Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

FC Cincinnati

2023 US Open Cup Semifinals: Messi leads comeback, Inter Miami wins PK shootout with FC Cincinnati

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Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF lines up a free kick against FC Cincinnati in the 2023 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Daniel Roesch

Inter Miami spotted FC Cincinnati a two-goal lead before doing the improbable against Major League Soccer’s best team. The Herons scored three unanswered goals, then gave up an equalizer in extra time before earning a berth in the 2023 US Open Cup Final on penalty kicks.

Leonardo Campana netted a brace accounting for Lionel Messi’s two assists in his US Open Cup debut. Just days away from having won the Leagues Cup, Inter Miami’s 3-3 draw, and shootout win opens the door for Messi to lift a trophy in yet another championship match.

It was a game in which Inter Miami was completely outplayed and yet Messi refused to allow his team to lose. And he did it in front of a sold-out crowd of 25,213 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati. It was the ninth-largest crowd to witness a US Open Cup game in the 107-year history of the tournament.

Trailing 2-0, Messi on a set piece just outside the box to the left of FCC keeper Alec Kann delivered a perfect ball to the head of Campana in the 68th minute. With just seconds remaining second half stoppage time, Messi again delivered a ball to Campana who once again finished to tie the match.

Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino succinctly described Messi’s performance. “Today we needed him to be a conductor and not a finisher.”

Despite leading the possession battle 62%-38%, Inter Miami trailed at the half. Luciano Acosta in the 18th minute of play banged a ball off the post for the only marker of the night. It came after some sloppy backline play that led to a turnover in the defensive third. It was the Cincinnati captain’s first Open Cup goal, and the second of his career. His first came in 2018 as a member of D.C. United in a match that ended 1-1 with Orlando City SC. United would fall in penalty kicks that night.

Miami picked up the pace in the second half but it was Cincinnati that found the back of the net. On a quick counter in the 52nd minute, Brandon Vazquez found himself alone at the top of the 18 with a ball from Santiago Arias. A right footed laser inside the far post doubled the FCC lead.

Cincinnati had its moments to put the game away but was unable to do. In the 73rd minute, an open look by Yuya Kubo forced the Miami keeper Drake Callender into another tough save. Callender was also called upon in stoppage time to stop Santiago Arias’ close range shot following sloppy backline play once again by Miami.

Inter Miami took its first lead of the night on a Josef Martinez goal in the third minute of the first extra time. FCC equalized in the second extra time period as Kubo did not miss on his next opportunity against Callender in the 114th minute.

Tied after 120 minutes of play, the game went to penalty kicks where Messi and company prevailed 5-4 to advance to the US Open Cup Final on September 27. Messi converted Miami’s first of five successful attempts. FC Cincinnati’s Nick Hagglund had his PK saved by Callender in the fifth round, which allowed another Argentine to be the hero. 18-year-old Benjamin Cremaschi, a Miami native, scored the winning penalty to send Inter Miami to the championship game.

With the shootout win, Inter Miami becomes just the second Miami club, and the fourth Florida-based club, to reach the Open Cup Final in the history of the tournament.

2023 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: FC Cincinnati reaches 2nd Semifinal after pulling away from underdog Pittsburgh Riverhounds

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Photo: FC Cincinnati
Photo: FC Cincinnati

Boasting an impressive undefeated streak at TQL Stadium in all competitions this season, FC Cincinnati and the visiting Pittsburgh Riverhounds had some similar qualities in terms of being on hot streaks. Cincinnati entered the match atop MLS’ Eastern Conference while Pittsburgh currently are second in the USL-C’s Eastern Conference, winning their last four league matches and going undefeated in their last nine across all competitions.

But the MLS side used early goals in the second half to propel them into the US Open Cup Semifinals with a 3-1 victory to continue their record of not losing at home and advance in the competition.

Rather than bunker down and defend FCC’s attack like several lower division clubs often do, Pittsburgh opted to take a more proactive strategy and challenged the MLS side. In the 23rd minute, Pittsburgh’s Luke Biasi took a page from the cities’ NFL counterparts and essentially made a football tackle against a streaking Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, who had space for a run at the top of the Pittsburgh box.

Biasi only got a yellow for his effort with the gamble paying off in the moment as Acosta’s free kick sailed well over the Riverhound’s goal. This play followed through the half as both teams amassed four yellow cards and 14 fouls. The teams would hit halftime a bit bruised and scoreless.

After a handful of substitutions to begin the second half, Cincinnati took a much more commanding presence and would shortly break through to open the scoring. A beautiful, but controversial, passing sequence lead to Cincinnati scoring in the 56th minute with Brandon Vazquez putting the home side ahead. It was thought that Dominique Badji was offside but after conversations among officials, the goal would stand. The goal is Vazquez’s second of the 2023 Open Cup tourney and eighth all-time.

