Later this evening, two U.S. Open Cup debutants will meet at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview: Chicago Fire II, the Fire’s third-division affiliate in MLS Next Pro, and Chicago City SC’s USL2 side.

MenInRed97 has been unabashed in our love for the U.S. Open Cup. The 110-year-old competition simultaneously connects contemporary American soccer to its history – a history that has at times been ignored, if not forgotten by some around the game – and to the global game, where national cup competitions have long been a core part of the footballing landscape.  The American tournament is older than Germany’s DFB-Pokal and the Coupe de France, and just ten years younger than Spain’s Copa del Rey.

As is so often the case in Europe, it gives the opportunity for David-vs-Goliath storylines, where Cupsets can take down giants. In the United States, where, regardless of the team they cheer on, fans are united in the sense that loving the game in this country makes them a part of the same secret society, the Cup also presents the opportunity for supporters of teams at different levels of the pyramid to meet and form bonds.

This year’s edition of the Cup is happening in a new format, with only eight top-flight MLS sides competing alongside 11 Next Pro teams, 12 USL League One teams, 32 USL Championship teams, 8 teams from NISA, and 32 amateur teams (one NISA side, Georgia Lions SC, had to withdraw from the tournament; their opponent automatically advances to the second round).

Many fans of the game in this country are justifiably disappointed with the reduced MLS participation. However, no one walking onto the pitch at SeatGeek later today was involved in those decisions or negotiations, and every single player and coach competing in the 31 first-round U.S. Open Cup matches is there to compete and to try to win – if not the whole tournament, then a moment of glory for themselves or their team; for the chance at a Cupset or a shot at a trophy, as has been the case for every team that has played in the tournament for over a century.

It is no exaggeration to say that for the vast majority of both squads, this is the highest profile match of their soccer careers to date, and they would love nothing more than to win and be in a higher-profile second round match in early April and advance from there – proving their mettle against higher-division opponents as a team, proving on an individual basis that they belong on the same pitch as players from higher-division teams.

Even if it isn’t the format that fans asked for, this round should have plenty of excitement: Each third-division professional team is being pitted against an amateur side, and the 31 matches occurring between March 19 through March 21 is the most ever in three days of U.S. Open Cup tournament play.

How will both teams line up?

Chicago Fire II

The Fire II have just started their season, having had their first match against FC Cincinnati II on Sunday in Northern Kentucky, and they play again on Friday. Update: Chicago Fire II posted an updated MLS Next Pro Season schedule. Their match against Toronto, originally scheduled for Friday, has been moved to July. Fire II's next game after the Open Cup is now March 28. Anticipating the midweek match, Fire II Head Coach Ludovic Taillandier rotated parts of his squad on Sunday in anticipation of the busy week ahead.

Some nominally first-team players may join the Fire II squad for today’s match: Although tournament rules specified that teams needed to announce loans, and that loans needed to be for 30 days the tournament handbook didn’t come out until just a couple of weeks before the start of the tournament, meaning that there is likely going to be some amount of flexibility given to teams, especially in this round.

The Fire stated that players technically available for selection are Tom Barlow, Javier Casas Jr., Jonathan Dean, Bryan Dowd, Jeff Gal, Georgios Koutsias, Federico Navarro, Wyatt Omsberg, Sergio Oregel Jr., Spencer Richey, Arnaud Souquet and Carlos Terán, in practice, it would be surprising to see more than a couple of those players take to the field on Wednesday.

Bryan Dowd was on the bench for Fire II’s season opener on Sunday; with Patrick Los away on youth national team duty, he may well get his first start in a Fire uniform since being drafted last December. Gal played for the Fire II last season and only occasionally made the first team bench, though not an appearance, something likely to repeat this year. Casas and Oregel have both not seen a minute of time on the pitch and likely will be playing for Fire II over the course of the season, though Oregel is, like Los, away with the national team.

It’s unlikely that Dean, Koutsias, Navarro or Richey will make an appearance in the Fire II’s Open Cup run, however long it lasts, leaving Omsberg and Souquet up for grabs.

Regardless of who is playing, Taillandier’s squad plays a high-tempo style of soccer. Most often, they nominally line up in a 4-3-3 but in possession, it often becomes a 3-4-3. They’re fast in transition; they counterattack quickly.

Chicago City SC

Frankly, Chicago City is more of a mystery: Though Chicago City has a number of teams playing in different leagues for both men and women at various levels, the team that qualified for the Open Cup is nominally a USL League Two side. That is a league designed to give college athletes high-level games during their summer break while preserving their amateur (and thus college) eligibility.

Generally, those players are not available for this match, since they are ineligible to be registered for both college and league play simultaneously, but, at the same time, that gives City freedom to form the squad they want – former MLS All-Star and U.S. Men’s National Team player Sacha Kjlestan is representing USL League Two side Des Moines Menace in the U.S. Open Cup.

Will Chicago City field a player with international caps? It’s very, very highly unlikely, but tournament rosters don’t need to be made public until shortly before the tournament.

What to Expect

Cupsets have already happened – including against Fire II’s fellow MLS Next Pro side Chattanooga FC – but ultimately, the Fire II is a team of professionals (possibly bolstered by academy players), while Chicago City is not.

Taillandier’s side should expect to win this match comfortably, but his side is facing an unknown opponent who is highly motivated and has nothing to lose.

Two teams making their Open Cup debuts, from one city, where players on both sides have something to prove, both collectively and individually?

This is how the spell to bring the Magic of the Cup is cast.