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Sean Walker

2025 National Amateur Cup: Sin City FC score late to win USASA Region IV tournament

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Sin City FC celebrate after winning the 2025 USASA Region IV Amateur Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah (Credit: Derick Fox)
Sin City FC celebrate after winning the 2025 USASA Region IV Amateur Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah (Credit: Derick Fox)

(Editor’s note: This article is made possible due to the hard work of Sean Walker, Brock Mildon, Logan Chugg, and Derick Fox – all of which helped cover the Region IV tournament in-person)

Beto Soto just had a good feeling as he stood over his free kick near the edge of the penalty area with a chance to win his team’s first-ever USASA Region IV championship and send them to the National Amateur Cup Semifinals.

The spritely midfielder thought he could see an opening around the wall of 5-6 defenders Red Devils FC put up in front of goal to defend a 3-3 maelstrom. But Soto took his shot — and sent the NISA Nation side from North Las Vegas to Milwaukee, the host of this year’s National Amateur Cup final four.

Soto’s free kick in the 87th minute broke a deadlock to lift Sin City FC to a 4-3 win over Utah’s Red Devils FC in the USASA Region IV Amateur Cup final at the Salt Lake Regional Athletic Complex.

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The win sent Sin City FC, a club of players who have been together for about a half-dozen years, into the national semifinals. This is a club that has reached at least three cup finals, and has plans to join the Nevada Premier League next year.

“I really just felt it,” Soto said. “I had 3-4 free kick goals like that, too; I feel like it comes naturally to me. So I took a couple of deep breaths, and thank God we pulled off the win.”

Corbin Lawrence scored twice for Red Devils FC of Utah, including finding the back of the net nearly 15 minutes into the match to put the Utah side up 1-0.

But David Villanueva equalized off a corner kick, then finished a free header from Esequiel Coronel in the 27th minute to give Sin City its first lead.

Mauricio Muniz scored off a corner kick in the 39th minute to lift the Las Vegans to a 3-1 halftime advantage.

Still, the Devils didn’t go away.

Lawrence scored less than three minutes into the second half. That set up Steve Jasso, who previously played for Real Salt Lake and Real Monarchs from 2016-20, to equalize from the penalty spot after a foul in the box in the 60th minute.

Yet Sin City didn’t hang its head. The group of players knew what was at stake: a regional title and a spot in the national semifinals next month in Milwaukee.

“We’ve been playing together for the past 5-6 years, and this is maybe our fifth final; we’re used to the pressures and the butterflies. We know how to maintain our composure when we go down, or when they catch up to us.

“It’s more on the mental or psychological aspect of the game.”

All they needed was a moment of magic. Soto was happy to provide.

“This is our first ‘ship together as a team, a family, and a brotherhood,” he said. “It feels really good. This is our first win in a final, and it feels really great.”

Sin City and Red Devils both reached the final after a three-day gauntlet of games between June 20 and the morning of June 22. The teams competed in an eight team tournament, with participants separated into two groups of four. Each team played one game a day, with the team from each group qualifying for the regional final on Sunday evening. That means those teams played two games on Sunday, June 22.

The groups were as follows:

Group A

  • Boise Alpha FC (Idaho, Southern Idaho Soccer League)
  • Kita FC (Utah, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
  • Rebels United FC (Nevada, Southwest Premier League)
  • Red Devils FC (Utah, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)

Group B

  • Medallo City FC (CA, Southwest Premier League)
  • Peak Eleven FC (CO, Mountain Premier League)
  • Sin City FC (NV, NISA Nation)
  • Vikings SC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)

The group stage also included a unique set of rules, described as a “10-point system”. They were as follows:

  • 6 points for a win
  • 3 for a tie
  • 0 for a loss.
  • 1 for a shutout
  • 1 for each goal up to 3 goals

This meant a team could theoretically earn 10 points in a single match should they win (6), hold a shutout (1), and score at least three goals (3).

Below is a complete recap of the entire Region IV tournament, with scores from each of the group stage games.

