MLS Clubs Roll in Second Night of U.S. Open Cup's Round of 32; One Knox Downs D.C. United in Washington
Round of 16 matchups set following nine-match Wednesday; dates, times and venues to be announced at later date
The Round of 32 of the 111th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup concluded with a dominant showing from eight MLS clubs. The only lower-division side to stave off elimination on Wednesday evening was defending USL League One champions One Knoxville SC, which came from behind twice to take four-time Open Cup champion D.C. United to extra time before advancing on penalties.
As the last remaining third-division club, Knoxville has claimed the $50,000 prize as the Division III team that advanced the furthest in this year’s tournament.
The evening was also defined by lopsided victories; New York Red Bulls downed defending USL Championship title-winners Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC by a pair of goals, Charlotte FC recorded its largest win in club history against crosstown adversary Charlotte Independence, and the Columbus Crew, Houston Dynamo FC and St. Louis CITY SC all won by three or more goals.
As determined by the live draw on CBS Sports Golazo Network on April 2, the matchups and hosts for the Round of 16 are now confirmed. Dates, times and venues will be announced at a later date.
FC Naples 0 – 1 Orlando City SC
2022 Open Cup champions Orlando City SC staved off a valiant effort from USL League One side FC Naples at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. In front of a sold-out crowd, the second-year League One club matched up well against the MLS side in the hosts’ first encounter with a first-division club in official competition. Naples maintained statistical advantages in shots (20-17), shots on target (8-4), possession (53%-47%) and tackles won (21-8), but the difference was a seven-save performance from Orlando goalkeeper Javier Otero and a match-winning strike from Trinidad and Tobago international Tyrese Spicer. The win means Orlando is in the Round of 16 in back-to-back years, something they haven’t done since the 2018 and 2019 campaigns.
Chattanooga FC 1 – 3 Atlanta United FC
The last remaining MLS NEXT Pro side, Chattanooga FC, tested 2019 Open Cup champions Atlanta United FC at home before ultimately falling to the MLS outfit. In front of over 5,200 supporters at Finley Stadium in downtown Chattanooga—the second-highest Open Cup attendance for the club—CFC struck first via Yves Tcheuyap’s first professional goal in the sixth minute. From there, though, Atlanta United controlled the match, scoring three times between the 21st and 75thminutes, courtesy of Cayman Togashi, Fafà Picault and Pedro Amador. Atlanta remains perfect all-time against third-division opposition.
Richmond Kickers 0 – 3 Columbus Crew
The third meeting between 1995 Open Cup champs Richmond Kickers and 2002 winners Columbus Crew favored the visiting MLS side at City Stadium in Richmond, Va. Columbus controlled the match and cruised to victory against the historic USL League One side, as Hugo Picard tallied his first professional brace and Jamal Thiaré bagged his first goal for the club. The Crew are now back in the Round of 16 for the third time since 2017.
Red Bull New York 3 – 1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Rolling out a strong lineup at Sports Illustrated Stadium, Red Bull New York handled defending USL Championship title-winners Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Sweden international and New York captain Emil Forsberg opened the scoring in the 25th minute before 18-year-old U.S. Youth National Team forward Julian Hall bagged the third brace of his young professional career. Former USL League One Player of the Year Trevor Amann opened his Riverhounds account in the 79th minute, but by then the match was out of reach. For first-year head coach Michael Bradley, his Red Bulls are back in the Round of 16 for the third time in as many tries.
Charlotte FC 6 – 0 Charlotte Independence
In the first meeting between MLS side Charlotte FC and USL League One outfit Charlotte Independence, the Crown rolled to their largest victory in club history, dismantling their crosstown foe. The match was even until the 23rd minute, when Independence goalkeeper Giorgos Tasouris was shown red, unraveling Mike Jeffries’ game plan against the first-division side. From there it was all CLTFC; the MLS side enjoyed a 40-minute, six-goal outburst fueled by goals from Archie Goodwin, Henry Kessler, Nimfasha Berchimas, David Schnegg, Kerwin Vargas and Baye Coulibaly. In total, eight Charlotte FC players recorded a goal or an assist, and three players tallied multiple goal contributions. Charlotte FC is now back in the Round of 16 for the fourth time in as many tries.
D.C. United 3 (5) – 3 (6) One Knoxville SC (AET & PKs)
Four-time Open Cup champions D.C. United were ousted on penalties by defending USL League One champions One Knoxville SC in the latter’s first matchup against MLS opposition. A riveting back-and-forth affair at Audi Field—featuring goals from D.C.’s Matti Peltola, Nikola Markovic and Peglow, and Knoxville’s Babacar Diene and Denis Krioutchenkov—was ultimately decided in a penalty kick shootout after dramatic extra-time scores from Peglow and Krioutchenkov. Knoxville emerged victorious in its second consecutive Open Cup shootout, as Second Round hero Jonathan Burke made a big stop against Gabriel Pirani and Kyle Linhares converted the winner in the sixth round. Knoxville is now in the Round of 16 for the first time in the club’s five years of existence. For D.C. United, the MLS originals were ushered out of the Open Cup by a third-division side for only the second time in club history, having last lost to the Rochester Rhinos in the Round of 32 in 2014.
St. Louis CITY SC 4 – 0 FC Tulsa
Recent MLS expansion side St. Louis CITY SC extended its dominant form against lower-division sides in the Open Cup, defeating recent USL Championship runners-up FC Tulsa at Energizer Park. A strong St. Louis lineup and a second-half Tulsa ejection led to a lopsided scoreline in the Midwestern pair’s first meeting. Goals from Marcel Hartel, Jeong Sang-Bin, Mykhi Joyner and Tomás Ostrák, and even an assist from goalkeeper Roman Bürki, meant the contest was settled early. In three total matchups against lower-division sides in the Open Cup, St. Louis has picked up three wins and outscored the trio 11-1. The win sees CITY back in the Round of 16 for the second straight year.
Houston Dynamo FC 4 – 1 El Paso Locomotive FC
In the first meeting between cross-state opponents Houston Dynamo FC of MLS and El Paso Locomotive FC of the USL Championship, the two-time Open Cup champion Dynamo emerged victorious at Shell Energy Stadium. A goal in the second minute from Czechia international Ondrej Lingr and a Locomotive sending off in the 25th minute helped the match open up for the hosts. Following a tightly contested remainder of the first half, the Dynamo extended their lead after the break, as Mateusz Bogusz, Nick Markanich and Ezequiel Ponce found the back of the net in the second half. The win—Houston’s largest Open Cup win since 2023—means the Dynamo are back in the Round of 16 for the 10th time in its last 11 tries.
San Jose Earthquakes 2 – 0 Phoenix Rising FC
1996 Open Cup-winning coach Bruce Arena led the San Jose Earthquakes to the Round of 16 for the 17th time in club history following a 2-0 win over USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC at PayPal Park. Despite playing down a man for over 50 minutes, the Quakes were able to snag their sixth win in seven matches to open the season thanks to goals from Nick Fernandez—assisted by captain Timo Werner in his Open Cup debut—and Jack Jasinski—assisted by Fernandez.