Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Indy Eleven

2024 US Open Cup Round 3: Indy Eleven earns first USOC road win, 1-0 over Chicago Fire II

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Indy Eleven fans set up shop at SeatGeek Stadium before their club's' 2024 US Open Cup Third Round match against Chicago Fire FC II. Photo: David J Ziemba | @davidjziemba
Brickyard Battalion sets up shop at SeatGeek Stadium before their club’s 2024 US Open Cup Third Round match against Chicago Fire FC II. Photo: David J Ziemba | @davidjziemba

In a match that featured a significant gap in both average age and experience, the difference on the night proved far narrower as Indy Eleven defeated Chicago Fire FC II 1-0 on Wednesday night at SeatGeek Stadium in the Third Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

With just one league win each so far in 2024, a trip to the Round of 32 awaited as a potential boost for either team.

Fire II named just one senior player, 20-year-old Javier Casas, Jr., in the starting XI to which head coach Ludo Taillandier made two changes from the team’s 5-5 draw with New York Red Bulls II last weekend in MLS NEXT Pro play.

Indy Eleven’s lineup included former Fire forward Elliot Collier (54 appearances in four seasons) and current Fire loanee Laurence Wootton, as head coach Sean McAuley made seven changes after losing at home to the Charleston Battery last time out.

The young Fire II group showed good early energy, but they collapsed defensively in the fourth minute, as Indy’s Jack Blake slid an easy through ball behind the Fire backline for Douglas Martinez to run on to and smash past Patrick Los.

“We want to start well and strong in every game because that’s your moment of unbalancing the opponent and trying to get ahead in the game, not letting any team settle into a rhythm,” Eleven head coach Sean McAuley said.

“We wanted to start hard and fast, and I thought that’s what we did,” Collier added.

Fire II offered a few bright moments in their efforts to chase the game, most notably through the work of David Tchetchao down the right wing, but failed to produce any great opportunities. Martinez nearly doubled his tally in the 38th minute but blazed a shot over Los’ goal from 15 yards out. The USL Championship side took the one-goal lead into the break.

“I thought we were excellent in the first 20, 30 minutes of the first half and could have gone more than 1-0 up,” McAuley said.

Fire II made two halftime changes, with Sergio Oregel, Jr. swapping places with fellow first-teamer Casas, Jr., and Giovanni Granda replacing Tchetchao. While the young Fire continued to explore ways to create chances, control of the play remained steady with Indy.

Their control didn’t yield many chances, however, as Fire II came closer to equalizing than Indy did to grow their lead. The clock ultimately ran down on the game and on Fire II’s Open Cup adventure as the visitors advanced to the round where the seven Major League Soccer teams participating will enter the competition.

“I think the biggest thing for us is the clean sheet,” said Collier, as Indy Eleven has conceded 15 goals in just six USL-C games this season. “We’ve been scoring goals every game, and enough goals to win the game but we’ve been giving up too many goals.”

Added McAuley: “It was a bit touchy at the end but that’s adversity that we’ve gone through and kept a clean sheet. So, all in all, we’re in the next round.”

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: Farsi’s late winner sends Columbus Crew past Indy Eleven

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Mohamed Farsi of the Columbus Crew SC celebrates after scoring a goal against Indy Eleven in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Columbus Crew SC
Mohamed Farsi of the Columbus Crew SC celebrates after scoring a goal against Indy Eleven in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Columbus Crew SC

The Columbus Crew started their 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup campaign against a tough opponent in Indy Eleven. Columbus learned their draw for the third round, and were able to host the USL Championship side at Lower.com Field. With the Crew resting a majority of their starters, the home side was able to push for a 1-0 win, thanks to a late goal from Mo Farsi in the 83rd minute.

Columbus were on the front foot early, hammering their attack at the expense of the Indy Eleven defense.

Cucho Hernandez almost got the party started with a bicycle kick in the 10th minute from a Max Arfsten cross, but the Colombian’s attempt wasn’t enough to put pressure on the Indy Eleven netminder. 

It was Indy Eleven who also could’ve broke the deadlock when Harrison Robledo had a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, but sailed it just high over the crossbar. 

A chance in the 20th minute saw midfielder Isaiah Parente hit a loose ball inside the box on goal, but the shot was saved by goalkeeper Yannik Oettl, who would put on a show for the rest of the night.

Just 10 minutes later Darlington Nagbe had a shot on goal, but forced a diving save from Oettl. 

A 0-0 scoreline at the half would see Columbus struggle to find the back of the net, with Oettl being strong in goal keeping the opposition alive. 

The Crew had a good chance to grab a penalty in the 52nd minute, but the official saw no foul when Alex Matan was brought down inside the box.

Midfielder Yaw Yeboah had a shot on goal from close range, only to be denied by Oettl yet again. Still searching for the icebreaker goal, the Columbus Crew were not letting up on the pressure, giving Indy Eleven’s defense plenty to work for.

Columbus finally got on the board in the 83rd minute, when Mo Farsi and Steven Moreira played a give-and-go with one another and Farsi put the ball in the back of the net, to give Columbus the win and advance to the Round of 32. 

Columbus will travel to Virginia as they face Loudon United May 10, at 7:30pm EDT.

