Amateurs vs pros

Open Cup Digest #11

On Tuesday, the US Soccer Federation officially announced 2025 US Open Cup details, including the format and participating teams. The news confirmed that both regional Major League Soccer teams, New York City FC and New York Red Bulls, will join in the Round of 32 after missing last year’s tournament. But they aren’t the only locals in the field.

When the First Round kicks off March 18–20, it will feature 64 sides from the lower reaches of the US Soccer pyramid. Amateurs from Sunday leagues and public parks will share the field with professionals who play for teams from the third and second divisions.

A handful of those clubs call the Tri-State Area home. For some, just being in the field will feel like an accomplishment. A single win would be a dream come true. Others might begin to think about getting three wins — and potentially hosting either NYCFC or RBNY in the competition.

National league heavyweights

Alongside the professional teams, US Soccer also confirmed the 32 amateur teams that will represent the Open Division in the First Round. This includes the teams from the two national amateur leagues, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL League Two (USL2), which accepted invitations based on their performances last summer.

From USL2, the Long Island Rough Riders from South Huntington, NY, will return to the tournament for the first time since 2018. Founded in 1994, the Riders are one of the oldest teams in the United Soccer League system. Boasting two national titles, the group’s alumni section includes names such as current Colorado Rapids head coach Chris Armas, former US men’s national team goalkeeper Tony Meola, and longtime Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia just to name a few.

The Riders won the Metropolitan Division in 2024, their third time in four years. Despite being upset in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals by fan favorites Vermont Green FC, the season was generally considered a success.

Seven players from LIRR (not that one) were drafted in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft this past December. The group includes UCLA defender Nicholas Cavallo, who was picked by New York City FC in the third round  and played with the Riders in 2022 and 2023.

The Open Cup runs deep in the Rough Riders’ history with this being the team’s tenth ever appearance. In 1997, while playing as a professional team, the team beat the New England Revolution in a stunning cupset, 4-3, and reached the Quarterfinals where they took the MetroStars to extra time.

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U.S. Soccer

The NPSL will have one local team as representation in the tournament as FC Motown (Morristown, NJ) returns. Additionally, upstate side New York Shockers (Albany, NY) will be making its debut in the competition.

FC Motown is a familiar name to those who follow local lower-division soccer. The team is a common home to former professionals and high-profile college talent. Recent examples include former NYCFC II and MLS SuperDraft pick El Mahdi Youssoufi, who was with the team last season, and current Chicago Fire II midfielder Sam Williams. Five former Motown players from both NPSL and the USL side were drafted in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.

The team is coming off an appearance in the 2024 NPSL National Final, where they hosted and fell to El Farolito FC, 2-1, last August. Motown will be participating in its seventh straight Open Cup tournament, the active record for an amateur team.

The New York Shockers will be making their first appearance in the US Open Cup. Since joining the NPSL in 2021, the Albany organization has quietly built a solid program with adult teams in the NPSL and Women’s Premier Soccer League.

Last summer, the Shockers won the North Atlantic Conference for the second time in three years. Unlike their first run in 2022, this was far from a Cinderella feat as the club went nearly undefeated en route to the trophy. In the East Region Semifinals, the Shockers upset powerhouse and defending national semifinalist West Chester United SC, 3-2. Thanks to the NPSL's priority system, that win essentially guaranteed them this spot in America’s national championship.

This is another feather in the cap for New York’s state capital, which had an 8,000-seat downtown soccer stadium proposed last year for a potential MLS NEXT Pro team.

Local qualifiers, national champions

These teams join 16 others that already knew their tournament status. The NY Renegades FC (Hicksville, NY) and New Jersey Alliance FC (Lynhurst, NJ) both clinched their spots in November via the local qualifying tournament.

NJ Alliance finally makes it to the big dance in its fourth attempt, becoming the first Garden State side to run the qualifying gauntlet since FC Motown in 2017. A member of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), Alliance have grown from playing in local recreation leagues in Lyndhurst to vying for national titles in the UPSL and NISA Nation.

In the Fall 2024 UPSL season, NJAFC finished first in the Northeast American Conference, South Division. Midfielder and former NISA pro Marlon Preciado led the team with seven goals, followed by forward Dorgeles Coulibaly (5) and midfielder Emiland Elezaj (3). To qualify for the USOC, Alliance took Maryland side Steel Pulse FC to penalty kicks in a thrilling Fourth Round match back in November.

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Hudson River BlueMichael Battista

NJAFC isn’t just looking to play American professional teams either. As part of its continued growth, the organization is planning a preseason trip down to Ecuador. The team is scheduled to play friendlies against Ecuadorian Serie A sides LDU Portoviejo and SD Aucas.

