Tag: U.S. Open Cup

Martino: Messi will rest eventually, but not in Open Cup semifinal

The Inter Miami star has played the full 90 in five consecutive matches

Lionel Messi has been playing a lot of soccer recently.

By virtue of his incredible Leagues Cup success, Messi has now played seven games within his first month with Inter Miami. He has started all but one of those games, and has gone the full 90 in his past five.

The most recent of those outings came in Saturday’s Leagues Cup final against Nashville SC. Like every other game he’s played for the Herons so far, Messi scored and his team won.

After lifting the Leagues Cup, Inter Miami will now have the chance to clinch a double with just two more victories in the U.S. Open Cup. On Wednesday, Messi and Co. will travel to Ohio to face FC Cincinnati in the semifinal.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said that he would have to rest the 36-year-old Messi at some point, but with another trophy on the line, Wednesday won’t be the time to do so.

“We said that at some point he would have to rest because of the load of minutes played,” Martino said. “Clearly, Wednesday is not going to be that day. If he does not tell me he wants to rest, he will continue to play.”

The winner the Inter Miami-Cincinnati semifinal will face either Real Salt Lake or Houston in the final on September 27.

Messi, who has now scored 10 goals in seven games with Inter Miami, has yet to play in any competition outside of the Leagues Cup. After he makes his Open Cup debut on Wednesday, he is set to play in his first MLS match on Saturday when Inter Miami faces the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.

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U.S. Open Cup 2023 quarterfinals: Streaming info, schedule and results

It’s crunch time in this year’s Open Cup

The U.S. Open Cup has hit the quarterfinal stage, with the final eight comprised of one clear favorite, two big underdogs from the USL Championship, and five MLS sides who are looking at the tournament as their best path to a trophy in 2023.

Supporters’ Shield favorites FC Cincinnati will play host to one of the underdogs, as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds looking to make it three straight upsets over top-flight opposition.

The other USL Championship side in the mix is Birmingham Legion FC, who have much better upset hopes as they host Inter Miami. That’s the same Inter Miami that just fired Phil Neville and then lost over the weekend thanks to one of the strangest goals MLS will see this year.

The other two matches feature MLS teams that are leaning heavily on the Open Cup to give their season some life. On Tuesday, the Chicago Fire will host the Houston Dynamo with both teams sitting outside the playoff picture in MLS. One day later, Real Salt Lake (one point ahead of Houston, and thus just barely holding a playoff spot in the West) will for the second time in six days face the desperate LA Galaxy.

Here are all of the quarterfinal match-ups (home teams listed first, winners listed in bold as the tournament unfolds):

Tuesday, June 6

  • FC Cincinnati 3-1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds
  • Chicago Fire 1-4 Houston Dynamo

Wednesday, June 7

  • Birmingham Legion FC 0-1 Inter Miami
  • Real Salt Lake 3-2 LA Galaxy

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2023 U.S. Open Cup round of 16: Streaming info, schedule and results

El Tráfico highlights an intriguing set of last-16 clashes

The U.S. Open Cup returns, with round of 16 matches featuring two of MLS’s most intense rivalries and the possibility of more upsets adding intrigue.

Plenty of headlines will be generated by the latest edition of El Tráfico, with Los Angeles FC hosting the LA Galaxy on Tuesday night. For a desperate Galaxy team, the Open Cup may be their one real chance at salvaging a season that has spiraled out of control, while their city rival is looking to use 2023 to underline their “we’re here to win everything” ambitions.

Wednesday will see the Rocky Mountain Cup add another chapter, with the Colorado Rapids hosting Real Salt Lake. It’s a regional rivalry that nearly always delivers a spicy game, and it won’t be the only game with the possibility of high drama. Both of the remaining lower-division teams left in the tournament will host MLS opposition, with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds welcoming the Columbus Crew and Birmingham Legion facing Charlotte FC.

