Iron Rose FC Enters 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifying, Opens Play in October

Written By Iron Rose

Roseville club joins a record 155-team Open Division field chasing a spot in America's oldest national championship — and a shot at the pros

ROSEVILLE, Calif. (Sep. 8, 2026) — Iron Rose FC is officially in the hunt.

The club has entered the Qualifying Rounds for the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer's national club championship and the oldest ongoing competition in American soccer. Now in its 112th edition, the Open Cup is the only competition in U.S. team sports where amateur clubs can earn the right to play professionals — and Iron Rose is four wins away from that chance.

A record 155 Open Division clubs from 32 states entered qualifying this year, competing for just 16 spots in next spring's Tournament Proper. California leads all states with 23 clubs in the field. Iron Rose FC represents The League for Clubs, one of 11 clubs from the league in this year's competition.

Iron Rose was one of 101 clubs to receive a bye through the First Qualifying Round, meaning the club's campaign begins in the Second Qualifying Round on October 3–4, a 128-team, 64-match round that will cut the field in half in a single weekend.

"The Open Cup is the one competition in this country that doesn't care about the things that usually decide who gets a seat at the table," said Iron Rose FC managing partner Peter Wilt, who won four U.S. Open Cup titles as president and general manager of the Chicago Fire. "Not your budget, not your league, not your zip code. You win, you keep going. That's the whole thing. I've been fortunate to see this tournament as David and as Goliath and being David is much more fun. Roseville built this club, the youth club, the families, the people who showed up before there was any reason to show up. Now they get to find out how far we can go.”

From there, the path is single-elimination and unforgiving. Winners advance to the Third Qualifying Round on October 31–November 1, which narrows the field to 32 clubs. The Final Qualifying Round on November 21–22 decides the 16 clubs that punch their ticket to the Tournament Proper, where they'll face professional opposition beginning in April 2027.

Who could we draw?

That's the best part — nobody knows yet.

U.S. Soccer determines matchups and byes through a combination of geography and random selection, with host clubs also drawn at random. The federation's stated goal is to minimize total travel, which means Iron Rose's opponent will very likely come from the deep Northern California pool. That could mean:

  • Legends SC (Sacramento) — a genuine capital-region derby, 20 minutes down the road

  • Academica SC (Turlock) and other USL League Two opposition

  • Napa Valley 1839 FC, CF San Rafael, or San Ramon FC — fellow League for Clubs sides

  • Oakland Stompers, Bay Area United FC, CV United FC (Livermore), Sonoma Valley United

  • San Francisco's historic amateur scene: SF Vikings SC, International San Francisco, Norcal Shockwaves (Sausalito), JSC Jasa (Redwood City)

And the draw is only half of it. Because host clubs are selected at random, there's a real possibility Iron Rose plays this in front of a home crowd in Roseville.

That possibility carries extra weight for a group that came within a single result of the Open Cup proper last season. Head coach Paul Ramirez, who has been to that stage before, was direct about what the qualifying run means to his squad. 

“More than competing for a national championship, this group wanted the opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup, and we fell one game short of achieving that goal last season.

This group has always responded well to adversity, and we’re going to take the hard road to get there. We’re grateful to have earned a first-round bye, but we know we still have to win three very difficult matches to qualify for the Open Cup Proper.

I’ve had the opportunity to coach in the Open Cup Proper with FC Folsom against Fuego FC when they were in USL League One, and many of my players still remember what it felt like to compete at that level. The atmosphere, the intensity, and the opportunity to measure yourself against a professional club are different. A lot of our players have experienced that level before, and they want it again.

At Iron Rose, we don’t just want to qualify for the Open Cup. We want to do it playing our brand of futbol and dominating along the way. The opportunity to earn a match against a professional team is something this group and I are working relentlessly toward.

We know what’s in front of us. Three matches. Three wins. Then we go after a professional club.

Up the Roses! “


Win four, and the conversation changes entirely. The Tournament Proper is where amateur clubs share a field with professional sides, the moment every Open Division club enters for.

How to follow along

The Second Qualifying Round draw and schedule will be announced by U.S. Soccer in the coming weeks. Iron Rose FC will confirm opponent, date, time and venue across club channels the moment it's official.

About Iron Rose FC

Iron Rose FC is a semi-professional soccer club based in Roseville, California, fielding a women's team in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and a men's team in The League for Clubs (TLFC). Since launching in 2024, the club has quickly become one of the top-drawing amateur soccer clubs in Northern California, playing its home matches at West Park High School. Iron Rose FC is dedicated to using the power of sport to unite and uplift its community through school programs, charitable initiatives, and a fan-first matchday experience. For more information, visit ironrosefc.com. 

Media Contact

Jesse Teske - Head of Marketing, Iron Rose FC - jesse@ironrosefc.com

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