Alvaro Barreal added to the lead as he turned a corner from Acosta into a one-timer. The rocket from the top of the box launched into the left corner of the net to give FCC a 2-0 lead.
Despite many substitutions, Pittsburgh couldn’t generate enough momentum to pull themselves back into the match.

Extra time did see more scoring as Cincinnati’s Santiago Arias headed in a Barreal corner then shortly after, Pittsburgh’s Tola Showummi snuck in behind the FCC defense to get one back for the Riverhounds.

This will be FCC’s first trip back to the Open Cup Semifinals since 2017 when the club was still in the USL.

2023 US Open Cup Round of 16: FC Cincinnati flips script with PK win in rematch with New York Red Bulls

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Alvaro Barreal of FC Cincinnati celebrates with goalkeeper Alec Kann after beating the New York Red Bulls 5-3 in a PK shootout (after a 1-1 draw) in the Round of 16 of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati
Alvaro Barreal of FC Cincinnati celebrates with goalkeeper Alec Kann after beating the New York Red Bulls 5-3 in a PK shootout (after a 1-1 draw) in the Round of 16 of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati

The story of Tuesday’s Round of 16 match between the New York Red Bulls and FC Cincinnati was redemption. Six years removed from their historic Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run being ended by RBNY, the now first-division FC Cincinnati felt like it was following the same track. A late equalizing goal saw New York force extra time just like it had in the 2017 Semifinals. But on Tuesday, Cincinnati rewrote its story. The 1-1 tie held and a 5-3 penalty kick shootout saw the visitors advance to the Quarterfinals at Red Bull Arena.

“The game was certainly a test of character and all I can say is I’m beyond proud of this group to come out on top under the circumstances,” Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said in his postgame press conference. “On a night where you could tell the legs weren’t there and we were up against it. (We) just found a way. It was really impressive and the credit is solely with them.”

SEE: Forged in the Open Cup: Meet NYRB’s New Hope Troy Lesesne

This is the second straight knockout tournament Cincy has eliminated the Red Bulls from. In last year’s MLS Cup Playoffs the No. 4 seed was beaten, 2-1, by FC Cincinnati in Harrison. RBNY head coach Troy Lesesne, who’s only been in the role for about two weeks, was assistant coach during that playoff loss. He still thinks his team’s identity is growing.

“While some of the makeup of the team has changed from last year’s playoff match to tonight’s match I think the identity is becoming clearer and clearer about what we’re trying to do moving forward,” Lesesne said post match. “A team like FC Cincinnati has a very clear identity as well and I think that’s why they’re at the top of the table. So we just want to keep improving and I think we’re doing that and we have to say tonight was a success in a lot of ways – outside of the obvious of not progressing.”

Tuesday’s game started hot for multiple reasons. First, with the packed schedule and New York’s injury situation, the Open Cup was Dante Vanzeir’s first start since his return from suspension. Seeking his own redemption, following a incident in April where he used a racial term on the field, the Belgian got the game’s first shot. Playing around a Cincy defender, he struck a shot that flew wide right.

The other reason was match official Fotis Bazakos. In the 10th minute he showed RBNY defender Hassan Ndam yellow for taking down FCC’s Yuya Kubo. It was the first of 10 that he would hand out. In one moment in the 28th minute, a header found the ball at Red Bull forward Tom Barlow’s feet in FCC’s box. He was seemingly taken down from behind but no penalty kick was awarded. Cincinnati charged back with the ball ending with Marco Angulo getting checked hard by Sean Nealis, who got a card.

To be fair it’s on brand for Bazakos. The official dueled out eight yellow cards in last round’s Minnesota United FC vs Philadelphia Union match.

The first half continued with New York outshooting Cincinnati. In fact the visitors first shot didn’t come until the 40th minute when Santiago Arias put one over the crossbar. Two minutes later their second shot found the back of the net. With a run up the left side Luciano Acosta passed to Marco Angulo who quickly back footed the ball to Yuya Kubo. The forward moved between two RBNY defenders and shot to the left post. Ryan Meara got a diving hand on the ball but it trickled into the net to give FC Cincinnati the lead.

Following halftime, New York pushed hard to find the equalizer early. FC Cincinnati could not escape their own half of the field for close to 15 minutes. One moment in the 61st saw substitute forward Elias Manoel get played the ball in the goal area. However a mix of two things stopped a chance on goal; the chip up had too much power and Manoel not being ready for it. Instead Alec Kann jumped on the ball to stop the play.

Over time Cincy started to return to New York’s end and even threatened a few times. One Acosta shot in the 64th minute curved to hit off the right post, passed a diving Meara, before the offside flag nullified the attempt. However by this point the visitors looked content to slow the game down and try to escape with the win. That meant getting chippy with the home side and taking their time with free kicks.

That boiled over with John Tolkin and Ryan Meara both seeing yellow late in the game.