NY Renegades are also in the US Open Cup for the first time. While not the most well-known name, NYR has become a proving ground for young talents and those with professional experience.

Center-back Samuel Cáceres played professionally with clubs such as the New York Cosmos, Club Nacional (Paraguay), and Portuguesa FC in Venezuela. Midfielder Omar Campos had a brief stint with Loudoun United FC of the USL Championship in 2019. Probably most interesting, 36-year-old José Nájera played over 100 games with Colombian side Real Cartagena and has a cap with the Colombia national team.

Renegades are also a member of the UPSL Northeast American Conference, though they are members of the North Division. The group went undefeated in the Fall 2024 regular season and claimed the conference playoff title over New York Braveheart SC, 2-1. The team’s national playoff run ended in the Round of 16 but they did knock off Open Cup regulars Lansdowne Yonkers FC to get into this year’s tournament.

Forward Reneau R. Rances scored an unbelievable 28 goals to lead the team, which overall scored 52 goals during their campaign. 

Additionally, three-time US Open Cup champion New York Pancyprian-Freedoms (Astoria, NY) are in the field. Despite not playing in a national league, the Freedoms earned direct qualification as defending National Amateur Cup champion. 

The team currently competes in the Eastern Premier Soccer League’s (EPSL) Metropolitan Conference, a 12-team competition that runs between fall and spring. This season, which is currently paused for the winter, Pancyprian is first on the table with nine wins through 11 games. Having won the conference playoffs three times in four editions, New York is on track to be a favorite once the postseason arrives in a few months. Former Houston Dynamo MLS SuperDraft pick Joe Holland leads the group with 10 goals.

The Freedoms also hold a unique distinction, having qualified or attempted to qualify for the Open Cup every year of their existence. In the modern era, aka since 1995, the team has qualified for the tournament eight times including a cursed honor for the canceled 2020 tournament.

While they haven’t played a team from Major League Soccer, the team does have a major professional clash in their history. The 1999 Open Cup Second Round saw the Freedoms take the eventual tournament champion Rochester Raging Rhinos into extra time, where a Golden Goal put the lower division side through. It was the closest game Rochester had in their historic run to the cup.

Democrat and Chronicle

The Rhinos’ improbable run of beating four straight Major League Soccer teams to win the 1999 U.S.

Democrat and ChronicleJeff Di Veronica, Democrat and Chronicle

Amateurs vs pros in First Round

Like last year, the First Round of the US Open Cup will see every game feature a professional team against an amateur one. In 2024 that saw games like NYCFC II playing FC Motown or the crazy cupset of San Francisco amateurs El Farolito beating Portland Timbers 2 on the road in Providence Park.

The professional teams in the First Round include sides from third-division leagues, USL League One and MLS Next Pro, along with eight teams from the second-division USL Championship.

In terms of proximity, only one pro side is in play. Westchester SC is playing its first season in USL League One and will almost certainly draw a local Open Division team. With an ownership group including USMNT and AFC Bournemouth star Tyler Adams, alongside players with connections to the area, they’ll be a fun watch. Not only that, but historically the chances of a cupset go up when it's a new expansion side.

That’s where the good news ends. While Hartford Athletic of the USL Championship is only a train ride away – and also playing in the First Round – they’ll almost certainly be slotted against a fellow New England side.

Where does that leave all the qualified local amateur teams? It could mean a draw against further out teams like Columbus Crew 2, Lexington SC, Loudoun United FC, or Richmond Kickers.

This has happened in the past, largely due to the Northeast’s lack of independent professional teams. In 2019, New York Red Bulls U-23 was drawn away against Memphis 901 FC in the Second Round. The USL League Two side took an early lead against the USL Championship team but eventually lost. Likewise, while the 2020 USOC did not happen, the First and Second Round pairings were announced. Saint Louis FC was going to travel to play either FC Motown or the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms in the Second Round had the competition taken place.

There is also the dangling carrot of possibly playing a Major League Soccer team. MLS will enter the Open Cup in the Round of 32 between May 6–7, where all 16 participating teams will play a lower-division side.

There are two months and three games separating any team playing in the First Round from that dream. For the locals, there’s the added bonus that both RBNY and NYCFC, by virtue of their high standings in last year’s Supporters’ Shield table, are slated to be the away teams when they join the competition (so long as their opponents can host).

Could Long Island ride into the Round of 32 and host New York City at James M. Shuart Stadium, where they already have a losing record against lower division teams? Can NJ Alliance’s Emiland Elezaj get his dream match against Emil Forsberg and the Red Bulls?

All of this and more is possible in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.