U.S. Open Cup round of 32: How to watch on CBS Sports and Paramount+ as MLS teams face off against USL sides
It's the stage of the tournament when 16 MLS sides enter the competition and will face lower league sides in the round of 32
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3 min read
The U.S. Open Cup returns on Tuesday and Wednesday with round of 32 action, which will see MLS teams enter the fray for the first time to compete against their lower league counterparts.
This week's action includes 16 MLS teams, including four-time winners Chicago Fire and two of the last three champions, the Houston Dynamo and Orlando City. Each of them will face off against teams in lower divisions, a group that consists of 12 USL Championship teams, three US League One sides and one MLS Next Pro team. Many of these will be regional matchups including a handful of intrastate clashes, including North Carolina FC's game against Charlotte FC and Austin FC's face-off with El Paso Locomotive.
CBS Sports will air all 16 matches in the round of 32, with coverage spread across CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. There will be in-studio coverage both days while The Golazo Show, a whiparound show that will show every goal and all of the top highlights, will be available on Wednesday with 11 matches on the schedule.
Here's what you need to know before tuning in.
U.S. Open Cup round of 32 TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
TUESDAY, MAY 6 | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
D.C. United vs. Charleston Battery | 7 p.m. | |
North Carolina FC vs. Charlotte FC | 7 p.m. | |
Nashville SC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves | 8 p.m. | |
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday | 9 p.m. | |
Colorado Springs Switchbacks vs. New York Red Bulls | 9:30 p.m. | |
Tacoma Defiance vs. Portland Timbers | 10 p.m. |
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7 | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
| The Golazo Show | 7 p.m. | |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. New York City FC | 7 p.m. | |
Philadelphia Union vs. Indy Eleven | 7:30 p.m. | |
Louisville City vs. Minnesota United | 7:30 p.m. | |
Rhode Island FC vs. New England Revolution | 7:30 p.m. | |
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Orlando City | 7:30 p.m. | |
Chicago Fire vs. Detroit City | 8 p.m. | |
FC Dallas vs. AV Alta FC | 8 p.m. | |
St. Louis City vs. Union Omaha | 8 p.m. | |
Austin FC vs. El Paso Locomotive | 8 p.m. | |
CBS Sports Golazo Matchday | 10 p.m. | |
Phoenix Rising vs. Houston Dynamo | 10 p.m. | |
| San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sacramento Republic | 10:30 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network |
Storylines for the round of 32
1. San Jose Earthquakes, Sacramento Republic face off
If there's one match to keep an eye on this round, it may just be the very last one – Sacramento Republic's trip to the San Jose Earthquakes. The MLS side, led by former U.S. men's national team head coach Bruce Arena, will no doubt be favored but the Republic are no slouch in this competition. They made a memorable run to the final just three years ago before losing to Orlando City, beating the Earthquakes, the LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City along the way. They were the first team outside of MLS to reach the final since 2008 and might target another such run this year, no matter how unlikely it will be.
2. Lopsided matchups all around
While most of the games will be between MLS and USL Championship sides, a few teams in the third division also made the cut for the round of 32 – USL League One's AV Alta FC, Chattanooga Red Wolves and Union Omaha and MLS Next Pro's Tacoma Defiance, which is affiliated with the Seattle Sounders. The Defiance will host a version of a Pacific Northwest rivalry match on Wednesday, when the Portland Timbers make the trip, while the Red Wolves will play against fellow Tennessee-based side Nashville SC. Even more so than the rest of the games, the MLS will be heavily favored in these games but in one-off cup games, the lower league teams will undoubtedly try to pull off an upset.