FRIDAY, JUNE 20

Kita FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
2:4
Rebels United FC (NV, Southwest Premier League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 7 – Salt Lake City, UT

Kita:

  • Ervin Huremovic
  • Kenan Odobasic

RUFC:

  • Daniel Rojas (x2)
  • Jimmy Villasenor
  • Skyler Goo

Red Devils FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
3:0
Boise Alpha FC (ID, Southern Idaho Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 8 – Salt Lake City, UT

RDFC:

  • Steve Jasso
  • Corbin Lowrance
  • Alexi Jaimes

Peak Eleven FC (CO, Mountain Premier League)
1:5
Sin City FC (NV, NISA Nation)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 9 – Salt Lake City, UT

Peak:

  • Paul Luna IV 35’

SCFC:

  • Esequiel Coronel 15’, 51’
  • David Villanueva 26’, 44’
  • Jose Quintero 77’

Viking FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
3:2
Medallo City FC (CA, Southwest Premier League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 10 – Salt Lake City, UT

VFC:

  • Jarom Farnsworth (x3)

MCFC:

  • Josue Mateo
  • Angel Cristobal

SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Kita FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
2:3
Red Devils FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 7 – Salt Lake City, UT

Kita:

  • Adam Naylor (x2)

RDFC:

  • Daniel Molina
  • Corbin Lowrance
  • Alexi Jaimes

Rebels United FC (NV, Southwest Premier League)
3:2
Boise Alpha FC (ID, Southern Idaho Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 8 – Salt Lake City, UT

RUFC:

  • Jimi Villasenor (x2)
  • Abigay Gomez

BAFC:

  • Munganza Katanga (x2)

Peak Eleven FC (CO, Mountain Premier League)
2:1
Viking FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 9 – Salt Lake City, UT

Peak:

  • Diego Brandes
  • Cameron Butman

VFC:

  • Zach Moore (PK)

Sin City FC (NV, NISA Nation)
8:1
Medallo City FC (CA, Southwest Premier League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 10 – Salt Lake City, UT

SCFC:

  • Andy Rodriguez (x2)
  • Brophy Howard (PK)
  • Jose Quinero
  • Alexandro Birruete
  • Esequiel Coronel
  • Yousseff Kouyate
  • David Villanueva

MCFC:

  • Angel Cristobal

SUNDAY, JUNE 22 (AM)

Kita FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
8:2
Boise Alpha FC (ID, Southern Idaho Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 7 – Salt Lake City, UT

Kita:

  • Mason McRae (x3)
  • Ervin Huremovic (x2)
  • Din Huremovic
  • Adam Naylor
  • Anel Mukic

BAFC:

  • Jeandedieu Yibazimana
  • Glorie Sebakara

Rebels United FC (NV, Southwest Premier League)
2:2
Red Devils FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 8 – Salt Lake City, UT

RUFC:

  • Miguel Rubio
  • John Lynam

RDFC:

  • Corrigan Neville
  • Gabriel Altheman

Peak Eleven FC (CO, Mountain Premier League)
6:4
Medallo City FC (CA, Southwest Premier League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 9 – Salt Lake City, UT

Peak:

  • Cameron Butman (x3)
  • Mathias Varlet (x2)
  • Louis Castilo

MCFC:

  • Raul Mora (x2)
  • Angel Cristobal
  • Victor Santiago

Sin City FC (NV, NISA Nation)
1:0
Viking FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 10 – Salt Lake City, UT

SCFC:

  • Roberto Soto

The final group stage standings are included below:
(Graphic by USASA Region IV)

SUNDAY, JUNE 22 (PM)
REGION IV FINAL

Sin City FC (NV, NISA Nation)
4:3
Red Devils FC (UT, Greater Salt Lake Soccer League)
Regional Athletic Complex (The RAC), Field 7 – Salt Lake City, UT

SCFC:

  • David Villanueva (x2)
  • Mauricio Muniz
  • Roberto Soto

RDFC:

  • Corbin Lowrance (x2)
  • Stephen Jasso (PK)

2023 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Damir Kreilach of Real Salt Lake voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Damir Kreilach of Real Salt Lake celebrates after scoring a goal against the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: RSL
Damir Kreilach of Real Salt Lake celebrates after scoring a goal against the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: RSL

At this time a year ago, Damir Kreilach was recovering from back surgery, a microdiscectomy procedure in his lower back where doctors removed portions of a herniated disc on his spine to relieve pressure.

The procedure, for as successful as it was, cast a shadow over the 33-year-old team captain’s career. At the very least, it ended the season prematurely for the native of Vukovar, Croatia.

Now he’s better than ever.