Still seeking his own redemption, Vanzeir was called upon to do his part. In the second minute of stoppage time (roughly five minutes remaining), Cristian Cásseres Jr. sent a long ball into the box. Captain Sean Nealis headed it towards the center where an FCC player tried to head it out. It fell to Vanzeir, who scissor kicked a shot to the left side of the net past a non-moving Alec Kann to tie the game.

Alec Kann of FC Cincinnati celebrates during the penalty kick shootout against the New York Red Bulls in the Round of 16 of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati
Alec Kann of FC Cincinnati celebrates during the penalty kick shootout against the New York Red Bulls in the Round of 16 of the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati

It was Vanzeir’s second late goal this year after scoring an 86th minute game winner against Columbus back in March.

Extra time came and went with neither team finding a go-ahead goal. That being said, the Red Bulls felt like the only team looking. New York continued to dominate play including multiple looks on net. A header attempt off a corner kick went wide in first half stoppage time. John Tolkin slammed a shot attempt in the 110th that went wide right and elected a reaction from Kann.

A chance in the 94th minute saw Luquinhas, who returned from injury as a sub in the second half, taken down in the box by Joey Akpunonu. Official Bazakos allowed play to proceed and VAR was not available to check. Match broadcasters commented that it looked as though Akpunonu made contact with the Brazilian prior to getting the ball.

Red Bull defender and Ric Flair impersonator John Tolkin was heard screaming at the fourth official, saying “What the fuck are we doing?” before his vocal bench was shown a yellow card a minute later.

After the game, Lesesne was asked a question about referee Bazakos. Included in the lead up were mentions of the missed penalties and the number of yellow cards, which included a point where six RBNY players on the field were on a caution. The coach responded by saying “I think you’ve just said it all my friend and I’m not gonna comment on that. Thank you for the question, though.”

The lone Cincinnati chance was a shot in the 108th minute, early in the second half. Luciano Acosta’s low shot from the left side forced Ryan Meara to make a diving save towards the far post. He grazed it with his fingers to force it out of play.

With an extra time sub remaining and time winding down, Coach Lesesne pulled his final card. Carlos Coronel, the Red Bulls normal starting goalkeeper, entered the match in second half stoppage time. Not replacing Meara … but defender Matt Nocita.

Red Bulls staff later noted team kit man Sean Ruiz pressed the unusual field player jersey for Coronel while the game was being played. It was done at the arena’s shop, which had to be unlocked by staff just for this.

“Carlos is actually quite good at taking penalties, so that was the thought process,” Lesesne explained. “He was going to be number six in the order and he wanted one. We want to let (Ryan Meara) play the 120 minutes. I think it’s a tactic that could have been used, to put Carlos in goal. But you know, Ryan is maybe a hand more to one of those penalties and he’s got us back in the game. So yeah, we wanted him to see that whole match out.”

Coronel never got his chance. Acosta made his first round attempt and the soccer gods proved redemption isn’t simply earned. After playing hero, in his second game post suspension, Vanzeir’s low shot was saved by Kann.

Cincy was perfect for four more rounds, including a heart stopping near save by Meara on Yerson Mosquera’s fourth round attempt.

“I’m not surprised that (Kann) was a big part of us winning the game,” Noonan said. “I think just his composure, positioning, shot stopping. He made plenty of good saves. There was a lot that either were missed off target or blocked, but when he needed to, he made plays for us.”

The match ended with RBNY outshooting Cincinnati 35 to 6. On target shots were 8 to 3.

Cincinnati will host the winner of Wednesday’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Columbus Crew SC match. That sets up either a match with USL Championship history or another edition of the “Hell is Real” rivalry.

Scoring Summary
42’ – FC Cincinnati – Yuya Kubo (Marco Angulo)
90+2’ – New York Red Bulls – Dante Vanzeir

Penalty Kick shootout:

CIN:
Luciano Acosta – Good
Junior Moreno – Good
Dominique Badji – Good
Yerson Mosquera – Good
Álvaro Barreal – Good

RBNY:
Dante Vanzeir – Saved
Elias Manoel – Good
Wikelman Carmona – Good
Cristian Cásseres Jr.- Good

Lineups

New York Red Bulls: Ryan Meara (GK), John Tolkin, Sean Nealis (C), Hassan Ndam, Dylan Nealis (O’Vonte Mullings 80′), Cristian Cásseres Jr., Peter Stroud (Luquinhas 80′), Dante Vanzeir, Dru Yearwood (Cory Burke 69′, Matthew Nocita 90+10′, Carlos Coronel 120+2′), Cameron Harper (Wikelman Carmona 58′), Tom Barlow (Elias Manoel 58′)