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Indy Eleven scores twice in OT to beat Michigan Stars FC

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Solomon Asante of Indy Eleven dribbles against the Michigan Stars in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Indy Eleven
Solomon Asante of Indy Eleven dribbles against the Michigan Stars in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Indy Eleven

As bad weather rolled through much of the midwest, and many were sheltering at home, soccer fans in central Indiana made the trip to Michael A. Carroll Stadium for Round 2 of the 2023 US Open Cup. With kickoff being pushed back to 8 p.m., fans knew they were in for a late night, and a late night it was, with the Indy Eleven claiming victory after 120 minutes of play, 3-1.

“These games are never easy,” said first-year Indy Eleven manager Mark Lowry. “You’ve just got to get through them and move on to the next round.”

While Indy held possession the majority of the game, it was Michigan’s Nebojsa Popovic that started the scoring with a penalty kick goal that came in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.

The Eleven didn’t get on the board until the 59th minute of play, when Harrison Robledo scored off the assist of Solomon Asante. Scoring would stay silent the rest of the 90 minutes, and when eight minutes of added time couldn’t find a winner, the match went into two 15-minute added periods.



Indy was quick to score in the first two minutes of extra time, with Sebastian Guenzatti scoring off a second assist from Asante. For Guenzatti, it was his third career US Open Cup goal. His first two came as a member of the New York Cosmos (NASL). Guenzatti scored one each in 2015 and 2016.

The final goal came in the 106th minute as Juan Tejada accepted a pass from Jonas Fjeldberg to get to the final score.

With the win, Indy scores their first US Open Cup Second Round win since 2019, while Michigan loses in the Second Round for the second year in a row. The Eleven will find out their Third Round opponent on Thursday, April 6 during the draw at 6:30 p.m. ET on Bleacher Report.

As soon as play began, it began to look like the game would be all Indy Eleven, as they held possession for the majority of the first 40 minutes of play, including three shots with a little help from two Stars yellow cards issued to Andres Chalbaud in the 35th minute and Kotaro Umeda in the 48th. The tide turned towards the end of the half, as possession increased for Michigan, seeing their first corner of the game in the 39th minute. The Stars capped the end of the first half with a 47th minute goal by Nebojsa Popovic on a penalty kick that was set up after Indy’s Mechack Jérôme foul in the penalty area.


The beginning of the second half had Indy make three substitutions, with Dambrot, Asante, and Quinn relieving Rebellón, Torres, and Blake respectively.

Much like the first half, possession was controlled by the Eleven, with Indy taking three shots within the first ten minutes. The Stars subbed out their first half goal scorer Popovic in the 52nd minute, opting for Hunter Olsen.

Shortly after the change in the 59th, Indy’s Harrison Robledo scored the equalizer off a Solomon Asante assist. Lowry would make his fourth substitution of the evening in the 64th minute, bringing in Adrián Diz Pe for Jérôme. Michigan would then make their second change of the night, making a change to their second line and exchanging Umeda for the fresh Nicolas Nikolla in the 70th minute.


Nine minutes later, Nikolla was the subject of the match once again, receiving a yellow card for a hard foul on Diz Pe. The final substitution of the game came in the 85th minute, with Indy switching Jonas Fjeldberg for Cam Lindley. Roughly eight minutes were added to the end of the 90 to try and break the stalemate, and action heated up, with three Indy shots and a Michigan shot all coming in the added time, but all shots were unsuccessful, and the game headed to extra time.

The scoring started early in added time, with Diz Pe finding the back of the net on Asante’s second assist of the night in the 92nd minute to give the Eleven the 2-1 lead. Possession continued to stay with Indy throughout the extra time, with small attacks from the Stars that fizzled out all too easily. Just as the first added extra time period was coming to a close, Indy decided to extend their lead, as Juan Tejada scored in the 106th minute off an assist from Jonas Fjeldberg. Possession the second extra time period seemed a bit more balanced, with the Michigan Stars seeming to be on the attack a bit more than the previous period. But much like the majority of the game, these attacks fizzled out and led to turnovers.

2022 US Open Cup Round 2, Day 1 Review: MLS Next Pro wins debut, one amateur side survives

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Toby Sims Pittsburgh Riverhounds Maryland Bobcats 2022 US Open Cup
Toby Sims of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds dribbles against the Maryland Bobcats in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger | Pittsburgh Riverhounds

The first MLS NEXT Pro team to enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup scored the league’s first win in the Second Round of the tournament, and USL League Two scored an upset over a nearby USL League One counterpart Tuesday night as 11 teams punched their tickets to the next round of the 107th edition of the US Open Cup. 

Round 2 continues Wednesday with 13 matches, with seven more to be decided Thursday. All of the games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ 

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

Several MLS clubs will join the competition in the Third Round, which will hold a draw Friday to determine the matchups. The draw is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET. 

Here’s a look at all 11 Second Round matches from Tuesday.

Click here for a preview of all the Round 2 games on Wednesday and Thursday

North Carolina Fusion U-23s (USL League Two) 4:2 Charlotte Independence (USL League One)
American Legion Memorial Stadium – Charlotte, NC
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The North Carolina Fusion U23 pulled off the first upset of the second round, knocking off their professional USL League One opponent Charlotte Independence 4-2 in Charlotte.

