FC Dallas and the Seattle Sounders, both former champions, narrowly edged USL Championship opponents to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup.
FC Dallas (Open Cup champion in 1997 and 2016) needed a career-high eight saves from goalkeeper Maarten Paes to hold off the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-1. The Rowdies finished with a 30-7 edge in shots but could only manage a late goal by former U.S. U-17 star Josh Perez from the penalty spot.
The Sounders (winners in 2009-11, their first three MLS seasons, and 2014) rallied from a goal down at halftime to beat the Phoenix Rising 2-1 on a goal by Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, one of five call-ups from MLS Next Pro’s Tacoma Defiance.
MLS teams won five of six meetings with USL Championship teams. Also through to the final eight are former champions Sporting KC (2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017) and Atlanta United (2019) and LAFC. They are joined by Sac Republic FC, New Mexico United and Indy Eleven from the USL Championship.
Results: U.S. Open Cup round of 16:
Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 FC Dallas 2. (Goals: Perez pen. 85; Delgado 14, Farrington 26.)
Indy Eleven 3 Detroit City FC 0. (Goals: Own goal 14, Williams 33, Ofeimu 36.)
Seattle Sounders 2 Phoenix Rising 1. (Goals: A.Roldan pen. 68, Kossa-Rienzi 89; Cabral pen. 45+5. Att.: 3,314.)
U.S. Open Cup: Quarterfinal Composition
For the first time since 2012, the USL will be represented by three teams in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. The three teams in 2012 were from USL Pro, which was in its second season of play as a Division 3 league.
2011: MLS 7, USL Pro 1
2012: MLS 5, USL Pro 3
2013: MLS 6, NASL 1, USL Pro 1
2014: MLS 6, NASL 2
2015: MLS 8
2016: MLS 7, NASL 1
2017: MLS 6, NASL 1, USL 1
2018: MLS 7, USL 1.
2019: MLS 6, USL Championship 2.
2022: MLS 6, USL Championship 1, USL League One 1.
2023: MLS 6, USL Championship 2.
2024: MLS 5, USL Championship 3.
