CARY, N.C. (April 3, 2025) — North Carolina FC will face interstate rival Charlotte Independence in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Charlotte was the pre-determined host for the matchup, which will take place on Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m. ET at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews.
NCFC’s match against the Independence will be streamed on Paramount+.
NCFC and the Independence met three years in a row in the Open Cup between 2015 and 2017. NCFC holds the series record in the competition, 2-1, with a combined score of 9-2. The two sides also met in the 2023 USL League One title match and will meet on April 25 in the Jägermeister Cup.
The 2025 competition is the 110th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. North Carolina FC has a rich history in the competition, including a run to the semifinals in the club’s inaugural season in 2007. North Carolina FC has also been the architect of some of the competition’s most memorable “cupsets”, including wins over the Landon Donovan and Bruce Arena-led LA Galaxy in three consecutive years from 2012-2014.
NCFC advanced to the Round of 32 in last year’s competition, beating MLS NextPro club Carolina Core FC before falling to Phoenix Rising in a 2-1 extra time thriller between the reigning champions of the USL’s two professional divisions.
Brian Shriver is NCFC’s all-time leading scorer in the U.S. Open Cup with eight goals. The former UNC Tar Heel was the club’s all-time leading goal scorer in all competitions before Oalex Anderson claimed the record at the end of the 2024 season. Shriver won the Golden Boot in the 2012 competition with five goals, the only player in NCFC history to do so.
If NCFC advances, matchups for the Round of 32 will be drawn on April 17. That draw will determine matches for both the Round of 32 and Round of 16. Any seeding in place for the Third Round will not factor into the Round of 32 draw.
