Hi USL fans, Diego Restrepo back again with my second entry on “From The Pitch”.

As the season is now in full swing, I wanted to go in-depth on a tournament that is near and dear to my heart: The U.S. Open Cup.

I love the idea of an Open Cup, where all clubs have a chance to compete on the field regardless of status. It is a great format, one that evens the playing field between leagues, and allows for great drama. Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to play in the U.S. Open Cup several times for different clubs.

Let’s start with my cup experiences in both Colombia and Venezuela though. I actually made my professional debut in 2012 during the Colombian Open Cup, and got most of my first matches as a pro during the Colombian and Venezuelan tournaments.

The format is very similar to the U.S. version of the tournament, with the difference that I was playing for the first division clubs at that point in time and traveling to play lower division sides. The biggest difference between the U.S. Open Cup and the other versions I’ve played in, is that in South America certain lower division teams have different level of facilities.

When we host FC Dallas, they will walk into a pristine soccer-specific stadium, our home Toyota Field. Sometimes when I traveled with America de Cali or Deportivo Tachira, we were playing in rough surfaces, in makeshift locker rooms.

To me, the U.S. Open Cup is one of many examples of how much U.S. Soccer has grown in the last three decades.

As a young player, it gave me moments that helped me evolve and gain confidence as a goalkeeper. Being a catalyst for a team victory in a knock-out scenario is the stuff that players dream of as kids.

Some of my career highlights have come Open Cup games, from stopping a late game PK to starting a last second breakaway that led to a goal. It is an added pressure being for a goalkeeper, but is something that is part of the job and you learn to enjoy.

It has also been a tournament that has allowed me and the teams I’ve been a part of an opportunity to showcase ourselves against teams that we normally wouldn’t play against. It provides guys on the team that might not be playing league games an opportunity to make the squad and earn valuable minutes. And if lucky enough to advance, it leads to great opportunities to play against first division sides.

Personally, I’ve been lucky enough to have enjoyed success over a number of cup campaigns.

Back in 2013 when I was with the Rowdies, after winning our first round, we were paired up with a 2012 tournament finalist, the Seattle Sounders. It was a tense, low-scoring game, and we were up 1-0 with 10 minutes left to play, when we were whistled for a PK against us.

Now, in my third season as a professional, still as a young goalkeeper, I am facing one of the best MLS strikers - Nigerian international Obafemi Martins - in a do-or-die situation. He took his PK, a low and hard shot to my right, and I was able to get there and parry it away.

We held on for the win, and it was a moment that I think all of us as players, and the Rowdies fans in the stands will never forget.

We were the last lower division team left in the tournament, and I was named U.S. Open Cup Lower Division Player of the Tournament.

So why not go into the competition with the goal of winning the whole thing?

The idea of winning the tournament and representing USL on the international stage is a dream that all USL players should have.

Winning the Open Cup would be monumental for the club, as it would establish as a power not only in USL, but also in the American soccer scene, as well as internationally.

I believe our team has the quality, experience and depth to make a solid run. It’ll take hard work, dedication, a little dose of luck, but why not dream of winning a trophy?

It’ll happen one day, so why not this year?

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