Here are all of the round of 16 match-ups (home teams listed first, winners listed in bold as the tournament unfolds):

Tuesday, May 23

  • Inter Miami 2-1 Nashville SC
  • New York Red Bulls 1-1 (AET) FC Cincinnati (FC Cincinnati advances 5-3 on penalties)
  • Houston Dynamo 4-0 Minnesota United
  • Los Angeles FC 0-2 LA Galaxy

Wednesday, May 24

  • Pittsburgh Riverhounds 1-0 Columbus Crew
  • Birmingham Legion FC 1-0 Charlotte FC
  • Austin FC 0-2 Chicago Fire
  • Colorado Rapids 0-1 Real Salt Lake

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U.S. Open Cup shock as Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Birmingham Legion both stun MLS foes

What’s better than one cupset? Two cupsets!

Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup fixtures couldn’t have gone better for the USL Championship, or for upset-loving neutrals.

The last two remaining lower-division teams in the tournament both defeated MLS opposition. First, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds shocked the Columbus Crew 1-0 at Highmark Stadium. Just an hour later, Birmingham Legion matched that scoreline in eliminating 10-man Charlotte FC.

That makes it three Open Cup tournaments in a row where at least two lower-division teams have advanced to the quarterfinal round. St. Louis FC and New Mexico United made that run in 2019, while last year Union Omaha of USL League One went to the quarterfinals. Sacramento Republic FC went even further, going to the final before falling to Orlando City. The Open Cup wasn’t held in 2020 or 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In Pittsburgh, the Riverhounds showed the organization that has long been their hallmark under veteran coach Bob Lilley. The home side held a heavily rotated Crew side to just seven shot attempts in 90 minutes, despite the visitors holding 75% of the possession and completing over 700 passes on the night.

Despite those stats, the Riverhounds had the better chances throughout, and only needed to make one count. USL Championship Golden Boot leader Albert Dikwa was unsurprisingly the man for the job, sprinting in alone to fire past Evan Bush after a midfield turnover from the Crew.

Pittsburgh would see substitute Edward Kizza sent off deep into stoppage time, but still managed to keep Columbus at bay for what is the deepest run in their Open Cup history.

Down in Alabama, the scoreline was the same, but the path to it was a bit different. A Birmingham side starting eight players with MLS experience spent the first half largely pinned back by Charlotte, only for the visitors to lose center back Adilson Malanda to a second yellow card early in the second half.

From there, the Legion sensed their opportunity, changing their posture and making Charlotte work hard to hold them off on a hot night. That helped set up their goal, with Charlotte not recovering quickly enough to prevent Prosper Kasim from isolating Derrick Jones before pinging a low shot into the bottom corner.

The rewards for the the final two non-MLS teams left in the tournament are a bit different. Birmingham will be a popular pick to keep their run going, as they host a quarterfinal match against a stumbling Inter Miami side that managed to beat Nashville SC on Tuesday. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, has a far more daunting pairing, as they will head to Ohio to take on high-flying FC Cincinnati.

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Giorgio Chiellini did not love Riqui Puig’s El Trafico goal celebration

Props to Chiellini for translating his insult into Puig’s native language

Riqui Puig scored a Lionel Messi-like goal against LAFC on Tuesday night, and he pulled out a Messi-like celebration to mark the moment.

The LA Galaxy midfielder picked the ball up near midfield in the second half of the match, and proceeded to expertly weave his way through LAFC’s defense en route to a sensational individual goal.

Just like Messi famously did in 2017 at the Santiago Bernabéu, Puig removed his jersey and lifted it up in front of his biggest rival’s fans — a fitting move for a former teammate of Messi’s at Barcelona.

Puig’s goal would help the Galaxy to a 2-0 win over LAFC in the U.S. Open Cup round of 16, a desperately needed result for a team currently in last place in the MLS Western Conference table.

Chiellini calls Puig a clown

Puig’s celebration did not go down well with LAFC supporters or, apparently, its players.

As Puig was giving a post-game interview, LAFC defender Giorgio Chiellini emerged from his locker room to see the midfielder talking to the press. The Italian quite loudly yelled “payaso” — the Spanish word for clown.

We have to give Chiellini props for not only stoking the flames of the El Tráfico rivalry, but also translating his insult into its recipient’s native language. Very thoughtful! 

