The beauty of the Open Cup was on full display Wednesday night at City Stadium in Richmond, Virginia as USL League One Richmond Kickers took on intrastate rival and Championship side Loudoun United in a tightly fought match that in the end took penalties to decide Loudoun as a winner.
In the end, a goalkeeper was the hero as Dane Jacomen saved Arthur Bosua’s attempt to win the game, capping off a MOTM performance in his first start of the season for Loudoun.
“I was proud of the guys to come out and defend well. We created a lot of really good chances. In the end, we had four academy kids on the field so we had to go pretty deep to make it happen,” said Loudoun head coach Ryan Martin. “When you look at this — digging deep and going 120 minutes without conceding against a pretty good team — it’s a springboard of confidence.”
The match started slowly, with both teams starting heavily rotated XIs. Dominating possession, Loudoun began to turn up the pressure before the 15th minute but Richmond absorbed it and grew into the game as the half progressed. Two of the key moments in the first half were disciplinary: Richmond’s Zaca Moran picked up a 12th-minute yellow, and his teammate Nicholas Simmonds earned a yellow in the 25th, after a dangerous tackle on Keegan Hughes. After receiving treatment on his ankle, Hughes initially played on but found himself unable to continue, coming off in the 36th minute.
The rest of the half was open with both teams creating chances, though Loudoun looked the likelier to score, keeping Richmond keeper Ryan Shellow on his toes in his first start for the Kickers.
Both teams made changes at the half, opening the game up even further. The match saw quality chances on either end, with both backlines and goalkeepers pulling out increasingly heroic blocks and saves as the game wore on. Both teams had quick breakaways, with Ryan Sierakowski in on goal for Richmond and Christiano François finding space for Loudoun but both keepers came out quickly and made themselves big to earn the save. Adrian Billhardt caused considerable trouble down the right wing for Richmond and François made up for his miss with several dangerous carries into the Richmond box.
Unfortunately for both teams’ front lines, both backlines stood strong. Shins, backs, knees, foreheads from close range, even other attackers’ bodies — every defensive weapon available was deployed to block Richmond’s 11 and Loudoun’s 12 shots (numbers which seem conservatively counted by my estimate). And more impressively, with very little discipline required. Despite the sometimes frenetic defending, neither team earned a penalty. Loudoun’s only yellow was shown to striker François and Richmond’s backline picked up their only yellow in the 113th minute.
Extra time was more of the same, with both teams finding opportunities and defensive heroics displayed on both ends. The intensity never dropped and both teams looked as though they believed they could find the winner.
Ultimately, it took penalties. And unsurprisingly, very little separated the sides as the shootout progressed. Both teams demonstrated nerves of steel, with nine straight spot-kicks converted until Jacomen’s save to give the Championship side the win.
“I think when you look around the world at cups, and with MLS teams pulling out of the Open Cup, this really is the beauty of it,” Martin said. “Games like this and atmospheres like this involving two good teams in two fun cities — it’s fun for everyone.”
