A Bridge Across Seven Decades: Riverhounds, Steel City FC to face off in historical in US Open Cup First Round match

This Tuesday, under the lights of Highmark Stadium, the air along the Monongahela River will carry more than just the usual chill of early spring.

It will carry the weight of 69 years of history.

When the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC kick off against Steel City FC in the First Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, they won’t just be playing a match; they will be resurrecting a lost tradition.

A Soccer Legacy Forged in Coal

To understand the gravity of Tuesday’s match, one must look back to the mid-20th century, when Pittsburgh was a hotbed in American soccer. During an era where the sport was tied to the industrial heartbeat of the region, teams like the Harmarville Hurricanes, Morgan-Strasser, and Heidelberg Tornadoes weren’t just local clubs—they were national giants.

Between 1942 and 1956, Pittsburgh-area teams captured four national titles. These squads were composed of “coal-miner footballers” who worked grueling shifts underground before taking to fields like Consumer Field or Bridgeville.

Pittsburgh’s US Open Cup Champions

Historically, Pittsburgh teams were among the best in the nation, claiming four national titles and appearing in eight finals between 1942 and 1956.

Year	Team	Result	Opponent
1942	Pittsburgh Gallatin	Champions	Pawtucket Rangers (RI)
1949	Morgan-Strasser	Champions	Philadelphia Nationals
1952	Harmarville Hurricanes	Champions	Philadelphia Nationals
1956	Harmarville Hurricanes	Champions	Chicago Schwaben

While local teams often dominated the regional qualifying brackets, matchups in the “tournament proper” (the national rounds) were rarer.

The last time two such titans met in the U.S. Open Cup proper was the 1957 Quarterfinal, where the defending champion Hurricanes narrowly defeated Morgan-Strasser 2–1.

Playing in the Keystone League, Harmarville won seven Western Penn Cups and sent two players — Nick DiOrio and Bob Craddock — to the 1950 World Cup and had three eventually inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Below are the recorded times Pittsburgh teams have met in the national bracket:

• 1952: Harmarville Hurricanes vs. Heidelberg Tornadoes In the regional rounds leading to their first title, Harmarville famously routed Heidelberg 9–1. While often cited in local history, this occurred during the era when the tournament was split into clear regional brackets that were part of the national competition.

• 1957 Quarterfinals: Harmarville Hurricanes vs. Morgan-Strasser This was a heavyweight clash between two former national champions. The defending champion Harmarville Hurricanes defeated Bridgeville-based Morgan-Strasser 2–1 at Consumer Field in Harmarville.

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As the mines closed and the industrial landscape shifted, that local rivalry faded into the history books.

For nearly seven decades, the Open Cup in Pittsburgh was a solitary journey—until now.

The Modern Resurgence

For nearly seven decades, the Open Cup drought in Pittsburgh meant few local teams qualified simultaneously.

The modern era has been dominated by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (founded 1999), who reached the Quarterfinals in 2001 and 2023.

The emergence of Steel City FC (USL League Two) has enabled this historic 2026 pairing.

Note: While the Riverhounds played the Erie Commodores in 2018 (winning 2-1 in a closer-than-expected match), Erie is considered a separate market (Western PA but not Pittsburgh-based), so the 1957 match remained the last true all-Pittsburgh derby until now.

The 2026 matchup represents the collision of two very different clubs but each are defined by their deep Pittsburgh roots and identity.

The Champions: Riverhounds SC

The Riverhounds’ enter the match as the reigning USL Championship title holders (2025) — after a remarkable run to the final after finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.  

Under the steady hand of Bob Lilley, the Hounds became Giant Killers in recent years in the US Open Cup, famously toppling MLS sides like New England Revolution, Columbus Crew and New York City FC.

In the Open Cup under Lilley’s direction, the Hounds never lost a match against an amateur or lower division side.

Prior to Lilley’s tenure, the Hounds suffered some humiliating losses in the Open Cup at the outset of the Highmark Stadium era, getting knocked out by the likes of lower division and amateur sides Ocean City N’oreasters (2013), Landsdown Bhoys (2016) and Chicago FC United (2017).

Current Riverhounds Head Coach Rob Vincent has experienced both sides of the Hounds’ fortunes in the Open Cup as a player.  He was on 2013 squad that lost at Ocean City, but also experienced tests from another amateur club, RWB Adria, who came to Highmark Stadium in back-to-back seasons (2013 and 2014) in early round matches, taking the Hounds to extra time.

Vincent, who grew up in England experiencing the F.A. Cup (USOC’s more famous counterpart), is well-aware early around matches vs lower division teams can be quite dangerous.

The 2015 U.S. Open Cup campaign proved to be a showcase for Vincent and was part of the “Summer of Rob” that die-hard Hounds fans dubbed that season.  During that tournament, Vincent achieved a feat rarely seen in cup play by a Hounds player:

• The Three-Match Streak: Vincent became the first (and only) Riverhound to score in three consecutive Open Cup rounds.

• The “Magical” Winner: In the Third Round against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Vincent struck a sensational stoppage-time goal from outside the box to secure a 1–0 win.

• The D.C. United Duel: In the Fourth Round (Round of 32), the Hounds hosted MLS side D.C. United. Vincent converted a high-pressure penalty in the 24th minute to tie the game at 1–1. His performance was so impressive that D.C. United eventually bought his contract rights, transferring him to the MLS the following season.

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Now, as the Head Coach leading the Hounds into the 2026 tournament while they split its first two league matches, Vincent is the bridge between one of the team’s greatest individual player performances and its future.

