Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Jonathan Lintner

2018 US Open Cup Round 5: Louisville City right at home with history-making win over Nashville SC

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Oscar Craig of Louisville City celebrates his goal against Nashville SC in the Fifth Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography
Oscar Craig of Louisville City celebrates his goal against Nashville SC in the Fifth Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography
It’s become an all too common scene this summer for Louisville City FC. The defending United Soccer League (USL) champions bring their fans to Lynn Stadium, on the University of Louisville’s red-painted campus, and splash it with a bit of purple and gold.

Louisville City’s march toward another cup continued Wednesday.

The hosts never trailed in a 2-1 win over Nashville SC — marking the final all-USL match-up in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup — while advancing to the tournament’s Quarterfinals.

“It was another exciting one for us,” said Louisville midfielder Paolo DelPiccolo, who scored the second goal for his side, but away from its normal home at Louisville Slugger Field, a Triple-A baseball facility. Louisville City’s 4-0-0 this year in Open Cup play at Lynn, a soccer-specific stadium.

“We enjoy playing here, not only because it’s a proper field, but it gets the fans a little closer — a little louder — and it really energizes us,” DelPiccolo added. “Especially in a close one like today, it gets tiring at the end. To have the fans kind of keep us going to help see it out when we’re up just one goal is nice.”

Louisville City became the first team from Kentucky to make the Open Cup Quarterfinals and ensured a division club would reach the final eight for the third year in a row, as well as for the 11th time in 12 years.

The boys in purple will next face Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire away on July 18. Kickoff time has yet to be announced.

“More than anything, we’re just proud of ourselves, as a team,” defender Paco Craig said. “We love the fact that if we are to be the only USL team left, that says a lot for the USL. Last year, as well, the USL showed well. We enjoy that, but the pride is more for us and what we were able to accomplish as a unit.”

With the Sacramento Republic falling to Los Angeles FC, City would finish the evening as the last remaining Division 2 (USL) team in the tournament. That accomplishment earns Louisville $25,000 in prize money.

In front of an announced crowd of 4,463 on Wednesday, DelPiccolo’s turn-and-shoot poke into the back of the net ended up the game-winner in the 58th minute. The sequence started with a short corner that was nearly turned over until hastily played to midfielder George Davis IV, who scooted the ball through the middle of the box.

“Just like we drew it up — a couple of missed passes and it falls on my foot,” DelPiccolo said with a smile. The tally added to a 30th-minute header by Craig from point-blank range, also the product of a short corner and set up by a cross from Oscar Jimenez. “I thought both the goals were really well worked, so the lads deserve enormous credit,” said Louisville City coach James O’Connor. “Their ability to see things — the sharpness, the speed of mind — it was great to see.”

After a second goal moved Louisville City ahead 2-0, supporters behind the Nashville goal chided the visitors’ goalkeeper — veteran Matt Pickens — with an “easy Pickens” chant.

The lead nearly evaporated, however, after Matt LaGrassa forcefully finished a cross from London Woodbery in the 68th minute.

From there, Nashville applied pressure, and it peaked in stoppage time with a Bradley Bourgeois header flicked just wide of the post.

The final whistle soon followed.

On a humid night, the result continued a contentious back-and-forth between Louisville City and Nashville, a first-year club preparing for its move up to MLS. Louisville City took the USL season opener, but Nashville defended its turf in a May rematch.

They’ll meet once more in August — but it will be until next year before Nashville gets another try at the Open Cup.

2018 US Open Cup Round 3: Sean Totsch’s ‘special moment’ boosts Louisville City FC past Saint Louis FC

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USOC STL-LOU FINALWith the prize a likely opportunity to challenge a Major League Soccer side next in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, it took a major-league type of strike to seal a Louisville City FC 1-0 victory over Saint Louis FC in a Third Round match Wednesday.

Defender Sean Totsch scored an unassisted screamer of a goal in the 58th minute to tilt an otherwise deadlocked game in the host club’s favor.

“I’ve had a couple good goals in college like that — mostly training goals,” Totsch said. “But it was my special moment. It’s really hard to describe. I just kind of took my space, closed my eyes and hoped for the best.”

He got the shot off as a trio of Saint Louis FC defenders parted at just the right moment. Visiting goalkeeper Tomas Gomez never had a chance at stopping the only goal scored at the University of Louisville’s Lynn Stadium.

Most of the 2,008 fans in attendance went into a frenzy. A few, of course, were wearing Saint Louis FC’s green and navy blue colors.

Both USL clubs entered the league in 2015, playing their inaugural match against one other. But multiple changes in Saint Louis FC’s conference affiliation have impeded the rivalry. This year, Saint Louis is back to the West and LouCity still in the East, meaning this is the only competitive meeting they’ll have barring a postseason meeting.

Totsch’s highlight goal made it a memorable one.

“Relief” is what went through LouCity’s Oscar Jimenez’s mind when he saw the goal. Coach James O’Connor echoed that, saying he was “very pleased.”

“I’ve seen Totsch hit those in training,” Jimenez said. “I saw him stepping up and stepping up. In my head I’m like, ‘Shoot it. Shoot it. Shoot it.’ He shot it — and such a great goal.”