Charlotte opened the scoring after 14 minutes when Shalom Dutey found the end of a Ayrton Paez free kick just in front of goal near the post, beating Fusion goalkeeper Josh Perryman. Twenty-three minutes later, a shot by Faisal Almabaslat was blocked by Charlotte goalkeeper Keegan Meyer, but Luis Neto was right there to put away the rebound to draw the Fusion level 1-1. It took Charlotte just five minutes to regain the lead, as Ivan Luquetta took the ball to the touch line in the penalty area, then passed back to Paez for the goal.

The Fusion tied things up minutes into the second half when Joao Silva took a shot at the top of the box that deflected off a Charlotte defender. Charlotte was reduced to 10 men in the 76th minute when Tresor Mbuyu was sent off for an altercation with a Fusion player after a hard tackle. With just a few minutes remaining in regulation, Charlotte goalkeeper Meyer fumbled an easy shot by Alexandre Horveno, and Tom Marriott scored on a wide-open goal. The Fusion cemented the upset in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Colton Sessoms easily scored on a 3-on-1 breakaway, the youngster’s fourth goal of the night, to book a spot in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Maryland Bobcats (NISA) 0:2 Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Championship)
Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

On a rainy Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, the USL Championship Riverhounds entertained the visiting Maryland Bobcats of NISA. A pair of goals from Toby Sims on either side of halftime was all the Riverhounds needed to see off the Bobcats 2-0 and advance to the third round. Simms’ first goal came in the 38th minute from the center of the penalty area off a Luis Argudo assist. Almost 10 minutes into the second half, Simms tallied from the left side of the penalty area on a Mohamed Sesay assist. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

St. Louis CITY 2 (MLS NEXT Pro) 2:0 Indy Eleven (USL Championship)
Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium (IUPUI) – Indianapolis, IN
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

St. Louis City 2 notched the first-ever Open Cup win for a MLS NEXT Pro team with a 2-0 victory over Indy Eleven of the USL Championship.

St. Louis drew first blood when Joshua Yaro sent an attempted clearance back into the box, where Era Armstrong collected the ball and beat Indy goalkeeper Tim Trilk. The reserve club of the future St. Louis MLS club doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Armstrong passed to substitute Celio Martins, who then fed Wan Kuzain at the top of the box for the goal. From then on. Indy only managed a couple of chances on goal and the St. Louis reserves made their way to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Michigan Stars FC (NISA) 0:3 Detroit City FC (USL Championship)
Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, MI
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

In a battle of former NISA rivals, the USL Championship Detroit City FC smoked the Michigan Stars 3-0 in Detroit.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "Champions" shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “Champions” shirt, honoring the five clubs from the pre-Modern Era (1914-1994) to win four or more US Open Cup titles. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Just as the first half looked to end scoreless, Detroit stuck twice on corner kicks. In the 45th minute, Connor Ruiz put away a Maximilliano Rodriguez corner kick. In the second minute of stoppage time, Rodriguez served up another corner, and this time Matthew Lewis headed the ball home for a 2-0 lead. For the rest of stoppage time, the air was filled with smoke from jubilant City supporters.

 

After a pair of crosses Detroit extended their lead to 3-0 in the 63rd minute. After Michigan headed away an initial cross, Michael Bryant sent the ball back into the box, where Connor Ruiz headed the ball to the feet of Matthew Lewis for his second goal of the game. From that point, Detroit easily saw out the remaining time to book their first ever appearance in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

The Villages SC (USL League Two) 0:6 Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship)
Al Lang Stadium – St. Petersburg, FL
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Villages SC of USL League Two were no match for the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL Championship, with the hosts steamrolling to a 6-0 win. Lucky Mkosana quickly put the Rowdies ahead 2-0 with two goals early in the first half. Jordan Scarlett pushed the lead to 3-0 on a header from a Jake Areman free kick. In the 53rd minute Mkosana appeared to have completed his hat-trick, connecting on a cross from Jake Areman, however the goal was later credited to Kyle Greig.

The goals continued to flow in as Jake LaCava (63rd minute) and Laurence Wyke (73rd minute) finished the rout of their amateur opponents, and confirmed a spot in the third round for the Rowdies. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Des Moines Menace (USL League Two) 1:2 Union Omaha (USL League One)
Morrison Stadium (Creighton Univ.) – Omaha, NE
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The Menace opened the scoring in the 15th minute when a shot from Gabriel Rodriguez struck the crossbar and was swatted away by Omaha goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu. Corey Hertzog then slammed home the loose ball. Five minutes later, Union found the equalizer when John Scearce headed home a corner from Joseph Brito.

Union Omaha kept control most of the second half, and with nine minutes remaining, Omaha gained the lead on a Menace mistake when Alefu Bertini accidentally headed a lobbed pass from Conor Doyle past his own goaleeper. Omaha withstood a desperate Menace search for an equalizer to win their debut Open Cup match and advance to the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Tulsa Athletic (NPSL) 1:2 FC Tulsa (USL Championship)
ONEOK Field – Tulsa, OK
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The USL Championship’s FC Tulsa came out on top in the Tulsa derby, defeating the NPSL’s Tulsa Athletic, 2-1.

