From a pool of almost 100 teams, there are just two left and the 2016 Lamar Hunt U,S. Open Cup champion will be crowned on Tuesday night.
What bumps were in each team's Road to the Final? Let's take a look:
FC Dallas
Dallas' Road to the Final was not short of excitement. With three of their first four games needing extra time and not holding a lead in the 90th minute of any of their matches, the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has been full of late-game heroics for the Final hosts.
Fourth Round: FC Dallas 2 (6), OKC Energy FC 2 (5)
In the opening match of the tournament, FCD faced their USL affiliate from up the road in Oklahoma City at SMU. The visitors struck first, but Coy Craft and Carlos Lizarazo combined on a pair of identical goals before half to put Dallas in front. Energy FC captain Michael Thomas scored a stoppage-time header to tie the match 2-2, and after 30 minutes of scoreless action in extra time, the game would head to PKs. Rookie Colin Bonner would send FC Dallas through in the 7th round of penalties, converting after an OKC miss one shot earlier.
Round of 16: FC Dallas 2, Colorado Rapids 1 (Extra Time)
Dallas would next face the Colorado Rapids at home in a meeting of the top two teams in the MLS standings. The Rapids took a 1-0 lead just before half, and once again Dallas would have to come from behind to advance. Mauro Diaz would answer back in the 64th minute, tapping home a shot one-on-one with Zac MacMath. The would go to extra time, but Maxi Urruti would seal it early in the extra frame, with a low-angle shot to put FCD up, 2-1. They would hold on for the remaining 24 minutes to punch a ticket to the Quarterfinal.
Quarterfinal: FC Dallas 1, Houston Dynamo 0
Next up, Dallas would hit the road for an Open Cup edition of the Texas Derby. FCD dominated the match early on, putting up six shots in the opening hour, but the Dynamo would come on strong late in the match with five shots of their own in the 2nd half. After 90 minutes of play, it appeared that Dallas would head to a third-straight extra time USOC match, until Fabian Castillo scored the game-winner with the last touch of the game in stoppage time to put his side through.
Semifinal: FC Dallas 2, LA Galaxy 1 (Extra Time)
FCD would hit the road again for a Semifinal match-up against the LA Galaxy. For the second straight match, it was a scoreless affair for 90 minutes and for the third time in four games, Dallas would need extra time to decide a winner. In the 100th minute of the match, Chris Seitz was called for contact in the box with Giovanni dos Santos, and the Galaxy would take a 1-0 lead from the penalty spot. Then, in the span of the final 5 minutes of the game, Dallas would level the match, then take the lead on Mauro Diaz corner kicks. Matt Hedges rose above the crowd in front in the 116th minute to connect on a header from the left corner. Five minutes later, on the last touch of the game, Homegrown Victor Ulloa would connect from a right-side corner to put FCD into the U.S. Open Cup Final.
New England Revolution
The Revolution had one of the longest Fourth Round games of the tournament, and then sent home the team that hosted the last two tournament Finals in their Road to Tuesday's championship.
Fourth Round: New England Revolution 1, Carolina RailHawks 0 (Extra Time)
New England's 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup debut got off to a rocky start in North Carolina. After the opening 9 minutes of play, the teams waited out a 2 hour and 15 minute weather delay. When play resumed, regulation ended without incident, and the game would head to extra time. In the 103rd minute, New England Homegrown Zachary Harivaux recieved a pass from veteran Lee Nguyen and put the Revs through with a strike in his first start with the club.
Round of 16: New England Revolution 3, New York Cosmos 2
The Revolution would overcome a deficit twice in their Round of 16 match-up against NASL side New York Cosmos. New York's Ruben Bover opened the scoring in the 38th minute, but Teal Bunbury leveled the match just before half time in Jamaica, NY. Newcomer Kei Kamara would tie the match in the 75th minute after the Cosmos took their second lead of the match out of the break, and then it was Bunbury again, in the 83rd minute to punch the Revs' ticket to the Semifinal round.
Quarterfinal: New England Revolution 1 (4), Philadelphia Union 1 (2)
New England would also need a penalty-kick win on their road to the Final, ousting the back-to-back USOC Final hosting Philadelphia Union in late July. Former FCD'er Je-Vaughn Watson opened the scoring in the 44th minute, and New England appeared poised to hold on for the win until the 90th minute, when Fabian Herbers leveled the match and sent the Quarterfinal to extra time. Watson, along with Jose Goncalves, Chris Tierney and Lee Nguyen would all convert their PKs as the Revs took the game on penalties, 4-2.
Semifinal: New England Revolution 3, Chicago Fire 1
While Dallas' Semifinal came down to the wire, New England's was packed with action from the start. Kei Kamara would convert a PK in the 16th minute to open the scoring before David Accam and Je-Vaughn Watson would trade goals just before half to give the Revs a 2-1 lead at half. Teal Bunbury would add his third of the tournament in the 85th minute as insurance to secure New England a spot in Tuesday's Final.
