TRIO OF UPSETS “AFTER DARK” END U.S. OPEN CUP THIRD ROUND’S
OPENING NIGHT WITH FIREWORKS
Union Omaha’s 1-0 Win Over San Antonio FC Continues Habit of Lengthy Cup Runs for Nebraskan Side;
AV ALTA FC & Tacoma Defiance See Familiar Names Lift Division III Clubs to Dramatic Results;
Third Round Wraps Wednesday with Eight More Fixtures Coast to Coast, All LIVE on Paramount+
ATLANTA (April 15, 2025) – The first matchday of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round heated up as it went along Tuesday night and culminated with upset wins for a trio of Division III teams in Union Omaha and AV ALTA FC from USL League One and MLS NEXT Pro’s final flagbearer, Tacoma Defiance.
An active eight-game slate built towards Union Omaha’s latest famous Cup win in Middle America, a 1-0 result over San Antonio FC that pushed the Nebraska side’s record to two wins and a PK triumph in three Open Cup meetings against USL Championship competition. While the upset tag technically applies here, Omaha is now 9W-3L-2D all-time in the Open Cup (both draws followed by wins in PKs) and owns a trio of Cup runs featuring at least three advancements since 2022, making the Owls a team to look at in the Fourth Round.
If the name Denzil Smith rings a bell, well, that’s because the Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper has posted wins over the likes of the U.S., Jamaica and El Salvador on the international stage. Tonight, he faced a different kind of pressure in the rarest of circumstances for AV ALTA FC, coming off the bench to make his club debut just moments before penalty kicks against Orange County SC. Smith rose to the occasion per usual, making a go-ahead save midway through an eventual 4-2 penalty triumph that followed a 2-2 draw and inked yet another incredible chapter for the Antelope Valley side in its Open Cup debut.
To close things out at the spiritual home of “Open Cup After Dark” shenanigans, the Starfire Sports Complex in suburban Seattle, it was another familiar name – De Rosario – that made a dramatic difference for Tacoma Defiance in their 2-1 extra time upset over Oakland Roots SC. Osaze De Rosario, the 23-year-old Guyana international and son of MLS legend and 2013 Cup winner Dwayne De Rosario, made his mark with a deflected shot that got the right bounce to push the USL League One side ahead in the 107th minute.
Elsewhere, five USL Championship squads that entered in the Third Round secured their passage, though it wasn’t always easy. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC pitched a trademark 1-0 shutout on the road at Columbus Crew 2, while Rhode Island FC and Louisville City FC both posted 2-1 wins after holding off fierce comeback attempts by Portland Hearts of Pine and Loudoun United FC respectively. North Carolina FC did all its damage after the break in a 3-1 win at Charlotte Independence to claim their “Dogwood Derby” duel.
Finally, the lone match that didn’t contain second-half drama made up for it with the evening’s lone hat trick. Last year, Charleston Battery needed all three of MD Myers’ goals to down South Georgia Tormenta FC in an extra time thriller in the Fourth Round, but this year his hat trick against the USL League One side was merely the cherry on top in a 4-0 home romp.
Wednesday’s remaining eight Third Round games – and every match onward to the tournament Final – will stream live on Paramount+. Three of those contests will also be simulcast via additional platforms; fans can watch two matches for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network, while an additional contest will air on CBS Sports Network (find Wednesday’s broadcast schedule below).
The Third Round will have barely cooled off before the focus turns to the Round of 32/Round of 16 Draw, to be held this Thursday, April 17, as part of CBS Sports Golazo Network’s flagship program, Morning Footy, at 9:15 a.m. ET. Thursday’s Draw will combine a pair of Third Round winners with another pair of clubs entering the tournament from Division I Major League Soccer, all drawn from eight groups of four teams.