Manager: Troy Lesesne

FC Cincinnati: Alec Kann (GK), Santiago Arias (Álvaro Barreal 73′), Ian Murphy, Yerson Mosquera, Nick Hagglund (Joey Akpunonu 90+10′), Alvas Powell, Malik Pinto (Ray Gaddis 73′), Obinna Nwobodo, Marco Angulo (Junior Moreno 84′), Luciano Acosta (C), Yuya Kubo (Dominique Badji 64′)

Manager: Pat Noonan

Yellow Cards
Hassan Ndam, RBNY 10′
Cristian Cásseres Jr., RBNY 22′
Sean Nealis, RBNY 28′
Santiago Arias, FCC 69′
Dominique Badji, FCC 89′
John Tolkin, RBNY 89′
Ryan Meara, RBNY 89′
Álvaro Barreal, FCC 90+2′
New York Red Bulls bench, 95’
Wikelman Carmona, RBNY 99′

Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Ast. Referees: Ian McKay, Max Smith
Fourth Official: Ernie Constantine

Venue: Red Bull Arena – Harrison, New Jersey
Attendance: 4,131

Match Broadcast

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7kEiXXTieI

2023 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Cincinnati take first match ever from NYCFC to advance

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Alvaro Barreal of FC Cincinnati attempts to deliver a cross against New York City FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Guzy | FC Cincinnati
Alvaro Barreal of FC Cincinnati attempts to deliver a cross against New York City FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Joe Guzy | FC Cincinnati

It was a beautiful spring night for the FC Cincinnati home faithful as the hosts broke their New York City FC curse, earning their first win against the only MLS opponent they hadn’t beaten (0-6-2 all-time entering the night) by a final score of 1-0 at TQL Stadium.

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“Really strong performance,” said Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan, “Really pleased with the collective but a lot of individual performances from the guys. I thought they were ready to play against a very good New York City team that can make you chase the game. I thought there was a lot of things the guys did well and I’m pleased for a lot of reasons, but especially for some of the guys that don’t get to start week-in week-out.”

The hosts entered the match with an unblemished home record, 7-0-0 across all competitions, while the visiting Pigeons entered winless on the road, 0-4-2 this season. Cincinnati also had the advantage of the upcoming weekend off, with their next match Wednesday, May 17 vs. CF Montreal, while NYCFC has a big upcoming derby match this Saturday against the New York Red Bulls. As a result, Cincy fielded a stronger XI with less rotation.

Of note for Cincinnati, 2019 US Open Cup Champion (with Atlanta United) Brandon Vazquez made his 100th appearance for the club in all competitions, joining Nick Hagglund as the only players to do so for the club. Meanwhile, City had an unfortunate last-minute change to their starting XI as Alfredo Morales was injured in warm-ups and was replaced by Justin Haak.

The action got underway quickly, with Cincinnati and NYCFC trading opportunities within the first 15 minutes, with City’s best chance a deflected shot from near the penalty spot by Gabriel Segal that went out for a corner, while Cincinnati’s Yuya Kubo ripped a long distance effort off a recovered free kick that was parried just over the crossbar by Matt Freese in goal.

The action would continue as Cincinnati picked up two quick yellow cards – Obinna Nwobodo in the 12th minute, followed by Yerson Mosquera in the 21st. The latter set NYCFC up with a dangerous free kick, which was played to the left side of the box and headed just wide of the far post by Tony Alfaro.

Cincinnati was quick to respond with a chance of their own in the 25th minute, as a back post ball from the right wing got by everybody and forced Freese to parry a narrow-angle shot from inside the box. A significantly longer range effort was attempted in the 31st as Vazquez attempted to catch Freese off his line, but the NYCFC keeper was just able to recover and catch the on-frame attempt. Shortly after re-distributing, Cincinnati forced a turnover and found a free Vazquez in the box, who ripped a mid-range shot forcing Freese to tally another save in a busy first half.

The final 15 minutes would bring some calm as neither side generated a significant chance, leaving things scoreless entering the halftime break. Neither side would make a change and we’d begin the second half as we started on the field.

It was slower going in the opening segments of the second 45 minutes, with neither team able to find a critical break-through pass to generate a true chance. But that changed just before the hour mark, as Cincinnati forced a corner. Alvaro Barreal floated a ball into the crowd at the top of the six-yard box and Brandon Vazquez did what Cincinnati fans have grown so used to seeing, as he rose above the crowd to nod the ball past a frozen Freese to give the hosts the opening score of the evening in the 56th minute.

NYCFC would try to find an answer by subbing out their entire front three in the 61st minute, who had a lackluster night on the road not for the first time this season – with Segal, Talles Magno, and Jasson leaving the field for Santi Rodriguez, Gabriel Pereira, and Richie Ledezma. Cincinnati would counter and bring on some firepower of their own a few minutes later in the 67th, bringing on fan-favorite Luciano Acosta in place of Yuya Kubo.

