Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Inter Nashville

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Nashville SC wins the inaugural “El Nashico” with Inter Nashville FC

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Tucker Hume of Nashville SC scores one of his two goals against Inter Nashville FC in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC
Tucker Hume of Nashville SC scores one of his two goals against Inter Nashville FC in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC

Some local wag named this derby match “El Nashico”. It’s unclear if this nickname will survive – it’s actually unclear if Nashville will still have two teams after MLS comes to town – but for tonight it’s a rivalry. NPSL side Inter Nashville, coming off a 6-1 thrashing of defending PDL champion Charlotte Eagles last week in the First Round, faced off against USL side Nashville SC in their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup debut at Vanderbilt University’s Lacrosse/Soccer complex in front of 2070 fans.

Nashville SC boasted an honest-to-goodness supporters group, complete with pregame tailgate and drum-accompanied march to the stadium. Inter took a more no-frills approach, but were brimming with confidence after their first round romp. Inter’s Chuka Aruh earned Player of the Round honors from TheCup.us in his team’s first ever appearance in the tournament.

Inter came out applying high pressure and showing a willingness to attack, while Nashville SC were content to knock the ball around early on and look for openings in Inter’s defense. Eventually Inter began to lay back and absorb pressure from Nashville SC. In the 19th minute, NSC midfielder Robin Shroot found Tucker Hume with a long through ball that got past the Inter back line. Hume dribbled into the penalty area, pushed the ball to the right as goalkeeper John Coffman charged off his line, then slotted the ball home to put the USL team up 1-0.

The remainder of the first half was played fairly even, with Nashville SC continuing the attacking momentum while Inter played a dangerous counterattacking game. The half (the whole match, really) was full of hard tackles and not a few yellow cards from both sides, but no more goals as the first half ended 1-0.

Nashville SC fans cheer on their team against Inter Nashville FC in a Second Round match in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC
Nashville SC fans cheer on their team against Inter Nashville FC in a Second Round match in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC

The second half started much the same way as the first had, with Inter playing the high line and NSC playing possession soccer. Just as Inter started to fall back defensively and look to counter as they had done at the start of the game, Referee Leland Grant whistled play dead and cleared the field because of lightning in the area. In all the weather delay lasted about 30 minutes.

When play resumed, Inter tried to take advantage of the rest period and once again tried to press NSC and maintain the high line, but the game quickly fell back into NSC attacking and Inter trying to counter. Both sides had their chances, and the game was never comfortably in hand for NSC unti Shroot and Hume connected in the 89th minute, this time with Hume making a beautiful spin move in the box and roofing a shot past Coffman to put the game away at 2-0.

Nashville SC will host PDL side Mississippi Brilla (who upset the USL’s Indy Eleven 1-0 at home) on Wednesday May 23rd, again at the Vanderbilt University Lacrosse/Soccer Complex in Nashville. The winner will take on a team from Major League Soccer in Round 4.

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Chuka Aruh of Inter Nashville wins TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Chuka Aruh of Inter Nashville poses with a couple of fans. Photo: Inter Nashville
Chuka Aruh of Inter Nashville poses with a couple of fans. Photo: Inter Nashville

With a first half hat trick against Charlotte Eagles, Inter Nashville’s Chuka Aruh earned TheCup.us Player of the Round honors for the First Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Aruh scored in the 5th, 6th, and 35th minutes in a road game against the reigning PDL Champions. A Richie Reichenberger goal and a brace from Ivan Sakou rounded out a convincing 6-1 victory in front of 300 fans in Matthews, North Carolina.

The award is voted on by the staff at TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters.

Other players who received strong support were the other two players who scored hat tricks in the opening round: Cesar Castillo of FC Denver and David Ochoa of Miami United FC. Dilly Duka of FC Motown and Nate Steinwascher, the goalkeeper from Detroit City FC, also received support in what was a fairly spread out vote.

Asked when he knew he was going to have a big night, Aruh said, “Before the game, I was actually a bit anxious, but once the first goal went in, I was a lot more relaxed, the touches came easy, then after the second, I just wanted to get the ball.”

