For a second straight year, a club’s name will be carved for the first time into the ever-expanding base of our old Dewar Challenge Trophy. The five surviving 2025 teams all hail from Major League Soccer (MLS) and are all hoping to make the 110th edition of the U.S. Open Cup an historic triumph.
It will either be Austin FC, the Loons of Minnesota United FC, high-flying Nashville SC, three-time Finalists Philadelphia Union or the New York Red Bulls who’ll claim U.S. soccer’s oldest and most venerable prize – putting a fresh name beside last year’s first-time winner LAFC and the sepia-toned heroes of old like Bethlehem Steel, Maccabi AC of LA and the Fall River Marksmen.
From the West side of the 2025 Semifinal bracket, Minnesota United FC – quirky descendents of vintage Cinderella disruptors the Minnesota Thunder – are in pole position to become the first team from the Gopher State to lift the U.S. Open Cup, with hosting priority through the Semifinal and Final Rounds.
Of course, it could be Austin FC – the Loons’ opponent in the Semi on September 17 (LIVE on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network). Were the Texan upstarts to pull off a win in the Twin Cities in the Semi, they’d then go on to host the Final. Were they to win that, they’d join two-time Champs FC Dallas/Dallas Burn and Houston Dynamo in a trio of Open Cup toppers from the Lone Star State.
On the other side of the ledger, out East, we have Nashville SC, whose Semifinal berth this year – like Austin’s – is the farthest they’ve ever gone in an Open Cup. It's also the farthest any side from Music City (or its home state of Tennessee) have ever gone in the historic knockout competition.
Of course, and lastly, it could be Philly’s Union to take home the big prize– and it’s a destination home to tradition aplenty in the 111-year history of our tournament.
Huge local tradition aside (teams from the two cities combine for 36 crowns in total – 29 for Metro NY and 7 for Philadelphia) it would be the first non-Supporters’ Shield trophy in club history for RBNY/Philadelphia Union. One of them will reach the Open Cup Semifinal against Nashville following a rescheduled August 13 replay (LIVE on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network) in Pennsylvania to decide the winner of the Quarterfinal abandoned on July 9 before kick-off due to dangerous weather in the area.
It would also be the first Open Cup crown for the city of Philadelphia since the Ukrainian Nationals won the last of their four titles back through the sands of time in 1966.
Fontela is editor-in-chief of ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Follow him at @jonahfontela on X/Twitter.