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2023 U.S. Open Cup draw for round of 16 headlined by LAFC vs. LA Galaxy clash

El Tráfico returns for the Open Cup’s next round

The draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 16 has produced some enticing pairings.

Thursday’s draw produced another chapter for El Tráfico, with Los Angeles FC hosting the LA Galaxy in the western quadrant of the tournament’s bracket.

The winner of that game will face the victor from another regional rivalry, with the Colorado Rapids hosting Real Salt Lake in a Rocky Mountain Cup clash.

Fans of upsets also got something of a gift, with the final two remaining lower-division teams (both representing the USL Championship) both getting to play their last-16 match on home turf. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds, fresh off of a 1-0 upset of the New England Revolution, will host the Columbus Crew, while Birmingham Legion FC will welcome Charlotte FC to Alabama.

All round of 16 matches are set to take place on May 23-24.

U.S. Open Cup round of 16 draw

  • Austin FC vs. Chicago Fire*
  • Houston Dynamo vs. Minnesota United
  • New York Red Bulls vs. FC Cincinnati*
  • Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. Columbus Crew
  • Birmingham Legion FC vs. Charlotte FC*
  • Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC
  • Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake*
  • Los Angeles FC vs. LA Galaxy

Home teams are listed first. Dates and kickoff times will be announced in the future. Winners of games marked with an asterisk (*) will host their quarterfinal match.

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2023 U.S. Open Cup round of 32: Schedule and results

US Open Cup streaming, schedule and results for the round of 32 in 2023’s tournament.

The U.S. Open Cup has kicked into high gear, with the top eight sides from MLS last season joining the fray for the round of 32.

That includes last year’s cup winners, Orlando City, as well as the MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC. It also means that the chances for upsets have fallen off a bit, with nine all-MLS pairings to play in a round that will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

That’s not to say that there’s no chance for a run like Sacramento Republic’s march to last year’s final. At least one USL Championship side is guaranteed a place in the round of 16 after Birmingham Legion and Memphis 901 FC were paired up, while Sacramento, Monterey Bay FC, and Loudoun United will all host MLS opposition.

Elsewhere, MLS’s first rivalry will add another chapter, with the New York Red Bulls (and new coach Troy Lesesne) hosting D.C. United, while two of MLS’s strongest teams from last year will meet as FC Cincinnati hosts New York City FC.

Here are all of the round of 32 match-ups (home teams listed first, winners listed in bold as the tournament unfolds):

Tuesday, May 9

  • Inter Miami 1-0 Charleston Battery
  • Charlotte FC 1-0 Orlando City
  • New York Red Bulls 1-0 D.C. United
  • New England Revolution 0-1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds
  • Chicago Fire 2-1 St. Louis City SC
  • Minnesota United 3-3 (AET) Philadelphia Union (Minnesota United advances 7-6 on penalties)
  • Sacramento Republic FC 2-4 Colorado Rapids
  • Monterey Bay FC 2-2 (AET) Los Angeles FC (Los Angeles FC advances 5-4 on penalties)

Wednesday, May 10

  • Loudoun United FC 1-5 Columbus Crew
  • FC Cincinnati 1-0 New York City FC
  • Birmingham Legion FC 3-0 Memphis 901 FC
  • Nashville SC 2-0 FC Dallas
  • Houston Dynamo 1-0 Sporting Kansas City
  • Austin FC 2-0 New Mexico United
  • LA Galaxy 3-1 Seattle Sounders
  • Portland Timbers 3-4 Real Salt Lake

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MLS commissioner Garber on U.S. Open Cup: ‘We need to get better’

Garber has the same gripes about Open Cup streams that many fans do

MLS commissioner Don Garber has been watching the U.S. Open Cup, and he’s not at all happy with what he’s seen.

Speaking at a U.S. Soccer board meeting on Friday, Garber was up front about his disappointment with the presentation of this year’s Open Cup.

“From our perspective, it is a very poor reflection on what it is that we’re trying to do with soccer at the highest level,” said Garber. “Some of the games that we’ve been playing in are on sub-par fields. I would say that they’re not games that we would want our product to be shown to a large audience. So frankly, I’m not all that disappointed that the audience is small.”