Added O’Connor: “I think it was fantastic technique.”

LouCity moved on to the Cup’s Fourth Round for just the second time as a result. In 2015, the boys in purple took the Chicago Fire to extra time before falling 1-0 on the road.

After suffering consecutive defeats in league play, the club has now rattled off three straight wins across all competitions. O’Connor’s side by no means overwhelmed Saint Louis FC, but the squad seemed to get the better of chances, out-shooting the visitors, 10-7.

It took Gomez’s diving 36th-minute save off a Jimenez free kick to keep things level in the first half. Saint Louis FC offered little in response to Totsch’s goal, aside from a loose ball scrum in the box off a corner in stoppage time. LouCity keeper Tim Dobrowoslki corralled back possession to secure the win.

“We always know it’s going to be very organized,” O’Connor said of Saint Louis FC’s defense, “and it’s going to be difficult to break them down.”

He credited a second game in a week on a “bigger field” at Lynn Stadium — LouCity plays its regular-season home games in a Triple-A baseball stadium — for room to operate offensively.

Additionally, the matchup brought back a pair of former LouCity stalwarts in defender Sean Reynolds and midfielder Kadeem Dacres. Both started for Saint Louis FC in their first seasons with the club, and were welcomed by applause. There are good vibes between the clubs despite their past rivalry, with O’Connor a close friend, too, of Saint Louis coach Anthony Pulis, a former Orlando City SC teammate during their own playing days.

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Louisville City crushes Long Island Rough Riders in this year’s amateur blowout

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Kyle Smith of Louisville City celebrates a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Mathew Ballard | Louisville City
Kyle Smith of Louisville City celebrates a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Mathew Ballard | Louisville City

Having watched film of his club’s Second Round opponent in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Louisville City FC forward Ilija Ilic saw in advance the type of play that led the Long Island Rough Riders to a Premier Development League conference final appearance a year ago.

“They have some movements that are next level,” Ilic said of the amateur side. But as the professionals in the PDL-USL matchup, Ilic added, “We were ready for it.”

It showed as Louisville City posted a dominant 5-0 victory Wednesday night at Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Ky. It was the second year in a row that City began the US Open Cup with a one-sided blowout of an amateur side. Last year, they traveled to Pittsburgh and embarrassed Tartan Devils Oak Avalon by the score of 9-0.

Ilic assisted Kyle Smith’s opening goal in the 25th minute before scoring one of his own own off a corner 12 minutes later. The game that was never in doubt from there with the Rough Riders unable to record a shot until the second half. In turn, Louisville goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski had to make just one save all night.

“They’ve had some success there as well,” Louisville coach James O’Connor said of Long Island, which defeated the Kingston Stockade to advance to the Second Round and also opened their PDL season with a win.

“It’s easy to see why, because they play really well. They’ve got good movement. We caused them a lot of problems and didn’t really allow them to get a foothold in the game, which was important, because if you do, then they’ll capitalize. It was great to see that intensity tonight.”

Rounding out scoring, Oscar Jimenez crossed to Luke Spencer for a tap-in goal in the 67th minute; Brian Ownby juked a defender on the end line and rocketed a shot in the upper corner in the 81st; and Cameron Lancaster scored on a gem of a curling free kick in the 86th.

Luke Spencer and Oscar Jiminez of Louisville City celebrate a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Matthew Ballard
Luke Spencer and Oscar Jiminez of Louisville City celebrate a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Matthew Ballard

Lancaster shrugged, smiled, and ensured LouCity was on to the Open Cup’s Third Round against fellow USL side Saint Louis FC, a former rival now playing in the Western Conference.

“I thought the guys performed really well,” O’Connor said. “I thought there were some lovely passages — some really good finishes. We can be really pleased.”

The scoreline would have been more lopsided were it not for a standout effort by Long Island’s goalkeeper, Danny Vitiello, whose University of Albany last year won the America East Conference and knocked traditional powerhouse Maryland out of the NCAA tournament.

Vitiello prevented a brace for Smith by diving to his right, stopping a penalty try in the 50th minute. And in the 60th, City midfielder Magnus Rasmussen played a shot through a defender’s legs. Vitiello couldn’t have seen much of the ball — but he got a hand on it nonetheless.

Ultimately, Louisville out-shot the Rough Riders 18-3 in what was a bounce-back performance. The 2017 USL champions entered having lost consecutive league games for the first time in nearly two years.

“I think it’ll certainly help,” O’Connor said. “It’s great to see some of the guys go on and get goals.”

The victory came in the University of Louisville’s soccer-specific Lynn Stadium, which is about half the size of what the club is currently constructing. For now, LouCity plays regular-season home games in a Triple-A baseball stadium, but will open its own facility in 2020.

“The first thing I’d like to do is really thank everyone connected with U of L,” O’Connor said. “Genuinely, a heartfelt thanks for allowing us to come and play at such a wonderful facility.”

“It was great — I’ll tell you that,” Ilic said of playing to a home crowd in the more intimate environment. “It was really good.”

And they’ll do it again next week, with Louisville-Saint Louis FC also to be played at Lynn Stadium.

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