Thanks to its 5-2 victory over Laguna United at La Paz Sports Park in Laguna Niguel, SD Internacional is now one win away from playing in the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
SD Internacional’s Saturday win in the third-round qualifier against Laguna United was sweet revenge after being knocked out by that same team the last two years in the fourth and final round of qualifying. They fell 6-2 on Dec. 8, 2024 and then again on Nov. 23, 2025 by a score of 4-2.
“This was a huge result for us,” said head coach Matt Palpal-Latoc. “My guys came out just really aggressive to win the ball and we saw the game out.”
SD Internacional got three goals in the first 15 minutes, two of them courtesy of forward German Sierra. Sierra opened the scoring, followed by from teammate Spencer Hoyle, and then Sierra again.
Defender James Hone received a red card for a foul on the top of the box in the 20th minute, but it did not slow down the momentum for the visitors, who expanded the lead to 4-0 just before halftime with a goal from defender Jacob Fuson.
Laguna United came out in the second half with a sense of urgency, as midfielder Carter Biondolillo and defender Ben Nicholson scored two goals. But Hoyle ended up closing out the match with another SD goal in the final minutes to seal the 5-2 result.
What made the victory even more impressive was that SD Internacional traveled with only 14 players, as opposed to the usual 18, which made every substitution and tactical adjustment all the more important.
“We still brought out a very strong squad, but had to play over 60 minutes a man down,” Palpal-Latoc added. “Sam (Nicholson) is a great coach and I have so much respect for him. His guys were well organized and focused on their game plan, so I knew what we were in for in the second-half.”
SD Internacional goalkeeper Aidan McSweeny also came up big, turning out to be the player of the match with several key interventions as Laguna United was slowly starting to regain momentum after halftime.
The final qualifying round is scheduled for Nov. 21–22. SD Internacional, which is set to host, is waiting to learn its opponent, a decision that is expected by Thursday.
After a break, the official opening round for the US Open Cup starts on April 13, 2027, leading up to July 8, 2027 when all 27 U.S.-based MLS clubs begin to enter the bracket.
