09/03/2026
It’s Open Cup season! 🏆 The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest ongoing soccer competition in the country – a knockout tournament open to any men’s club in America, amateur or pro.
This year, all 27 MLS teams are in the bracket, and three local clubs are vying to get in! Win it all, and you take home $1 million and the trophy shown here – the Dewar Cup (taken at FC Dallas).
Cleveland isn’t new to the cup. Cleveland Thistles made it to the semis in 1925. Cleveland Inter-Italian 🇮🇹(pictured, top) were finalists in 1973, Croatia Cleveland 🇭🇷 (as Croatia Rebels, pictured bottom) were semifinalists in 1975. To name a few.
This year, three local clubs compete in Qualifiers: Croatia Cleveland Soccer Club, Akron City FC and Lorain County Leviathan FC — and Ambassadors Football Club Ohio (AFC Ohio) has an automatic bid to tournament proper. (Mansfield Liederkranz Sport & Kulture — next year, you enter the chat?)
Qualifiers kick off next weekend.
Check your inbox for special tickets to ACFC vs. Leviathan on Sept. 13. See you at the cup!