Vermont is Victorious, the Bucks are Back and a Teenager Makes History: The Best of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup's First Round
Looking back on the First Round's top moments; Second Round kicks off on March 31 with all matches streaming on Paramount+
The First Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has come and gone, but before we get the Second Round going on March 31, it’s time to look back on the most memorable moments from last week’s 31-match First Round. From record-setting performances at the club and individual level to dominant showings from professional and amateur leagues alike, the First Round had plenty of action.
14-year-old Braiden Kalonji becomes youngest goalscorer in recorded Open Cup history
Even though UPSL side Kalonji Pro-Profile narrowly fell to MLS NEXT Pro’s Chattanooga FC in its Open Cup debut, 14-year-old Braiden Kalonji made history by becoming the youngest goalscorer in recorded Open Cup history. The rising talent and son of Kalonji head coach Bruno Kalonji surpassed then-15-year-old Marcus Lee of California United Strikers FC as the youngest goalscorer on record with a long-range effort off a rebounded penalty kick save at Finley Stadium. The sensational strike even earned the first Goal of the Round nod of the season.
The keeper makes the save but 14-year-old Braiden Kalonji floats in the follow-up from distance 😳 pic.twitter.com/QMRfyxADy8
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) March 18, 2026
“It goes beyond just the goal or the record,” head coach Bruno Kalonji told UPSL.com. “What stood out most was his overall performance—how [Braiden] handled himself physically, technically and emotionally throughout the game. That maturity is what I’m most proud of.
“This also speaks to a bigger point in player development in this country. Young players need opportunities. If we don’t trust them and give them meaningful minutes in real games, we’ll never truly know what they’re capable of. I hope moments like this encourage more coaches and programs to give young, talented players a chance to let them express themselves and grow. That’s how we develop better players and ultimately improve the game.”
Vermont Green FC topples New England foe Portland Hearts of Pine
The first upset of this year’s tournament played out in front of a raucous, sold-out crowd at Virtue Field in frigid Burlington, Vt. In the first meeting between budding New England rivals Vermont Green FC and Portland Hearts of Pine, the defending USL League Two champions stunned USL League One’s Portland with a 1-0 victory. Former University of Vermont national champion David Ismail scored the winner on his VGFC debut to send Virtue Field into a frenzy and seal the Greens’ second-ever victory over a professional opponent.
“That’s a really good team that we made look a little bit ordinary to be honest,” Vermont head coach Chris Taylor said. “That’s a credit to the players, not to disrespect Hearts.”
The Greens will look to pick up their third victory against a professional opponent and advance to the Round of 32 for the first time as they host USL League One’s Westchester SC on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. ET at a sold-out Virtue Field (Paramount+).
USL Championship clubs roll in First Round
The lone Division II league, the USL Championship, enjoyed a dominant showing in the First Round. The 17 Championship participants constructed an unblemished 17-0 record, outscoring opponents by an eye-popping tally of 58-6. The collective performance was boosted by lopsided victories by Lexington SC (9-0 vs. Flower City Union) and San Antonio FC (6-0 vs. ASC New Stars), but overall, all 17 clubs were able to cruise to victories despite relying on heavily rotated rosters. Notably, only four matches were decided by less than two goals and only two clubs managed to put up multiple goals against a Championship opponent (Little Rock Rangers, Cruizers FC).
Looking ahead, eight Championship sides will host their Second Round match, while nine will hit the road. Additionally, 10 Championship clubs will face an intra-league opponent and three will face amateur opposition.
Five sides from the Division II league will be showcased on national television: Sacramento Republic FC will face UPSL side Valley 559 FC on the road on Tuesday, March 31 at 10 p.m. ET (Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network); Detroit City FC will take the one-hour drive north to Flint where it will face USL League Two’s Flint City Bucks on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network); Springs Switchbacks FC will host back-to-back USL League One finalists Spokane Velocity FC on Wednesday, April 1 at 8 p.m. ET (Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network); and Western Conference foes Orange County SC and Phoenix Rising FC will clash for the 38th time across all competitions to close out the Second Round on Wednesday, April 1 at 10 p.m. ET (Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network)
UPSL quartet ready for Second Round challenge
The UPSL has four teams participating in the Second Round—the most for the league in any edition of the tournament and the most among amateur leagues this year—thanks to some stunning results in the First Round. Although FC America CFL Spurs advanced to the Second Round via forfeit, the biggest headlines came on Wednesday and Thursday, as Valley 559 FC, Virginia Dream FC and Tennessee Tempo FC took care of a trio of professional opponents to secure their spots in the Second Round.
Of the four sides, Virginia Dream is the only club to have previously picked up an Open Cup win and advance to the Second Round—defeating USL League One’s Richmond Kickers in 2025—and secured victory this time by downing MLS NEXT Pro’s Carolina Core FC on the road. For Valley 559, the Fresno, Calif.-based side secured its first victory in the tournament with a late winning goal courtesy of 38-year-old former MLS Cup champion Quincy Amarikwa. In Tennessee, the Tempo controlled the pace of the contest, scoring the lone goal of the match late in the second half and sending USL League One’s Chattanooga Red Wolves SC home.
“You work for opportunities like that, but you don’t realize what these moments mean until you see the joy on your teammates’ faces,” Valley 559 forward Quincy Amarikwa said. “This win is proof that UPSL teams can get wins against professional competition, and the U.S. Open Cup is a great platform to showcase that. It wasn’t just a goal; it was a moment representing the Central Valley. And now what’s been building here will no longer be overlooked but recognized.”
