CHICAGO (March 30, 2022) – Nova FC advanced to the Second Round of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup at the expense of Lynchburg after a 3-1 win in a replay of the clubs’ First Round match-up. The game on Wednesday, March 23 was rescheduled after both teams agreed inclement weather prevented the initial contest from being completed.
Nova FC prevailed in the replay despite having to travel for a second time. The visitors opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Luke Campbell pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area and slammed home from eight yards out. But the hosts rallied and looked the far better team for the rest of the opening period – their attacking star Mitch Reed levelling in the 25 minute, not long after hitting the woodwork.
But the hosts took their foot off the gas at the start of the second half and Jean-Philippe Ayolmbong punished them for it. He picked the ball up in midfield two minutes after the restart and raced toward goal. He left several defenders in his wake before slamming home with a clever finish from the edge of the penalty area. Substitute Jhonny De Souza made it 3-1 for the visitors from the spot after earning a penalty kick in the dying minutes of the game.
Nova FC’s first win in any U.S. Open Cup finished with both sides reduced to ten men.
A second First Round replay, featuring FC Motown vs. West Chester United SC, is scheduled for Friday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Broadcast information for the match will be announced on the official Open Cup Twitter handle @OpenCup. The initial result between the two teams was voided after the U.S. Open Cup Adjudication and Discipline Panel found that West Chester was permitted by the referee to field an illegal substitute.
The 16 victorious First Round sides will be joined by 46 professional Division II (USL Championship) and Division III (USL League One, NISA, and MLS NEXT Pro) clubs in the competition’s Second Round. The 31 Second Round matches, which will all air on ESPN+, begin on Tuesday, April 5, with 11 matches, followed by another 13 games on Wednesday, April 6. The round concludes on Thursday, April 7, with seven final contests.
First Round Replays
Wednesday, March 30
Result |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
1-3 |
Lynchburg FC (Va.) vs. Nova FC (Va.) |
Lynchburg City Stadium; Lynchburg, Va. |
Friday, April 1
Time |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
7:30 p.m. ET |
FC Motown (NPSL) vs. West Chester United SC (USLL2) |
MSU Soccer Park; Montclair, N.J. |
First Round Results
Tuesday, March 22
Result |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
2-3 AET (Void) |
FC Motown (NPSL) vs. West Chester United SC (USLL2) |
MSU Soccer Park; Montclair, N.J. |
2-1 AET |
Cleveland SC (NPSL) vs. Chicago FC United (USLL2) |
George Finnie Stadium; Berea, Ohio |
0-3 |
Hartford City FC (NPSL) vs. Oyster Bay United FC (N.Y.) |
Trinity Health Stadium; Hartford, Conn. |
6-0 |
The Villages SC (USLL2) vs. Orlando FC Wolves (Fla.) |
The Villages SC Complex; Summerfield, Fla. |
3-1 |
Southern States SC Stars (NPSL) vs. Georgia Revolution FC (NPSL) |
The Oakes; Hattiesburg, Miss. |
2-3 |
Denton Diablos FC (NPSL) vs. D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (Texas) |
UNT Soccer and Track & Field Stadium; Denton, Texas |
Wednesday, March 23
Result |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
1-1 (1-1; 3-4 PKs) |
Ocean City Nor'easters (USLL2) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.) |
Carey Stadium; Ocean City, N.J. |
1-1 (Terminated) |
Lynchburg FC (Va.) vs. Nova FC (Va.) |
Lynchburg City Stadium; Lynchburg, Va. |
0-1 Forfeit |
South Carolina United FC (USLL2) vs. NC Fusion U23 (USLL2) |
SEFL Soccer Complex; Columbia, S.C. |
2-0 |
Western Mass Pioneers (USLL2) vs. Brockton FC United (Mass.) |
Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass. |
3-1 |
Miami United FC (NPSL) vs. City Soccer FC (Fla.) |
Ted Hendricks Stadium; Hialeah, Fla. |
4-2 |
Des Moines Menace (USLL2) vs. Minneapolis City SC (NPSL) |
Valley Stadium; West Des Moines, Iowa |
3-0 |
Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) vs. Azteca FC (Colo.) |
Case Soccer Complex (ORU); Tulsa, Okla. |
6-2 |
San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) vs. Escondido FC (Calif.) |
Sepulveda Basin Sports Complex; Encino, Calif. |
2-1 |
Portland Timbers U23 (USLL2) vs. Contra Costa FC (Calif.) |
John Chambers Field; Salem, Ore. |
3-2 |
Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) vs. Park City Red Wolves SC (USLL2) |
Peter Johann Soccer Field (UNLV); Las Vegas, Nev. |