Garber also repeated a very common complaint seen online heading into Open Cup match days.

“The games are hard to find,” said Garber of a tournament whose games have been broadcast on a hodgepodge of Bleacher Report Football, CBS Sports’ Golazo Network or U.S. Soccer links on YouTube, team-run streams on Eleven Sports or club websites (and in some cases, radio only). “I’m telling you as an actual viewer, the reaction from our ownership, from our team presidents and even our fans in terms of being able to find the games.”

Garber concluded with a blunt assessment. “I appreciate the enthusiasm about it, but we need to get better with the U.S. Open Cup. It’s just not the proper reflection of what soccer in America at the professional level needs to be.”

USSF chief commercial officer David Wright, who was presenting updates on the Open Cup to the board, acknowledged that U.S. Soccer’s oldest tournament needs work.

“I think we concur,” said Wright. “We understand that the Open Cup is not where we all want it to be, and we’re committed to getting there. It also takes resources… it is a natural opportunity to take a step back now, particularly that we’ve got a renewed interest from media partners, which I think is a critical component to this.”

Broadcast troubles grew in 2023

In most of its recent history, the Open Cup has been difficult to follow. However, last year’s tournament saw every game available to stream on ESPN+, alleviating two of the main issues fans and stakeholders have had this year. While some streams didn’t include enough cameras or ideal viewing angles, it still represented a high water mark for the Open Cup.

U.S. Soccer’s broadcast deal with ESPN ended this winter, however, and the federation’s new partnership with Turner Sports saw a move away from that straightforward broadcasting model. Issues over where to find the games should be alleviated to some degree in the upcoming round of 32, with U.S. Soccer confirming that all 16 games will be streamed either through Bleacher Report Football, CBS Sports Golazo Network, or U.S. Soccer-run broadcasts.

However, in the first three rounds — which represent the bulk of the Open Cup’s games — Turner selected just eight games from each round for Bleacher Report Football broadcasts, leaving significant gaps in coverage. Teams have often been left to figure out a solution, which in some cases have been borderline incomprehensible or were otherwise too glitchy to follow with ease.

Wright’s presentation contained some positive news. Broadcast issues notwithstanding, the Open Cup has shown some remarkable growth, with a 178% year-over-year increase in unique viewers during the first three rounds of the tournament.

U.S. Soccer plans on holding a U.S. Open Cup summit this summer with the stated aim of improving the event while maintaining that growth. Broadcasting issues — whether in terms of best practices, proper resources, or finding a dedicated partner to focus on the tournament from start to finish — figure to be top of the to-do list.

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2023 U.S. Open Cup draw reveals round of 32 pairings

This year’s Open Cup looks like an MLS-heavy tournament from here on out

The final entrants have joined the U.S. Open Cup, with Thursday’s draw seeing the top eight MLS teams from 2022 enter the fray.

They joined the 16 other MLS teams and eight USL Championship sides that emerged victorious from Tuesday and Wednesday’s third round clashes, with U.S. Soccer arranging the round of 32 draw into eight four-team pots.

The draw produced some eye-catching pairings, with the Atlantic Cup rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United and a burgeoning Midwest derby between the Chicago Fire and St. Louis City SC among the highlights.

There will be at least one USL Championship side in the round of 16 after Birmingham Legion FC and Memphis 901 FC were paired up, while three more teams from the second tier will host MLS opposition.

While last year’s Open Cup saw lower-division sides Sacramento Republic and Union Omaha go on impressive runs against MLS foes, this year’s results have been a bit more on the chalk side of the ledger. The San Jose Earthquakes and Atlanta United were the only MLS teams to lose in the third round, while the various third-tier and lower leagues didn’t produce a single survivor. New Mexico United, sitting in 22nd place in the 24-team USL Championship, is the lowest team on the U.S. pyramid left alive.