After scoring just one goal in five appearances a year ago prior to his injury, Kreilach has rejuvenated his game — and his Real Salt Lake squad’s hopes in Major League Soccer — with a team-high four goals and an assist in league play.

His own rejuvenation, though? Well, one could make an argument for some credit going to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Kreilach’s two goals in RSL’s 3-2 win over the LA Galaxy earned the RSL midfielder/forward/utility star TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for the Quarterfinals.

Other nominees for Player of the Round included Houston Dynamo forward Ibrahim Aliyu, FC Cincinnati’s Alvaro Barreal and Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callendar. The Player of the Round award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters, and select backers of TheCup.us on Patreon (donors that pledge $10 or more).

The former Union Berlin midfielder who signed with Real Salt Lake in 2018 did his scoring on seven shots, including five shots on target.


He also had two goals in sparking Salt Lake’s 6-2 win over Las Vegas Lights FC in the club’s Open Cup opener, a first-ever road win in the early rounds of the Cup competition and first win since 2016.

Now RSL moves on to the US Open Cup Semifinals, where it will face former homegrown striker (and Round of 16 Player of the Round winner) Corey Baird and the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at Shell Energy Stadium (11:30 p.m. ET, CBS Sports). The winner will advance to the Open Cup final against the winner of FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami.

It’s also helped spark his club’s season, turning around a brutal four-game losing skid and just two wins in the first nine weeks of the season into a run of form that includes its current five-match unbeaten run, an MLS-best 5-3-2 road record, and a 10-3-6 record in 19 games across all competitions in the past 75 days.

“I think overall, the confidence is here,” Kreilach said after the team’s 2-2 draw with Minnesota United. “The team found themselves in great shape, and we show this week-by-week — especially in away games, where we are the tough team to play against, as well as the second half against Minnesota. We played our game, with our identity, with who we are, and I think if we had another 2-3 minutes, we’d win that game. But we showed our identity, and that is to never give up. Because of that, I’m proud of this team.” 

2023 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Real Salt Lake hold off late push by LA Galaxy to advance to Semis

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Damir Kreilach of Real Salt Lake celebrates after scoring a goal against the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: RSL
Damir Kreilach of Real Salt Lake celebrates after scoring a goal against the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: RSL

Whatever’s gotten into Rubio Rubin the last few days, Real Salt Lake might want to make it a double.

Four days after scoring a brace in a 2-1 road win over Austin FC in MLS play, Rubin had two assists and Damir Kreilach scored twice to help RSL hold off the LA Galaxy, 3-2, and advance to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since 2015.

Jefferson Savarino added a goal for RSL, which will face the Houston Dynamo at a site determined by a hosting priority draw Thursday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS Sports’ Golazo network.

But Wednesday night’s win meant a little bit more to Rubio: not only did it keep RSL alive for a trophy and the club’s first CONCACAF Champions League berth since 2016.

And after dispatching three-straight opponents on the road, Salt Lake finally got to do it at home.

“We’re always playing for something, competing for a trophy,” Rubin said. “The Open Cup is a special tournament. We have two more games, and we want to lift the trophy this year. MLS Cup, as well.”


Rubin, who also won a penalty for RSL, has had a hand in each of the last five goals for Salt Lake.

The Guatemalan international from Beaverton, Oregon, who didn’t score a goal in 830 minutes is now pulling out points in bunches for an RSL club that advanced to the Open Cup semifinals for the first time since 2015.With RSL controlling nearly 2/3 of early possession, Kreilach capitalized with the go-ahead goal off his right foot, picking out the back of the net after Rubin set him up with a pass from Savarino.

“I couldn’t be happier for Rubio,” RSL manager Pablo Masatroeni said. “He’s an unbelievable teammate, an unbelievable player, and now he’s putting goals in the back of the net, which is great for his career.”

Things went from bad to worse for the Galaxy by the 25th minute, when star forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez had to be removed from the pitch with a right knee injury. The former Mexican international did not return, replaced by Dejan Joveljić for the remainder of the match.

The Galaxy are awaiting results of an MRI to determine the extent of the noncontact injury for Chicharito, who did not put any weight on his injured leg as he left the stadium pitch midway through the first half.

Kreilach doubled his account in the final minute of first-half stoppage time, bagging a brace from the penalty spot after Julian Aude was called for a foul against Rubin while attempting a corner kick.