FC Tulsa wasted no time grabbing the lead, as Jorge Corrales sent a cross into the box that Brian Brown managed to put away while being pulled down by a Tulsa Athletics defender. FC Tulsa scored again in the 19th minute, this time on a Ronald Rodriguez header off a corner kick from Joaquin Rivas. Tulsa Athletic had a few promising free kicks in the rest of the half but the score remained 2-0 at the break.

Despite being outshot by a wide margin, Tulsa Athletic managed to cut the lead in half with thirteen minutes remaining. Halftime substitute Billy Nzojyibwami’s goal from the right side of the penalty area gave the amateurs a glimmer of hope. But FC Tulsa kept the visitors at bay in the final minutes to book their place in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

D’Feeters Kicks (USCS / The Roja League) 1:3 San Antonio FC (USL Championship)
Lynchburg City Stadium – Lynchburg, VA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

For 45 minutes, the amateur D’Feeters Kicks had hope of an upset over the professional San Antonio FC of the USL Championship. However, in four quick minutes that dream was interrupted.

San Antonio scored three goals in four minutes of the second half to separate themselves from their amateur guests en route to a 3-1 win. In the 53rd minute, Henrik Sakshaug scored from the top of the penalty area after a free kick pinballed between players from both teams. Just a minute later, a shot by Justin Dhillon deflected off a D’Feeters defender, allowing Connor Maloney to easily beat goalkeeper Anthony Rodriguez for San Antonio’s second goal. Three minutes later, Sakshaug struck again from the center of the penalty area, assisted by Shannon Gomez, and suddenly San Antonio were comfortably ahead 3-0.

D’Feeters regained a slight glimmer of hope when San Antonio goalkeeper Matt Cardone was unable to handle a long shot from the left side, allowing Sebastian Mendez to easily tap home the goal. With seven minutes remaining, D’Feeters were reduced to 10 men when Juan Ramirez was shown his walking papers after a hard foul. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

Las Vegas Legends FC (NPSL) 0:5 New Mexico United (USL Championship)
Univ. of New Mexico Soccer Complex – Albuquerque, NM
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Chuck Nolan Jr.

The NPSL’s Las Vegas Legends saw their luck run out in the second round as New Mexico United of the USL Championship rolled to an easy 5-0 victory.

The hosts set the tone in the seventh minute when Chris Wehan converted a penalty after Sergio Rivas was fouled by the Legends’ Hector Casillas. Jerome Kiesewetter scored the first of his two goals from close range in the 17th minute, and Randy Ovouka placed his shot in the bottom left corner of the goal five minutes from halftime for a 3-0 lead at the break.

Carl Sainte made it 4-0 from a shot outside the penalty area shortly after halftime. Eduardo Guzman was sent off in the 82nd minute, leaving Las Vegas with 10 men. New Mexico was awarded another penalty with four minutes remaining after another foul by Hector Casillas in the box. Kiesewetter stepped to take the penalty and New Mexico cruised to a berth in the third round. [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

El Paso Locomotive (USL Championship) 1:4 Central Valley Fuego (USL League One)
Lamonica Stadium (Clovis H.S.) – Clovis, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Villyan Bijev scored a brace, and USL League One side Central Valley Fuego stunned El Paso Locomotive of the USL Championships, 4-1 at Lamonica Stadium in Clovis, California.

Nathan Smith and Christian Chaney also scored for the Fuego, which needed less than five minutes to score and never looked back.

Bijev opened the scoring in just the fourth minute, chipping the goalkeeper from the left side of the box to put Central Valley up 1-0 mere moments into the game. The goals kept coming, too, through Smith’s golazo in the 15th minute and a second from Bijev in the 44th minute en route to a 3-0 halftime advantage. Chaney added a goal in the 62nd minute for the Fuego.

Eric Calvillo scored in the 90th minute for El Paso, which turned out to be the first Open Cup goal in Locomotive history for the 2019 debutants. El Paso was playing its second of three games in eight days after a four-match winless skid to open USL Championship play, and had traveled up the California coast following Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the San Diego Loyal in league play.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

LA Force FC (NISA) 2:5 Orange County SC (USL Championship)
Orange County Great Park (Championship Stadium) – Irvine, CA
BROADCAST: ESPN+

By Sean Walker

Former Real Salt Lake homegrown signing Milan Iloski had a goal and an assist as Orange County SC of the USL Championship rolled by the NISA’s LA Force, 5-2 at Championship Stadium in Irvine, California.

Daniel Pedersen, Sean Okoli, Mikko Kuningas and Kobi Henry each added a goal for Orange County, which converted five of its six shots on target into goals and out-shot the Force 22-15.

Samuel Goni scored a brace for LA Force FC, including a 37th-minute strike that pulled the Open Cup debutants within 3-1 at halftime. But Iloski dished a pinpoint backheel pass to Kuningas to restore Orange County’s three-goal lead, and Henry’s goal in the 69th minute helped seal the win for good.  [+] FULL MATCH REPORT

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: St. Louis City 2 wins debut at Indy Eleven

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Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium at IUPUI
Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium at IUPUI. Photo: St. Louis CITY 2

A visiting MLS Next Pro St. Louis CITY 2 team imposed itself with a goal in each half to knock hosts and USL Championship side Indy Eleven out of the US Open Cup with a 2-0 win in the Second Round of the US Open Cup.

