San Antonio FC (USL) learned of the two possible Second Round opponents they will face on May 17th. In the First Round, the winner of the Dutch Lions FC (NPSL) and NTX Rayados (NTPSA) will face the second year USL club. If the Dutch Lions win, the match will be played in Conroe, Texas at the Lions' home field. If the Rayados win, San Antonio will host them at Toyota Field.

The Rayados were disqualified the night before their First Round match in 2016 because they didn't participate in a USSF-sanctioned league. This is the first appearance for the Dutch Lions in the U.S. Open Cup tournament.
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To view the entire First and Second Round match-ups, click HERE.

San Antonio FC (USL) was eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by the Houston Dynamo (MLS) 4-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium Wednesday night.

The brand new USL club held its own for the first 45 minutes in its first ever match against an MLS opponent, playing very well against their in-state rival. However, Houston opened up the scoring in the 39' after SAFC defender Milton Palacios slipped at the top of the box, giving room for Houston's Manotas space to slip the ball in past Josh Ford. It looked as though the visitors would go into halftime only down one, but Alex gave the home team a 2-0 lead in first half stoppage time after a deflected cross landed neatly for him.

The second half was a different story. Houston dominated possession as San Antonio couldn't get the ball out of their own half for the majority of the half. Two quick goals in the 60' and the 66' sealed the Cup victory for the MLS side.

Houston will await the Fifth Round draw tomorrow where they will find out their next opponent and what bracket they will be in as the pool of teams left continues to shrink.

This match was a great measuring stick for San Antonio. The organization and city are first class, but there is still work to do on the pitch. San Antonio resumes USL play on Saturday when they host the Colorado Switchbacks at Toyota Field. “Hopefully the guys can learn from tonight, and we’ll get better come the weekend" concluded Head Coach Darren Powell.

Alamo Soccer: With just under half the season played, what is the story of Houston's 2016 season so far? [Note: This question was asked before Houston named Wade Barrett as Interim Head Coach.]

​Dustyn: Houston’s season will most likely be defined by the recent coaching change, only the second change in the club’s history. Owen Coyle is out and, well, nobody is in. Wade Barrett and Paul Caffrey, and Paul Rogers are overseeing the team until a new boss is named. There has been no timetable for a replacement so, we will see what happens there.
On the field the team has been bad, no other way to put it. There was a lot of excitement coming into the season with a “new look” Dynamo but the results haven’t panned out. Houston is currently bottom of the Western Conference but are coming off a 1-1 draw at FC Dallas in their last MLS game.

Alamo Soccer: Will we see a strong starting XI or a RGV FC heavy Dynamo side for the Open Cup match?

Dustyn: With MLS being on a break, and a coaching staff basically fighting for their jobs, I think you see close to a first choice XI for the Dynamo. With RGV FC being ineligible, we will probably see a few of their guys as well. A couple of Dynamo players will be out on international duty, most notably the team’s leading goal scorer Giles Barnes, who is with Jamaica at Copa América.

Alamo Soccer: The last competitive San Antonio/Houston match was against the former San Antonio Scorpions in the 2012 Open Cup, a 1-0 San Antonio victory. This being the first match against San Antonio FC, will Houston fans treat this like a rivalry?

Dustyn: Short answer, no. With all due respect, a number of Dynamo fans probably don’t know what San Antonio FC is or even that the Scorpions are no longer in existence. Hopefully, San Antonio joins Major League Soccer soon and then the two teams can begin to forge a rivalry, like Houston has with Dallas. As long as San Antonio is in NASL or USL and plays the Dynamo maybe once a year, I don’t think fans will see them as a rival.

Alamo Soccer: What can San Antonio fans expect at BBVA Compass Stadium for a Fourth Round Open Cup match?

Dustyn: BBVA Compass Stadium is a fantastic soccer stadium. I obviously say that with some bias but it really is a great place to watch soccer. The Open Cup, sadly, won’t draw well. Only the lower level of seating will be open and tickets are general admission. That tells you what to expect crowd wise. If you’re coming to Houston for the game, I recommend stopping at Lucky’s Pub, which is across the street from the stadium. Being downtown is just a very cool vibe for a soccer game.

As for the stadium itself, the field should be in pretty good condition (considering all the rain we’ve gotten over the past month) and there really isn’t a bad place to watch the game from. The Dynamo supporters now sit in the North end of the stadium, underneath the video board. With the second level of seating being closed off for this game, the supporters groups will probably be moved back to their old section in the south end.

Alamo Soccer: Predictions?
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Dustyn: If the Dynamo play a close to full strength squad, which I think they will, I think they win 3-1. If they don’t it’s anyone’s guess. The Dynamo have never really taken the Open Cup too seriously but, like I said earlier, with this new staff basically being given a try out, the Dynamo should come out and do well.

I'd like to thank Dustyn for taking the time to answer some questions for me! Dustyn is the Managing Editor of Total MLS. You can follow him on Twitter @TotalMLS & @HouSports.

The match is Wednesday, June 15th at 7:15pm CST in Houston at BBVA Compass Stadium. #HOUvSA

How to watch:

• ​houstondynamo.com/live

San Antonio FC defeated the Des Moines Menace (PDL), 2-1, last night to advance to the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. A second half comeback, fueled by goals from Sam McBride and Jacques Francois, means that SAFC will now travel to Houston to play the Houston Dynamo (MLS) on June 15th. 

In front of a modest crowd of 1,754, Des Moines held San Antonio scoreless heading into the break at 0-0. It wasn't until 15 minutes into the second half that the Menace broke the deadlock. Midfielder Christian Flath beat captain Josh Ford off a free kick from just outside the box. The kick curled around the wall and into the net to give the amateur side the 1-0 advantage. The Alamo City boys played more urgently after falling behind and were able to equalize when defender Sam McBride scored his first professional goal - a header off a Carlos Alvarez free kick. 

San Antonio would keep the pressure on the Menace and finally gained the lead as none other than Jacques Francois, the Haitian Sensation, scored his third U.S. Open Cup goal off a Greg Cochrane cross. Francois has now scored both game winners in each of San Antonio's Open Cup matches. 

San Antonio will have a short turnaround as they will travel back home today to prepare for their first in-state road trip down to face Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday. 

​Alamo Soccer's Man of the Match: Jacques Francois (1 goal, game winner)