Rubin had his second assist of the night, setting up Savarino for RSL’s third goal of the night in the 51st minute to stretch the home side’s lead to 3-0.

But the Galaxy wasn’t done yet.

Gaston Brugman pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute, and Douglas Costa added a wonder strike less than two minutes later to cut LA’s deficit to one.

But Gavin Beavers made four saves, including one to open seven minutes of stoppage time, to help RSL hang on for the club’s third Open Cup semifinal appearance all-time. The ultimate goal is not only to win the US Open Cup for the first time in club history, but they would also be the first team from Utah to lift the trophy in the tournament’s 108-year history.

“It was, for us, a huge opportunity, playing this Open Cup game at home after three road games,” Kreilach said. “The fans got their final opportunity; they’ve been waiting for a long time. Now we have to keep going, stay humble, and take it game-by-game.”

 

2023 US Open Cup Round 4: Real Salt Lake rallies twice to win “wild” 7-goal thriller at Portland Timbers

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Maikel Chang of Real Salt Lake celebrates after scoring a goal against the Portland Timbers in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Real Salt Lake
Maikel Chang of Real Salt Lake celebrates after scoring a goal against the Portland Timbers in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Real Salt Lake

You want goals? Maikel Chang and Co. will give you goals — the most of the season, in fact.

Chang scored two goals less than four minutes apart in the second half, and Andrés Gómez and Danny Musovski added a goal and an assist as Real Salt Lake rallied twice to eliminate the Portland Timbers, 4-3, on the road Wednesday night in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.

Real Salt Lake We Want The Cup shirt US Open Cup
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Sebastian Blanco, Justin Rasmussen and Jaro Niezgoda each scored for the Timbers, which became the second-straight host to fall to RSL after going winless in its first five Open Cup road attempts before a 3-1 win at USL Championship squad Las Vegas Lights FC two weeks ago.

And after playing to back-to-back scoreless draws in MLS play, Salt Lake’s latest result was anything-but. And just like that — combined with LA Galaxy’s 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders — Cascadia came crashing out U.S. Soccer’s version of the FA Cup.

“I thought it was a fantastic performance. A lot of guys got a great opportunity tonight, and they did a great job,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said. “It was a real collective effort, and these kind of Cup games are always crazy. You never know what to anticipate. But I think the guys managed the game the right way, didn’t lose their cool after going down 3-2, and found a winner.

“I’m really pleased with the performance, and big-picture, I’m really pleased with the performances on top of performances. We’re really building as a group.” 

Blanco opened the scoring just five minutes in following a chaotic frenzy on RSL’s back line. But this match was just getting started, with three ties and three lead changes still on deck before goalkeeper Gavin Beavers made four saves and a back line of Delentz Pierre, Justen Glad and Bode Hidalgo and Braian Ojeda as a late sub helped kill off the one-goal win.

Suddenly, a club that sits a point off the MLS Cup playoff line in the Western Conference after close to a third of the season has found new life in the oldest knockout competitions in North American soccer.

“I think it shows that we’ve got a lot of fight in us,” Musovski said. “That game was really wild, with them going up early, then us taking the lead, then them taking the lead. It was a lot of ups and downs, but I think through it all, we were fighting the entire time. We showed that we have a lot of grit, and we want to make a run in this Cup.”

The Argentine took advantage of pressure in the back forced by Noel Caliskan before slotting home a right-footed shot down the center of the box and past Beavers, the 18-year-old goalkeeper making his second start in Open Cup play this year.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Far from it.

“We allowed them to score four goals at home which is not good, and the way we sometimes allow those moments to happen, we need to have a little bit more maturity,” Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said. “But again, it’s good for some of the players that don’t have that many minutes to be able to come and play, that makes them better, that makes them stronger, that makes them more available to be able to compete and ready to play. In St. Louis, we put in a mature performance, today we put in the effort, the energy, the good plays — but maturity is what was missing. Losing this game at home, allowing four goals after we scored three is no good. We talked about it in the locker room and the guys took the responsibility and now we continue to work.”

Musovski equalized in the 30th minute, taking a pass across the face of goal from Chang via Bryan Oviedo with the slightest touch from Damir Kreilach, finishing it for his second goal in as many matches in the Open Cup to help the visitors turn the tide quickly.