NYCFC would get a chance to do just that with a corner in the 79th minute. A well-taken ball into the center of the box was found by the head of James Sands, but Alec Kann was on hand in the Cincinnati goal to parry the attempt away before the ball was cleared to safety. City would continue to pile on the pressure as their attack opened up, looking for an equalizer and forcing a yellow card out of Matt Miazga in the 81st. But City’s now-open attack would leave their defenders more frequently in one-on-ones, ultimately resulting in a yellow card for Tayvon Gray a minute later.

There was a scary moment in the 87th minute as the game wound down, with Justin Haak and Nwobodo colliding in midfield following up on a cleared header. Neither player saw the other and were down on the field for several moments as the training staff attended to them. Thankfully, both left the field under their own power and returned to the game – though not before Haak picked up a yellow for the trouble.

Ultimately, the six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half wouldn’t be enough to save NYCFC, who saw their road woes continue as Cincinnati’s home record remained perfect, with a final scoreline of 1-0 on the evening.

With the win, Cincinnati advance to the Round of 16 for the third time in team history – having previously reached the Semifinals in 2017 as a USL club, and the Round of 16 in 2019. NYCFC, meanwhile, fail to reach the Round of 16 for the fifth time in seven appearances – having previously made the Quarterfinals in 2019 and 2022.

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: FC Cincinnati scores late winner in revival of Dirty River Derby with Louisville City

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Alvaro Barreal of FC Cincinnati prepares to cross the ball against Louisville City in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati
Alvaro Barreal of FC Cincinnati prepares to cross the ball against Louisville City in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati

While FC Cincinnati’s roster has completely changed since the heyday of its USL Championship rivalry, Louisville City has retained a contingent of players well-versed in the intensity of this matchup.

TQL Stadium played host to its first Dirty River Derby during the Third Round of the 2023 US Open Cup as Louisville City made the trek north to take on its regional rivals for the first time since 2019. The visiting side maintained more possession and created more scoring opportunities. However, it was host Cincinnati that claimed victory with a late goal from Arquimides Ordonez in a 1-0 victory.

FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan was critical of his team’s outing, “Overall, I think it was sloppy for what we expect out of a lot of guys. But like I’ve said plenty of times before, the important part was that we advanced in the competition, they did a good job of winning the game in the 90 minutes.

“And certainly the guys that came on I thought did a good job.”

Only seven minutes into the match, Ordonez broke through LouCity’s backline unmarked and got around Louisville keeper Kyle Morton, but central defender Sean Totsch was there to block the shot. A few minutes later, veteran LouCity striker Cameron Lancaster fired off a goalbound shot that was blocked by FCC’s Alex Kann. Lancaster got the rebound and attempted a cheeky backheel shot that was a touch off the mark. It was Lancaster again at the 23-minute mark with a shot aimed at the near post that narrowly went wide.

The home team immediately responded with an opportunity of their own after Louisville defender Wes Charpie was stripped of the ball by Dominique Badji, who was denied a shot by LouCity’s Totsch. Lancaster participated in a similar sequence minutes later; won the ball pressing, but he went for a chipped shot that was off the mark. Both teams saw out the remainder of the first half without any more close calls. Louisville City slightly out-possessed and out-shot Cincinnati halfway through the match.

The back-and-forth affair continued into the second half. Both teams made changes around the 60-minute mark as Alvaro Barrela and Matt Miaga entered the match for Cincinnati and Wilson Harris and Josh Wynder came in for Louisville.

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LouCity’s Harris got his head to a set-piece ball lobbed into the box in the 67th minute, but there was not enough power behind it to avoid Cincy’s Kann securing the ball. LouCity’s Ray Serrano and Amadou Dia entered the match in the 71st minute. Those changes marked a change in shape for the visitors. Louisville changed from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2.

FCC’s Barreal got into the action with a shot of his own that was secured by Morton in the 77th minute. Only a few minutes later, Louisville made yet another change, bringing in midfielder Tyler Gibson. Following that move, Cincinnati responded by subbing in Brandon Vazquez. At the 85th minute, Ordonez broke the deadlock, burying a cross from Barreal, sending the home supporters in the Bailey into a frenzy. Cincinnati’s Yuya Kubo came into the match in the 90th minute to help see off the club’s Open Cup victory seeing them enter the Fourth Round of the competition.

“Really encouraging performance from the group,” said Louisville City head coach Danny Cruz despite the result. “We created a ton of chances — certainly missed chances that we need to finish. But I know for a fact that my guys left everything on the field.”

With that win, FC Cincinnati improved to 10-4-2 all-time in the USOC. Despite having not been part of previous Dirty River Derbys, Noonan appreciates its significance.

“It’s always good to win the rivalry games, the games that have a little bit more meaning with certain players that have been a part of it with the fan base, with the clubs,” he said. “That part’s nice, you always want to win those games, regardless of how you win them.”

