16 MLS Clubs Match Up Against Lower-Division Professional Sides in U.S. Open Cup Round of 32
All 16 matches to be streamed on Paramount+, select matches to be carried on CBS Sports platforms
The Round of 32 of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is here, which means 16 first-division clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS) are set to enter the fray. The field now consists of 32 fully professional teams—16 Div. I MLS clubs, nine Div. II USL Championship sides, and seven Div. III USL League One (6) and MLS NEXT Pro (1) outfits—and also features nine former winners responsible for 18 of the 29 modern era titles.
Key matches in the Round of 32 include the first-ever Charlotte Derby between Charlotte FC and the Charlotte Independence; a rematch of last year’s Round of 32 clash, as the New England Revolution host Rhode Island FC in Pawtucket, R.I.; and an opportunity for the last remaining MLS NEXT Pro side, Chattanooga FC, to host an MLS team for the first time in club history, as CFC welcomes Atlanta United FC to Finley Stadium.
Other key matchups include Louisville City FC facing last year’s runners-up Austin FC for the first time at Lynn Family Stadium; Detroit City FC matching up with Chicago Fire FC for the second consecutive season, this time at the historic Keyworth Stadium; and the 1995 Open Cup champion Richmond Kickers meeting the 2002 Open Cup-winning Columbus Crew for the first time since 2015.
Every match from the Round of 32 will stream live on Paramount+ with select matches also co-airing on either CBS Sports Network or CBS Sports Golazo Network. CBS Sports will host The Golazo Show whip-around program highlighting every goal from eight April 15 matchups, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Tuesday, April 14
New England Revolution (Div. I, MLS) vs. Rhode Island FC (Div. II, USL Championship)
7 p.m. ET; Centreville Bank Stadium; Pawtucket, R.I.; Paramount+
The Revolution will return to Pawtucket, R.I.’s Centreville Bank Stadium as they play host to USL Championship side Rhode Island FC in their own stadium. The contest is a rematch of the Round of 32 clash from a season ago in which the Revs secured a 2-1 win at Centreville Bank Stadium thanks to an 88th-minute Cristiano Oliveira winner. RIFC—led by longtime Revs winger Khano Smith—is seeking its first victory against an MLS side and a first-ever trip to the Round of 16. For New England, the 2007 champions will be tasked with advancing to the Round of 16 for the fourth time in its last five tries.
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Louisville City FC (Div. II, USL Championship) vs. Austin FC (Div. I, MLS)
7 p.m. ET; Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky.; Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network
Back-to-back USL Championship Players’ Shield winner Louisville City FC is seeking only its second victory against an MLS side in official competition as they welcome Austin FC to Lynn Family Stadium. For Austin, the sixth-year MLS side is coming off a club-best runner-up finish in the Open Cup a season ago. Austin FC has only lost to a lower-division side once in club history, a 2-1 extra-time loss to USL Championship side San Antonio FC in the Third Round of the 2022 Open Cup.
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Detroit City FC (Div. II, USL Championship) vs. Chicago Fire FC (Div. I, MLS)
7:30 p.m. ET; Keyworth Stadium; Hamtramck, Mich.; Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network
Detroit City and Chicago Fire are set to meet for the second time in as many years after last year’s Round of 32 Open Cup tilt went the way of the Fire at Keyworth Stadium. The hosts—who have not lost at home since last October—are aiming to extend their unbeaten run to five consecutive matches across all competitions and book their spot in the Round of 16 for the second time in club history. The four-time champion Fire will be seeking their 23rd trip to the Round of 16 and a fourth consecutive victory across all competitions.
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Westchester SC (Div. III, USL League One) vs. New York City FC (Div. I, MLS)
7:30 p.m. ET; Mount Vernon Memorial Field; Mount Vernon, N.Y.; Paramount+
New York City FC is set to face just their third New York City-based opponent in official competition aside from Red Bull New York and the New York Cosmos as the 2021 MLS Cup champions head just north of the Bronx to face two-year-old USL League One side Westchester SC. Though WSC struggled in its inaugural 2025 campaign, the club is up to fifth in the League One table this season and in the Open Cup’s Round of 32 for the first time. The contest marks Westchester’s first matchup against an MLS team and NYCFC’s second meeting against a third-division club.