If you appreciate our coverage of the US Open Cup for the last (nearly) two decades, and want to see it grow in the future, consider joining our Patreon team by clicking above.

St. Louis CITY 2 ceded 64% of possession to its second division opponents, but outpaced them on shots 7-6 and looked the more dangerous team for all but 15 minutes after the half.

The visiting side is the sole incarnation of the club that will enter a side in MLS next year, and has several players who are being warehoused in the third division in anticipation that they may play next year. Still, the Indy Eleven side had to compete with them this year and may have expected to dominate. That never happened.

Indy dominated possession from the start, but St Louis’ press paid off in the 17th minute. A botched clearance by the Eleven ended up falling to Josh Yaro in the midfield, who pinged a neat on-time cross out of the air to Ezra Armstrong on the left wing, just inside the 18. Armstrong settled the ball with his thigh and half-volleyed the ball with his left decisively past the Eleven’s backup keeper, Tim Trilk, to open the scoring.

St. Louis continued to press, and looked close to scoring during stretches before the half hour mark and again around the 37th minute when Armstrong combined twice with Vitor Dias on two occasions.

After the half, Indy came out forcefully for the first 15 minutes, and pushed its attack down the left side of the visiting defense. The Eleven managed three menacing crosses in the 51st, 55th, and 58th from that side, but each was intercepted just off the goal line by St. Louis keeper, Michael Creek.

St. Louis countered around the 70th minute, pushing the hosts back on their heels, and in the 72nd minute Armstrong pinged a ball from the left wing to substitute Célio Martins. He controlled the ball and slipped it to Wan Kuzain who snuck the ball inside the far post with a low shot for the second-half goal.

St. Louis now advances to the Third Round of the US Open Cup with a possible opportunity to face a MLS squad. The draw for Round 3 will be announced on Friday at Noon ET.

2019 US Open Cup Round 3: Super sub Kenardo Forbes saves Pittsburgh Riverhounds, earns rare date with MLS

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Kenardo Forbes of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebrates his 85th minute goal against Indy Eleven in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Riverhounds SC
Kenardo Forbes of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebrates his 85th minute goal against Indy Eleven in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Riverhounds SC

When playing in a one-and-done tournament like the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, all that matters for each club is to survive and advance to the next round.

Nobody knows that better than Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s veteran head coach, Bob Lilley and one of his most trusted players, Kenardo Forbes.

While Lilley’s Hounds struggled to create many scoring opportunities for much of its Third Round Open Cup match against USL Championship foe Indy Eleven, all they needed was one opportunistic moment to pull out a 1-0 win at Highmark Stadium on Wednesday night.

“I like that we dug in a little bit in the second half and at least got in the game,” said Lilley, who won his 18th career US Open Cup game as a coach, tying him for fourth among all coaches in the Modern Era. “In the first half, I don’t think we had a shot on goal. We had two long range efforts by Neco (Brett), but nothing in the box.”

With a scoreless match hanging in the balance, Lilley found salvation from a player that’s been the field general for his teams since 2015, when they were in Rochester together.

Lilley turned to Forbes as his first substitute in a match that was in danger going to extra time.

Four minutes after entering the match, the 31-year old Jamaican midfielder received a pass from Noah Franke, who broke toward the box from the right side, drawing a trio of Indy Eleven defenders, then found his veteran teammate in a wide open space to his left.

With plenty of room and space to work, Forbes drilled a shot into the lower left side of goal in the 85th minute to deliver some Open Cup magic that turned out to be the game-deciding strike.

“You know it was open, like 10 yards open, like 20 yards out, so I had to shoot it,” Forbes said, as he provided a simple explanation.

On the other side, Indy had its share of chances, and failed to capitalize.

At the center of many of its best chances, was Eleven forward Thomas Enevoldsen — who was denied twice by diving saves from Riverhounds keeper Kyle Morton, who earned the clean sheet for the Hounds, finishing the night with five saves.

The Hounds changed things up tactically, slightly from what they’ve doing for most of this year, opting to come out in a 5-3-2 formation intended to press Indy’s possession efforts.

In the first half, Indy had its way in this chess match, keeping the ball at a 63 percent rate, with the only two shots on target, the only three corners and attempting a hundred more passes than the Hounds.

Kenardo Forbes of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebrates his 85th minute goal against Indy Eleven in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Riverhounds SC
Kenardo Forbes of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebrates his 85th minute goal against Indy Eleven in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Riverhounds SC

The first dazzling save came in the 41st minute, when the Danish striker waiting just outside the center of the Pittsburgh 18-yard box. Enevoldsen would strike first time, unleashing a right footed effort that would have found the upper left 90 – if not for the outstretched paw of Morton.

“It’s just one of those things you gotta shuffle over make sure you kind of have your part of the hole covered right,” Morton said after the match.

Then in the 50th minute, Enevoldsen struck a shot from outside the box. The driven shot resulted another top-notch stop by Morton. Former Riverhound, Tyler Pasher nearly redirected the rebound into net.

