Up for the Cup: Orlando City's greatest Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup memories | OneFootball

It's official. Orlando City are back participating in what is America's most historic, most prestigious national soccer competition in 2026.

Announced on Thursday by U.S. Soccer, Óscar Pareja's side will be one of sixteen Major League Soccer clubs fielding a team in next season's slightly reduced edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, entering in the Round of 32 in mid-April.

As with last season's edition, this format isn't perfect. Yes, gone are the reserve teams from MLS NEXT Pro whose very inclusion insulted the tournament's proud, 111-year history, but Don Garber's disdain for grassroots football has, once again, reared its ugly head.

Just two months on from their historic cup win, Nashville SC will not even be awarded the opportunity to defend their crown, with their participation in CONCACAF Champions Cup and, let's face it, probably Leagues Cup too, deemed more worthy of their time.

Fans of the sport in this country should not rest until each and every club across the land once again has the opportunity to be a part of true footballing history. But, at this point in time, it's just a relief to know that we are one of the lucky few.

So, what better time to reminisce on some of Orlando's greatest-ever cup memories? Here are a few of my favourites:

Sporting Kansas City 0-1 Orlando City, 12th June 2013

Alright, I'll admit it. This was a bit before my time. But what better way to prove your credentials as a potential expansion team than by vanquishing not one, but two established Major League Soccer clubs in cup match-ups?

Orlando's third Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign began with a 2-1 win over the now-defunct Ocala Stampede, with Dom Dwyer and Adama Mbengue netting for Adrian Heath's reigning shield winners.

A third-round upset over Colorado Rapids followed thanks to an early opener from Bryan Burke and a brace from Dwyer, but the best was still yet to come. One year on from a gut-wrenching 3-2 road defeat to eventual winners Sporting Kansas City, Heath's giant-killers got their revenge.

After Long Tan shocked the hosts with a second-minute strike, a Miguel Gallardo-inspired (and Dwyer-less) Orlando remained resolute at the back until the final whistle to dump out the holders.

“We believed,” said Heath that night. “We obviously believed before the game we could get a result.”

Despite a humbling 5-1 defeat away to Chicago Fire in the quarter-final, Orlando had done enough to prove their credentials. Later that same year, we were announced as Major League Soccer's twenty-first club.

And the rest, they say, is history.

Orlando City 1-1 New York City FC (5-4 on pens), 10th July 2019

After years of cup disappointment as a Major League Soccer franchise (including truly abysmal defeats to Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Miami FC), Orlando finally conjured up one of our famed cup runs once again by reaching the semi-finals in 2019.

Defeating Memphis 901 FC on the road and New England Revolution at home, the only thing standing in our way of our first-ever appearance in the final four was fellow 2015 expansion club, New York City FC.

Chris Mueller's second-half header looked like it was going to be the difference between the two sides, but it was Maxi Moralez, adding yet another to his ever-growing portfolio of goals against Orlando, who netted a heartbreaking stoppage-time equaliser to send the game to extra time.

After an uneventful thirty minutes, it was up step Adam Grinwis - and Orlando's legendary supporters - to steal the show during the decisive shoot-out and seal a truly unforgettable night.

Winning the coin toss, the visitors elected to play the shoot-out in front of an empty South Stand. But The Wall was having none of it. Charging to the opposite end of the newly christened Exploria Stadium, Orlando's die-hard supporters roared their team to victory and a semi-final meeting with rivals Atlanta United.

The less said about that one the better, but our time was soon to come.

Orlando City 5-1 New York Red Bulls, 27th July 2022

Obviously, that cup-winning September night at home to Sacramento Republic is probably the most special in club history. But it was July's semi-final demolition of New York Red Bulls that got us there, finally banishing those demons from three years prior.

I was there, too. It was the first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game I'd ever been to, and only my second-ever trip to Florida from the United Kingdom. Pareja's men, slowly showing signs of becoming a force to be reckoned with in this league, had to deliver a huge performance. And they did just that.

When Lewis Morgan netted in first-half stoppage time, though, we all feared it would be business as usual from our oh-so-near club.

César Araújo had other ideas, powering home from a corner within minutes to equalise just before the break. From then on, there was only one winner.

An immediate go-ahead goal from Mauricio Pereyra, a second from Araújo, and insurance strikes from Facundo Torres and Benji Michel put us all in dreamland. Already knowing that it was us who'd be hosting the final, watching on as Sacramento downed our old cup nemesis to join us later that night made it even sweeter.

We all know what happened next.

Tampa Bay Rowdies 0-5 Orlando City, 7th May 2025

After a two-year hiatus thanks to Garber's Leagues Cup love child, Orlando returned to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play earlier this year with a dream draw against Tampa Bay Rowdies.

A first I-4 Derby in three years? A first trip to Al Lang Stadium in a decade? I absolutely had to be there.

I arrived in Orlando from London Heathrow late the night before, and headed straight for the bar to warm up for the following day's festivities. After an anxious night's sleep, we hit the road early the morning of the game to make sure we arrived at Ybor City's best drinking holes for opening time.

It was a proper away day. It's always special when you can drive to an away game and not have to resort to flying, something which we have dearly missed amid our dwindling number of local cup ties in recent years.

It also helps when, on one of those rare away days, Orlando actually deliver a win. Gustavo Caraballo's early brace was one of those pinch-yourself moments, before Ramiro Enrique, Duncan McGuire, and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson inflicted even more misery on our despondent enemies.

Sadly, that night also reminded us just how fragile life can be, and to make the most of these rarest of occasions when we can.