The foursome will have their hands full in the Second Round, but will be confident as they face a quartet of strong professional sides: Virginia Dream head to Highmark Stadium on Tuesday, March 31 to face defending USL Championship title-winners Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at 7 p.m. ET (Paramount+); FC America CFL Spurs will depart Orlando for Naples to take on FC Naples on Tuesday, March 31 at 7 p.m. ET (Paramount+); Valley 559 FC will have the pleasure of hosting USL Championship heavyweight Sacramento Republic FC on Tuesday, March 31 at 10 p.m. ET (Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network); and Tennessee Tempo will round things out on Wednesday, April 1 at 6 p.m. ET as they face Chattanooga FC on the road (Paramount+).
“This is what the U.S. Open Cup is all about,” Virginia Dream head coach C.J. Taylor said. “Clubs get the chance to showcase themselves to the entire nation. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to represent ourselves in such a positive light to the country. Back-to-back wins in the U.S. Open Cup and getting this cupset means so much to us, and we can’t wait for the next round.”
Lexington SC, Union Omaha and San Antonio FC show no mercy
USL Championship sides Lexington SC and San Antonio FC, and USL League One’s Union Omaha did not hold back in the First Round, posting record-breaking performances a week ago. The combined 23 goals scored by the trio represented over a fifth of the total goals scored in the First Round.
𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐀𝐋𝐒 tonight! A new single-match club record! 🤩
— Lexington Sporting Club (@LexSporting) March 20, 2026
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️#LexGo | #YearoftheHorse | #USOC2026 pic.twitter.com/nCbv1129C0
The new-look Lexington SC absolutely dismantled NPSL side Flower City Union on Thursday, matching a modern era margin of victory record—previously held solely by Commonwealth Cup rival Louisville City FC since 2017—with its 9-0 thumping. Fellow USL Championship side San Antonio FC took care of business on Wednesday, defeating Houston Football Association’s ASC New Stars 6-0. Lexington’s win represents its largest in club history, while San Antonio’s victory marked the third time the club has scored six or more goals in a single match.
“Yeah, I mean the way we train, we want to score in many ways, whether it’s on the buildup play, whether it’s on a counter or whether it’s on a set piece,” San Antonio defender and goalscorer Alexis Souahy shared. “We want to be champions whether it’s in the league or in the [Open] Cup, you want to be the best at everything, so we train and we work for that way, and we saw tonight, we can score in different ways.”
Took care of business Wednesday night 🫡 pic.twitter.com/U8Dsq6FPR3
— San Antonio FC (@SanAntonioFC) March 20, 2026
For two-time USL League One champions Union Omaha, the Owls put on a show on national television, hammering Midwest Premier League side BOHFS St. Louis 8-0 on the road. The win was the largest in club history and also sets a record for the most goals scored by a League One club in the Open Cup.
The high-flying trio will next be tasked with replicating their offensive prowess against professional opponents; recent Open Cup darlings Union Omaha and Indy Eleven will meet for the first time on Tuesday, March 31 at 7 p.m. ET (Paramount+), Lexington SC will seek its first victory in its fifth meeting against Commonwealth Cup rival Louisville City FC on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. ET (Paramount+), and San Antonio FC will face off against defending USL Championship Western Conference champions FC Tulsa for the second time this season and 23rd overall on Wednesday, April 1 at 8:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
The Flint City Bucks are back and doing what they do best
Fabled giant-slayers Flint City Bucks made a splash in their first Open Cup match since 2018, earning an improbable 11thvictory against a professional opponent in the competition. The USL League Two side bested USL League One professionals Forward Madison FC in the pair’s first meeting thanks to a Madison own goal early on and a second-half strike from Jordy Lopez off the bench. The Bucks have now advanced to at least the Second Round of the tournament for the 11th time since 1996.
“We talked a little bit about that with the players in the locker room: Put your stamp on the Bucks’ history and give something back to the fans who came out on a cool March evening,” Flint City head coach Paul Doroh said. “We wanted to give the fans their reward, and we wanted to win the game for ourselves too. It’s not every day you get to play in the U.S. Open Cup, and it’s not every day you get to play against a professional team. The guys played really, really well tonight.
“We told the guys at halftime, we’re not going to bunker in, we’re going to continue to play. We knew we were going to have to weather a storm—in the first 15 to 20 minutes, [Forward Madison FC] were going to come at us, and they did. But the guys got the job done. It was fantastic.”
The Bucks were the first USL League Two team to defeat an MLS opponent (New England Revolution, 2000) and later pickup another victory against a team from the Division I league (Chicago Fire FC, 2012). Next, the 30-year-old club will attempt to conquer its 12th professional opponent as the Bucks host intra-state foe Detroit City FC on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET (Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network).
Historic matchup at Pittsburgh’s Highmark Stadium
The First Round concluded with a matchup nearly 70 years in the making. Defending USL Championship title-winners, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, secured a narrow 2–1 victory against USL League Two and fellow Pittsburgh-based side Steel City FC on a cool night at a packed Highmark Stadium.
On the banks of the Monongahela River, an intra-Pittsburgh U.S. Open Cup fixture was played for the first time since 1957. The last time two Pittsburgh-based sides faced off in the Open Cup was 69 years ago, when a pair of eventual Open Cup champions, Harmarville Hurricanes and Morgan Strasser, clashed at Harmarville's Consumer Field.
Next up, the Riverhounds will return to Highmark Stadium to host UPSL side Virginia Dream FC on Tuesday, March 31 at 7 p.m. ET (Paramount+), in hopes of advancing to the Round of 32 for a record third consecutive season.