November 5: Sixteen United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) clubs have reached the final qualifying round of the 2027 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup following the third round over the Halloween weekend. Each one is a tournament win and a chance to face professional opposition.
No other league has come close. The League for Clubs (TLFC) was next with five qualifiers, followed by the American Premier Soccer League (APSL) with three. The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) entered three clubs in the round and none remain. Mint Hill lost 8-2 to the SCU Heat of the UPSL, the Oakland Stompers lost 6-0 and Charlotte County lost.
The UPSL sent 25 clubs to the round, against eight from The League for Clubs. One of the five seeded TLFC, Napa Valley 1839, advanced by beating another TLFC team, CF San Rafael, and another, the RGV Red Crowns, needed a 7-6 penalty shootout to edge ATX United of the Austin Men’s Soccer Association.
When the two leagues (TLFC v UPSL) squared off, UPSL won two out of three. Bellevue Athletic beat Iron Rose 2-0 and Bulldogs SC beat FC Monmouth 5-4.
Twelve of the UPSL’s 16 wins were against clubs in other leagues. The remaining four came in UPSL-wide draws, guaranteeing the league four spots before a ball was even kicked: San Diego Internacional vs. Laguna United, Tennessee Tempo vs. Columbus Astray, Pinellas County United vs. FC America CFL Spurs and Virginia Dream vs. DC Hyper.
The first of these ended one of the main stories of the round. San Diego Internacional, defeated by Laguna United in the final round each of the past two years, eventually prevailed 5-2, ending Laguna’s bid for a third consecutive Open Cup appearance.
Several clubs had to go deeper. Philadelphia Lone Star and Omaha Street won on penalties, and the Florida Badgers needed overtime to beat the AFC Dreamers 5-4.
The 16 clubs in the UPSL are Fall River FC, SCU Heat, Inter City FC, NY Renegades FC, San Diego Internacional FC, Philadelphia Lone Star FC, Tennessee Tempo FC, Harbor City FC, Omaha Street FC, Next Level Soccer Premier, Bellevue Athletic FC, Pinellas County United Pelicans SC, DC Hyper, Bulldogs SC and Bad Chicago Nation.
The final qualifying round is played from November 21-22, with 16 spots in next spring’s tournament. Two more UPSL clubs, Deportivo Rose City and Miami United, have already qualified automatically.
Contact the writer of the story, Nick Webster, a (email protected)
