There is a U.S. Open Cup match tonight

Be warned. Cupsets are around every corner.

Atlanta United travels to Chattanooga to face Chattanooga FC tonight in the (highly diluted) U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. And streaming is on Paramount+.

Look, we’ll level with you. It’s hard to get up for this one. The way the Open Cup works these days means Atlanta is basically trying to win the MLS version of the NIT. Based on the designations MLS has made, Leagues Cup is for the good teams. The Open Cup is for…well, Atlanta United.

Still, this is technically Atlanta’s best shot at a trophy this year. You’re allowed to put as much stock into that as you want. I thought Rob Usry put it well this morning: “A reminder about cup competitions. No one is trying to win them and they don’t matter whatsoever unless you win one. Then they are the most prestigious competitions on Earth and we’re the greatest.”

Now, obviously, Atlanta is heavily favored to get past Chattanooga. They play in MLS Next Pro. The last time they played an Atlanta United team, they faced ATL UTD 2 at the end of 2025. In a big regular-season matchup, the two sides played to a 1-1 draw. So, yeah, losing tonight would be virtually the same as Atlanta United losing to ATL UTD 2.

That doesn’t mean they should take it lightly. Just that it would be incredibly embarrassing if this goes poorly.

There’s always a chance it does, though. Last night, both Austin and Sporting KC fell to lower league opponents. To be fair, those were USL Championship sides. MLS Next Pro is one level below that on the U.S. pyramid. But there’s still danger here. I remember when the first team went up to Chattanooga in 2023 for a preseason match. It ended with an embarrassing 3-3 draw and me angrily recording a podcast live from my Prius as it rumbled down I-75. I genuinely don’t remember when the team went up to Chattanooga for a preseason match in 2025, but apparently that ended 2-1 in favor of Chattanooga FC. We apparently even did a podcast about it!

So, yeah, there’s precedent here. And it’s not like Tata Martino has a spotless record against lower-level teams.

“This was a turning point for our club,” Miami FC captain Mike Lahoud told the Miami Herald at the time. The then NASL club is now in the USL. So maybe it was?

We’ll see if this ends up as a turning point moment for Chattanooga. But there’s a chance it could also be the start of a turning point moment for some players who haven’t gotten their chance with the first team this season. There’s a decent list of folks who are “questionable” for this one.

This list doesn’t include all of the folks who will sit just because. I’m willing to bet we get a look at Jayden Hibbert in goal tonight. Maybe Adrian Gill gets a shot in midfield. This is a great chance to get Luke Brennan some minutes on the wing. Someone has to step in at striker. In that sense, this should be kind of fun.

Or, ya know, it could be the latest embarrassing moment in a long line of them. All the pressure is on Atlanta to take care of business tonight.