To that point, the Hounds couldn’t muster a shot on frame.

Then, they started to bring a bit more energy and finally began to disrupt Indy’s ability to possess the ball out of the back, which they seemed to be doing with ease for most of the first 55 minutes.

Brett finally earned the Hounds’ first shot on target of the night in the 59th minute after taking advantage of an Indy give-away.

The striker sent a low blast at the cage, which was corralled by Indy’s goalkeeper Jordan Farr.
In the 71st minute, Thomas Vancaeyezeele sent in a cross to Anthony Velarde, who was sitting right in the center of the box. The first-year pro opted not to shoot, but then dumped it off to Sammy Kahsai.

Kahsai took a rip, then the ball stayed in the air, redirected by both Brett and Ryan James, who dropped a header into the waiting hands of Farr.

As the match entered the final ten minutes of regulation, both teams subbed on All-USL veterans. Indy brought on the USL’s all-time leading scorer Dane Kelly in the 73rd minute.

While it was Forbes who found the game-winner after coming on for Kahsai in the 81st minute, a 20-goal scorer in USL a season ago, Enevoldsen had yet another shot at redemption in the 88th minute after midfielder Kenney Walker played in a header that found the Danish forward wide open at the back post.

With a chance to slide the shot inside the near post, Enevoldsen instead tried to sneak it under Morton to the right side, and the ball dribbled wide of the post.

The Hounds held on, and earned an opportunity to take on an MLS club for the first time since 2015, even if it wasn’t exactly what Lilley drew up.

“Second half at least we made runs in behind them. We did press at times and we put some balls in good areas,” Lilley explained. “But we didn’t execute well.”

Forbes though, made the most of his chance in a rare opportunity to come on as a sub to help his team out when they weren’t playing its best.

“For the first time in a while, I got on the field when a couple of guys are tired, advantage for me, so I take advantage of it,” Forbes said. “It was good even though we made a couple errors in the back. It was just one of those games.”

For the second time in five years the Hounds have now advanced to the Open Cup’s 4th Round, as the last time the Hounds advanced this far, they beat the Tampa Bay Rowdies on a late regulation strike from Rob Vincent that proved to be the difference in 2015.

On Thursday morning, Pittsburgh will find out its next opponent (a Major League Soccer club that will enter the tournament at this stage, at a site and date, most likely June 11 or 12, to be determined).

While the two sides take different paths in this tournament, with Pittsburgh getting an additional shot at Open Cup glory, the clubs are just getting started with each other, as they’ll meet again in a USL Championship match on Saturday, and again later this season.

“The game is about scoring goals.” Indy Eleven Head Coach Martin Rennie. “Tonight we hardly gave up any chances and ended up with a defeat. In the first half we actually played really well.
We were in complete control of the game and passed the ball well and again had a couple of decent chances. “We have to take those, because, if you don’t, the game stays tight and there’s the chance that if you don’t take the next one, or the next one, or the next one then the other team might get one, and that’s what happened tonight.”

Lineups:

Riverhounds SC: Kyle Morton – Ryan James, Uchenna Uzo, Joe Greenspan, Tobi Adewole, Noah Franke – Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Sammy Kahsai (Kenardo Forbes 80’) , Anthony Velarde (Robbie Mertz 82’) – Neco Brett (Dani Rovira 87’), Steevan Dos Santos
Subs not used – Austin Pack, Mark Forrest, Kevin Kerr, Christian Volesky

Indy Eleven: Jordan Farr – Matthew Watson, Neveal Hackshaw, Karl Ouimette – Patrick Barrett, Macauley King, Kenneth Walker, Tyler Gibson – Tyler Pasher, Thomas Enevoldsen, Joshua Penn (Dane Kelly 72’)
Subs not used – Alioune Diakhate, Ayoze Garcia Perez, Emerson Nieto, Mitchell Osmond, Mario Perez

Scoring Summary:
PIT – Kenardo Forbes 85’ (Noah Franke)
Misconduct Summary:
PIT – Ryan James 43’ (caution)
PIT – Joe Greenspan 74’ (caution)

2019 US Open Cup Round 2: Indy Eleven only need 10 men to defeat Lansing Ignite, 1-0

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Players from Indy Eleven celebrate with Thomas Enevoldsen after he scored the go-ahead goal against Lansing Ignite in the Second Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Robbie Mehling | Soc Takes
Players from Indy Eleven celebrate with Thomas Enevoldsen after he scored the go-ahead goal against Lansing Ignite in the Second Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Robbie Mehling | Soc Takes

Having gone out in Round 2 during the last two seasons, Indy Eleven came into Wednesday’s matchup with a desire to improve upon a poor US Open Cup record. The squad finally broke through the slump as Thomas Enevoldsen’s lone goal in the second half propelled a 10-man Indy Eleven squad past USL League One side Lansing Ignite FC, 1-0 in front of a crowd of 853 at Butler University’s Sellick Bowl.

“It was an important goal that won the game, so I’m very pleased,” Enevoldsen said.

Indy set up in a 3-5-2 formation, while Lansing set up in a counter-attacking 5-3-2. Both teams created chances in the first five minutes, finding space down the wing.

