Select US Open Cup games to air on Bleacher Report
Select fixtures in the opening rounds of the US Open Cup will be available on Bleacher Report. In total, there will be 14 games on both the B/R App and the B/R Football YouTube channel. The two rounds with games are the first and second rounds. Six of Bleacher Report’s featured games are in the first round, while the other eight are in the second round. Those are March 21 to 23 and April 4 and 5, respectively.
These games are free on the B/R App and the B/R Football YouTube channel. There is no subscription required to the Bleacher Report app to watch these US Open Cup games. This is all possible due to the deal between US Soccer and Warner Bros. Discovery. The two inked a deal a little over a year ago. In addition to USMNT and USWNT games airing on TNT and HBO Max, the US Open Cup is included in the deal.
Therefore, Bleacher Report will start the tournament before any teams from MLS teams join the action. However, as you will see in the schedule of 14 games over the first and second rounds, there are USL Championship teams involved. Major League Soccer Teams enter the competition with 18 joining in the third round. There will be a further eight featured games on Bleacher Report’s platforms in that round, too.
However, for the first and second rounds, this is an opportunity for fans to watch a competition and teams that previously seemed to hide from fans’ TV sets or devices. Even better, there is no subscription fee required to watch.
US Open Cup on Bleacher Report
The leagues the teams on B/R’s featured games in the first round come from the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and USL2. These are semi-professional leagues, and this is fittingly the Open division. Prior to this round, there were teams competing in qualifiers.
Just like the FA Cup in England, any team organized under the umbrella of US Soccer can compete in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
First round schedule
In total, there are 28 teams in the open division. Therefore, there are 14 games, but only six of those are available on B/R’s outlets. US Soccer provides a full schedule of first round games on its website. Here are the six Open Cup games on Bleacher Report
- Tuesday, March 21 (7:30 p.m.): West Chester United SC (USLP / Pennsylvania) vs. Ocean City Nor’easters (USL2 / New Jersey)
- Wednesday, March 22 (6 p.m.): El Farolito (NPSL / California) vs. International San Francisco (SFSFL / California)
- Wednesday, March 22 (7 p.m.): Appalachian FC (NPSL / North Carolina) vs. NC Fusion U23 (USL2 / North Carolina)
- Wednesday, March 22 (8 p.m.): Chicago House AC (USL2 / Illinois) vs. Bavarian United (WSL / Wisconsin)
- Wednesday, March 22 (10 p.m.): Ventura County Fusion (USL2 / California) vs. Capo FC (NISAN / California)
- Thursday, March 23 (7:30 p.m.): Hartford City FC (NPSL / Connecticut) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (EPSL / New York)
Second Round schedule
The 14 winners in the first round meet 22 teams from the division three leagues (MLS Next Pro, NISA, USL1) in the United States and all 24 teams in the USL Championship (USLC). That means there are 60 teams and 30 games in the second round.
- Detroit City FC (USLC) vs. Gold Star Detroit (NISA)
- Oakland Roots (USLC) vs. Winner of Farolito FC vs. International San Francisco
- Louisville City (USLC) vs. Lexington Sporting Club (USL1)
- Winner of Des Moines Menace (USL 2 / Iowa) vs. Beaman United FC (UPSLP / Tennessee) vs. Chattanooga FC (NISA)
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USLC) vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USL1)
- Orange County SC (USLC) vs. Winner of Ventura County Fusion vs. Capo FC
- Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs. Greenville Triumph SC (USL1)
- Richmond Kickers (USL1) vs. Winner of Cleveland SC (NPSL / Ohio) and Lionsbridge FC (USL2 / Virginia)
PHOTO: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo