The first round of the Open Cup did not disappoint. Professional sides from the North American Soccer League and United Soccer League are now set to begin play. Over the last few years, the third round of the tournament has been the most intriguing. This is because the majority of the NASL vs USL contests occur in Round 3. The pro sides will have to take care of business against some strong amateur sides first, but the potential pairings are hard not to get excited about.
Things will be a bit different this time around. The two leagues currently share provisional Division 2 status, giving that much more weight to this year’s cup, the only time the two leagues meet in competitive play.