The U.S. Open Cup returns on Tuesday and Wednesday with spherical of 32 motion, which can see MLS groups enter the fray for the primary time to compete in opposition to their decrease league counterparts.
This week’s motion consists of 16 MLS groups, together with four-time winners Chicago Fireplace and two of the final three champions, the Houston Dynamo and Orlando Metropolis. Every of them will face off in opposition to groups in decrease divisions, a gaggle that consists of 12 USL Championship groups, three US League One sides and one MLS Subsequent Professional staff. Many of those will probably be regional matchups together with a handful of intrastate clashes, together with North Carolina FC’s sport in opposition to Charlotte FC and Austin FC’s face-off with El Paso Locomotive.
CBS Sports activities will air all 16 matches within the spherical of 32, with protection unfold throughout CBS Sports activities Community, Paramount+ and CBS Sports activities Golazo Community. There will probably be in-studio protection each days whereas The Golazo Present, a whiparound present that can present each objective and the entire high highlights, will probably be obtainable on Wednesday with 11 matches on the schedule.
Here is what it’s essential know earlier than tuning in.
U.S. Open Cup spherical of 32 TV schedule
All instances U.S./Japanese
Storylines for the spherical of 32
1. San Jose Earthquakes, Sacramento Republic face off
If there’s one match to control this spherical, it could simply be the final one – Sacramento Republic’s journey to the San Jose Earthquakes. The MLS aspect, led by former U.S. males’s nationwide staff head coach Bruce Enviornment, will little doubt be favored however the Republic are not any slouch on this competitors. They made a memorable run to the ultimate simply three years in the past earlier than dropping to Orlando Metropolis, beating the Earthquakes, the LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas Metropolis alongside the way in which. They had been the primary staff exterior of MLS to achieve the ultimate since 2008 and would possibly goal one other such run this yr, irrespective of how unlikely it is going to be.
2. Lopsided matchups throughout
Whereas many of the video games will probably be between MLS and USL Championship sides, a number of groups within the third division additionally made the minimize for the spherical of 32 – USL League One’s AV Alta FC, Chattanooga Purple Wolves and Union Omaha and MLS Subsequent Professional’s Tacoma Defiance, which is affiliated with the Seattle Sounders. The Defiance will host a model of a Pacific Northwest rivalry match on Wednesday, when the Portland Timbers make the journey, whereas the Purple Wolves will play in opposition to fellow Tennessee-based aspect Nashville SC. Much more so than the remainder of the video games, the MLS will probably be closely favored in these video games however in one-off cup video games, the decrease league groups will undoubtedly attempt to pull off an upset.
