Vermont Green FC will host professional club Portland Hearts of Pine in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup First Round.
The match will be played on Tuesday, March 17 at 7pm on Virtue Field in Burlington, the U.S. Soccer Federation confirmed today. It will be the first meeting between the two clubs—Vermont representing the pre-professional summer-only USL League Two (USL2), and Portland representing the fully professional, year-round USL League One (USL1).
All professional clubs in the U.S. are awarded automatic entry into the tournament. Amateur clubs must qualify, which Vermont Green did by winning USL2 in August.
“It’s an honor to be in the U.S. Open Cup,” said Vermont Green Head Coach Chris Taylor. “A matchup against Portland is a great opportunity for our team and community.”
“Our players and staff will give everything we can to advance in the competition, but we know we’ll be up against a well-run, fully professional club that will have had much more robust preparation than we will. That’s just the reality of the tournament for USL2 clubs, but we’re relishing the chance to get out there and show what we know we’re capable of. We’ve witnessed the power of the crowd at Virtue Field, we know how they can impact these games, and we’ll need that atmosphere again in March.”
The Green competed in the 2024 edition of the tournament, defeating USL1’s Lexington SC 4-3 in the First Round before falling 2-1 to MLS Next Pro club Carolina Core FC. When the Green host the USL1 outfit from Maine, it’ll be the club’s–and the state’s–third ever appearance in the cup competition.
It will be the 111th edition of the historic U.S. Open Cup. Beginning in 1913, it is the country’s oldest soccer competition. The tournament is a single elimination contest, and includes clubs from every level of the American soccer pyramid—from Major League Soccer (MLS) all the way down to amateur and semi-professional teams like Vermont Green. 80 clubs will compete in 2026. Nashville SC of MLS won the tournament in 2025.
The Vermont Green U.S. Open Cup roster will be announced in March.
The Hearts of Pine from Portland, Maine played their inaugural season in 2025, narrowly missing out on a place in the USL1 Final, after losing to Spokane Velocity FC in penalties in the semis. The Mainers competed in the U.S. Open Cup in 2025, when they defeated amateur club CD Failense, then Hartford Athletic, before falling to Rhode Island FC.
The full list of First Round matchups can be found on the U.S. Soccer website.
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