A regional guide to the First Round of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup

Whether you love it, hate it, or feel a complete and unrelenting ambivalence toward it, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup lives to see a 109th competition as the ultimate tournament for American soccer, kicking off the tournament proper tonight with a 64 team First Round.

32 amateur Open Division clubs with berths earned through the Qualifying Round, USL League 2, NPSL, UPSL, and USASA will all get to take a shot at upsetting one of 32 professional sides from MLS Next Pro, USL League One, or NISA over the next three days. (Disclaimer: NPSL side Apotheos FC, playing out of Silverbacks Park, advanced to the Second Round after NISA’s Georgia Lions FC elected to forfeit among rumors of instability. Maybe not quite an upset, but we’ll have an amateur Atlanta-based team moving on, so that’s cool I guess!) The winners will compete against each other in the Second Round, before some bigger fish enter in from USL Championship in the Third Round. Last year’s top USL Championship sides, along with the eight MLS teams including Atlanta United, will enter in the following Round of 32.

All matches of the U.S. Open Cup will be broadcast, and will be available on USSoccer.com, USLSoccer.com, or MLSSoccer.com.

In true sicko celebration, I’ve compiled all the matchups involving teams around the Southeast to keep an eye on as they attempt to harness the mythical Magic of the Cup and begin their individual Open Cup runs to the later rounds:

March 19th

Chattanooga FC (MLSNP) vs Miami United FC (USSL), 6:00 PM, Finley Stadium

The 2024 edition of the U.S. Open Cup all begins in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with the lower league mainstays Chattanooga FC making their ninth appearance in the Cup, and their first as a member of MLS Next Pro after departing from NISA. They’ll host Open Division qualified Miami United, who had to work their way in through local qualifiers back in November, where the club CEO stated their “dream” to play neighboring giants Inter Miami.

Welp. Miami United fell on penalties in the First Round last year, while Chattanooga FC defeated Des Moines in the Second Round before losing to Birmingham Legion in the next.

Brave SC (USL2) vs Savannah Clovers FC (NISA), 7:00 PM, H.G. Morse Stadium

Brave SC, a.k.a. The Team Formerly Known As The Villages SC, reached the 2024 Open Cup after the USL2 juggernauts won the Southeast Division and reached the national semifinals last season. This is their first Open Cup appearance since 2019, where they met with and fell to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Second Round. The Savannah Clovers FC pay a visit as a pro side in their sophomore year of professional play, and their seventh overall. The Clovers will hope for a rebound after finishing next to last in NISA last year and getting bounced in their Open Cup debut last year to the Charleston Battery. If nothing else, at least both sides can enjoy their admittedly sick logo designs.

South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL1) vs FC America CFL Spurs (USSL), 7:30 PM, Tormenta Stadium

Orlando area amateur outlet FC America CFL Spurs (say that five times fast) are first time qualifiers to the Open Cup through the local qualifiers, and will be immediately tasked with a road trip to professional opponents in Statesboro at Tormenta Stadium. Meanwhile, Tormenta are looking for a first win of the year after a loss and draw in league play thus far. If on-paper mismatches are evidence of peak Open Cup chaos, you might want to keep this one on your radar.

March 20th

South Carolina United FC (USL2) vs Greenville Triumph SC (USL1), 7:00 PM, SCUFC Southeastern Freight Lines Soccer Complex

If in-state matchups are your thing, look no further than Columbia based South Carolina United Bantams hosting their neighbors up the road in Greenville on Wednesday evening. It’s also the first time a professional soccer team has ever played a competitive match in Columbia, per the Bantams. The Triumph make the drive down looking to start a longer run than last years short end of the stick trip to Phoenix, where they lost 1-0 to Rising FC.

Asheville City SC (USL2) vs One Knoxville SC (USL1), 7:00 PM, Greenwood Field

In another case of USL League Two side hosting nearby League One side, Asheville City welcomes One Knox in a Smoky Mountain Series revival. It’ll be a debut in the Open Cup for Asheville, who won last year’s South Central Division, against a Knoxville side who won the same division a year prior in 2022 before making the jump up to the professional level. Hopefully, the Golden Hiking Boot trophy makes an appearance yet again. Just look at it.

March 21st

Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL1) vs Brockton FC United (UPSL), 7:30 PM, Central High School

It goes without saying, but both Chattanooga teams have to win solely for the reason of pitting both of them together at long last and seeing what kind of nuclear fission takes place. We’ll see what Brockton FC United, from the Boston-area birthplace of Rocky, has to say about that, though. Led by former Cape Verde international Wuilito Fernandes, the amateur side made it through qualifiers to earn their spot to play against the Red Wolves. Chattanooga will be full of energy after dropping a close season opener to Lexington on Friday, but will be away from CHI Memorial Stadium as they install a new natural grass surface.

Crown Legacy FC (MLSNP) vs South Carolina United Heat (UPSL), 7:30 PM, Mecklenburg County Sportsplex

Crown Legacy, Charlotte FC’s Next Pro affiliate, take the place of the MLS club in the tournament this year, and host another Columbia based squad in the Cup in South Carolina United Heat. In their final qualifying match, SCU Heat beat out Tennessee Tempo FC to reach the cup, a team that featured Atlanta Silverback and Open Cup legend in his own right Kwadwo Poku. Charlotte’s academy’s UPSL side also defeated the Heat in penalties for the Mid-Atlantic Division championship, adding a bit of spice to an otherwise mismatched pairing.

Let us know down below if you’re planning on attending any of the opening matches of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, and chime in if you’re watching any of the early stage matches of this year’s tournament!