Second Round Schedule
Tuesday, April 5
Time |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
7 p.m. ET |
Charlotte Independence (USLL1) vs. North Carolina Fusion U23 (USLL2) |
American Legion Memorial Stadium; Charlotte, N.C. |
7 p.m. ET |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) vs. Maryland Bobcats FC (NISA) |
Highmark Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pa. |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Tampa Bay Rowdies (USLC) vs. The Villages SC (USLL2) |
Al Lang Stadium; St. Petersburg, Fla. |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Detroit City FC (USLC) vs. Michigan Stars FC (NISA) |
Keyworth Stadium; Hamtramck, Mich. |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Indy Eleven (USLC) vs. St. Louis CITY 2 (MLSNP)* |
Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium (IUPUI); Indianapolis, Ind. |
7 p.m. CT |
Union Omaha (USLL1) vs. Des Moines Menace (USLL2) |
Morrison Stadium (Creighton Univ.); Omaha, Neb. |
7:30 p.m. CT |
FC Tulsa (USLC) vs. Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) |
ONEOK Field; Tulsa, Okla. |
7:30 p.m. CT |
San Antonio FC (USLC) vs. D'Feeters Kicks Soccer Club (Texas) |
Toyota Field; San Antonio, Texas |
7:30 p.m. MT |
New Mexico United (USLC) vs. Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) |
Univ. of New Mexico Soccer Complex; Albuquerque, N.M. |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Central Valley Fuego FC (USLL1) vs. El Paso Locomotive FC (USLC)* |
Lamonica Stadium (Clovis H.S.); Clovis, Calif. |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Orange County SC (USLC) vs. Los Angeles Force (NISA) |
Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif. |
* Home team reassigned Feb. 24
Wednesday, April 6
Time |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
8 p.m. ET |
Nova FC (Va.) vs. Richmond Kickers (USLL1) |
Virginia Revolution Sportsplex; Leesburg, Va. |
7 p.m. ET
7 p.m. ET |
FC Motown (NPSL) vs. AC Syracuse Pulse (NISA) -or- West Chester United SC (USLL2) vs. AC Syracuse Pulse (NISA) |
Montclair State University Soccer Park; Montclair, N.J.
WCUSC/PF Kildare's Pub Turf Field; West Chester, Pa. |
7 p.m. ET |
North Carolina FC (USLL1) vs. Rio Grande Valley FC Toros (USLC) |
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C. |
7 p.m. ET |
Charleston Battery (USLC) vs. South Georgia Tormenta FC (USLL1) |
Patriot's Point Soccer Stadium; Mt. Pleasant, S.C. |
7 p.m. ET |
Miami FC (USLC) vs. Miami United FC (NPSL) |
Fla. International Univ. Soccer Stadium; Miami, Fla. |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Western Mass Pioneers (USLL2) vs. Flower City Union (NISA) |
Lusitano Stadium; Ludlow, Mass. |
7:30 p.m. ET |
Louisville City FC (USLC) vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USLL1) |
Lynn Family Stadium; Louisville, Ky. |
7 p.m. CT |
Forward Madison FC (USLL1) vs. Cleveland SC (NPSL) |
Breese Stevens Field; Madison, Wis. |
7 p.m. MT |
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USLC) vs. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (USLL1) |
Weidner Field; Colorado Springs, Colo. |
7:30 p.m. MST |
FC Tucson (USLL1) vs. Las Vegas Lights FC (USLC) |
Kino North Stadium; Tucson, Ariz. |
7:30 p.m. MST |
Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) vs. Valley United FC (NISA) |
Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass; Chandler, Ariz. |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Bay Cities FC (NISA) vs. Monterey Bay F.C. (USLC) |
PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif. |
7:30 p.m. PT |
ALBION San Diego (NISA) vs. San Diego Loyal SC (USLC) |
Canyon Crest Academy; San Diego, Calif. |
Thursday, April 7
Time |
Game (home team listed first) |
Venue |
7 p.m. ET |
Hartford Athletic (USLC) vs. Oyster Bay United FC (N.Y.) |
Dillon Stadium; Hartford, Conn. |
7 p.m. ET |
Rochester New York FC (MLSNP) vs. Lansdowne Yonkers FC (N.Y.) |
Monroe Community College; Rochester, N.Y. |
7 p.m. ET |
Chattanooga FC (NISA) vs. Memphis 901 FC (USLC) |
Finley Stadium; Chattanooga, Tenn. |
7 p.m. ET |
Greenville Triumph SC (USLL1) vs. Oakland Roots (USLC) |
Triumph Stadium at Legacy Early College; Greenville, S.C. |
7 p.m. CT |
Birmingham Legion FC (USLC) vs. Southern States SC Stars (NPSL) |
Protective Stadium; Birmingham, Ala. |
7:30 p.m. PT |
Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) vs. Portland Timbers U23 (USLL2) |
Heart Health Park; Sacramento, Calif. |
7:30 p.m. PT |
California United Strikers FC (NISA) vs. San Fernando Valley FC (Calif.) |
Orange County Great Park – Championship Soccer Stadium; Irvine, Calif. |