Amidst a jam-packed scheduled that ultimately saw LAFC play an MLS record 51 one matches across all competitions in 2023, the Black & Gold's 2023 U.S. Open Cup campaign, while short, was quite dramatic.
Beginning the tournament away from home on May 9 against USL Championship side Monterey Bay, LAFC fielded a squad made up primarily of players from its developmental squad. After keeping an early lead throughout the match, the Black & Gold conceded an equalizer in the 90th minute before then falling beind 2-1 in the fourth minute of overtime. The young team fought back however and levelled the score at 2-2 in the 105th minute before eventually prevailing 5-4 in the ensuing penalty kick shootout.
At home in the Round of 16 on May 23, LAFC again trotted out its youngsters - this time against archrival LA Galaxy. Two quick goals just after half time put the Black & Gold be hind the eightball, and while the team would lose 2-0, the experienced gained helped a number of players garner first team contracts with LAFC the next season.
![Kamara: [The Open Cup] Is American Soccer Right Here; The American Dream](https://images.mlssoccer.com/image/private/t_editorial_landscape_8_desktop_mobile/f_auto/mls-lafc/iyeloebujk61o7zu7dex)