Gómez scored a banger in the 40th minute, lifting RSL to a 2-1 advantage following Bode Hidalgo’s set piece. The Salt Lake side put just three of their seven first-half shots on target, but Beavers made four saves and passed at 91.7% clip to keep RSL ahead.

Justin Rasmussen equalized for the Timbers in the 49th minute, taking a touch from Caliskan near the top of the box before converting a banger from distance for the Timbers’ second goal.

Three minutes later, Niezgoda pushed Portland back in front with a banger from just outside the box. But you didn’t think that was the end of it, did you?

Gómez found Chang in the 55th minute as the Cuban scored the first of two goals less than four minutes apart, and RSL took a 4-3 advantage in the middle of the smoky artificial turf at Providence Park.

“Chang has proven that he’s a fantastic player in this league, and he comes up huge when necessary,” Mastroeni said. “I couldn’t be happier for a player who waits patiently for his time, and then when his time comes, he’s ready to go. That’s what we talk about all the time; you’ve got to be ready to go. And this moment was Chang’s moment.”

The latter goal came as Damir Kreilach found Musovski, who found Chang for the visitors’ second go-ahead goal of the match on a counter attack in the 59th minute of a #DrunkOpenCup match in the Rose City.

“I saw Chang wide open, and I knew I just had to thread it firmly, and then Chang did a great job finishing,” Musovski said.

Portland threw the kitchen sink in search of an equalizer, but Beavers stood strong, including stopping an attempt in the fifth minute of stoppage time to keep the hosts at bay and book passage to the Round of 16 for only the third time in 13 Open Cup appearances (and the first since advancing to the semifinals in 2015).

“I’m really proud of the collective performance,” said Mastroeni, whose group hosts LAFC on Saturday (7:30 p.m. MT, MLS Season Pass). “Guys understand the way we want to play, and commit their lives to doing whatever it takes to win games, being a strong group inside the locker room. All these things are the intangibles that lead you in the right direction.

“The sky’s the limit for this group. But we’ve got to put our heads down. We’ve got a great opponent coming in this weekend, we’ve got to do a great job against them, and then we’ve got to just keep moving forward.”

RSL and the rest of the Round of 16 qualifiers, which include 14 MLS clubs and two from the second-division USL Championship, will find out the draw for the next round Thursday at 12 p.m. MT from U.S. Soccer on the B/R Football YouTube channel.

 

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: Real Salt Lake lights up extra time to win in Las Vegas

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Damir Kreilach and Andres Gomez of Real Salt Lake celebrate after a goal against Las Vegas Lights in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Real Salt Lake
Damir Kreilach and Andres Gomez of Real Salt Lake celebrate after a goal against Las Vegas Lights in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake didn’t pack a full lineup for its inaugural 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup match. 

But Damir Kreilach packed his scoring boots.

Kreilach notched a brace, and Henderson native Danny Musovski added his first goal in an RSL uniform as time expired to help Salt Lake to a 3-1 win over Las Vegas Lights FC after extra time Wednesday night at Cashman Field.

“You know, the Cup games are always so fun to play in,” said Kreilach, who was making his first start since March 25 against St. Louis. “Even before the game, I said in the locker room that it was going to be a tricky game — especially when you are playing the teams a league below you. The most important thing is to put the fight in and concentrate, and then the quality will come out.

“You always have to have a little bit of luck in these games, too. They had a lot of chances, and at the end of the day, we did as well … but at the right time, we found a way to get it done.”

Gavin Beavers made six saves for Real Salt Lake to earn his first win as a starter in a Real Salt Lake uniform. But the style of the visitors’ win on the road in Sin City was less about Kreilach (though it certainly was), or even Musovski or Beavers, with respect to those standouts.

The biggest note was the back line, and who played center back — or more effectively, who didn’t.

RSL finished the match without a central defender, after Erik Holt was forced off with a substitution in the final minutes of regulation. From there, Pablo Mastroeni made a tactical adjustment to pair his outside backs of Bode Hidalgo, Bertin Jacquesson, Emeka Eneli and Bryan Oviedo in the most make-shift of back lines.

“I remember playing in this tournament, and every game, you never know what you’re going to get,” RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “Obviously, the dimensions of the field, the way they play on it, and then going down two center backs and ending the game with four outside backs on the field … There was a lot of adapting on the field.
“I think the guys showed a lot of resilience, and some good intensity and good effort. We knew we were going to have to match their intensity; this was a huge game for Las Vegas, and it was a huge game for us, as well.I felt like if we could mask that intensity, then our quality would shine through.” 