The key moment in the first half came after an unfortunate collision between Indy Eleven goalkeeper Evan Newton and Ignite forward Elma Nfor. Initially awarded a yellow, Newton found himself receiving a red after referee Adam Behrens reversed his decision after a lengthy delay. Nfor, who scored both goals for Lansing in their Round 1 win over AFC Ann Arbor, had to be stretchered off the field and did not return.

Indy XI had to adjust tactically due to Lansing’s numerical advantage.

“Once we went a man down, it was more difficult for us to get forward,” Indy Eleven coach Martin Rennie said. “We kept quite well for short spells. We dropped one of our forwards into midfield and had three players playing in front of a back five.”

Both teams played a fairly even first half, but neither team was able to create clear-cut chances.

Indy XI finally broke the deadlock in the 57th minute. Midfielder Tyler Gibson’s cross-field ball was headed across the face of goal by defender Paddy Barrett. Enevoldsen rose highest to finish his only clear-cut opportunity of the game.

After scoring the goal, Indy largely ceded possession to Lansing and played on the counter. Lansing almost scored on a strike from Ricky Lopez-Espin, but the shot was parried away from Indy’s debutant goalkeeper, Jordan Farr.

Indy Eleven goalkeeper Evan Newton collides with Lansing Ignite forward Elma Nfor in the first half of a 2019 US Open Cup Second Round match. Newton was shown a red card and Nfor had to be stretchered off the field and did not return. Photo: Robbie Mehling | Soc Takes
Indy Eleven goalkeeper Evan Newton collides with Lansing Ignite forward Elma Nfor in the first half of a 2019 US Open Cup Second Round match. Newton was shown a red card and Nfor had to be stretchered off the field and did not return. Photo: Robbie Mehling | Soc Takes

Farr was ebullient after the game, remarking on the support the Brickyard Battalion gave him. Talking about the wild events leading up to Newton’s red card, Farr said, “when it happened , I started putting shin-guards and gloves on because you never know. And then, the fourth official came over to our coach and said it was going to be a red card, so it gave me plenty of time to prepare.”

Rennie was not surprise by Farr’s strong performance after his unexpected substitution.

“He proved what I already know, that he’s a very good goalkeeper, and he’s also very good with his feet, which meant that even with ten men, we had a chance to play possession,” Rennie said.

“I’ve played like that ever since I became a goalie,” Farr said, “I feel comfortable higher up the pitch, I feel like I can help the team by switching the play and cut out long balls.”

Oregon-born Farr also talked about his love for the US Open Cup.

“I think it’s a brilliant opportunity for every pro and semi-pro team to see where guys are at in terms of skill level,” he said.

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Brilla score late to stun Indy Eleven, add to Mississippi soccer history

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USOC IXI-MB FINALMississippi Brilla FC pulled off an upset in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Second Round by defeating the Indy Eleven 1-0 on Wednesday.

A crowd of around 900 witnessed what could arguably be the biggest win in Brilla’s history. Defender Koray Easterling scored the lone goal in the 81st minute when he side-footed an Oliver Brock free-kick into the back of the net.

With the win, Brilla become the first Mississippi team to ever reach the Third Round of the tournament.

The match was cagey for long periods, but the Indy Eleven had the larger share of the possession. The team looked calm and composed in their buildup. Towards the latter part of the first half, the USL side began to establish more possession in Brilla’s defensive half. However, the home team’s defense remained stout.

The halftime break seemed to give Brilla more life, and the team’s confidence level began to increase. Winger Bastien Oberli looked to be the team’s most dangerous player, as he fearlessly took on the Eleven’s defense.

It ended up being a set piece that finally unlocked the Eleven’s defense. Brock played a curling free kick towards the back-post, and Easterling was there to put it past goalkeeper Owain Williams.

The Eleven had brought on Jack McInerney and Zach Steinberger a few minutes before the goal, so they were both fairly fresh. Thus, they were able to apply pressure on the Brilla defense. However, the Mississippians defended solidly for the final minutes to clinch the victory.

The goal capped off a Man of the Match performance for Easterling, as he helped anchor the defense in addition to his moment of offensive inspiration.

Brilla goalkeepers Brendan Ledgeway and Jordan Bell combined for five saves in the shutout performance. Bell had the save of the match, as he made a spectacular fingertip save of a Justin Braun shot in the second half.

Braun was the Eleven’s most dangerous player, and he led the team with three shots. However, one of his best chances went begging as he missed the target on a first half header.

Brilla is now in uncharted waters, as the club has never made it past the Second Round of the US Open Cup. They will travel to play Nashville SC in the Music City on May 23.

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Michigan Bucks add NASL’s Indy Eleven to giant-killing resume

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Ultimate Soccer Arenas
The main entrance of the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich., the home of the PDL’s Michigan Bucks.

The Michigan Bucks skated by the NASL’s Indy Eleven, 1-0, in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup clash behind some stellar defense and a strike from University of Michigan star Francis Atuahene.

With the win, the Bucks earn the club’s 10th upset of a professional opponent, the most of any amateur team in the Modern Era (1995-present).

The second-round game started slowly, but it was broken open in the 11th when Atuahene seemed to have a clear path to the net after a gorgeous long ball. However, he ran into a stumbling Anthony Manning, and the ball bounced to Indy keeper Keith Cardona.