2022 US Open Cup Round 4: Carles Gil’s historic hat trick helps New England Revolution cruise past FC Cincinnati

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Players from New England Revolution celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Cincinnati in the Fourth Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: New England Revolution
Players from New England Revolution celebrate after scoring a goal against FC Cincinnati in the Fourth Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: New England Revolution

The New England Revolution celebrated the 20th anniversary of the opening of Gillette Stadium in style, routing Cincinnati FC 5-1 in Round 4 of the US Open Cup that saw Carles Gil score the first hat trick in the history of the competition for his club.

Cincinnati opened the scoring in the 12th minute, when a leading pass through a gap in the central defenders from Haris Medunjanin found a streaking Alvaro Barreal, who coolly slotted it home for his third goal of the tournament.

While they seemed to have the momentum early, Cincinnati’s goal marked their only shot on goal of the first half. New England got off to a slow start — tallying only one shot in the first half-hour of the game — but luck began to change in the 33rd minute, when Arnor Traustason was taken down by Cinncinati defender Zico Bailey in the box for a penalty. Gil calmly flicked the penalty past the keeper a minute later to tie the game at 1-1.

Gil found the scorer’s sheet again three minutes later. In the 37th minute he connected with a pass from Tommy McNamara at the top of the box and put it past a diving Kenneth Vermeer.

“If we went into halftime 1-0, I think it would have been a very challenging second half,” Arena said. “It was important to get the first goal, and the second one allowed us to relax a little bit.”

The Revolution carried their momentum into the second half. In the 47th minute, Polish national Adam Buksa sent a cross from Brandon Bye off the crossbar and into the net to extend the Revolution lead to two. This was Buksa’s first career goal in the US Open Cup, but marked the sixth consecutive game in all competitions where Buksa scored.

In the 54th minute, Gil made Revolution history as he scored the first hat trick in the club’s Open Cup history. His bending shot from the top of the box found the top left corner, giving Brandon Bye his second assist of the night. GIl also became the first Spanish player to score a hat trick in the Modern Era of the competition. His three goals put him in a tie for second in goals scored in this year’s competition.

“I don’t think we had a good first 30 minutes, we were a little bit slow and we didn’t want to tackle. After the first goal, we started to play good and win tackles,” Gil said. “We now have four more games to win a trophy.

“We are focused on this competition and also in the MLS.”

Even with the score at 4-1, the Revolution continued to pour it on. Four minutes after Gil’s hat trick, Adam Buksa found the back of the net with a powerful, bending shot fired from five yards outside the top right of the box, with his momentum bringing him away from goal. Buksa was subbed off a few minutes later, preventing him from possibly obtaining the second hat trick of the night.

Vermeer struggled to perform in his first start for Cincinnati in 2022; he allowed five goals on seven shots on target. His New England counterpart, Djordje Petrovic, fared better in his first career start for the Revolution; he made two saves and allowed one goal. The 22-year-old Serbian national was signed from FK Čukarički in early April.

This was the first meeting between the Revolution and Cincinnati in the competition. New England has reached the final on three occasions, winning the Cup in 2007. Cincinnati’s best run in the tournament came in 2017 when they still played in the United Soccer League; they reached the semifinals that year.

The Revolution’s 5-1 win marked their largest margin of victory in US Open Cup play since 2013, when they defeated the Rochester Rhinos by the same scoreline. New England now moves on to the Round of 16, where they will be grouped geographically into a group of four.

 

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Alvaro Barreal’s OT brace leads FC Cincinnati past Riverhounds

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FC Cincinnati Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2022 US Open Cup Luciano Acosta
Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati dribbles against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati

Riding the momentum of a strong start to their USL Championship campaign and a convincing win in their Second Round U.S. Open Cup match due to a brace from Toby Sims, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds traveled to face FC Cincinnati hoping to upset an MLS team that’s still working to find success at the top level. However, it was Alvaro Barreal’s turn for a brace that ended up dispatching the Hounds as Cincinnati won 2-0 after 120 minutes of play.

“I needed it,” he said. “Luckily, I’ve been able to get back on the pitch and I was able to score two goals tonight. It’s been a while without a goal, a while without playing.
“I hope this is the beginning of a new season in the best way.”

This is FC Cincinnati’s ninth win through 14 Open Cup matches and its first USOC win in their current home, TQL Stadium.

With both teams fielding a number of players making either their first starts of the season or earning some of their first significant playing time of the year, neither team could generate much in the way of offensive rhythm early on. Towards the middle of the period, the Riverhounds aimed to control possession rather than to play defensive against their top-tier counterparts. Despite improved pace, neither side would score in the half.

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“I thought the first half, we were too often when we won the ball playing negative, and we weren’t able to advance with the ball with any kind of numbers advantage,” said FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan. “I thought we were a little too safe, and they’re organized, credit to Bob and their team, they do a very good job of staying organized and being tough to break down.”

