The dream came to an end on Wednesday night for the Brooklyn Italians as Lansdowne Bhoys took a 2-0 win at LIU Athletic Center to move on to the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. A goal from Daryl Kavanagh in the first half was all they needed to lock the game down with the Italians offering little in response on offense.
Lansdowne Bhoys started the game by spreading the ball out wide and challenging the Italians in the midfield. Despite their best efforts, the Italians seemed on the back-foot from the first whistle. That was confirmed in the eighth minute when Michi Holzer shredded the defense and fed the ball to Daryl Kavanagh for the game’s opening goal. The Bhoys continued to pour on the offense but weren’t able to find the brace before the halftime whistle.
Injuries did plague Brooklyn, forcing them to go to the bench before the 45th minute. Another injury, this time to Collyns Laokandi who assisted on two of the Italians’ three goals in the upset of the New York Cosmos B a few days before, forced another substitution in the second half, altering the game plan.
Brooklyn didn’t surrender in the second half, forcing the action and taking advantage of a visibly tired Lansdowne Bhoys team. That didn’t stop Mamadou Guirassy from taking the ball down the line and forcing a clearance that was botched by the Italians. The ball ricocheted off of the defender and into their own net, doubling the lead.
From there, Brooklyn pressed and created opportunities but none were good enough to force a save out of the Bhoys keeper. On the flip side, the winners did have opportunities only to find it difficult to beat the Italians’ keeper.
The win pushes Lansdowne Bhoys into the Second Round of the US Open Cup and sends them to North Carolina to play North Carolina FC of the USL. For the Italians, they can take solace in knowing they eliminated the New York Cosmos B in the Preliminary Round but Lansdowne Bhoys proved to be too much.