The U.S. Open Cup is down to its last 16 teams, all of whom return to action this week with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
This week’s matches are almost exclusively faceoffs between MLS teams, all of whom beat lower-league counterparts en route to the round of 16. There is one notable exception, though – the USL Championship’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds, who pulled off the lone upset in the previous round by ousting New York City FC with a 1-0 win. The journey will not get any easier for the Riverhounds, though, who take on the Eastern Conference’s best team, the Philadelphia Union.
The Union join several MLS heavy-hitters in the last 16 including Minnesota United, who are second in the Western Conference and will face St. Louis City, while Nashville SC’s trip to Orlando City marks a match between fourth and fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
You can catch all of the action on Paramount+, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will pitch in with additional coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday. Coverage will include another edition of the Golazo Show on Wednesday, when six games will take place simultaneously, and will air on CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Ahead of the round of 16 action, here’s what you need to know.
U.S. Open Cup round of 16 TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
Matchup to watch: Cupset potential in Pennsylvania
The most intriguing matchup of the week will take place between two Pennsylvania teams, one the clear favorite and one the obvious underdog. The Philadelphia Union land in the first category as they continue a strong start to their first season under head coach Bradley Carnell, currently atop MLS’ competitive Eastern Conference after 14 games. They are perhaps the best team left in the competition, but will be up against the U.S. Open Cup last remaining Cinderella story – the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Their third round win over Columbus Crew 2 may not have been much of a surprise but they really made a statement in the round of 32, becoming the only lower-league team to beat an MLS when they notched a 1-0 win over New York City FC. How far they can go is the big question for this round.
Add Comment