Only two weeks ago Orlando City SC defeated Sacramento Republic FC to lift the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It was the culmination of a tournament which had been two years in the making thanks to COVID-19 complications. Most interestingly, it involved a lower division punching above their weight class hoping to make history - something that was common in last year’s tournament.
While second-division Sacramento came up short in their quest a new line of contenders are already on their way. The first qualifying round for the 2023 tournament kicked off last weekend around the country featuring over 60 teams.