Sporting Kansas City will begin its campaign for a fifth U.S. Open Cup title on April 14 when the team visits Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field. The match, part of the tournament’s Round of 32, is set for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff and will be streamed live on Paramount+.
The U.S. Open Cup is significant as it offers clubs from various leagues a chance to compete for national honors and entry into international competition. The winner not only claims the Dewar Challenge Trophy but also secures $1 million in prize money and a berth in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Tuesday’s fixture marks the first meeting between Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The Switchbacks advanced to this stage after defeating Azteca FC and Spokane Velocity FC in earlier rounds, with their most recent win coming via penalties against Spokane Velocity FC. Led by head coach Alan McCann, Colorado Springs features several players with Major League Soccer experience, including Adrien Perez, Levonte Johnson, Sam Williams, Yosuke Hanya, and Isaiah Foster. Patrick Burner brings European experience from France’s Ligue 1 while Talen Maples has previously won the U.S. Open Cup with Houston Dynamo.
Weidner Field opened in 2021 with an $50-million investment and seats up to 8,000 fans at an elevation of over 6,000 feet—the highest among American professional soccer venues—and recently hosted the USL Championship Final where Colorado Springs claimed its first league title.
Sporting KC enters as one of sixteen Major League Soccer teams joining at this stage of the competition’s single-elimination format that began in March with eighty participating teams overall. Sporting Kansas City has previously won four titles (2004, 2012, 2015, and 2017), tying them for most wins among MLS clubs; they finished runners-up in their last appearance after losing to LAFC in extra time during the final held at BMO Stadium.
Head coach Raphael Wicky prepares for his first U.S. Open Cup match since joining Sporting KC but brings cup pedigree from Switzerland—having coached BSC Young Boys to a Swiss Cup victory last year—and as a player winning three Swiss Cups along with Germany’s DFB-Pokal final against Bayern Munich in 1999. His current squad includes defenders Ethan Bartlow (2023 champion) and Wyatt Meyer (2025 champion), plus forward Taylor Calheira who scored twice against Colorado Springs last season while playing for FC Tulsa.
