The future of the U.S. Open Cup has been in doubt for years, with concerns about declining fan interest and limited broadcast exposure. But in the parking lot of a recent Louisville City FC cup match, North America's oldest soccer tournament felt very much alive, according to CLUBELEVEN co-founder Pablo Bayona Sapag.
“It was 2 p.m. on a Tuesday, and we're in a parking lot with a bunch of different fans, and they're all just having a drink of bourbon - at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday," Bayona Sapag told GOAL.
Bayona Sapag, along with his team of content creators, Kyros Morales, Tyler Dolph, Justin Amatucci, and his twin brother Gabriel, are all part of a team at CLUBELEVEN who are in the middle of a months-long journey titled the Soccer Odyssey - and they're out to find what makes American soccer special. CLUBELEVEN is a creative soccer publication that produces print and digital content.
Traveling throughout each round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to different cities, communities, and clubs around the U.S., the Soccer Odyssey is taking in small moments and painting them with a large-scale picture.
"Every state, every city, has its own culture, its own little thing," he said. "But then, when we talk about soccer, sometimes we all want to just paint things, you know, in one way, when in reality, it's… soccer here is such a beautiful mosaic, right?"
The group of five purchased a converted bus made for travel and living last November, and spent five months renovating it for what Bayona Sapag describes as a "prelude" to the "watershed moment" of the 2026 World Cup on American soil. The five of them, all content creators in their own way, working in the beautiful game, are part of this unique project where they're taking in the United States' oldest sporting tournament, while highlighting the small moments that make the world's game beautiful, on U.S. soil.
It began with the idea of a commercial.
From there, with the help of a stranger they met for an interview on a project, the concept of tangible, physical love for the game evolved into a magazine. Then? Well, then they bought a bus. And now? Now they're touring the Open Cup, driving around the country, delivering on what they intended to do from the start: sharing what makes American soccer, well, American.
It started in Asheville, North Carolina, and from there, they made their way to Boone, and then High Point to wrap the opening round. They then took the bus to the sunny skies of Florida, where they witnessed FC Naples - a small town with big ambitions - play their way into Round 3 of the competition. Round 3 saw them take things to the Midwest, where they witnessed USL Championship sides Indy Eleven and Louisville CITY FC take the pitch. Round 4, meanwhile, will see them return to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Rowdies will take on MLS side Orlando City.
"The Open Cup is important because it is an opportunity for people in all these different pockets around the country to fall in love with the game for the first time," Bayona Sapag said. "And I think on top of that, it's the oldest sports tournament that we have in America. Knowing that you're out watching an Open Cup game, you can think ‘wow, there were people 110 years ago doing the same thing that I'm doing right now,’ and I think that's very important to be able to know that you're part of this rich history."
Bayona Sapag discussed the journey and what they've learned from communities along the way in the latest GOAL Convo, a recurring Q&A with central figures in the American soccer scene.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.