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Louisville City FC

2026 US Open Cup Round of 16: Houston Dynamo equalize late, oust Louisville City in OT

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Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring a goal against Louisville City in the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale - Bayou City Soccer
Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo celebrates after scoring a goal against Louisville City in the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale – Bayou City Soccer

Houston Dynamo FC erased a late deficit and surged through extra time to defeat Louisville City FC 2-1 on Wednesday night, rallying behind a dramatic equalizer from Erik Sviatchenko and a go-ahead strike by Ezequiel Ponce to advance to the US Open Cup Quarterfinals.

The best team in the USL Championship, Louisville City FC, made a weekday trip to face yet another Texas foe. After taking down the current Lamar Hunt US Open Cup runners-up, Austin FC, in the Round of 32, Louisville flew to Houston to take on the 2023 champions.

The first half started slow but the first shot of the night came from the visitors in purple. Tola Showunmi, who also scored against Austin FC to ultimately give Louisville City FC the victory in the previous round, had an attempt in the second minute as he was stepping into the box but the shot was not carrying a lot of strength but Houston goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer controlled the shot without any major issues. 

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The biggest chance of the first half for Houston came in the eighth minute when Amadou Dia fouled Duane Holmes inside of the box and referee Marcos de Oliveira pointed to the penalty spot without any hesitation. Jack McGlynn stepped up for the Dynamo but his shot went to the right of the Louisville City goalkeeper, Daniel Faundez. He got his hands on the ball to push it to the post where it rebounded out, keeping the game scoreless.

Manny Perez, the right back for Louisville, sent a ball across that didn’t find a recipient on the back post, but it left Maurer and Showunmi on the floor. This would have some repercussions for the home team, as Jonathan Bond would end up replacing Maurer at halftime due to concussion protocol. 

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The first opportunity of the second half came for the Dynamo in the 56th, when Lawrence Ennalil, who replaced McGlynn at halftime, took a ball down to the byline and put a cross into the heart of the box. Aliyu Ibrahim beat his defender to get to the ball first but was not able to get his shot on target. Not that long after, Louisville responded with a series of crosses into the box, but none of them found a man in purple. The visitors were getting close to the Dynamo box but were not able to find that last touch to get the ball in the back of the net. 

A double substitution was made by Louisville City head coach Simon Bird in the 66th minute, bringing in Jay Serrano and Chris Donovan. In the 68th, on Donovan’s first touch of the night, he put a beautiful ball across to the back post of Bond. The ball found Serrano all alone, who scored the first goal on just his second touch of the night, and raised the flags of another “cupset” alert in the state of Texas. 

Houston brought on some fire power to help get an equalizer and push the game to extra time as Hector Herrera, Felipe Andrade and Ponce all entered the match late on.

In the 85th minute, after Ennali lost the ball inside the box of Louisville, it led to a huge breakaway for Donovan. Unfortunately for Louisville, Donovan wasn’t able to overtake Houston midfielder Artur and had to settle for a corner kick which could have been the second goal for the visitors and put the last nail in the coffin.

Experience came through for the Dynamo with Herrera playing the orchestrator. The Mexican international put a beautiful cross to the back post right to the head of Sviatchenko, who was playing as a center forward. The Danish defender gave the Dynamo a new hope in the 89th minute of play with a header to the bottom right corner to make the score 1-1. 

“I was dangerous throughout the game, had a lot of close calls on the corner kicks and love to be part of potential goals, and when Juan — our assistant coach — told me that we didn’t have any more subs … I went as a striker and I knew it was my time to help the team,” Sviatchenko said.

Aliyu had a beautiful opportunity in the first minutes of extra time but his shot to the back post was blocked by Amadou Dia and deflected out for a corner kick. The Dynamo really seemed to make their home advantage felt by pushing all of Louisville into their box as they searched for the winning goal. Faundez was put to work again and again, first from a big shot from outside the box by Artur, which was headed into the upper 90, but the goalkeeper denied it.

Seconds later, Ponce once again tried Faundez from outside the box, but the Louisville City goalkeeper denied Houston once more. 

“He was amazing today,” Ennali said of Faundez. “I should have scored today but … good keeper there.”

Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo takes a shot during a Round of 16 match against Louisville City FC in the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale - Bayou City Soccer
Ezequiel Ponce of the Houston Dynamo takes a shot during a Round of 16 match against Louisville City FC in the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Aldo Canale – Bayou City Soccer

The 1-1 scoreline didn’t last for much longer. Herrera found Ponce right outside the box, and after controlling the ball and turning around to face goal, the Argentinian let out a left footer that went past Kyle Adams’ legs and Faundez’s arms to put the Dynamo on top, 2-1. 

Faundez continued to keep Louisville alive in the second half of extra time, stopping a one v one against Ennali late on. Louisville’s biggest chance to equalize the match and take it to penalties was denied by Agustin Resch, who came in for extra time, with a goal line saving header to deny the visitors.  “It’s a goal for us,” Agustin Resch said when asked about what goes through the head of a defender when they have a goal line save at the dying moments of the game.