And they somehow got it done, snapping a winless skid in the Open Cup that dates back to 2016 with RSL’s first-ever road win in the competition. That includes a loss to USL League One side Northern Colorado at home a year ago, a moment that has haunted RSL in the year since.

But Cup games mean more, and Wednesday’s result will go a long way for Salt Lake, both in the Open Cup and in a return to MLS play Saturday against the Seattle Sounders.

“We saw so many weird results, with other leagues beating MLS teams, and it’s totally normal. From a fan’s perspective, you think MLS teams will win these games easily,” Mastroeni said. “But they are very tricky games, and you have to take them very seriously.

“At the end of the day, we are building our confidence. We have two games, two wins, and we have to keep going with Seattle in front of us.”

Beavers made four saves on six shots faced in the first half, including tipping a ball on the final play of the first half to help the visitors to a scoreless draw at the break.

Real Salt Lake We Want The Cup shirt
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Real Salt Lake nearly took the lead in the 12th minute, but Kreilach’s shot was ruled offside for the club that held nearly 58% of possession in the first half. But Las Vegas put four shots on target to RSL’s one before the break.

A flurry of chances in the 68th minute ended with Kreilach’s header being saved in the top left corner, and the captain returning from injury-related recovery had another chance four minutes later that sailed wide.

The visitors held Las Vegas without a shot on goal in the second half until the 81st minute, but no goal came through 90 minutes of regulation.

Playing a jumbled lineup with Jefferson Savarino back home and Andres Gomez staying on the bench until extra time, RSL tried to get a goal from a rejuvenated Kreilach and young players in starting roles like rookies Ilijah Paul and Eneli or substitute Muosovski. Eighteen times, the visitors lofted a shot, but only four of those shots fell on target in regulation.

But on his ninth shot of the night, Kreilach got one to fall, giving RSL a 1-0 advantage on the final touch of the first half of extra time with a header from Jacquesson in the 105th minute.

Moments later, Maikel Chang added the save of the match on a goal-line clearance that kept Lights FC at bay in the early minutes of the second extra-time session. Gomez nearly doubled RSL’s lead in the 110th minute, but Luke Stauffer equalized instead a minute later with his third goal in as many matches for Las Vegas.

You thought it was over? Hardly.

Kreilach scored again in the 115th minute, taking a pass from Gomez (with a superb set up from Emeli) to bang in a right-footed shot from the center of the box to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Mastroeni “definitely thought” about taking Kreilach off, with the ailing captain still recovering from back surgery that caused him to miss most of last season

In hindsight, he’s glad he didn’t. 

“We want to win this game, and Dami in and around the box is the guy who finds the right spots. He’s prolific in front of goal,” Mastroeni said. “You have these ideas going into the game, and then you have to watch the game and feel the momentum of it. Whatever tactical change you’re making, how is a team affected by it? And I felt like when we went to two (strikers), Dami was much more effective on goal. And his experience and leadership was critical to the group.”

Then Musovski, who met with several dozen family and friends before the match to support the UNLV graduate and Henderson, Nevada native, finished off the scoring in the closing seconds after Jacquesson’s initial attempt in the 120th minute was saved and Musovski buried the put-back for the final margin.

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Hailstorm FC’s only shot on goal a spectacular game-winner in upset of RSL

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Robert Cornwall of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Ashley Potts | Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC
Robert Cornwall of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Real Salt Lake in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Ashley Potts | Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

Can a first-year third-division team go on the road in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, give up 16 shots and only put one on frame, and concede 61% of possession against an MLS team?

Hail yeah, they can.

Robert Cornwall scored the only goal of the match in the 70th minute, and Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC stunned Real Salt Lake 1-0 Wednesday night in front of an announced crowd of 19,301 ticket consumers at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Goalkeeper Thomas Olsen, a former third-round MLS SuperDraft pick by the Colorado Rapids in 2018, made two saves to earn the shutout for Northern Colorado.

The Hailstorm, founded in 2021, did something very few clubs have ever done. Northern Colorado played their first match in club history in the US Open Cup. And what a win it was. The Hailstorm traveled away to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (USL Championship) and beat them 1-0 in extra time on April 6, courtesy of an extra-time winner from Jerry Desdunes. Now, after a draw and a loss on the road to begin league play, they rebound with a dramatic home win over an MLS side.

“This one is even sweeter,” Northern Colorado coach Éamon Zayed said after the match, comparing the RSL win to the Switchbacks upset in Round 2. “So proud of our players tonight. They brought everything, every ounce of effort, every ounce of fight. They were solid, we talked about it, we had a game plan. We wanted to remain compact and hard to break down.”

The Hailstorm won’t win many style points in the club’s Open Cup debut, either against the Switchbacks or RSL. But in the end, they’ll win the only way that matters.

As far as soccer aesthetics go, Wednesday’s match wasn’t much less of an eyesore than before — but the result is all that matters, or at least it was to the Colorado players who rushed the field after the win and the two assistant coaches in the visiting box who hugged and screamed obscenities at the crowd beneath them for most of the nine minutes of stoppage time.

With the loss, Real Salt Lake’s winless streak in the US Open Cup continues, dating back to a 2016 penalty kick shootout win over the now-defunct Wilmington Hammerheads (penalty kick results are officially listed as a draw). With that result going down as a draw, RSL has gone winless in seven-straight matches in Open Cup play — the longest such streak by an MLS club in the Open Cup’s Modern Era. Its five-match home winless streak is the longest active winless skid in the Modern Era, as well.

RSL out-shot the Hailstorm 16-5, but only placed two shots on goal to Colorado’s one — the destined rip into the top shelf by Cornwall that was all the difference with 20 minutes left in regulation. With several RSL players standing around, a couple drawn out of position, and some appealing to the sideline referee for an offside call, the Hailstorm surrounded Cornwall as he ran to the corner flag, hands at his earns, drinking in the boos of the home crowd that was less than the announced attendance number.

Robert Cornwall of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC dribbles the ball against Real Salt Lake in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Ashley Potts | Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC
Robert Cornwall of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC dribbles the ball against Real Salt Lake in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Ashley Potts | Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC

“You can do well defensively for 89 minutes, and in that one moment, it can cost you the game,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said. “We’ll go back and look at that.

“But the first half just wasn’t good enough — it wasn’t good enough with the ball and in the attacking third. With these teams who are playing for everything, it’s important to get on the board early. They grew into the game, and the guy scored an otherworldly goal.”

The MLS side, which stretched its winless skid to five matches across all competitions with the loss, also had six shots blocked, and couldn’t convert on eight attempts from the corner flags, were caught offside three times, and lost the number of duels in the outfield, 52-44.

Stats can say a lot of things, but the only one that mattered in the end was this: Hailstorm 1, Real Salt Lake 0.

“I think the game is won and lost inside the boxes,” Mastroeni said. “You’ve got to make defensive plays, and you’ve got to make plays on offense.

“The cohesion of the front group wasn’t there in the first half. When Pablo (Ruiz) came in, it changed that. But you’ve got to have quality in that final third if you want to score goals — and tonight we didn’t have that.”

Salt Lake brought back a handful of first-team players from injury — goalkeeper David Ochoa, defender Justen Glad and midfielder Jasper Loffelsend — to pair with a handful of first-team players and even more Real Monarchs and academy players to cobble together a first-choice lineup.

In all, seven RSL players made Open Cup debuts, including Loffelsend, Ochoa, Bode Davis, Bobby Pierre, Pierre Reedy, Chris Garcia and Rubio Rubin as the two sides played to a scoreless first half. Glad came off just after the 60th minute in favor of 17-year-old RSL center back Jaziel Orozco, who was recently called into camp with the United States’ U-20 youth national team beginning Sunday.

RSL out-shot their lower-division Cinderella group, 8-1 before the break, including the only two shots on goal while holding 52% of possession. But the hosts couldn’t break through, and Cornwall gave Northern Colorado the lead in the 70th minute with a banger underneath the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.
But the final touch wasn’t there. The tactical adjustment in the final third wasn’t there.

Most importantly, the goal — the essence of the sport, in many ways — wasn’t there.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the goal,” Orozco said. “We created some chances, but couldn’t score. I’m disappointed, but we’ve got to move on.”

After becoming just the 16th team in the Modern Era to start a tournament with back-to-back shutout wins, Northern Colorado advances to the Fourth Round where they will travel to take on fellow USL League One side Union Omaha on May 10.

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