As the second half kicked off, FC Cincinnati mounted their best offensive pressure thus far but Pittsburgh’s keeper Jahmali Waite, in only his second pro start, stepped up to hold off a flurry of challenges and keep his squad in the game. Cincinnati’s Allan Cruz found himself alone near the penalty spot but rang his shot off the right post. Minutes later, Waite handily made a save off a header from just outside the goal area to keep Cincinnati at bay.

As time drew on in the second and neared full time, Cincinnati upped the tempo, seemingly aiming to finish off the game before reaching extra time. Chaos ensued in front of the Riverhounds net with PRSC bunkering in to defend the attacks, eventually ending in a goal line clearance. The game reached 90 minutes still scoreless.

In extra time, Barrealstepped up. In the 95th minute, the midfielder made his way unchallenged through the left side of the box, forcing Waite to engage, resulting in a foul and penalty kick. Barreal easily put that away over the keeper’s left shoulder to give the MLS side the lead. He followed that up with another goal minutes later as a collision between opposing players left the ball to Barreal on that same left side of the box. A cross to the far-side put Cincinnati up 2-0 and on to the eventual win.

“It’s tournament play, you’ve got to find a way to win a game, and we were able to do that,” Noonan said. “Certainly you want to do it in a certain way, which I think as the game progressed, we found more ideas and more objectives that we were looking for, in how we went about winning the game.”

2019 US Open Cup Round of 16: Sam Fink’s stoppage time winner gives Saint Louis FC another MLS cupset

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Sam Fink of Saint Louis FC celebrates his goal against FC Cincinnati in a Round of 16 match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Saint Louis FC
Sam Fink of Saint Louis FC celebrates his goal against FC Cincinnati in a Round of 16 match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Saint Louis FC

In the previous round against the Chicago, Saint Louis FC triumphed albeit rode their luck somewhat against a second half Fire onslaught. However in tonight’s Round of 16 matchup at Worldwide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo., it was FC Cincinnati who were under the kosh for the majority of the game and Saint Louis FC thoroughly deserved their 1-0 win with a late Sam Fink header.

Just like the previous round, the winning goal came from a Lewis Hilton corner kick as once again the green and blue used set pieces to full effect as Przemyslaw Tyton was eventually beaten by the towering Fink header three minutes into second half stoppage time.

With the win, STLFC advances as they become the first St. Louis team to reach the Quarterfinals since Scott Gallagher in 1993. Now, after three straight home games in the competition, they will hit the road to take on the defending MLS Cup champion Atlanta United FC on July 10.

Saint Louis FC fans came out to support their team against FC Cincinnati in the Round of 16 match of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Will Bramlett
Saint Louis FC fans came out to support their team against FC Cincinnati in the Round of 16 match of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Will Bramlett

Despite a lackluster weekend showing in league play against Hartford, and with FC Cincinnati having had a week off since their last Open Cup win against Louisville City, it was all STLFC in the first 45 minutes. Tyton made saves from Oscar Umar and Paris Gee, who hit the post before being scooped to safety by Tyton. Another cross from Hilton after 31 minutes found Russell Cicerone at the back post who saw his header go narrowly wide.

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
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

After the initial burst from the home side, FC Cincinnati slowed the game down toward the end of the first half and began to put some pressure on the opposing goal, however it wasn’t until the 44th minute when Ulloa had a shot saved by Gomez that any shots gave the Saint Louis keeper any real trouble.

The second half was far more even keeled. FC Cincinnati saw more of the ball, but were limited to long range shots, midfielder Leonardo Bertone saw his strike from the outside of the box skip just past the wrong side of Gomez right post after 73 minutes.

Saint Louis FC however were simply not to be denied, a flurry of shots from Abend and Cicerone in the final five minutes were the perfect lead into the grande finale that saw another Hilton inswinging corner in the third minute of stoppage time evade everyone except the local hero and STLFC captain Sam Fink who rattled in his fourth goal of the season and send the crowd into raptures.

After the game, Coach Pulis was delighted for his players.

“I thought it was a deserved win, in the first half I counted six or seven really good opportunities,” said Pulis. “Although overall the guys were outstanding and they deserve it. Seeing the joy on their faces, and the fans. To see them get rewarded like this is really special.”

2019 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Cincinnati edge former league rival Louisville City

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FC Cincinnati players celebrate a goal in a Fourth Round match vs. Louisville City in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati
FC Cincinnati players celebrate a goal in a Fourth Round match vs. Louisville City in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati

One-time league rivals met in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time since FC Cincinnati made their jump to Major League Soccer. The USL Championship’s defending champs in Louisville City made the roughly 100 mile trek with around 200 supporters to Nippert Stadium to face a Cincinnati club struggling to make its mark at the top level. While the match did end up in added extra time, despite Louisville City’s best effort, FCC pulled out the 2-1 victory with a header by Kekuta Manneh in the 104th minute.

