Inter Miami II outscore Miami United 4-2, advance in Open Cup

Young Herons’ second-half rally lifts them to victory in first-ever Open Cup.

Inter Miami II beat Miami United 4-2 Wednesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup first round. Photo: intermiamicf.com

Inter Miami II erupted for four second-half goals Wednesday on the way to its first-ever U.S. Open Cup win.

The Young Herons, making their first-ever Cup appearance, beat Miami United 4-2. U.S. Soccer will announce second-round pairings after the first round is completed. Teams will play second-round matches April 1 or 2.

A Santiago Frean direct free kick gave United a 1-0 first-half lead. The Herons came out of the locker room motivated, though, and Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida’s 49th-minute goal evened the score.

Inter’s press created havoc in the visitors’ half, resulting in goals by Mateo Saja and Cohen in the 65th and 70th minutes.

Miami United was reduced to 10 men in the 74th minute after Frean received his second yellow card (resulting in a red card and automatic ejection) for a foul on Herons’ goalkeeper Matias Marin.

Cohen scored his second goal in the 81st, but Sebastián Luzuriaga answered for United two minutes later to keep things exciting.

The Open Cup is the nation’s oldest soccer competition, first contested in 1913-14. It’s open to teams from all levels of competition, amateur as well as professional. Inter Miami’s senior team finished second in 2023, losing the final 2-1 to the Houston Dynamo.

U.S. Soccer agreed last year to allow some Major League Soccer teams to enter their developmental squads instead of their senior teams. MLS currently is the only first-division league in the U.S.; Inter Miami II competes in MLS Next Pro, considered a third-division circuit.

Miami United, which was playing in its fourth-straight Cup tournament, plays in the United Premier Soccer League, a fourth-division league with about 400 teams nationwide.

The young Herons return to MLS Next Pro competition against Columbus Crew 2 at 7 p.m. Sunday in Chase Stadium.