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: Louisville City snap skid vs. MLS with upset of Austin FC

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Tola Showunmi of Louisville City FC dribbles the ball against Austin FC in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography
Tola Showunmi of Louisville City FC dribbles the ball against Austin FC in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography

For the second time in club history — and the first since 2018 — Louisville City defeated an MLS side to advance in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Though they play in different leagues, visiting Austin FC were no strangers as the two sides have met in each of the last three preseasons. Mentality was key to the 2-1 victory, with the Louisville side never considering themselves underdogs in the matchup against the upper division opponent. 

Louisville is on to the Round of 16 where they face the winner between MLS’ Houston Dynamo and fellow ULS-C squad, EL Paso Locomotive.

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“The expectation was we’re gonna win this game,” said Louisville City coach Simon Bird. “We want to win this game. We’re out here to win this game.”

Both sides looked eager to score early, starting the game off with a fast paced back and forth in the early minutes. The first big scoring opportunity for either side came in the 18th minute when Louisville City midfielder Evan Davila played through ball to forward Tola Showumni, leaving him one-on-one with Austin goalkeeper — and former Louisville City loanee — Damian Las. Las was aggressive off his line and was able to make a big save at the edge of his own box, keeping the game even at 0-0.

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Louisville continued to dominate the attack, forcing more big saves in the 21st and 25th minutes. The breakthrough goal came soon after, with veteran Louisville City defender Sean Totsch scoring off a well weighted Taylor Davila corner kick at the near post in the 26th minute. It’s fitting the opening goal would come from Totsch, the only remaining player from the team’s 2018 Open Cup victory against New England Revolution. 

“You could see what it meant to the locker room by the effort that was put out there,” Totsch said. “Anyone that watched the game tonight knew that we wanted it and we wanted it the whole time.”

Austin was quick to respond, nearly drawing even just minutes later when a redirected corner kick fell to the feet of midfielder Nicolas Dubersarsky inside the Louisville six-yard box. Louisville City keeper Hugo Fauroux was quick to attack the shot off his line with a kick save to preserve the lead for the home side.

With the pace of the first half, it was clear one goal was probably not going to be enough to secure victory. Louisville City was finally able to open up a bit of daylight and improved its lead to 2-0 in the 32nd minute off a leaping right foot finish at the near post from Showumni on a quick cross from outside back Manny Perez. 

Showumni troubled the Austin backline all evening, earning a Man of the Match honor and positioning himself at the top of the Golden Boot race for this year’s Cup.

The tone of the game was much different in the second half, with the home side sitting further back on defense looking to see out the 2-0 lead to a victory. 

“The second half was a grind,” Bird said. “That’s natural when you’re playing against a top team and you’re up by two goals, they’re going to throw caution to the wind and attack and we were a little on the back foot.”

Austin played with the confidence of a team who had been in this position before, recovering from a 2-0 deficit in last season’s Round of 32 against El Paso to win 3-2 on their way to last year’s Open Cup Final. 

Louisville City was able to weather the storm for much of the second half, but the breakthrough for Austin finally came off a set piece in the 70th minute. Joseph Rosales curled a free kick from just outside the top corner of the Louisville penalty box to the head of striker Calvin Fodrey, who subbed in just six minutes prior. Fodrey skipped a shot just past a diving Fauroux to keep the visiting side’s hopes alive with 20 minutes left in regulation. 

Set pieces have been a strength for an Austin side that has struggled at the start the year, currently sitting at 13th in the MLS Western Conference.

A reinvigorated Austin side continued to dominate the attack in the closing minutes of the game, but the Louisville defence was up to the task, seeing through the victory.

2026 US Open Cup Round 1: Louisville City’s Simon Bird era begins with win over Southern Indiana FC

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Players from Louisville City FC celebrate a goal in the 1st round of the US Open Cup 2026 PHOTO: Louisville City FC
Players from Louisville City FC celebrate a goal in the 1st round of the US Open Cup 2026 PHOTO: Louisville City FC

Louisville City FC interim head coach Simon Bird was able to claim his first win for the club against UPSL side Southern Indiana FC on Wednesday in the opening round of the 2026 US Open Cup. The game came just one day after the announced departure of longtime head coach Danny Cruz. As visitors from across the river, SIFC were able to keep the game within reach for most of the night due to some nervy defending inside their own box, but a first-half brace from Louisville forward Tola Showunmi was all that was needed to see the home side through to the next round with a 2-0 win.

“We talked about business as usual and going about our process,” Bird said when asked about preparing for the game after an unexpected last few days, “… The guys have been really good, from taking in information and responding.” 

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The home side was also dealing with a heavily rotated starting lineup, with eight changes from the past weekend’s match against Miami FC due to a combination of injury and rest to prepare for this weekend’s upcoming match against Rhode Island FC.

