U.S. Open Cup Day 1 Results (No Cupsets) | OneFootball

My colleague The Qooligan already covered the three late games that all resulted in some giant-killing upsets. Thanks for leaving me with these, buddy.

Columbus Crew 2 0 – 1 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Prediction: Three days after their loss to a superior Charleston Battery, Pittsburgh will travel to nearby Columbus to take on the Crew academy team. As one of the three fixtures featuring a division gap of two or greater, fans of the underdog should be pulling for the Columbus kids. Crew 2 have already knocked down one USL side (Lexington SC) via a gameplay on defensive solidity coupled with swift counterstrikes.

Put simply: Crew 2 had the possession; Pittsburgh had that one extra moment of quality.

Portland Hearts of Pine 1 – 2 Rhode Island FC

Prediction: Portland will be hosting their third Open Cup match and look to secure their third straight win in the competition. Rhode Island haven’t played a game since their 3 – 0 demolition of Oakland Roots back on April 5th. Portland’s league record isn’t stellar; Rhode Island’s 2025 season hasn’t been great either. I’m pulling for the debutantes from Maine, but think RIFC will just pip them.

Man did I call this. The Anchors hit Portland with a one-two punch in the 34th and 37th minute, then appeared to settle down into a holding pattern. Portland, however, proved far more stubborn, Titus Washington calmly slotting a pass from Michel Poon-Angeron into the left corner after a breakaway. If there was any doubt regarding each team’s passion, just check the card count. There were 10 yellows issued, and both teams finished with only 10 men after red cards late into the second half. Deep into stoppage, Nathaniel James’ shot off the set piece pass appeared to be going in, only to be palmed off by RI keeper Hunter Morse. Clear save of the week candidate. They may not have advanced, but Portland have certainly earned new fans for their passion and energy.

Charlotte Independence 1 – 3 North Carolina FC

Prediction: This here’s a gen-u-wine Cackalacky tussle. NCFC take their thoroughly average USL record (2 each wins/losses/draws) down to the southern Charlotte suburbs to take on the Independence. Known locally as “The Jacks,” Charlotte have needed extra time to dispatch opponents in their last two Open Cup ties. We’ll see if that’s the case in this round.

After a relatively staid first half, NCFC exploded out of the blocks with the second half whistle, barely missing one shot and having a second blocked… all in two minutes. But it was the Jacks who would score first, against the run of play, when Jon Bakero punched Luis Alavarez’s pass into the net.

To their credit, North Carolina remained calm and unflustered even as their close calls continued to mount. That patience finally paid off when Oalex Anderson volleyed from close range to equalize. Three minutes later Rodrigo da Costa redirected a Mikey Maldonado cross into the net for the lead. Four minutes after that Anderson would drive along the goal line before passing back to da Costa, who duly found the far netting. At this point it was game over.

Louisville City FC 2 – 1 Loudoun United FC

Prediction: Our first Championship vs. Championship tie will see red-hot Loudoun visiting the 2024 champion Louisville City FC. LouCity is undefeated in this 2025 season and coming off a bye week. We’ll see if the extra rest and home field will give them an edge. Loudoun sit right above LouCity in the Eastern standings; their only loss this year came at the hands of the Boys in Purple. Lots at stake in this one.

Oh goodness. Louisville took the lead after a Jacob Erlandson howler. The defender mishandled the ball, which fell kindly to Adrien Perez. He had a simple pass into the open net to finish. Ten minutes later Sam Gleadle doubled the lead. Give Loudoun credit, they maintained their focus and aggressiveness, registering 15 shots on 64% possession. But they were only able to manage a consolation goal from Abdellatif Aboukoura just before the end of regulation.

Charleston Battery 4 – 0  South Georgia Tormenta

Prediction: Tormenta just squeaked by the amateur club Foro SC in the second round. They’ll need better defensive discipline to have any chance of toppling Charleston, who boast one of the most lethal strikers in the USL: Cal Jennings. If he’s on form, it will be game over for the Pelicans.

Turns out Cal Jennings wouldn’t even touch the pitch. And that wouldn’t even pose a problem for Charleston, who ran away with this one. There was some luck in the first goal, when Chris Allen’s long shot took a looping deflection into the net. But Mark Segbres’ awkward tackle one minute before time gave Tormenta a lifeline. Sadly, Mason Tunbridge’s resulting penalty was poor and Christian Garner was able to make a save. After the resulting corner, the Battery broke away. The resulting in-box passing eventually fell to Matt Myers who had a simple tap in. He would record two more goals giving him an Open Cup hat trick. That’s a memory that will last.