Little Rock Rangers SC pulled off an upset victory against Birmingham Legion FC Wednesday at Episcopal Collegiate School, winning 1-0. The lone goal came from midfielder Caoimhin McConnell in the 48th minute.
The match started slowly, with neither team breaking the opposing back line until the 27th minute, when Little Rock defender Sohma Ichikawa conceded a foul in the penalty box, sending Birmingham’s Lucca Dourado to the spot. However, goalkeeper Tomasz Wroblewski kept the ball out of the net to keep the match level.
From there, both teams traded fouls for the remainder of the half, with the Legion’s Roman Torres and the Rangers’ Daniel Burko each receiving a yellow card as the first half ended 0-0.
The second half began full of action, with McConnell breaking out in the first five minutes to pull the Rangers ahead 1-0. McConnell, a Northern Irishman and senior at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, credits the fans for giving the team energy. “We have the best fans in USL League Two,” McConnell said. “And it showed when we scored that goal. Even though are a few levels higher than where we play, it felt like we were level the whole game, and the fans were a big part of that.”
The Rangers, having established a lead, pulled back defensively for the remainder of the half, allowing the Legion to control possession. The Legion continued to maintain control of the ball throughout the rest of the game, taking 10 shot attempts total for the rest of the second half.
Rangers Head Coach Nicholas Doyle, who played for the Little Rock side last time the US Open Cup was held there, credited their goal to the team’s patient style of play. “We have some weapons out front,” Doyle said. “Our front four can do some real damage if the back six can hold on and give them opportunities. We knew if we defended them and pressed a little, we could hit them on the counter.”
The Rangers would finish the game with five shots on goal to Birmingham’s three, seven shots to Birmingham’s 13, and eight fouls to Birmingham’s ten to finish off the USL Championship side. The Rangers will now be paired off with one of the other 31 winners of the First Round to compete in the Second Round from April 1-2.