Bracket Breakdown: Charlotte FC plays NCFC in the US Open Cup; the winner faces DC United or Charleston Battery in the Round of 16

Brian Maurer
7 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

By Brian Maurer

*Patrick Agyemang and Jaden Servania (10) battle for the ball during preseason (CJ Hellner/Topbin90)*

Tonight, Charlotte FC will face off in a Carolina Clash against North Carolina FC up in Cary, NC, in the US Open Cup Round of 32. The draw took place last month, and the remaining 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four. Charlotte's group includes their opponent tonight, NCFC, DC United, and the Charleston Battery. If the Crown gets past their NC rivals, they will face the winner of DC and Charleston in the Round of 16.

Here is a breakdown of the four teams in the group:

Charlotte FC

Charlotte is the favorite in this group. They are currently sitting sixth in the MLS Supporters' Shield standings and have hit the ground running in 2025. The one concern with the Crown is their road performances. They are last on the host priority list for this group, so if they advance, they will not be home for the Round of 16.

This shouldn't be a factor for Charlotte as they have the depth needed to advance, but in a knockout tournament with two road games, the challenge is still there, and the expectations are set that they take care of business and advance to their first-ever US Open Cup Quarterfinal.

DC United

DC United has been struggling so far this season. They sit 12th in the Eastern Conference and have allowed the most goals in MLS (23). They still have a class striker in Christian Benteke who would be key if this team can make a run. When a season goes south, like it has for DC, the US Open Cup could be seen as a primary focus for them. This could give them an edge over Charlotte, who will likely be looking to rotate in the early rounds so they can maintain their place in the MLS standings.

If they advance past the Battery and face Charlotte in the Round of 16, they will get to host, which gives them a fighting chance against a far superior side.

Charleston Battery

Charleston Battery currently sits third in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship and travels to DC to try to pull the cupset. With how Charleston has started the year and how poorly DC is playing, this seems as good an opportunity as any for the Battery.

The Battery's leading goalscorer, Cal Jennings, is in the USL Championship Golden Boot race with six goals on the year, and an in-form attacker can give any team a chance in a knockout round game.

North Carolina FC

North Carolina FC is currently fifth in the USL Championship Eastern Conference and is coming off a 2-0 road win against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, giving them some momentum. Midfielder Mikey Maldonado is key for them as he has an assist in four of NCFC's last five games in all competitions.

As they will be hosting a far superior MLS side, NCFC will look for any way they can to survive and pull the cupset in front of their hometown faithful. If they can find a way past Charlotte, they will get to host their Round of 16 match as they are first in hosting priority in the group.