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2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Second Round Previews – Tuesday, April 4

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 04/03/23, 12:05PM EDT

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Nine USL Championship clubs kick off their journeys, including six who will face in-state opponents


Memphis 901 FC's Luiz Fernando and his teammates will square off USL League One's One Knoxville SC on Tuesday night to open the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup journey for both clubs. | Photo courtesy Memphis 901 FC

The road to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicks off on Tuesday night for nine clubs from the USL Championship as they each try to advance to a potential clash with a club from Major League Soccer with victory in the Second Round.

Six teams will face in-state opponents on Tuesday night, including a matchup for Memphis 901 FC that sees the first clash between Championship and USL League One opponents of the round.

Here’s a look at all the action.

Miami FC vs. Jacksonville Armada FC

Venue: Riccardo Silva Stadium
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Stream: YouTube

The Lowdown: Miami FC will look for a second consecutive trip to the Third Round of the tournament as it plays host to a familiar name from its past in South Florida. Former league Jacksonville Armada FC will head to Miami having advanced in a penalty shootout after one of the more dramatic games of the First Round against Miami United FC, with goalkeeper Nicklas scoring in the 10th round of the shootout before denying fellow goalkeeper Peterson Occenat to send his side on. Miami FC is still looking for its first win of the USL Championship season after being held to a 1-1 draw by Memphis 901 FC in its last outing on Saturday, and a victory here could not only earn a rematch with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF in the Third Round but also kickstart the club’s overall campaign.

Hartford Athletic vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC

Venue: Trinity Health Stadium
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
Stream: YouTube

The Lowdown: Hartford Athletic will look to maintain its perfect record of advancing to the Third Round of the Open Cup when it plays host to a Lansdowne Yonkers FC side that will return to Trinity Health Stadium looking for another victory. Lansdowne rallied to take a 2-1 victory against amateur side Hartford City FC to open the tournament as Joseph Devivo scored both goals for the visitors, sending it into the Second Round for a second consecutive tournament. The Athletic earned their second point of the season on Saturday afternoon as Elvis Amoh scored the equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Orange County SC, and the hosts will be hopeful of replicating its victory at this stage a year ago when it defeated Oyster Bay United FC 3-1 with Prince Saydee among the goalscorers.

One Knoxville SC vs. Memphis 901 FC

Venue: Regal Soccer Stadium
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET

The Lowdown: Memphis 901 FC will try to pick itself up after a slow start to the season – and avoid a similar fate to its early exit from the Open Cup a season ago – when it travels to face in-state foe One Knoxville SC of USL League One for the first official meeting between the clubs. Memphis earned its first point of the season on Saturday as a late own goal by Miami FC resulted in a 1-1 draw at Riccardo Silva Stadium. The contest saw the debut of former United States Men’s National Team goalkeeper Bill Hamid for Memphis, who posted a pair of saves, but the side has yet to see forward Phillip Goodrum get off the mark yet this season after he notched 22 goals across the regular season and playoffs last year. Knoxville made its League One debut on March 18 and took a 2-1 victory against fellow newcomer Lexington SC as Jimmie Villalobos and Jake Keegan found the net at Regal Soccer Stadium, and Tuesday night will mark the club’s Open Cup debut after its move up from USL League Two this past offseason. One Knox Head Coach Mark McKeever has dealt up some Open Cup magic in the past, however, including leading USL League Two club Mississippi Brilla to victory against the USL Championship’s Indy Eleven in the 2018 edition of the tournament.

Detroit City FC vs. Gold Star Detroit FC

Venue: Keyworth Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Stream: BR Football

The Lowdown: Detroit City FC will begin its Open Cup journey against a new arrival to the American soccer scene when it plays host to Gold Star Detroit FC. Le Rouge advanced comfortably to the Third Round at this stage a season ago with a 3-0 victory against Michigan Stars FC that saw Matthew Lewis score twice for the hosts. The hosts will be aiming for a similar performance this time around as they seek a first home win this season after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday night. Gold Star, meanwhile, played its first game in club history on Saturday as it fell 3-0 to Chattanooga FC in the opening weekend of NISA’s season. The newly-formed club includes a familiar name for Le Rouge fans in Roddy Green, who played for the club last in 2021 and started Gold Star’s inaugural game, and former Sporting Kansas City Academy prospect Max Rugova, who made eight appearances as a USL Academy signing for Sporting Kansas City II in the USL Championship in 2017.

Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. NONA FC

Venue: Al Lang Stadium
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET

The Lowdown: The Tampa Bay Rowdies will try to claim their first official win of the year as they play host to USL League Two club NONA FC for the first meeting between the clubs. The Rowdies are coming off a 2-0 setback to Eastern Conference rival Birmingham Legion FC to sit with two points from their first four games of the regular season, the slowest start to a year the club has made since it joined the Championship in 2017. Historically, Tampa Bay has fared well against lower-division opposition under Head Coach Neill Collins with the side having won 6-0 last year against The Villages SC at the same stage. NONA FC is in its Open Cup debut, and advanced to face the Rowdies with a 1-0 win against Club de Lyon FC II as former Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC forward William Eyang scored in the opening minute. The visitors will be without midfielder Jeferson Junior on Tuesday, however, after he was sent off in the second half of that contest.

Charleston Battery vs. Savannah Clovers FC

Venue: Patriots Point
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET

The Lowdown: The Charleston Battery will try to continue their strong start to the 2023 season as they play host to Savannah Clovers FC, which makes its Open Cup debut in its first campaign. Savannah played to a 1-1 draw with Michigan Stars FC on Saturday in its inaugural game as Andrew Barrowman scored a first-half equalizer after the side had fallen behind in the 36th minute. Savannah’s lineup includes a former Battery player in forward Joel Bunting, who had four goals in 20 appearances for Charleston in the 2021 season, but the Battery will be aiming to advance and continue their undefeated start to the season which has seen 16-year-old Fidel Barajas become one of the early breakout stars of the new season. The Mexico U-17 international has notched one goal and two assists in three appearances as the Battery have claimed five points to start the campaign, and with fellow attacking standouts Augustine Williams and Nick Markanich also making good early moves the hosts will be hopeful of advancing to the Third Round for the first time since 2019.

San Antonio FC vs. Club de Lyon FC

Venue: Toyota Stadium
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET

The Lowdown: San Antonio FC will aim to continue its undefeated start to its new campaign as it plays newcomer Club de Lyon FC in a game that was moved to Toyota Field after originally being scheduled to be played in Florida. SAFC won its third game in four to start the season on Saturday night as Zico Bailey scored his first goal for the club with five minutes to go to earn a 2-1 victory against Monterey Bay F.C. The win extended San Antonio’s undefeated streak in the USL Championship to 15 games. San Antonio will now aim to replicate its Second Round victory a year ago against Club de Lyon, which fell 1-0 in its inaugural contest against the LA Force on Friday night. The visitors could include Victor Rojas, who scored one goal in 12 appearances for Las Vegas Lights FC in the 2019 USL Championship season, and former Orlando City B forward Jose Quintero, who played in USL League One across the 2019 and 2020 seasons, as it makes its Open Cup debut.

New Mexico United vs. UDA Soccer

Venue: Rio Rancho Stadium
Kickoff: 9 p.m. ET

The Lowdown: New Mexico United will open its road to the Open Cup on home turf as it plays host to in-state qualifier UDA Soccer hoping to rekindle the success of the club’s run to the Quarterfinals in 2019. New Mexico will need to rebound from its first setback of the season on Saturday night as the side struggled to find chances in a 1-0 defeat to Oakland Roots SC on the road at Pioneer Stadium, but last year’s 5-0 victory against the Las Vegas Legends offers hope for a morale-boosting result here. Making its Open Cup debut, UDA Soccer advanced to the Second Round with a 1-0 win against Park City Red Wolves as Jose Luis Puente scored the only goal from the penalty spot with 11 minutes remaining. A local qualifier bases in Las Cruces, New Mexico, UDA will be hoping to spring a major surprise this time out.

Oakland Roots SC vs. El Farolito FC

Venue: CSUEB Pioneer Stadium
Kickoff: 10 p.m. ET
Stream: BR Football

The Lowdown: Oakland Roots SC will try to build on a successful home opener this past Saturday as it plays host to California club El Farolito FC at Pioneer Stadium. Roots SC took its first win of the season thanks to a second-half goal by Johnny Rodriguez against New Mexico United in a game that saw the hosts show off their defensive solidity while limiting United’s clear chances on goal. Oakland will be aiming for more of the same against its amateur competition, with El Farolito having pulled away for a 3-0 victory after extra time against International San Francisco SC in the First Round despite being reduced to 10 players late in regulation. Jhonatan Mosquera, Jhon Quinones and Cesar Benitez provided the goals for the side that time out, and the amateurs from San Francisco will now head across the bay to face professional opposition for the second time in the tournament.  

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