to beat Orlando City SC, the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner, in front of a packed Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews, N.C. Set up by a long run into the attacking third by Karol Swiderski, Jowiak ran on to a loose ball inside the penalty area and scored the match-winner past Orlando City reserve goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar in the 70th minute. Stajduhar was forced to make a number of saves to keep his side in the game but it wasn’t enough for Orlando City, which will not reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2017. Charlotte FC, an MLS expansion team in 2022, has qualified for the Round of 16 each of the last two years.
New York Red Bulls (MLS) 1, D.C. United (MLS) 0
Only a day after being named Red Bulls head coach on Monday, Troy Lesesne's debut was a memorable one as he directed his side to victory in one of the oldest MLS rivalries (Atlantic Cup), at MSU Soccer Park in Montclair, N.J. Lesesne replaced Gerhard Struber, whose 1-4-6 team occupied the MLS Eastern Conference cellar. After the Red Bulls dominated the early going, Omir Fernandez gave the hosts a deserved 28th-minute lead, firing in a Tom Barlow cross from the right wing past goalkeeper Alex Bono in the 28th minute. Ryan Meara, an Open Cup veteran as New York's long-time reserve goalkeeper, did not have to make a save as he registered the shutout.
New England Revolution (MLS) 0, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) 1
Midfielder Danny Griffin, who was reacquired by the Riverhounds last week, tallied the lone goal to boost Pittsburgh to a Cupset over the 2007 Open Cup champion Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. He latched onto a pin-point pass from Marc Ybarra, split defenders Omar Gonzalez and Joshua Bolma, then slotted the ball past goalkeeper Earl Edwards, Jr. from close range in the 44th minute. Griffin, who played with Pittsburgh from 2020-22, played in his second game for Pittsburgh. He joined the club on a transfer from Huntsville City FC, Nashville SC's MLS NEXT Pro affiliate on May 3. The Riverhounds, coached by Bob Lilley, held off the Revolution's 11th-hour attempts to equalize. Goalie Jahmali Waite made one save en route to a clean sheet.
Chicago Fire FC (MLS) 2, St. Louis CITY SC (MLS) 1
The Fire started early and took out one of their oldest/newest Midwest rivals. Maren Haile-Selassie scored in the third minute, and Fabian Herbers added an insurance goal in the second half as Chicago Fire FC took advantage of mistakes by St. Louis CITY SC at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill. Selassie provided the spark, getting in behind St. Louis’ sleepy back line and beating goalkeeper Benjamin Lundt between his legs for the opening goal. High pressure led to Chicago’s second goal, with Herbers pouncing on a heavy touch from Lundt before firing into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead for the Fire, a four-time U.S. Open Cup champion. Miguel Perez scored in second-half stoppage time for CITY SC, an MLS expansion team and winners of their USOC debut in the Third Round.
Minnesota United FC (MLS) 3, Philadelphia Union (MLS) 3 (7-6 PKs)
In a classic and dramatic game that lived up to Open Cup hype, Minnesota lost two late leads but won the shootout, 7-6, at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minn. Goalkeeper Clint Irwin made two saves in the eight-round tie-breaker, stopping Matt Real by diving to his right on Philly's third attempt before going to his left to deny Kai Wagner's left-footed attempt on the last try. Miguel Tapias converted the winning shootout goal as the Union was eliminated from its second cup competition in a week. Philadelphia was recently ousted by Los Angeles FC in the Concacaf Champions League semifinals. As it turned out, it was Wagner's two late goals in regulation and extratime that kept the visitors in the match. Loons forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane scored twice and set up a third goal. Five minutes after coming on, Hlongwane registered his third goal in as many matches on a header off a DJ Taylor feed past Jamaican international goalkeeper Andre Blake in the 68th minute. He turned playmaker six minutes later, penetrating deep on the left side in the penalty area before sending a pass back to Joseph Rosales, who scored from the top of the box. Chris Donovan, off a Julian Carranza set-up, made it interesting in the 78th minute, scoring his first Union goal to slice the lead in half. Four minutes into stoppage time, Wagner, who replaced Jack McGlynn in the 87th minute, knotted things up at 2-2 on an eight-yard shot from the left side. It was his first goal since October 2021. Hlongwane boosted United into a 3-2 lead, flicking in Joseph Rosales' cross in the 103rd. On what turned out to be the final kick of overtime, Wagner curled a 22-yard free kick around a five-man wall in the 120th minute to force penalty kicks.
Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) 2, Colorado Rapids (MLS) 4
Last year’s tournament finalists did not give in without a fight. Down two goals, Sacramento Republic FC battled back to equalize in the second half before getting swept away by the Colorado Rapids at Heart Health Park in Sacramento, Calif.
Jonathan Lewis added another tournament goal – this one in the first five minutes – and Michael Edwards’ header from a corner kick in the 15th minute put Colorado in control early. Sebastian Herrera got his head to a whipped cross from the right side in the 30th minute, and scored again with his head in the 52nd minute to get Republic FC back to level terms. Sam Nicholson came off the bench to put Colorado ahead in the 55th minute, and with Sacramento down to 10 players after a red card, Michael Barrios headed in the final goal in the 81st minute.
Monterey Bay FC (USLC) 2, Los Angeles FC (MLS) 2 (4-5 PKs)
The MLS Cup champions avoided what could have been a monumental ‘Cupset’. Elden Jakupovic made two saves and scored a spot kick as Los Angeles FC topped Monterey Bay F.C. in a shootout at Cardinale Stadium in Seaside, Calif.
The 39-year-old goalkeeper, by far the oldest player on an LAFC match-day roster filled with reserve team and academy talent, played like a man half his age in the shootout, diving to make saves before slamming in the fourth of his team’s five kicks. Christian Torres opened the scoring in the 24th minute for LAFC, which has yet to reach past the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals in four tournament appearances. Simon Dawkins bagged a goal in the 90th minute from the top of the box for Monterey to push the match to overtime, where both teams scored to send it to kicks from the mark to determine a match winner.
