2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - First Round
š | Wednesday, March 19, 2025
š | 7:30 p.m. PT
š | Titan Stadium; Fullerton, CA
š | TICKETS
š„ | U.S. Soccer YouTube
After a 3-1 victory over rival Ventura County FC in league play last Friday, LAFC2 shifts focus to the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, where it will meet NPSL side FC Arizona in the First Round on Wednesday, March 19, at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, CA.
The match marks LAFC2's first-ever official U.S. Open Cup appearance. In 2023, LAFC sent a squad comprised primarily of its second team players to face Monterey Bay of the USL Championship (Div. II) in the Round of 32. The young team secured a dramatic penalty kick victory to advance to the Round of 16 where LAFC again primarily fielded its second team against the LA Galaxy, resulting in a 2-0 loss.
This time around, LAFC2 carries the added pressure of defending the title won by the senior team in 2024 when the Black & Gold secured the club's first U.S. Open Cup trophy, defeating Sporting Kansas City 3-1 in the Final.
LAFC2 will count on the form of forward Alec Hughes, who is off to a strong start this season, scoring two goals in his first two league games, while midfielder Jude Terry has provided three assists.
THE VISITORS
FC Arizona, founded in 2016, plays in the National Premier Soccer League's Southwest Conference. Its only previous U.S. Open Cup appearance came in 2018 when it suffered a 1-0 loss to Sporting Arizona FC.
The Chandler, AZ-based side finished second in the NPSL Southwest Conference last season with a 7W-2L-1D record and reached the Regional Finals (national quarterfinals) where the club lost to eventual NPSL National Champion El Farolito, which itself had an impressive run in the 2024 Open Cup, reaching the Third Round.
ABOUT THE U.S. OPEN CUP
The U.S. Open Cup, the oldest and most prestigious cup competition in American soccer, brings together teams from all levels, ranging from Major League Soccer powerhouses to lower-division pro clubs in leagues like the United Soccer League and most recently MLS NEXT Pro as well as amateur sides from leagues like the NPSL and UPSL. Contested since 1914, it is the third-oldest cup competition in the world.
