Even though we are on the precipice of Union Omaha’s third season, and Union Omaha has already won a championship, the club is still in its infancy and still experiencing a plethora of “firsts”. One that many diehard fans have been waiting for, yet many casual fans are possibly not aware of, has finally arrived. I am, of course, talking about the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. And, the 2022 iteration of the tournament will be Union Omaha’s first chance to participate.
Playing in the tournament itself isn’t an accomplishment for Union Omaha. All senior level teams that play in professional leagues recognized by the United States Soccer Federation are required to participate. While most MLS teams don’t prioritize the event and might consider only starting their strongest lineup once they hypothetically reach the semifinal, virtually every other team participating in the tournament will do their absolute best to advance as far as possible. This tournament is as close as American soccer gets to replicating tournaments that are beloved and respected elsewhere around the world. So, here’s a little background on how it works and what Union Omaha fans can expect from it.
The U.S. Open Cup has been played for over 100 years, and has seen numerous different formats that have adapted along with the changing landscape of American soccer. In its more modern version, a majority of the participants are professional teams (71 for this year’s competition), while the rest are amateur and semi-professional teams (32 this year). Teams enter the tournament at different stages; amateur and semi-pro teams (that had to previously qualify) enter during the opening round, and professional team’s entrances are staggered between the second and fourth rounds, at which point only 32 teams will remain. Think of it as the Royal Rumble, but a whole bunch of wrestlers enter at the same time and those entering close to the end are still likely to get the biggest pop. The talent gap between teams in this tournament can be massive, ranging from MLS teams with world class players, to Southern States SC, an academy club 1.5 miles from my old house in tiny Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
If you’re only familiar with American tournament style sporting competitions, another quirk of this tournament is its randomness. While tournament organizers attempt to set matches that are as regional as possible to help defray travel costs, there are still elements of random draws that take place throughout the tournament. You will almost always never be 100% certain of who you can possibly play from one round to the next. Union Omaha is currently in the position of knowing who their next possible opponent is, but if they win their match they will likely have to wait for the entirety of the round to be complete before being able to guess their next potential opponent, and will still have to wait for a drawing to confirm it.
So, who could our first opponent be? Union Omaha enters the tournament in the second round, along with all teams from USSF’s second and third divisions (which includes USL Championship from division II, and NISA and newly created MLS Next Pro from Division III). By rule, in the second round teams from the same division can’t play each other, which means Union Omaha were either going to be paired with a USL-C club, or an amateur or semi-pro club that wins its first round game. Ultimately, Union Omaha were drawn to play the winner of a match between Des Moines Menace, the defending USL League Two national champions, and Minneapolis City SC, a rumored landing spot for Union Omaha Original XI, Tyler David. This match will be played in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 23, and the winner will come to Omaha for a match scheduled to be played at Morrison Stadium on the campus of Creighton University. The match date hasn’t been determined at the time of publication, but will be played sometime between April 5-7, the same week Union Omaha kicks off the 2022 campaign. A win in this match would be the first of seven that Union Omaha would need in order to lift the trophy at the end.
We’ll dive deeper into Union Omaha’s potential matchup once it’s official. For now, here is a rundown of the rest of our USL League One brethren as they enter the tournament. Some interesting matchups to look forward to, and we’ll be providing coverage of the tournament as long as Union Omaha lasts!
- Charleston Battery (USL-C) v. South Georgia Tormenta
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USL-C) v. Northern Colorado Hailstorm
- El Paso Locomotive (USL-C) v. Central Valley Fuego
- FC Tucson v. Las Vegas Lights (USL-C)
- Greenville Triumph v. Oakland Roots (USL-C)
- Louisville City (USL-C) v. Chattanooga Red Wolves
- North Carolina FC v. Rio Grande Valley (USL-C)
- Richmond Kickers v. Lynchburg FC OR Northern Virginia FC v. Richmond Kickers
- Charlotte Independence v. South Carolina United/North Carolina Fusion U23
- Forward Madison v. Cleveland SC/Chicago FC United
Who Gives A Hoot? 