Coming into the match, the all-time series had four wins apiece and two draws. Their last meeting in the Open Cup was a 1-0 FCC victory in the 2017 tourney’s third round.

Cincinnati’s Fanendo Adi would open scoring in the 23rd minute. Frankie Amaya cleared the ball far into Louisville’s end, where defender Paco Craig bobbled it near the far left corner of the box. Adi streaked in behind Craig, who fell in the struggle for the ball, and put the shot right between the keeper’s leg and into the net. This was Adi’s first goal in 2019.

Louisville would strike back in the 30th minute after capitalizing off a bad attempt to clear the ball from traffic in front of the Cincinnati goal. The defender kicked the ball toward the left edge of the box where Magnus Rasmussen broke away to gain possession and made the pass to Lucky Mkosana in front who tapped it past the keeper Przemyslaw Tyton.

The second half saw the teams trade momentum. Louisville came out aggressive early, collapsing in on FCC’s end. Mkosana nearly had a second goal on a couple plays including a cross from Taylor Peay in the 55th that just went wide right. Cincinnati’s best chance in the half came in the 86’ minute. Under pressure, Alexis Souahy sent hurriedly sent the ball back to the keeper for a clearance, but the ball was too far out for Hubbard, sending him sliding to save it from going out and ending up in a Cincinnati corner. Frankie Amaya seized upon the rebound, but Hubbard was able to dive back the other way and deflected the ball enough that Paco Craig ran in and cleared it off the line. The teams would go into the Added Extra Time tied at 1.

In the 104th minute, Emmanuel Ledesma fought for a ball off a goal kick and outran his defender to gain possession near the right Louisville corner. Hesitating for a few seconds to draw defenders in, he then sent a cross wide where a streaking Manneh connected with a header for the eventual game winner.

FC Cincinnati advance to the Round of 16 where they will face another former league rival in Saint Louis FC of USL Championship on the road on June 19. The winner will play a road game in the Quarterfinals against the winner of Atlanta United and Columbus Crew in the Quarterfinals.

2018 US Open Cup Round 4: Minnesota United ruins FC Cincinnati’s encore performance

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Minnesota United eliminated FC Cincinnati in penalty kicks in the Fourth Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Brett Hansbauer/4th Floor Creative
Minnesota United eliminated FC Cincinnati in penalty kicks in the Fourth Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Brett Hansbauer/4th Floor Creative

After last year’s historic run to the quarterfinals and a roster built to compete again this year, FC Cincinnati’s run in the 2018 U.S. Open Cup came to an abrupt end in the fourth round, falling 3-1 via penalty shootout after a scoreless regulation to Minnesota United.

The first half was fairly even as the teams traded possession but lacked many quality scoring chances. The Loons backline was strong early in the match, stifling creative play in their end, particularly Brent Kallman, who locked the right side down. In the 24th minute, Emery Welshman, who scored a hat trick in FCC’s second-round win over Detroit City FC, was able to make a run down the sideline and sent a cross near the penalty spot, Jimmy McLaughlin made contact but sent a header wide to the right.

Cincinnati would then try to step the pressure up, with clever passing around Minnesota’s half. Russell Cicerone made a valiant attempt to dribble towards the goal from the right, but lost control of the ball on the turf.

The second half saw Cincinnati take hold early and it felt like momentum would carry the USL upstarts to a goal. Corben Bone’s cross in the 54th minute was put wide right of the net by Kenny Walker. Then Welshman tried to power his way past his defender but Minnesota’s Michael Boxall tied him up and Welshman sent his shot wide left of the net. Minnesota would then tighten up and tried to break through offensively.

Abu Danladi’s rocket in the 81st minute forced Cincinnati goalkeeper Spencer Richey to make the quick save. Any hope of ending this in regulation went by the wayside and time would end with the score still tied at 0-0.

Added extra time was more of the same, with both teams trading possession but not getting near the net. A few substitutions brought on fresh legs but neither side could generate much offense and the extra 30 minutes would wind down, sending this to penalty kicks to determine the winner.

PKs were where the Loons would take over. Christian Ramirez opened things with a rocket past Richey.

After Kenny Walker pinged the crossbar for Cincinnati, Collin Martin put the visitors up 2-0. Cincinnati again couldn’t answer as Sem De Wit’s shot was stopped only to be followed by Brent Kallman giving Minnesota another goal. Michael Lahoud finally connected for Cincinnati and a miss by Collen Warner gave FCC hope.

But MNUFC keeper Bobby Shuttlesworth sealed the victory, making a stop on Nazmi Albadawi.

This is the first time Minnesota United has reached the Round of 16 in their collective history. Now in their second year as an MLS club, they lost their opening fourth-round match last season to Sporting Kansas City. In their days as an NASL club, they earned their way to the fourth round twice previously in 2014 and 2016.

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