Former Michigan player David Goldsmith almost put his new team ahead in the 16th with a right-footed shot from the right wing, but it rattled off the post. The rebound was saved by Bucks keeper Drew Shepherd.

In the 22nd minute, Michigan’s Andre Landell flicked a cross into the box, but Indy’s Cardona got a hand on the ball to keep Grant Stoneman from heading it into the net

The Eleven almost took the lead behind a gorgeous curling ball from wing midfielder Justin Plumhoff, but his shot banged off the crossbar and back into play.

Michigan launched a counterattack, which ended with right back Jordan Snell feeding a gorgeous through ball to Atuahene, who calmly slotted a ball past Cardona to give the Bucks a 1-0 lead.

“The goal by Francis helped a lot.” Michigan coach Demir Muftari said with a smile. “It allowed us to keep with the flow of the game, and kind of press a little more.”

Indy Eleven pressed the rest of match with long shots. Current NASL leading scorer Justin Braun had a nice turn in the box, but his shot was turned away.

The Bucks were able to hold onto their slim lead, before celebrating before a crowd of at least 400 fans.

With the win, the Bucks improve to 15-11-2 (0-2 PKs) all-time in US Open Cup play, by far the most wins of any amateur team in the Modern Era. In fact, by defeating Indy Eleven, they improve their record against Division 2 pro teams to 4-1-0. They haven’t lost to a Division 2 team since a 3-2 extra time loss to the Rochester Raging Rhinos in 1997.

Another milestone that was set was the Bucks earning a fourth clean sheet against a pro team. Only one amateur team in the country have more shutouts against pro teams (Ocean City Nor’easters of the PDL have six).

The win sends the Bucks to Round 3 where they will host Saint Louis FC of the USL on May 31.

2016 US Open Cup Round 4: Chicago Fire need PKs to eliminate NASL spring champ Indy Eleven

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David Accam of the Chicago Fire celebrates his goal against Indy Eleven in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Chicago Fire
David Accam of the Chicago Fire celebrates his goal against Indy Eleven in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Chicago Fire

The Chicago Fire rallied late in extra time and narrowly edged Indy Eleven 4-3 in penalty kicks Wednesday at Toyota Park to advance to the Round of 16 in the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The NASL Spring Champions gave the Fire all they could handle, taking a 1-0 lead in the 105th minute and threatening to become only the third team in Open Cup history to eliminate the Fire in a game played in their home state.

Forward Justin Braun, who had accounted for Indy Eleven’s two best scoring chances on the night, put his team on the board when he received the ball at the top of the box and executed a textbook turn and shoot to beat a diving Matt Lampson to his left side.

Indy appeared on the verge of victory before Chicago Fire forward David Accam, who had been plagued by missed opportunities all evening, leveled the score in the 111th minute. The speedy Ghanaian took matters into his own hands with a run down the right side of the box. One shot fake sent two Indy defenders sliding out of position and a quick cut back inside was all the space he needed to finish his chance in the top corner.

The game entered penalty kicks where Indy Eleven once again took an early advantage courtesy of a Nicki Paterson goal and a miss by Fire forward Kennedy Igboananike. The teams both converted their second attempts but the Fire drew level after Nemanja Vukovic was denied by Lampson in the third round and Fire left back Brandon Vincent converted. The score was level at three when Accam struck once again to give Chicago the 4-3 victory in penalty kicks.

Leading up to extra time, it it was Chicago that missed opportunity after opportunity, keeping the window open for a dangerous Indy Eleven side to capitalize.

Paterson got the scoring chances started for Indy Eleven in the 14th minute with a lofted shot from about 20 yards out. Lampson, scrambling backwards, parried the ball up and away from the net.

Chicago started to turn up the heat in the 20th minute when midfielder Khaly Thiam just missed the far post. It was followed up two minutes later when Thiam found Accam on the break and Accam sent his point blank shot off the woodwork.

Thiam and Accam would continue to connect, with Thiam missing a header off an Accam free kick in the 29th minute and putting a shot on goal in the 38th and Accam forcing a save in the 39th.

But as the half closed down, Braun nearly opened the scoring with a shot from the left side of the box that barely missed the back post. He then found midfielder Dylan Mares on a break but it was broken up by Fire defender Jonathan Campbell.

Indy Eleven regained control in the second half as coach Tim Hankinson seemed to hit all the right buttons with his substitutions. After Braun forced another difficult save from Lampson, Hankinson brought in Souleymane Youla for Mares. The substitute forward had an immediate influence on the game, putting a shot off goal in the 71st minute but involved in threatening buildups throughout.

The Fire had some chances including from substitute Nick LaBrocca who missed an open net in the 84th minute, from midfielder Razvan Cocis who was robbed with a kick save by Indy Eleven goalkeeper Jon Busch and from Igboananike who missed a point-blank open net after Busch gave up a rebound in the six-yard box.

Unlike the Fire’s missed opportunities, Hankinson’s second substitute, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, made the most of his. The former Red Bull made a brilliant pass to Braun to assist on the goal in the 105th minute.

While it wasn’t the perfect performance, Fire coach Veljko Paunovic said it was a hard-fought win after a two-week layoff.

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