2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round
Matchday #1 – Wednesday, April 15
Columbus Crew 2 0-1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Portland Hearts of Pine 1-2 Rhode Island FC
Louisville City FC 2-1 Loudoun United FC
Charlotte Independence 1-3 North Carolina FC
Charleston Battery 4-0 South Georgia Tormenta FC
Union Omaha 1-0 San Antonio FC
AV ALTA FC 2-2, 2-2 (aet), 4-2 (PKs) Orange County SC
Tacoma Defiance 1-1, 2-1 (aet) Oakland Roots SC
Matchday #2 – Wednesday, April 16
Detroit City FC vs. Westchester SC | 7:00 PM | Paramount+
FC Naples vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies | 7:00 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Indy Eleven vs. Miami FC | 7:30 PM | Paramount+
FC Tulsa vs. Phoenix Rising FC | 8:00 PM | Paramount+
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. One Knoxville SC | 9:00 PM | Paramount+
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday | 9:00 PM | CBS Sports Golazo Network
New Mexico United vs. El Paso Locomotive | 9:30 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Golazo Network
Sacramento Republic FC vs. El Farolito | 10:00 PM | Paramount+ & CBS Sports Network
Las Vegas Lights FC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | 10:30 PM | Paramount+
2025 U.S. Open Cup Third Round Match Capsules
Matchday #1 – Tuesday, April 15
Columbus Crew 2 (NP) 0-1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC head coach Bob Lilley is the winningest active coach in American pro soccer with more than 400 victories. His latest one, a 1-0 grinder over Columbus Crew 2 at the gleaming Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio, was a gritty one like oh so many before it. The Riverhounds were the more aggressive team from the start, and the work paid off with the lone goal scored in the 28th minute. Off a corner kick, midfielder Jorge Garcia found midfielder Danny Griffin, who knocked a header on at the near post. While Columbus Crew 2 goalkeeper Luke Pruter got both hands on the shot, his fingers tipped the ball backward into his net, the goal summarizing a tightly strung game prone to one moment to the good or the bad standing out. After going the entirety of the first half without a shot, Crew 2 ended the match with eight attempts and three on target, but the young Columbus squad with no player above 23 years of age couldn’t make the most of their chances. Meanwhile, the Riverhounds won their Cup opener for a sixth straight tournament and will look forward to next month’s Round of 32.
Portland Hearts of Pine (USLL1) 1-2 Rhode Island FC (USLC)
Hearts of Pine delivered another dramatic chapter in the nascent club’s maiden Open Cup journey. Ultimately, their quest came to an end in a 2-1 loss to higher division opposition as Rhode Island FC, who themselves crafted a magical run in their inaugural season by reaching the USL Championship Playoff Final, were able to outlast a vigorous challenge from their lower-division USL brethren. A quickfire pair of goals from Clay Holstad (34') and Frank Nodarse (37') midway through the opening frame proved decisive ahead of a spirited second half. Portland’s Titus Washington hauled the Maine side back into the match with a well-taken strike in 65th, setting up a frantic end to the match that saw both sides reduced to 10 men and Rhode Island goalkeeper Jackson Lee come up with a flying save in the dying moments of added time to preserve his side’s 2-1 advantage and send them to the Fourth Round in three weeks’ time.
Louisville City FC (USLC) 2-1 Loudoun United FC (USLC)
Despite some nervy moments to finish things out at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, the Kentucky side more or less held the reins from the jump in the all-USL Championship affair. It was more Loudoun falling behind than Louisville taking the lead in the 17th minute. United defender Jacob Erlandson lost the ball in his feet in the back third, and that allowed Adrien Perez to swoop in and sweep into Hugo Faroux’s vacated net to nudge the scoreboard early. Sam Gleadle doubled LouCity’s lead ahead of the half hour when he went five-hole on Faroux to cap a break ignited by Amadou Dia’s inch-perfect through ball into the area. Damian Las didn’t have much heavy lifting to do between the City posts, but a dive low and left across his body to thwart Riley Bidois’ effort just before the hour stood out – and signaled some intention was still left in the visitors. Loudoun pressed on and got one back just before regulation time expired through Abdellatif Aboukoura’s turn in of Zach Ryan’s low ball into Las’ six, but that was all United could muster in a comeback that fell short.
Charlotte Independence (USLL1) 1-3 North Carolina FC (USLC)
In this Tar Heel Derby, Rodrigo Da Costa recorded a brace and forward Oalex Anderson added a goal and assist during a six-minute span in the second half as the visitors overcame a one-goal deficit at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews in Matthews, N.C. After a rather uneventful first half, the opening three minutes of the second period was loaded with action. Twice Anderson almost gave North Carolina the lead. He fired wide right from close range a minute in, before drilling a 12-yard shot that goalkeeper Drew Romig dove to his right to save. Charlotte came right back and scored as Jon Baquero slipped home Luis Alvarez's right-wing feed that took a deflection, past keeper Akira Fitzgerald for a 1-0 edge in the 48th. Anderson finally found the range in the 71st, volleying in Louis Perez's left-wing cross for the equalizer. North Carolina's second goal came from the opposite flank as Da Costa's point-blank header off Michael Maldonado's cross. Only three minutes later, Da Costa gave NC some breathing room, putting away Anderson's pass, from the right side of the box. Fitzgerald, who is unbeaten against Charlotte (3-0-4), backstopped his first game since 2023.
