U.S. Open Cup Preview: MLS Joins the Battle as Round of 32 Brings Cupset Potential
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup—America’s oldest and most storied soccer tournament—resumes its 110th edition on May 6-7 with a full slate of 16 matches in the Round of 32. This round marks the entrance of Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, who now face the perennial threat of early upsets by ambitious lower-division sides.
It’s that time of year again, when the giants of MLS—America’s Division I—step into the Open Cup arena, where their reputations are tested in a single-elimination format against hungry underdogs from the USL Championship, USL League One, and other professional tiers. This year’s field sees an expanded presence from MLS, with 16 clubs participating—double the number from last year.
As always, anything can happen in this knockout competition. MLS teams must bring focus and resolve if they hope to avoid being toppled in what fans lovingly call a “Cupset.”
Every match of the Round of 32 will be broadcast live on Paramount+, with five games on May 6 and eleven more on May 7. Selected matches will also be available for free streaming via the CBS Sports Golazo Network and televised on the CBS Sports Network.
Day One (May 6): A Five-Game Appetizer Headlined by a Classic Final Rematch
Opening day action kicks off with a nostalgic showdown—a rematch of the 2008 U.S. Open Cup Final, when D.C. United edged out the Charleston Battery 2-1. That game remains one of only three finals since MLS’s 1996 inception to feature a non-MLS team.
Charleston, now a leading side in the USL Championship, is coached by 31-year-old Ben Pirmann. He reflects on the significance of this historic tournament for his club.
“When you talk about soccer in America, the Charleston Battery has to be part of that conversation,” said Pirmann. “To represent the Battery in the Open Cup is an honor. It’s something everyone here takes great pride in.”
Pirmann will be counting on rising star striker MD Myers, who netted a hat trick in the Third Round against South Georgia Tormenta, to continue his scoring form and possibly help script another chapter of Cup magic.
