We got your March Madness right here — the taqueria El Farolito’s amateur soccer team El Farolito SC defeated the pro team Portland Timbers 2 Tuesday night in the first round of the US Open Cup.
The interesting thing about the US Open Cup, America's oldest ongoing soccer tournament that was established in 1914 and just started its 2024 tournament on Tuesday, is that it often pits pro teams against amateur teams. That means that any random amateur team could theoretically beat a pro team, or even win the whole tournament.
El Farolito SC is an amateur side named after a famous burrito spot in San Francisco.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 20, 2024
On Tuesday, they knocked Portland Timbers II out of the US Open Cup 🌯👋
(via @opencup) pic.twitter.com/w9UD7AxiJj
And the 2024 US Open Cup started its first round Tuesday with a supreme upset. The local amateur soccer club called El Farolito SC — yes, the soccer team affiliated with the El Farolito taqueria chain — upset the professional soccer team Portland Timbers 2 Tuesday night 2-1 in their 2024 US Open Cup opener, according to Soccer Bay Area.
(Portland Timbers 2 is the reserve squad of the Major League Soccer team the Portland Timbers. But Portland Timbers 2 is a paid, professional team, while El Farolito SC is an amateur team that plays their home games at Balboa Park).
EL FAROLITO—amateur side in San Francisco named after local burrito joint—beat Portland Timbers 2 in 1st round of US Open Cup on Tuesday night. Would be like Nashville reserves losing to Prince’s Hot Chicken. 🌯🌯🌯#SaveTheCup #KeepTheUSOpenCupWeirdpic.twitter.com/o6sG26ir4I
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) March 20, 2024
While Portland took a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute, Yhoann Yabur tied the game with a header in the 51st minute (seen above). Striker Dembor Benson scored the winning goal in the 68th minute, also on a header.
El Farolito, Oh 😎 @elfarolito_npsl #USOC2024 pic.twitter.com/a5ZrwMMW3I
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) March 20, 2024
“It’s been a great experience to travel and play at a beautiful venue against a young and talented squad,” El Farolito coach Santiago Lopez told Soccer Bay Area after the match (he’s the son of the late El Farolito founder ‘Don Chava’ Salvador Lopez). “We are eager to find out where we will play in the Second Round.”
.@elfarolito_npsl get it done
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) March 20, 2024
The San Francisco-based amateurs (who won the 1993 U.S. Open Cup under the name C.D. Mexico) came from behind to beat @TimbersFC2 (1-2) of @MLSNEXTPRO and now move through to the Second Round |#USOC2024
They don’t know who they will play in the Second Round, but the game will be on either Tuesday, April 1, or Wednesday, April 2nd.
So could El Farolito SC goooooo all the way, and win the whole tournament over a host of professional teams? They have before, winning the 1993 US Open Cup, though under their previous name Club Deportivo Mexico.
NPSL 2024#vamosfarolito @NPSLSoccer pic.twitter.com/FBTc5wRfmo
— El Farolito (@elfarolito_npsl) February 15, 2024
And they do play before then, this Saturday, March 23 against the Sacramento Gold, in a non-tournament game at Boxer Stadium in Balboa Park.
You can watch Tuesday’s 2-1 El Farolito SC win in its entirety below.
Related: El Farolito Is Coming to North Beach After All [SFist]
Image: @efilnikufsin via Twitter
