The U.S. Open Cup round-of-32 continued Wednesday evening, and we had plenty of drama to recap.
Let’s dig into the entertaining action across the United States.
What happened
📸 Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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We have to start with the drama that unfolded in Pittsburgh, as USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds stunned NYCFC with the final kick of the game to knock the MLS club out on a famous night at Highmark Stadium.
Meanwhile, Orlando City and Chicago Fire picked up expected comfortable victories over Tampa Bay Rowdies and Detroit City respectively. Those two MLS sides will surely see the competition as a serious chance for major silverware in 2025.
Elsewhere, New England Revolution left it late but secured the win against Rhode Island FC at the fancy new Centreville Bank Stadium, while Minnesota United grabbed a similarly late win in Louisville.
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MLS dominance continued later into the evening as FC Dallas and St. Louis City booked their passage to the last-16 with wins over lower-league opposition.
It appeared we may finally have had another major upset later in the evening as El Paso Locomotive went two ahead of Austin FC, but the MLS side came roaring back with three late goals to secure passage.
In the late evening, San Jose Earthquakes handily found their way past Sacramento Republic, while Houston Dynamo were made to sweat in an extra-time victory against Phoenix Rising. The Texas club scored three times in extra-time, but the prior 90 minutes were hard-fought.
Goal of the night
St. Louis City defender Joey Zalinsky opened his account in style against Union Omaha.
Player of the night
Orlando City youngster Gustavo Carballo has announced himself on the scene with a pair of goals in a man-of-the-match performance against Tampa Bay.
What this means
The final 16 teams are now cemented, and the pool is certainly dominated by MLS.
📸 Featured Image — Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images
