Asheville City SC pulled off a signature “cupset” in its short history, scoring twice late to defeat Greenville Triumph SC and advance in the US Open Cup at UNC Asheville.
After the teams traded first-half goals, Asheville broke through in the final minutes. Ashton Bilow gave the hosts the lead in the 82nd minute off a setup from Ben Assane Fall, and Fall added a stoppage-time goal to seal the result and send the home crowd into celebration.
The win marked Asheville City’s first victory over a professional opponent and its first in three appearances in the Cup. A year earlier, Asheville pushed Greenville to a penalty shootout before falling 4-3.
Greenville, a USL League One side, entered the match looking to rebound after an opening league loss under first-year coach Dave Dixon. Asheville, competing in USL League Two, leaned on continuity, with eight of the 11 in its lineup built from players familiar with one another at the collegiate level under third-year coach Scott Wells.
The match opened cautiously before Asheville struck in the 13th minute. Tresor Mbuyu advanced down the wing and squared a pass to captain Evan Southern, who finished calmly for the opening goal.
Greenville responded quickly. In the 18th minute, Devin Boyce converted a free kick from just outside the box, driving the ball over the wall and past the goalkeeper to level the match.
The physical tone increased as the match wore on, with both teams battling for control in midfield. Greenville struggled to generate consistent attacking chances in the second half, often opting for lateral movement rather than pushing forward.
Asheville capitalized late. In the 82nd minute, Fall caught Greenville off guard on a counterattack and delivered a ball to the back post, where Bilow finished to give Asheville the lead.
With the home crowd behind them through eight minutes of stoppage time, Asheville held firm. In the final moments, Fall, after briefly going to ground to stretch his hamstring, popped up and returned to the play very quickly and finished his chance to put the result beyond doubt.