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (Div. II, USL Championship) vs. Sporting Kansas City (Div. I, MLS)
8 p.m. ET; Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Paramount+
In its fourth meeting with an MLS side, 2024 USL Championship title-winners Colorado Springs will host a first-division side for the second consecutive year as they welcome Sporting Kansas City to Weidner Field. The Switchbacks are 0-3-0 all-time against MLS opposition, most recently falling to Red Bull New York in the Round of 32 a season ago. For the visiting Sporting Kansas City, the four-time Open Cup champs will be eager to shake off a 1-5-1 start to MLS play and return to the Round of 16 for the third time since 2019.
Colorado Rapids (Div. I, MLS) vs. Union Omaha (Div. III, USL League One)
9:30 p.m. ET; DICK'S Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colo.; Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network
2022 Open Cup quarterfinalists Union Omaha will look to extend their winning streak to seven matches across all competitions as they face Colorado for the first time. The Rapids are back in the Open Cup for the first time since 2023, seeking their first Open Cup crown. The third-division Owls have knocked off multiple MLS sides in the past, and Colorado has had its fair share of trouble against lower-division sides in the past; the Rapids have had eight Open Cup campaigns ended by lower-division opponents.
Sacramento Republic FC (Div. II, USL Championship) vs. Minnesota United FC (Div. I, MLS)
10 p.m. ET; Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif.; Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network
Sacramento Republic is chasing its seventh victory against MLS opposition in the Open Cup, taking on Minnesota United for the first time. A victory for the Loons would see Minnesota United through to the Round of 16 for the sixth time in as many tries, as the 2019 runners-up look to defeat a Sacramento side that has given so many of its MLS counterparts problems in the Open Cup.
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Wednesday, April 15
FC Naples (Div. III, USL League One) vs. Orlando City SC (Div. I, MLS)
7 p.m. ET; Paradise Coast Sports Complex; Naples, Fla.; Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network
Second-year USL League One side FC Naples will face an MLS club for the first time in official competition, hosting 2022 Open Cup champions Orlando City at Paradise Coast Sports Complex. Naples are top of the League One table at the moment after starting the campaign with a 4-1-1 record, while Orlando is a point away from sitting at the bottom of the Supporters’ Shield standings following a tough 1-5-1 start to MLS play. A win for Orlando would see OCSC in the Round of 16 in back-to-back years for the first time since 2018-19.
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Chattanooga FC (Div. III, MLS NEXT Pro) vs. Atlanta United FC (Div. I, MLS)
7:30 p.m. ET; Finley Stadium; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Paramount+
Chattanooga FC is set to host an MLS side in official competition, as the MLS NEXT Pro outfit welcomes Atlanta United to Finley Stadium. Though the pair have faced off multiple times since Atlanta United’s inception in 2017, the two have only met in official competition once—a 6-0 victory for the MLS side in the Third Round of the 2022 Open Cup. Chattanooga have only defeated a higher-division opponent once—a 3-1 win against Memphis 901 FC in the 2022 Open Cup—while Atlanta has only lost to a lower-division side on three occasions—never to a third-division outfit, however.
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Richmond Kickers (Div. III, USL League One) vs. Columbus Crew (Div. I, MLS)
7:30 p.m. ET; City Stadium; Richmond, Va.; Paramount+
A pair of historic clubs will face off for the third time as the 1995 champion Richmond Kickers face 2002 winners Columbus Crew at City Stadium. Previously, the pair of clubs met in the Open Cup, with a 2011 Round of 16 clash favoring the Kickers at Historic Crew Stadium and a 2015 Round of 32 meeting going the way of the visiting Crew at City Stadium. The Crew are looking to book their third trip to Round of 16 since 2017, while the Kickers haven’t advanced beyond the Round of 32 since reaching the Semifinals in 2011.
