Carolina RailHawks president and general manager Chris Economides brimmed with enthusiasm as he explained the importance of tonight's game against the visiting Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. The RailHawks will host the Wizards in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

"It's like the Durham Bulls playing the New York Yankees in a game that actually matters," he said, searching for some reference to underscore the significance of a soccer match that is neither exhibition nor tied to the RailHawks' regular-season schedule.

In their second season, the RailHawks have once again advanced in the American soccer tournament that matches amateur and professional teams from various North American leagues. A member of the USL First Division, they will face the higher-seeded Wizards of the MLS, the premier men's professional soccer league in North America.

Tonight's match at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary starts at 7:30.

A victory for the RailHawks, who advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup last year by eliminating MLS's Chicago Fire along the way, would signal to fans what many in the soccer community say they already know:

"They know how to play the game," said Wizards defender Michael Harrington, who grew up in Greenville and played college soccer at North Carolina. "They could knock us off."

Harrington said such a loss would embarrass an MLS team. While he attests to the talent in other leagues, having shared the pitch with several current USL players, he said his league boasts a higher level of play and is expected to secure victory in most U.S. Open Cup matches.

Last season, the RailHawks fell to the New England Revolution of MLS in the tournament semifinals. The Revolution eventually secured what is known as the U.S. Soccer Federation's national championship.

The U.S. Open Cup championship field is composed of 40 teams, including eight MLS and eight USL First Division squads, and teams from the USL Second Division, the Premier Development League and the United States Adult Soccer Association.

The Rochester Raging Rhinos were the last USL First Division team to win the U.S. Open Cup, in 1999. No team from any other league outside the USL First Division has claimed the championship since 1996 when the MLS joined the competition.

Economides, who was a manager with Rochester in 1999, said a victory over an MLS team lends credibility to a USL team or any other team.

During Rochester's run, it defeated four MLS teams. Economides called it a "crowning achievement" for the franchise.

RailHawks defender Frankie Sanfilippo can relate. He walked off the field with an elated gait after nipping the Chicago Fire 1-0 in their U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match last season.

He was thrilled with the win, but not as if it was a fluke or some rarity that could take years to duplicate.

"We dominated them," Sanfilippo said. "We had lots of shots, and we put one away."

A victory tonight for the RailHawks would provide similar pride and propel them into the quarterfinals.

"We're not some Sunday morning beer league," Economides said. "These are world-class athletes."