Charleston Battery (USLC) 4-0 South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1)
A rout in suburban Mount Pleasant, S.C., gave the homestanding Battery passage through at least three rounds for a third time in four tournament appearances and pushed their Open Cup record to a head-turning 9W-3L-2D (2-0 in pens) in that stretch. Cleared corners were kind to Charleston, starting in the 32nd minute when Chris Allen’s effort from 20 yards took a deflection and looped into the far left netting to push the home side out front. The Battery seized firm control during a dramatic first half stoppage period that began with goalkeeper Christian Garner steering Mason Tunbridge’s penalty kick low around his right post. After Charleston knocked the ensuing corner towards midfield, a swift counter ended by Myers sweeping home from near the spot himself to double the Battery’s advantage heading into half. The New Jersey native finished off his third hat trick over the last calendar year with a couple of rebound goals in the second half, his first a cleaned up cross that Austin Pack put on a platter in his six in the 52nd minute. Myers gave himself the ol’ three-count in the 70th, when he slotted home Pack’s save of Arturo Rodriguez’s blast to cap the Battery’s easy passage.
Union Omaha (USLL1) 1-0 San Antonio FC (USLC)
Defender Dion Acoff scored the lone goal in the first half as the Owls added to their history of pulling off upsets, at Caniglia Field in Omaha, Neb. Midfielder Isidro Martinez started the scoring sequence by launching a long ball down the right flank to Acoff in the 36th minute. Acoff produced a pullback move and buried a shot past goalkeeper Richard Sanchez at the near post. The hosts tried for an insurance tally in the second half, but their attempts were off target. Keeper Rashid Nuhu made three saves to record the clean sheet as Union Omaha held off San Antonio during 11 minutes of stoppage time. The visitors tried a pair of corner kicks in the waning moments, moving up Sanchez into the attack, but could not connect. Seven yellow cards were awarded, including four from the 90th minute on, as play became more contentious.
AV ALTA FC (USLL1) 2-2, 2-2 (aet), (4-2 PKs) Orange County SC (USLC)
Just how high can AV ALTA FC fly in its first year? The Southern California USL League One expansion team is on to the Round of 32 after coming from behind to defeat Orange County SC in a penalty shootout at Lancaster (Calif.) Municipal Stadium. Ousmane Sylla struck first for Orange County SC in the 15th minute, playing off a short corner and hitting it under the crossbar from a tight angle at close range, but Luca Mastrantonio headed in the equalizer in the 68th minute and AV ALTA FC grabbed the lead less than 10 minutes later on Emmanuel Araribe’s goal. Mouhamadou War got OCSC level in the 84th minute, and after 30 extra minutes of overtime, AV ALTA FC reserve goalkeeper Denzil Smith came on for the shootout and made a diving save before captain Miguel Pajaro slammed in the match-winner. Pajaro donned a bloodied head covering for most of the match after suffering a nasty cut in the first half of the physical affair, symbolic of the fight in the nascent side representing the Antelope Valley.
Tacoma Defiance (NP) 1-1, 2-1 (aet) Oakland Roots SC (USLC)
Fortress Starfire claimed its latest upset as the Tacoma Defiance downed Oakland Roots 2-1 in added extra time. The Division III hosts went 1-0 ahead in the first half when Defiance midfielder Peter Kingston hit a belter into the upper, left-hand corner from nearly 30 yards out in the 28th minute. The Roots kept their composure and chipped away into the second half until Neveal Hackshaw levelled matters for the visitors in the 75th minute. The big center back converted from the penalty spot after Tacoma’s Kaito Yamada was whistled for a handball in the box. From there it took until the 108th minute for the winning moment to arrive. High pressure from Tacoma’s Jackson Khoury earned the Defiance possession in their offensive third. Khoury played the ball to Osaze De Rosario whose shot deflected past Oakland goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel into the net for a 2-1 lead that Tacoma clung to despite going down to 10 men for the final six minutes of play.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.
The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion.
Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.
