Pancyprian Freedoms vs FC Cincinnati 2
This 2025 season, we’ve made it one of our primary missions to cover as many US Open Cup games as possible. It’s the oldest and most historic competition in America, giving opportunities for lower-league teams to slay giants and for communities to be swept up in the excitement of what only a true open tournament can bring.
In 1959, Philip Cristopher set sail from the Mediterranean to America at the age of ten. Little did he know he’d one day found the best amateur team in the country. Today, the NY Pancyprian Freedoms HQ lies on a busy block in the far reaches of Astoria, Queens, at the very end of the N and W train lines.
On the way up, pictures from their storied past line the walls. Among them sit snapshots of their three Open Cup titles they won in the ‘80s, plus one of the trophies itself proudly rests there too, a reminder of the legacy the members of the club aim to uphold today. Most of their current players have day jobs, working in everything from accounting and finance to teaching in local schools. Most of them are at the tail end of their soccer careers, posing a curious parallel to many of the young squads that are taking part in this competition.
In NY Pancyprian-Freedoms’ First Round duel against FC Cincinnati II, away from home, they proved experience can go a long way. By all means, their 5-4 win in PKs against a pro side was a Cupset, but for those who know the story of the historic club, it was no surprise. They’re Open Cup royalty after all, and this current squad lived up to the club’s robust legacy while writing a chapter of their own.
This is what photographer Connor Cunningham had to say about the match:
What were some of the most notable things you saw in the stands or around the stadium in general? Set the scene.
The biggest thing I noticed was the juxtaposition between a professional club resources and an amateurs club. You name it, FCC2 had plenty of additional staff, trainers and equipment like iPads while NYPF’s only had the head coach , assistant coach and the club manager.
What was the atmosphere like?
It was an extremely chilly and windy evening that was flirting with rain. One of those nights were even 5 layers of clothes couldn’t keep you warm. Despite that, a handful of FC Cincinnati faithful braved the weather to support their club covered in blankets and hand warmers.
How did the club you were covering experience this game? How did the players react? What about the fans?
Although they were amateurs you could tell the second the match started this wasn’t going to be easy for FCC2. I couldn’t help but feel like FCC2 weren’t quite ready for the opponent that showed up on the pitch. With that, I kept in mind football is a game of patience. I was thinking surely FCC2 will lull them to sleep but that simply just never happened. Eventually we hit overtime and we were still even at 0. And then still 0 at the end of overtime so penalties will decide this thing, a complete 50/50 on who will come out on top. When the second taker for the NYPF missed, you could feel the relief off of the FCC2 players and fans. Surely they’ll put this out now, right? Unfortunately for them, they missed two of their own while NYFC didn’t make any more mistakes. Immediately you could tell how much this meant for them, celebrating as if they just won the whole thing. To them this proved everything. Proved that they do belong, proved that the talent in America is top tier across all leagues, but more importantly, proved to themselves that they can still play at a competitive level.
What approach/mindset did you go with to cover this game?
Going into the match I knew I wasn’t to cover and showcase how interesting of a set the stadium is. With the field level significantly lower than the seating bowl players on both sides have to ascend down for feels like 50 steps to go to and from the locker room. I also wanted to cover both teams as equally as I could but I couldn’t help but favor the underdogs.
What was your favorite thing about the night? Describe it for someone who wasn’t there.
My favorite thing would have to be just how much passion the players put in and showed. You could tell on both sides of the pitch that this is something both clubs wanted so badly. Unfortunately, in the Open Cup, only one advances.
Why is the Open Cup important to you?
The Open Cup is so important because it’s the only competitive competition that directly pits amateurs and lower level leagues against each other. No other sport can say they do that. It’s the perfect opportunity for players and clubs to showcase their culture to a wide audience.
One last thing I feel like I must mention is that literally during/in between penalty kicks, the goalie of NYFP, Josh Levine said this to me: “You know we all have full time jobs?”
I replied, “I know, that’s why I’m rooting for you guys, you got this!” He then said, “Thanks, we barely have enough time to even practice together.”
I just really liked that interaction. Just so beautiful that a team like that can even hold their own, let alone actually come out with the victory.
