Nashville Soccer Club (MLS) prevailed over reigning USL Championship titlists San Antonio FC on their GEODIS Park home field in in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup by a narrow 1-0 scoreline.
With a side consisting of only two starters from the previous weekend, Nashville labored in the first half against an energized San Antonio team.
Nashville and San Antonio traded point blank goal attempts in the 7th and 9th minutes, respectively. Elliot Panicco of Nashville, recording his first start of the season, continued to be the busier keeper in the first half. Eventually he finished the game with five saves, his first clean sheet for the Music City side.
Elliot Panicco keeps the scores level ???? | @NashvilleSC pic.twitter.com/iSGfYHYRdN
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) April 27, 2023
In the 22nd minute Panicco couldn’t even get a finger on a fizzing shot fired by Kai Koreniuk at a narrow angle, skimming a yard off the face of his goal line only to roll harmlessly out of danger.
In the 1st minute of stoppage time before the half, NASC’s Jacob Shaffelberg hit a ball from 22 yards out, which deflected past the outstretched arms of SAFC keeper and wide of the right post. That effort was easily the home side’s most dangerous opportunity of the previous 40 minutes of play.
San Antonio had two good chances before the 60th minute. First, forward Ignacio Bailone struck a 53rd minute free kick struck on goal, earning another save for Nashville’s Panicco. .
Panicco earned his keep in the 57th minute, when Zico Bailey hit a sinking drive that the home keeper barely managed to deflect over the crossbar to preserve his cleansheet.
“Just gonna squeeze past ya right here”
–@Fafagoal23, probably pic.twitter.com/hk9I1VLPgU
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) April 27, 2023
This was also the phase when the game began to get testy as Nashville felt the frustration of facing a lower division side which refused to be overwhelmed.
However, Nashville made their key substation in the 61st minute, bringing on Teal Bunbury. His size and aggressive play, combined with the wile of 45th minute sub Fafa Picault disrupted San Antonio’s defensive stance and created the opening needed to take the lead.
In the 71 minute, a SAFC defender was preparing to clear a hopeful ball up the right wing on the bounce, when Picault burst past him, controlling the ball with the outside of his right foot. He took one more touch and fired a decisive cross low to the ground, past the onrushing SAFC keeper. The cross found Nashville forward Ethan Zubar who redirected the ball past two lunging San Antonio defenders.
The hustle from @Fafagoal23
The finish from @ethanzubak(via @opencup)
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) April 27, 2023
The goal was the last significant action beside some testy exchanges by both sides before the referee blew the game to a close at the end of 92 minutes.
SAFC head coach Alen Marcina took the match as a sign of his side’s quality, saying after the game “if people don’t know who SAFC is, I think if they watched that game they’re well aware that we’re a great team with great players and we’re gonna make some noise this year.”
Nashville will host another Texas side, FC Dallas, in the Fourth Round of the Open Cup on May 10 at 8:30 pm.