Lawson Murrell

UPDATE (3/24/22): While SC United Bantams ended up losing the match anyway, it was determined that the club used multiple ineligible players in the match and the contest was ruled a forfeit.

North Carolina Fusion U-23s came from behind to defeat the South Carolina United FC Bantams 3-1 after extra time in the First Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. A windy night in Columbia, S.C. saw the home team take an early lead before a late equalizer from the Fusion led to extra time. They carried the momentum to score two more goals and earn an away victory at the Southeastern Freight Lines Soccer Complex.

“The biggest thing that we spoke to the players about was not panicking, that was the biggest thing, just not to panic and we knew that all the time we would create chances because we have the players to create chances,” Fusion head coach Chris Williams said after the victory.

The game began with disjointed play in the opening 15 minutes before both teams were able to settle in and start to link up. The Fusion earned multiple corner kicks before the half-hour mark but were unable to convert them into goal-scoring opportunities. Despite the away side largely controlling possession it was the home team who would open the scoring.

After dribbling into the box through two North Carolina defenders, striker Edmundo Robinson was brought down and the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot without hesitation. In the 37th minute, Robinson calmly converted from the spot sending a right-footed strike down the center of the goal which North Carolina goalkeeper, Joshua Perryman, could only watch cross the line as he dove to his right-hand post.

Following the halftime break North Carolina continued to apply pressure in the attacking third but were matched by the compact defense of South Carolina United. Fueled by fresh legs from a pair of halftime substitutes in Luis Molina Qunitero and and Aidan Obrien, and with support from the nearly 2,000 fans in attendance, the Bantams held the clean sheet through 80 minutes of play.

However, with just 10 minutes remaining North Carolina pulled even as Luis Pinheiro Neto found Steven Hernandez in space at the top of the box and his right-footed shot reverberated off the crossbar and bounced on the goal line before being headed clear by the SC United defense. Following a look towards his assistant on the touchline, the referee awarded the goal to the Fusion in the 80th minute much to the dismay of the home crowd.

After 90 minutes of play the teams were deadlocked at one goal apiece and the match entered two 15-minute extra time periods with the possibility of penalties if neither team could gain an advantage. The first chance of extra time came and went early on as a header from a South Carolina United corner was put just wide of the post.

The decisive moment came in the 105th minute on nearly the last kick of the ball in the first period of extra time. North Carolina’s Tom Marriott dispatched a strike with his right foot from the center of the box into the bottom left corner of the goal to beat Bantam goalkeeper Gustavo Vasconcelos and put his team in position to advance.

In the second period of extra time South Carolina United FC pushed to pull level but were not able to produce a clear goal-scoring opportunity despite earning multiple free kicks in the attacking half. The home team was eventually caught stretched thin on a Fusion counter-attack with just minutes remaining in the contest. In the 118th minute Hernandez, who was subbed on in the 67th minute, scored his second goal of the night. His right footed strike found the back of the net and secured the comeback for North Carolina.

“As a first round of the open cup game it wasn’t really about technical ability or who was better, it was more about the mentality in the group and I think the coaches Chris and Liam have done an awesome job of recruiting not only good players but better people and I think you could see that tonight,” North Carolina defender Sam Henneberg said.

North Carolina Fusion U-23s advance to the Second Round of the US Open Cup and will play at the Charlotte Independence (USL League One) on April 5.

Scoring summary:
37’ – South Carolina United FC – Edmundo Robinson (penalty)
80’ – North Carolina Fusion – Steven Hernandez (Luis Pinheiro Neto)
105’ – North Carolina Fusion – Tom Marriott
118’ – North Carolina Fusion – Steven Hernandez