Inter Nashville celebrate their 6-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Inter Nashville
Inter Nashville celebrate their 6-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Inter Nashville

Aruh, a native of London, England, came to Nashville to train with Rich Askey at the now-defunct Nashville FC and also played at Cumberland University in Antioch, just outside Nashville. When Askey took over coaching duties for Inter Nashville one of the first calls he made was to the young Englishman. The rest is, literally, history. It was Inter’s first game in the US Open Cup, and Aruh has the club’s first ever hat trick in the competition and just the third player from an NPSL team to score a hat trick.

Aruh is also just the second England-born player to score three goals in a game in the Modern Era. (Dom Dwyer, Sporting Kansas City in 2014)

With the win, Inter moves on to play the USL’s Nashville SC in a “Nashville Derby”. It marks the first time that two Tennessee clubs have faced each other in the history of the tournament.

“I don’t have a personal relationship with any of the guys on Nashville SC, but it’s hardly just another game for me,” said Aruh. “I feel like Inter Nashville gets overlooked around here, and I want to go out there and prove to people that Nashville SC isn’t the only team in town.”

2018 US Open Cup Round 1: Aruh’s first half hat trick helps Inter Nashville stun PDL champion Charlotte Eagles

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Inter Nashville celebrate their 6-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Inter Nashville
Inter Nashville celebrate their 6-1 win over the Charlotte Eagles in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Inter Nashville

The first round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kicked off across the country Wednesday night, and two lower-division teams squared off in Matthews, North Carolina, in front of 310 fans.

It wasn’t pretty for the team from the Carolinas.

The 2017 PDL champion Charlotte Eagles hosted NPSL’s Inter Nashville FC, and from the opening whistle, Inter Nashville went straight to work. Nashville pressed every pass from the Eagles and pushed the ball up the field with a purpose, and the Eagles simply could not counter. Inter was playing in their first-ever US Open Cup game while the Eagles were playing in their 27th, but experience didn’t matter as Nashville dominated Charlotte from the opening whistle, winning 6-1 to advance to Round 2. With the win, they earn a date with the pro team in their city, Nashville SC of the USL.

Nashville put points on the board first by earning a direct kick in the fourth minute deep inside Eagles territory. NPSL 2017 Offensive Player of the Year Chuka Aruh sent his shot over the Eagles’ wall and into the back of the net to open the scoring.

Aruh, a 6-foot-3, 208-pound forward then went full-on beast mode, following his opening goal with another in the sixth minute, stealing the ball from an Eagles defender just outside the 18 yard box, driving to the right, and scoring a brace in less than six minutes.

 

That would be all that was needed to win, as the Eagles failed throughout the night on defense and lacked the ability to counter, possess the ball, or even manage to get a shot on goal in the first half.

In the 21st minute, Nashville scored an incredible goal. Coming off the corner kick, Ivan Sakou bicycle kicked his own deflected shot just inside the 18 yard box on the right side. Richard Reichenberger headed it in past Eagles and Wake Forest goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg, putting Inter Nashville up 3–0.

In the 35th minute, Aruh completed his first-half hat trick. The Eagles, having earned a free kick off an Inter Nashville yellow card, failed to capitalize, and Aruh broke out on the counter.

At 45’+, Sakou would find the back of the net himself with the first of his two goals for the night, sending Inter Nashville into half-time up 5–0 over the Eagles. The Eagles came out in the second half with a renewed sense of focus, and after a series of solid passes, a drive into the box was met with a poor foul by Nashville and a Charlotte penalty kick in the 56th minute. Eagle Todd Fidlerconverted the penalty kick and put the first and only point on the board for the Eagles.

However, the Eagles would not be able to carry any momentum forward after that. After coming on strong at the start of the second half, the Eagles once again fell flat, failing to pass the ball effectively and having multiple long passes intercepted or broken up by Nashville’s strong midfield.

In the 85th minute, Sakou put the sixth and final point on the board for Nashville, and after five additional minutes of stoppage time, that is how it would end. Inter Nashville defeated the Charlotte Eagles 6–1 at home, and they advance to the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.

Inter Nashville recorded the first U.S. Open Cup win for a Nashville team in 20 years and are now slated to play Nashville SC next Wednesday night in what at least one online commentator has labeled “El Nashico.”

The Charlotte Eagles will face the Myrtle Beach Mutiny this coming Saturday back at the Sportsplex in Matthews.

The Mutiny also lost their first round U.S. Open Cup match, 2–1 to the South Georgia Tormenta.

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