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SCHEDULE CONFIRMED FOR 22 GAMES OF THE 2026 U.S. OPEN CUP FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND
Forty Four of a Record 145 Open Division Clubs Start Their 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Journey on Sept. 13 & 14; The 16 Eventual Survivors Through Four Rounds of Qualifying to comprise half of the Open Division/Amateur Field of 32 for the 111th Edition of U.S. Soccer’s Historic Club Championship.
ATLANTA (Aug. 29, 2025) – The Official Draw is complete for the First Qualifying Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. There will be 22 matches played across the country on September 13 and 14 with 101 amateur clubs receiving a direct bye through to the Second Round on October 11-12.
The historic U.S. Open Cup tournament, entering its 111th edition, is the only high-profile event in American team sports where amateur sides face professionals in meaningful competition. A record 145 teams, down one from 146 following the late withdrawal of Virginia’s Los Toros, have entered the competition via the Qualifying Rounds this fall. They’ll vie for 16 available slots on offer in the Tournament Proper, which kicks off next spring.
With the goal of minimizing overall total travel distance, matchups and byes for the Qualifying Rounds were determined by a combination of geographical considerations and random selection. Once match-ups were determined, host teams are determined by random selection.
The winners from the First Qualifying Round will enter a mammoth Second Qualifying Round, consisting of 59 games on October 11 & 12. From there, the winners will face off in a Third Qualifying Round (Nov. 1-2). All 16 slots available for the Tournament Proper will be decided in the Fourth Qualifying Round (Nov. 22-23).
The First Qualifying Round features some heavy hitters from past Open Cups. Four-time Champions Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (1960, 1961, 1963 & 1966) take on fellow Pennsylvanians Colonial SC. There’s also a historic Metro New York clash between NY Greek American SC, who won four Open Cups in the 1960s and 70s, and three-time winners the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982 & 1983).
Other, more recent, Open Cup heroes in the First Round mix are 2023 Cinderellas Tulsa Athletic, who take on FC Bartlesville Buffaloes. Baltimore legends and 2017 Open Cup heroes Christos FC take on fellow Marylanders Patuxent FA. FORO SC of Texas will look to reprise their starring role from this year’s tournament after posting a First Round upset win over professional side during the 2025 Tournament Proper back in March.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia will be represented in the upcoming Qualifying Rounds, with Florida (23), California (22) and New York (11) leading the way. On the opposite side of things, 11 states – Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina and Tennessee – as well as Washington, D.C., all have one hope to make it through.
First Qualifying Round Games (Host listed first) | Sept. 13-14
Eclipse Soccer Academy (UPSL / CA)
vs. Albion SC Silicon Valley (UPSL / CA)
The Olympic Club (CA/ SFSFL / USASA)
vs. Norcal Shockwaves (CA / SFSFL / USASA)
Napa Valley 1839 FC (CA / The League for Clubs / USASA)
vs. SF Vikings SC (CA / SFSFL / USASA)
Chicago Strikers (IL / UPSL)
vs. Wisloka Chicago (IL / UPSL)
Black Cat FC (IL / UPSL)
vs. Edgewater Castle FC (IL / Midwest Prem. League / USASA)
Peak Eleven FC (CO / Mountain Prem. League / USASA)
vs. FC Denver (CO / Colorado Prem. League / USSSA)
Boulder United FC (CO / Colorado Prem. League / USSSA)
vs. Colorado Rovers (CO / Colorado Prem. League / USSSA)
Patuxent FA (MD / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
vs. Christos FC (MD / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
Yinz United (VA / American Prem. League / USASA)
vs. MSI Pro (MD / UPSL)
Oranje FC (MD / DC Premier League / USASA)
vs. Doradus FC (VA / UPSL)
Aegean Hawks FC (VA / American Premier League / USASA)
vs. Arlington SA Pro (VA / UPSL)
Tulsa Athletic (OK / The League for Clubs / USASA)
vs. FC Bartlesville Buffaloes (OK / UPSL)
FORO SC (TX / UPSL)
vs. Dallas Atletico (TX / Metroplex Prem. League / USSSA)
Denton Diablos (TX / Metroplex Prem. League / USSSA)
vs. Sporting NTX (TX / UPSL)
Scots-American Athletic Club (NJ / Garden State Soccer League / USASA)
vs. Real Central NJ Soccer (NJ / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
Vidas United FC (PA / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
vs. Vereinigung Erzgebirge (PA / United Soccer League of PA. / USASA)
Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (PA / NPSL / USASA)
vs. Colonial SC (PA / United Soccer League of PA. / USASA)
NY Renegades FC (NY / UPSL)
vs. American Soccer Club New York (NY / NPSL / USASA)
New York Greek American SC (NY / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
