Open Cup: Miami FC to face Inter Miami II
The visitors will be playing their third U.S. Open Cup match against Inter Miami, but tonight marks their first against the Herons’ MLS Next Pro team.
Miami FC striker Francisco Bonfiglio celebrates after scoring one of his two goals against Naples United in a 4-1 win in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Photo: thecup.us
Battle of Miami?
A team with “Miami” in its name will advance to the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight; which team will be decided tonight at Chase Stadium.
Inter Miami II hosts Miami FC at 7:30 p.m. to decide which Magic City team moves on in the nation’s oldest — and arguably most prestigious — soccer competition.
Inter Miami II vs. Miami FC; 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, April 1, at Chase Stadium; streaming live on the U.S. Soccer YouTube channel:
Scouting the Herons
The Herons’ MLS Next Pro team — playing in its first Cup — scored four second-half goals for a 4-2 come-from-behind, first-round win March 19 against Miami United FC of the United Premiere Soccer League. Yuval Cohen scored twice in that match and added another brace in another 4-2 win days later against MLS Next Pro’s Columbus Crew 2.
Inter Miami II players look on during a penalty shootout against the Carolina Core in March. Photo: InterMiamiCF.com
The Young Herons (1-1-1) have played just three Next Pro matches and earned a modest four points; they have managed six goals, but allowed five.
Against Crew 2, Inter II coach Cristian Ledesma deployed a 4-2-3-1 with Matias Marin in goal; a back line of Tyler Hall, Nicholas Almeida, Giovanni Ferraina, and Samuel Basabe; Ricardo Montenegro and Bailey Sparks as defensive midfielders; Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida and Alejandro Flores on the wings with Cohen in the middle of the attack; and Mateo Saja at striker.
Scouting Miami FC
Miami FC cruised to a 4-1 victory against Naples United in the first round. Striker Francisco Bonfiglio, a 23-year-old Argentine, scored twice before halftime in the win.
The USL Championship side, owned by billionaire businessman, former professional footballer and prominent soccer entrepreneur Rocco Commisso, has hosted the Herons’ senior team twice in Open Cup matches.
The Pink & Black won 1-0 in 2022; a year later, the Herons got an unlikely equalizer from center back Ryan Sailor in the 118th minute. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, but Inter Miami won a penalty shootout 5-3 to advance, eventually losing to the Houston Dynamo in the 2023 Open Cup title match.
The Herons didn’t compete in the 2024 competition.
Inter Miami defender Kamal Miller battles a Miami FC player for the ball in the Herons’ 1-0 Open Cup win in 2022. Photo: thecup.us
Miami FC has lost the first four matches of its league season. In a 1-0 loss Saturday to New Mexico United , first-year Miami FC coach Gastón Maddoni started former U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Bill Hamid, 34; with wingbacks Aaron Acloque and Alejandro Mitrano and center backs Dalton Knutsen and Jonathan Ricketts forming the back line. Matias Romero and Bolu Akinyode were the defensive midfielders, with Allen Gavilanes and Christian Vazquez attacking from the left and right wings and Lucas Melano in central midfield. Bonfiglio was the striker.
About the U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup dates back to 1913 , when it began as the National Challenge Cup. The annual tournament is open to professional and amateur clubs from across the U.S., providing an opportunity for lower-division teams to compete against top-tier opponents.
“The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a crucial connection point for all levels of soccer in the United States,” U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said in a January news release. “U.S. Soccer exists in service to soccer and this historic tournament allows us to lift up the people who are leading the charge to support soccer in their communities.”
For the 110th edition of the Cup, organizers introduced a new format, increasing the number of MLS first teams from 8 to 16 and integrating 10 MLS Next Pro teams.
The field of 64 professional clubs includes 14 from USL League One and 10 sides from MLS NEXT Pro. The tournament will include the USL Championship’s 24 teams and 16 teams from Major League Soccer.
The eight lowest seeded Championship teams entered the competition in the First Round, along with USL League One and MLS Next Pro sides. The 16 higher-seeded USL Championship clubs will enter in the Third Round, and the 16 MLS teams enter the tournament in the Round of 32.
Below is a schedule of Round Two matches being played today and tomorrow.
2025 U.S. Open Cup
Second Round
(All times Eastern)
April 1
Lexington SC (USL-C) at Columbus Crew 2 (MLS-NP), 6 p.m.
Foro SC (UPSL) at South Georgia Tormenta (USL-1), 7 p.m.
Miami FC (USL-C) at Inter Miami II (MLS-NP), 7:30 p.m.
Carolina Core (MLS-NP) at Charlotte Independence (USL-1), 7:30 p.m.
El Farolito (NPSL) at Monterey Bay (USL-C), 10 p.m.
LAFC 2 (MLS-NP) at AV ALTA FC (USL-1), 10:30
April 2
Virginia Dream (VSSL) at Loudoun United (USL-C), 6:30 p.m.
Hartford Athletic (USL-C) at Portland Hearts of Pine (USL-1), 6:30 p.m.
NY Pancyprian Freedoms (EPSL) at Westchester United (USL-1), 7 p.m.
Chattanooga Red Wolves (USL-1) at Chattanooga FC (MLS-NP), 7 p.m.
One Knoxville SC (USL-1) at Greenville Triumph SC (USL-1), 7 p.m.
Little Rock Rangers (USL-2) at FC Naples (USL-1), 7:30 p.m.
FC Tulsa (USL-C) at Forward Madison FC (USL-1), 7:30 p.m.
Union Omaha FC (USL-1) at Des Moines Menace (USL-2), 8:30 p.m.
Spokane Velocity FC (USL-1) at Tacoma Defiance (MLS-NP), 10 p.m.
El Paso Locomotive FC (ULS-C) at Ventura County FC, 10:30 p.m.