2023 U.S. Open Cup round of 32 draw

  • Austin FC vs. New Mexico United
  • Houston Dynamo vs. Sporting Kansas City
  • Birmingham Legion FC vs. Memphis 901 FC
  • Nashville SC vs. FC Dallas
  • LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders
  • Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake
  • Sacramento Republic FC vs. Colorado Rapids
  • Monterey Bay FC vs. Los Angeles FC
  • Loudoun United FC vs. Columbus Crew
  • FC Cincinnati vs. New York City FC
  • New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United
  • New England Revolution vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds
  • Charlotte FC vs. Orlando City
  • Inter Miami vs. Charleston Battery
  • Chicago Fire vs. St. Louis City SC
  • Minnesota United vs. Philadelphia Union

Home teams are listed first. Dates and kickoff times will be announced in the future.

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Seattle Sounders, San Diego Loyal produce unfathomable nine-goal U.S. Open Cup thriller

#USOpenCupAfterDark produced a stone-cold classic

Look out #MLSAfterDark and #NWSLAfterDark, #USOpenCupAfterDark is here to provide the kind of bonkers soccer that for whatever reason can only happen after 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Plenty of Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup games came with tension, but nothing was in the neighborhood of the Seattle Sounders’ 5-4 extra time win over San Diego Loyal. Nothing was even in the same planet, if we’re being honest.

The game, played at the same Starfire Soccer Stadium that once saw Clint Dempsey tear up a referee’s notebook on a night where Seattle finished with seven men, started in such ordinary fashion…at least on paper. Fredy Montero in the 15th minute? Yeah that sounds right when it comes to a MLS team with cup history hosting USL Championship opposition.

But the goal was bizarre in a way that hinted at what was to come: Montero notched his goal after San Diego froze expecting a possible penalty kick call against them.

Seattle made it 2-0 through Ethan Dobbelaere in the 26th minute, and it seemed like the Sounders were readying for a romp. While the Loyal were able to steady themselves and get to halftime, 2-0 away against the Sounders? That’s a loss for just about anyone.

Head coach Nate Miller made four halftime substitutions, and that might have sparked something. Former USMNT midfielder Joe Corona’s 53rd minute penalty got San Diego back in it, but two minutes later Seattle cancelled that goal out, with Paul Rothrock sneaking a shot past Koke Vegas.

Again, it sounded like typical stuff, the big dog squelching any hope for the plucky upstart. That is, until Corona decided to score a wonder goal, burying a 25-yard direct free kick.

More than anything else, this stirred something. Seattle wobbled, and San Diego went looking for a miracle.

Still, it looked like the Sounders were going to escape. With only three minutes of stoppage time given in a half that saw three goals scored, two injury stoppages, a penalty kick given, three bookings, and three substitutions, San Diego just didn’t have enough time to get that one golden look.

But who needs a golden look when you have Kyle Adams apparently readying a cannon to score a stoppage-time equalizer from 27 yards?

Hurled into extra time and possibly into some other dimension by that goal, the Sounders got right back to work. Reed Baker-Whiting, apparently inspired by San Diego’s bangers, decided to offer up one of his own, dribbling in from the right before using his left foot to flash a shot from outside the box into the top corner.

The Loyal had already gone deep into their bag of tricks, but had one more moment of magic to call on. San Diego brought Jackson Simba in as a 115th minute substitute, and with literally his first touch of the ball, the 20-year-old headed home Corona’s near-post free kick.

If that were it, we’d be talking about Open Cup Madness, but somehow the final few minutes promised more. Seattle pumped in one last long ball, and both Simba and Travian Sousa pursued it. The Starfire turf sent the ball bouncing up high, and as the two jostled, Simba ended up turning and tripping Sousa up.

Penalty kick two minutes into stoppage time of extra time? You know it! Eight Loyal players argued against the call. Corona wandered in trying to put Montero off, then left the box, only to return to stall even further under the guise of giving his goalkeeper Vegas a kind word. Even when the box cleared, Vegas’ hopping up to slap the crossbar drew one more stoppage as referee Cristian Campo Hernández told him to stop shaking the goal frame.

Over two and a half minutes after the call was made, Montero just barely squeezed his shot past Vegas, giving Seattle what is almost certainly the wildest win of this year’s U.S. Open Cup.

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