The US Open Cup Round of 32 continued Wednesday evening with seven Major League Soccer teams punching a Round of 16 ticket just like seven MLS teams did Tuesday night.
Don't forget the big picture: silverware and a 2024 Concacaf Champions League spot are up for grabs in the buildup to a Sept. 27 final. MLS teams have won the domestic tournament every year since 2000.
Loudoun United 1, Columbus Crew 5
The Columbus Crew breezed past USL Championship side Loudoun United (D.C. United's second team), benefitting from an early red card en route to a 5-1 blowout result at Segra Field.
Yaw Yeboah got Columbus off to a fast start, notching a sixth-minute opener before Loudon's Gaoussou Samaké was sent off just four minutes later. The man advantage allowed the Crew to pour it on from there, with Isaiah Parente tallying a brace and Sean Zawadzki and Christian Ramirez also finding the scoresheet.
Goals
FC Cincinnati 1, New York City FC 0
FC Cincinnati grinded out a 1-0 victory at TQL Stadium, getting a second-half header from Brandon Vazquez that held up as the game-winner and punched the Garys' Round of 16 spot.
Vazquez broke a scoreless deadlock in the 56th minute, muscling home a close-range look assisted by a corner kick delivery from Álvaro Barreal. The Cityzens never managed to find an elusive equalizer, sending just one shot on goal for the match against Cincinnati goalkeeper Alec Kann.
Goals
- 56' - CIN - Brandon Vazquez | WATCH
Nashville SC 2, FC Dallas 0
Nashville SC took care of business against FC Dallas, using second-half goals from Fafà Picault and Alex Muyl to secure a 2-0 win at GEODIS Park.
Picault opened the scoring in the 63rd minute with a far-post curler after starting a run from midfield, then Muyl blasted home a left-footed stunner in the 76th minute to keep NSC’s good times rolling.
Goals
Houston Dynamo FC 1, Sporting Kansas City 0
Houston Dynamo FC weathered a first-red card and held on for a nervy 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City at Shell Energy Stadium.
Thorleifur Úlfarsson’s expertly-taken 12th-minute opener wound up standing as the game’s lone goal, despite Houston having to play the final 55 minutes plus stoppage time down a man after a 35th-minute red card to defender Chase Gasper.
Goals
- 12' - HOU - Thorleifur Úlfarsson | WATCH
Austin FC 2, New Mexico United 0
Austin FC took a comfortable 2-0 victory over USL Championship side New Mexico United at Q2 Stadium, powered by first-half goals from Rodney Redes and Maxi Urruti.
Redes got the opener on 24 minutes, flicking home a headed finish off a corner-kick assist from Emiliano Rigoni. Urruti notched the insurance 12 minutes later, converting a feed from Adam Lundkvist.
Goals
LA Galaxy 3, Seattle Sounders FC 1
A brace from substitute Memo Rodríguez powered a 3-1 victory for the LA Galaxy over the Seattle Sounders at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The Galaxy jumped on top just four minutes into the contest off a long-range golazo from Julián Aude, with Rodriguez adding strikes in the 66th and 84th minutes to pace the home side. Paul Rothrock netted Seattle’s lone goal in the 68th minute, briefly cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Goals
Portland Timbers 3, Real Salt Lake 4
Real Salt Lake outlasted the Portland Timbers in a seven-goal thriller at Providence Park, securing a 4-3 win to book passage into the USOC's next stage.
The Timbers assumed control through Jaroslaw Niezgoda’s 52nd-minute strike, only for RSL winger Maikel Chang to punch back with a match-winning brace in quick succession – all following a stunning effort from RSL club-record signing Andrés Gómez before halftime.
Goals