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Red Bull New York (Div. I, MLS) vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (Div. II, USL Championship)
7:30 p.m. ET; Sports Illustrated Stadium; Harrison, N.J.; Paramount+
Defending USL Championship title-winners Pittsburgh will travel to Harrison, N.J. to face MLS originals Red Bull New York in the pair’s first meeting with both the Red Bulls and the Hounds sitting middle of their respective tables early in the league season. Pittsburgh is coming off its best Open Cup stretch in club history, advancing to the Quarterfinals in 2023, the Round of 32 in 2024 and the Round of 16 last year with that 2025 run featuring a victory against New York City FC in the Round of 32. For New York, the two-time Open Cup runners-up will aim to return to the Round of 16 for the third time in as many tries.
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Charlotte FC (Div. I, MLS) vs. Charlotte Independence (Div. III, USL League One)
7:30 p.m. ET; Mecklenburg County Sportsplex; Matthews, N.C.; Paramount+
The long-awaited Charlotte Derby has finally arrived, as MLS side Charlotte FC is set to face USL League One’s Charlotte Independence for the first time. The contest marks the first Open Cup meeting between a pair of Charlotte-based teams since the Independence defeated the Charlotte Eagles in the Second Round of the 2017 edition of the tournament. The Independence have only advanced beyond the Round of 32 once in club history, that came back in its inaugural 2015 campaign in which the Jacks downed the New England Revolution to reach the Round of 16. For Charlotte FC, the young MLS side has progressed to the Round of 16 in each of its three previous participations in the Open Cup.
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D.C. United (Div. I, MLS) vs. One Knoxville SC (Div. III, USL League One)
7:30 p.m. ET; Audi Field; Washington, D.C.; Paramount+
Three-time Open Cup champions D.C. United will face defending USL League One champions One Knoxville SC for the first time on Wednesday evening. With just one loss across all competitions to start the season, Knoxville is now tasked with matching up against an MLS side for the first time in club history. For D.C., the MLS originals will aim to extend their impressive record against lower-division sides to 22-3-0 with a win.
St. Louis CITY SC (Div. I, MLS) vs. FC Tulsa (Div. II, USL Championship)
8 p.m. ET; Energizer Park; St. Louis, Mo.; Paramount+
St. Louis CITY SC is back in the Open Cup for the third time in its fourth season of existence, aiming to return to the Round of 16 for the second consecutive campaign. The recent MLS expansion side will face a USL Championship club for the first time in official competition, matching up against USL Championship Final runners-up FC Tulsa. The Scissortails of Tulsa will be aiming to reach the Round of 16 for the second time in club history in what will be their fourth matchup against an MLS side. Both St. Louis and Tulsa have just one win to their names in league play this year, so they’ll likely be looking to the Open Cup to get back on track.
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Houston Dynamo FC (Div. I, MLS) vs. El Paso Locomotive FC (Div. II, USL Championship)
8 p.m. ET; Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, Texas; Paramount+
2018 and 2023 Open Cup champs Houston Dynamo will face their ninth unique team from the state of Texas as they match up against USL Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC for the first time. The Dynamo have only lost to lower-division opponents on three occasions, most recently to Detroit City FC in the Round of 32 in 2024. For El Paso, the club will be eager to bounce back against an MLS side after allowing a shocking comeback to eventual runners-up Austin FC in the Round of 32 a year ago.
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San Jose Earthquakes (Div. I, MLS) vs. Phoenix Rising FC (Div. II, USL Championship)
10 p.m. ET; PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif.; Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network
San Jose and Phoenix will close out the Round of 32 with a first-time matchup at PayPal Park. The contest marks Phoenix’s fourth shot at downing an MLS side, with all three previous losses either being decided by one goal or in extra time. The Quakes—who have enjoyed multiple Semifinal and Quarterfinal finishes in the Open Cup—have struggled at times against lower-division opposition; of San Jose’s 15 Open Cup losses, five have come at the hands of lower-division sides. This year may be different, though, as the Quakes have been impressive early in league play, jumping out to a 6-1-0 start under Bruce Arena, while Phoenix have managed just one USL Championship win to open the 2026 campaign.