By Hector Trujillo
Chula Vista FC and San Diego Internacional will face each other in the second qualifying round for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Saturday, October 3, at Mission Bay High School Stadium. Chula Vista comes in as the defending Southwest Premier League (SWPL) champion after defeating Sin City FC in the final held on August 29 in Las Vegas. The team will also look for revenge after SD Internacional defeated them 3-2 on November 16, 2024, in the Open Cup qualifiers, preventing the team from taking part in the 2025 edition of the tournament.
“I’m expecting another tight and technical game, but I think we’ll be ready for Chula Vista,” said San Diego Internacional head coach Matt Palpal-Latoc. “So far, we have played incredible teams, so I think it’s good preparation for my guys.”
SD Internacional plays in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) and were the 2023 and 2025 SoCal South Premier champions. They have already played several matches in the fall 2026 season and are known for having a very experienced roster, which includes former ALBION San Diego standout Jacob Haupt, along with former Capo FC star midfielder Brandon Zambrano and his brother, Edwing Zambrano.
“This is the team that eliminated us in the final minutes of the last Open Cup qualifier, so we are absolutely looking for revenge,” said Chula Vista FC head coach Hector Diaz. “I’m excited to see our team play a young, dynamic, and exciting brand of soccer. The focus is on keeping the ball, pressing aggressively, and scoring goals.”
Chula Vista FC made national headlines during its debut appearance in the 2015 U.S. Open Cup, when it pulled off a second-round upset of USL professional side Arizona United SC (now Phoenix Rising FC), winning 3-0 before being eliminated by Sacramento Republic FC in the third round.
The team also qualified for the 2020 U.S. Open Cup, which was officially canceled on August 17, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The 2025 experience was a good one for us, but the reality is we are looking at a very new roster right now,” Diaz added. “We still have a couple of the same impact players who know what this tournament demands, but for most of these guys, this will be their first Open Cup run. We learned the standard, and now we are ready to see this young group step up to it.”