The Challenger: Steel City FC represents the grassroots resurgence

After a dominant 2025 season as USL League Two Great Forest Division champions, they fought through three grueling qualifying rounds—concluding with a dramatic 3–2 win over Croatia Cleveland in November—to earn their spot on this stage.

Steel City FC’s journey to the 2026 U.S. Open Cup is a story of grit and rapid ascent, marking their transition from a dominant NPSL side to a rising power in USL League Two.

Head Coach Dan Brower said on Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast last month said that the club could not wait to get back into the competition.

“We tasted the Cup competition in the past [in 2024], and we can’t wait to try to make a magical run in 2026.” 

Brower noted that while they respect the Riverhounds’ status as the “big brother” in town, Steel City’s goal is to be the protagonist of their own “Giant Killer” story, much like the Hounds have been against MLS teams.

Steel City FC made their first-ever U.S. Open Cup appearance on March 21, 2024, after an undefeated 2023 season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

Steel City hosted the Michigan Stars FC (a professional side from NISA) at Ambrose Urbanic Field in front of a sellout crowd of 1,142 fans.

The hosts controlled much of the game, with forward Pat Koenig and midfielder Ryan Mertz creating several dangerous chances. However, they were unable to find the back of the net.

FINAL: Michigan Stars FC 1, Steel City FC 0 (US Open Cup First Round)

A heartbreaking 83rd-minute header from a Michigan Stars free kick resulted in a 1–0 loss for Steel City.

Despite the early exit, the performance proved Steel City could go toe-to-toe with professional opposition.

After their 2024 run, Steel City moved to USL League Two for the 2025 season. While they were incredibly successful, their path to the 2026 tournament required them to navigate a grueling qualification process.

In their inaugural USL League Two season, Steel City FC won the Great Forest Division title with two games to spare. Led by captain and MVP candidate Nick Graeca, who scored a decisive 85th-minute penalty to clinch the crown, the team finished with a record of 8–1–3.

Despite winning their division, Steel City finished just outside the “automatic bye” spots reserved for the very top-tier USL League Two teams. This forced them into the Open Division Qualifying Rounds—a “win-or-go-home” bracket played in late 2025.

• The Path: They had to fund and win three consecutive qualifying matches against other elite amateur clubs.

• The “Rust Belt” Finale: On November 22, 2025, Steel City traveled to Mentor, Ohio, for the Fourth Qualifying Round. In a high-stakes match against Croatia Cleveland, Steel City secured a thrilling 3–2 victory.

• The Reward: This win officially punched their ticket to the 2026 Tournament Proper, setting up the historic “all-Pittsburgh” derby against the Riverhounds.

Steel City is the first Pittsburgh area club to earn as spot in the tournament in the qualifying rounds since Tartan Devils FC, the Greater Pittsburgh Soccer League’s amateur club did it in 2017. The Tartan Devils’ defeated Derby City FC in the first round to become the first amateur side from Pittsburgh to advance in the Cup in the modern (MLS) era.

COLUMN: Determined Open Cup Underdogs Tartan Devils FC: A Pittsburgh Team

Current Outlook

Steel City enters the Tuesday match against the Riverhounds not just as a local neighbor, but as a battle-hardened squad that has survived one of the most difficult paths to the tournament.

With a roster featuring local academy graduates and veteran leadership, they represent the “grassroots” heart of Pittsburgh soccer.

Why Tuesday Matters

The significance of this “Steel City Derby” isn’t just about who advances to the Second Round. It is about the validation of Pittsburgh as a premier soccer market.

Nicky Kolarac occupies a unique space in Pittsburgh soccer history as a veteran who has played for both sides of this Derby.

“It’s going to be exciting for so many reasons, and it hasn’t happened in obviously, I think it was like 60 or 70 years that two Pittsburgh teams met. So, yeah, can’t wait for Tuesday. It’s going to be an awesome night,” Kolarac said on Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast.

As a young player with his hometown pro club, Kolarac was part of the 2015 Riverhounds team that made a magical run in the Open Cup, then he stepped foot on turf at Ambrose Urbanic Field in 2024 as the veteran leader in Steel City FC’s first, and only, appearance in the competition.

“I remember showing up for warm-ups and the stadium was already packed and just walking out onto the field,” Kolarac recalled when the Hounds faced an MLS team for the first time at Highmark Stadium.

“It was incredible to see how many people were there. It almost felt like it was too crowded.”

Nine years later, Kolarac stepped foot on the pitch as the veteran leader of Steel City FC, when they played in their first-ever Open Cup match, a 1-0 loss to pro side, Michigan Stars.

“That was even more important than winning Division championships (in NPSL and USL League Two),” Kolarac said.

“We made it on the National stage.”

Originally slated for Duquesne University’s Rooney Field, as it is a ‘home’ match for Steel City FC, the match was moved to Highmark Stadium as the clubs came to an agreement due to overwhelming ticket demand—a testament to a fan base that has grown from small ethnic social clubs to a unified, city-wide culture.

For the first time since the 1950s, the “David vs. Goliath” story of the Open Cup is being told entirely in a Pittsburgh accent.

When the whistle blows at 7 p.m. the ghosts of Harmarville and Morgan-Strasser will likely be watching from the stands. They’ll see a city that has finally reclaimed its heritage, proving that while it took 69 years to get back here, Pittsburgh soccer never truly went away.

Look for more coverage to come leading up to the match between Steel City FC and the Riverhounds including more detailed look at the match-up along with Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast with Nicky Kolarac, who once played a season with the Riverhounds, then became one of the most instrumental leaders in Steel City FC’s emergence.