The Round of 32 matches for the US Open Cup were announced earlier today, with New York City FC set to travel to face FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium on May 10 at 7 pm ET.
NYCFC and Cincinnati were both placed in Group 5, along with Columbus Crew and USL Championship side Loudoun United. The latter two teams were drawn together and will also meet on May 10, with the draw snuffing out any potential for a Hell is Real derby in the Round of 32.
The draw means NYCFC will face FC Cincinnati twice in a span of three weeks, as Cincinnati are scheduled to visit Yankee Stadium for a midweek clash on Wednesday, May 31. NYCFC’s most recent trip to TQL Stadium was last June, when they played Cincy to a wild 4-4 draw that featured a Brenner hat trick, three NYCFC goals scored in rapid-fire succession right before halftime, and a second-half Gabriel Pereira golazo that turned Joe Tolleson bilingual.
Other regional Open Cup matchups include the New Jersey Red Bulls hosting DC United, Philadelphia Union visiting Minnesota United, and New England Revolution hosting the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Championship.
Last year, NYCFC made a run to the Open Cup Quarterfinals thanks to two straight home wins at Belson Stadium, the turf field built atop a parking garage on the St. John’s University campus in Jamaica, Queens. First, New York City defeated the newly-defunct MLS NEXT Pro side Rochester New York FC by the score of 3-1 in the Round of 32. NYCFC then went on to beat New England Revolution 1-0 in extra time in the Round of 16 behind a late goal from Santi Rodriguez.
NYCFC would next be knocked out of the Cup by the rival New Jersey Red Bulls, falling 3-0 in the Quarterfinals at Red Bull Arena in then-interim head coach Nick Cushing’s second match in charge.
Cushing will be hoping for a better result in his second crack at the US Open Cup, and NYCFC will hope to begin a march to a first-ever US Open Cup in two weeks in Cincinnati.
