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It’s U.S. Open Cup match day in Chester! Indy Eleven are in town with another cupset on their mind. Let’s gooooooo.

In the email today:

1. 🏆 Four Wins to a Final

The oldest competition in American soccer returns to Chester tonight with a first-time opponent of the Philadelphia Union in cupset-minded USL Championship squad Indy Eleven.

It’s the first U.S. Open Cup game at Subaru Park since the 2018 semifinal and pits the Union against a team that made it all the way to the semifinals in 2024. It also falls smack dab in a busy month for the Union that still has six league games to go and a second Open Cup game if they’re able to advance.

The fixture congestion piece of it aside, head coach Bradley Carnell noted the importance of the opportunity to play for silverware.

“As a player, I've been on the winning end of big cup competitions, so I know what it means,” Carnell said Tuesday. “Especially the way this format is set up this year, it’s four games to a final and that's our full focus for tomorrow. We want to come out flying.”

Prior to their draught of four straight one-and-done outings dating back to 2019 (2020 and 2021 competitions were canceled), the Union made three finals from 2014-2018, coming up short in extra time against Seattle at home in 2014, losing to Sporting Kansas City at home on penalties in 2015 and losing 3-0 to Houston on the road in 2018.

“We know what cup run they had last year getting to the semifinal,” Carnell said. “So they're a team to be reckoned with. We just have to make sure that we control our business and not try and be forced into a game that they want to play.”

Carnell will have nearly a full team to select from with just Neil Pierre injured. Carnell said the young center back injured his knee and is out 4-6 weeks.

The match is slated for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff and will stream live on Paramount+

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2. 🖼️ U.S. Open Cup Poster

Doopy Brothers podcast host Luke McClung has designed another poster to commemorate tonight’s game against Indy Eleven. A larger print is available for on-demand purchase online.

An 8.5×14 poster print is also available for $6.99 (U.S. postage included).

3. 🧤Social Post of the Day: A Decade of Dre

4. 💧 Water Cooler: Open Cup Prediction

5. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Quinn and Cavan Sullivan’s father Brenden and grandfather Larry both played in the U.S. Open Cup during their playing careers. Jonathan Tannenwald took a look at the lineage.

• Brenden Aaronson is a champion and more from the latest edition of DOOPing Overseas.

• Philadelphia Union II forward Stas Korzeniowski and fellow first-year pros Leo Burney and Kemali Green were among the honorees for the men’s Philly Soccer 6 awards for the 2024 fall season.

• Todd Lewis of The Free Kick broke down the goals in the Montreal win.

• Appoquinimink scored early and late in a 2-0 win over Caravel Academy in a Monday night battle of unbeatens in Delaware girls high school soccer.

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