vs. New York Pancyprian Freedoms (NY / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
DOXA SC (NY / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA)
vs. New Jersey Alliance FC (NJ / UPSL)
Southern Indiana Guardians FC (IN / UPSL)
vs. Southern Indiana FC (IN / UPSL)
Terminus FC (GA / Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League / USASA)
vs. Majestic SC (GA / America Premier Soccer League / USASA)
Teams with Byes to the Second Qualifying Round (101):
210 FC (TX / UPSL), Akron City FC (OH / USL League Two), Alexandria Reds (VA / UPSL), Apple Valley Storm (CA / UPSL), Ariana FC (CA / UPSL), ASC New Stars (TX / Houston Football Association / USASA), Atletico Boston (MA / Bay State Soccer League / USASA), Atletico Buford FC (GA / UPSL), Atletico Miami Internacional FC (FL / Soccer Premier League / USSSA), Azteca FC (CO / Colorado Premier League / USSSA), Badgers FC (FL / UPSL), Ballard FC(WA / USL League Two), Baltimore City F.C. (MD / Maryland Super Soccer League / USASA), Bay Area United FC(CA / UPSL), Bellevue Athletic FC (WA / UPSL), Boca Jrs Miami FC (FL / Soccer Premier League / USSSA), BOHFS St. Louis (MO / Midwest Premier League / USASA), Bold City SC (FL / UPSL), Bootleggers AC (KY / Ohio Valley Premier League / US Club Soccer), Briar United FC (NC / UPSL), Brockton FC United (MA / UPSL), Bulldogs SC (NJ / UPSL), Capital City Islanders (PA / UPSL), CD Faialense (MA / Bay State Soccer League / USASA), Central Park Rangers FC (NY / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA), CF San Rafael (CA / The League for Clubs / USASA), Chicago House AC (IL / Midwest Premier League / USASA), City SC San Diego (CA / UPSL), City Soccer FC (FL / UPSL), Cleveland SC (OH / NPSL / USASA), Croatia Cleveland (OH / North Coast Soccer League / USASA), Deportivo Lake Mary FC (FL / UPSL), Detroit Metro FC (MI / UPSL), DMV Elite FC (MD / NPSL / USASA), Dublin Celtic FC (CA / Southwest Premier League / USSSA), Eagles Sports Southaven F.C. (MS / UPSL), Emerald FC Orlando (FL / UPSL), FC America CFL Spurs (FL / UPSL), FC Balboa (CA / UPSL), FC Florida (FL / NPSL / USASA), FC Folsom (CA / UPSL), FC Kanks (FL / UPSL), FC Lonestar Gpse (NH / UPSL), FC Monmouth (NJ / The League for Clubs / USASA), FC Omens (MA / Bay State Soccer League / USAAS), FCY New York (NY / UPSL), Florida Futbol Club (FL / UPSL), Fort Myers City FC (FL / Soccer Prem. League / USSSA), Greenville United Football Club (NC / NPSL / USASA), Grove United (VA / NPSL / USASA), Guerrilla FC (DC / DC Premier League / USASA), Harbor City FC (FL / UPSL), Harpos FC (CO / Colorado Prem. League / USSSA), Hurricane FC (FL / United States Soccer League / USSSA), International San Francisco (CA / SFSFL / USASA), Iowa Demon Hawks (IA / NPSL / USASA), Ironbound SCP (NJ / UPSL), Irvine FC (CA / UPSL), Kalonji Pro-Profile (GA / UPSL), Laguna United FC (CA / UPSL), Lansdowne Yonkers FC (NY / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA), Limeno Georgia (GA / UPSL), Master Joga (TX / Dallas Soccer Alliance / USSSA), Metropolitan Oval Academy (NY / The League for Clubs / USASA),
Miami Soccer Academy (FL / United States Soccer League / USSSA), Miami United FC (FL / UPSL), Mint Hill FC (NC / UPSL), MoCo 1776 FC (MD / UPSL), Next Level Soccer (AZ / UPSL), North Georgia United (GA / UPSL), Oaklyn United FC (NJ / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA), Olympians FC (AZ / UPSL), Omaha Street FC (NE / UPSL), O'Shea's FC (FL / United States Soccer League / USSSA), Osner's FC (NY / NPSL / USASA), Palm Beach Flames SC(FL / UPSL), Parkland Travel Soccer Club (FL / UPSL), Pinellas County United Pelicans SC (FL / Suncoast Soccer League / USASA), Potros FC (GA / UPSL), Project Football (MA / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA), Real San Jose (CA / NPSL / USASA), Rebels SC (CA, UPSL), Red Force (FL / Premier Futbol League / USASA), River Miami FC (FL / Soccer Premier League / USSSA), San Diego Internacional (CA / UPSL), San Ramon FC (CA / The League for Clubs / USASA), SC Vistula Garfield (NJ / America Prem. Soccer League / USASA), SCU Heat (SC / UPSL), Sharktopus Football Club (WA / Seattle Rec. Adult Team Soccer / USSSA), Steel City FC (PA / USL League Two), Stetson FA (FL / UPSL), StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club (TX / Dallas Soccer Alliance / USSSA), SVD Beaumont (TX / UPSL), Tennessee United Soccer Club (TN / UPSL), UDA Soccer (NM / UPSL), United SC (IL / UPSL), Valley 559 FC (CA / UPSL), Virginia Dream FC (VA / UPSL), Western Mass Pioneers (MA / USL League Two), Woodland Football Club (KS / The Select League / US Club Soccer), Zum Schneider FC (NY / America Premier Soccer League / USASA)
Editor's Note: We are set for a double header, missing parts of each game with NY Renegades taking on American Soccer Club and special pregame interviews, next off to Hofstra for a great local historic game of Greek Americans taking on Pancyprians.
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