Despite the turmoil early in the week, the Louisville players were confident heading into the game. 

“These games are always going to be hard,” said captain, Kyle Adams. “We always expect to win, it’s kind of about how much (we win by).”

Southern Indiana FC were not content to let the home team walk away with an easy victory, though. The visitors were playing in their second consecutive Open Cup after another successful run through last year’s qualification rounds. The UPSL side struggled to maintain possession for most of the game, tallying just 30% total, but defended well in the final third, holding the home side to just five shots on target despite 21 total shots on the night.

Louisville’s defence proved too much for the visitors to handle though, with the first shot for Southern Indiana not coming until well into the second half. SIFC logged just four shots total on the night, none on target, earning LouCity keeper Hugo Fauroux a clean sheet in his first start for the team.

The strong defensive performance for Louisville meant that the pair of first-half goals from Showunmi (his first for the team after returning from a stint for English side Crawley Town) were all the team needed to secure victory on the night.

Players from Louisville City FC celebrate a goal in the 1st round of the US Open Cup 2026 PHOTO: Louisville City FC
Players from Louisville City FC celebrate a goal in the 1st round of the US Open Cup 2026 PHOTO: Louisville City FC

Despite the 2-0 victory, Bird sees a lot the team can work on moving forward. 

“We need a lot of work in the final third, that’s for sure. We knew that going into it,” he said. “The guys know it. We just need to be a bit sharper in that final action.”

Louisville advances past their opening round of the Cup for the 10th consecutive time, and will find out their next round opponent after Friday’s draw.

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Minnesota United’s youngest goalscorer hands Louisville City first loss

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Devin Padelford of Minnesota United (left) avoids a tackle from Louisville City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography
Devin Padelford of Minnesota United (left) avoids a tackle from Louisville City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography

Louisville City was unable to capitalize on a heavily rotated Minnesota United side in the first official meeting between the two teams currently near the top of their respective tables.  The Loons changed out their entire starting lineup from the past weekend’s match with Austin FC but were still able to secure a ticket to the Fifth Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 1-0 win. The lone goal came off a second half goal from 17-year-old striker Darius Randell in his first start for the senior team.

The young striker, who becomes the youngest player to suit up and the youngest to score a goal for Minnesota, was a consistent threat in what was otherwise a quiet night for Minnesota in attack.

“It was a fantastic result. They threw everything at us,” said Minnesota asisstant coach Cameron Knowles. “They’re a very good USL team, have been for a number of years. It’s a tough environment to come to, (it’s) a fantastic stadium. They’re a well-supported team.”

After not entering the tournament last year, the Loons extended their streak of winning their opening game. They have now won five straight opening round games dating back to 2019.

The game proved to be an interesting tactical matchup, as both teams have seen a great deal of success this season seeding the majority of possession to the opposing team.  Both teams looked keen to deny their opponent the opportunity for a counterattack early in the game, leading to a probing, conservative first half with no shots on target recorded for either side. 

Remarking on the first half, Louisville City coach (and former Minnesota United player) Danny Cruz said: “I didn’t think we set the tone here in our own stadium. I thought they did . . . They wanted to play slow. They wanted to slow the game down and we didn’t do a good job managing that, we played right into it.”

Louisville appeared to find the back of the net early in the game on a long direct ball from right back Aiden Mcfadden to wing Ray Serrano, who quickly chipped the ball past Minnesota keeper Wessel Speel. The goal was quickly ruled offside, drawing the ire of the characteristically rowdy 4,500 fans in attendance at Lynn Family Stadium.

With both teams conscious to avoid giving up a counter attack, the few scoring opportunities that did come in the rest of the half for both teams were mostly off of set pieces, with none for either team posing a serious threat to the opposing keeper.

The undefeated Louisville side made a halftime adjustment, substituting veteran midfielder Kevon Lambert for Evan Davila. The adjustment appeared to pay off early in the half, with City dominating possession and making multiple forays into the final third over the first 15 minutes.  The best scoring opportunity of the night for the home side came in the 57th minute of the match with a free header from Lambert off of a City corner kick. Minnesota’s Speel was able to make a quick kick save which fell to the feet of Louisville striker Phillip Goodrum, who was unable to make solid contact on the rebound shot attempt which was quickly smothered by Speel.

City would regret not capitalizing on their momentum in the 64th minute as a quick through ball from Minnesota midfielder Jeong Ho-Yeon to attacker Jeong Sang-Bin sliced open the typically stout Louisville backline. Sang-Bin then played a diagonal ball to Randell who tapped in a shot off a back post run to give the Loons the go ahead goal against the run of play.

On the momentum shift in the second half, Coach Cruz commented: “There’re fine margins in these games.  We do poorly on the goal and now you’re down and now you’re chasing.”

Louisville looked to respond quickly, subbing on outside back Jake Morris and wing Janson Wilson immediately after the goal.  In a scary moment for both teams, a 71st minute collision between the newly subbed Morris and Minnesota’s DJ Taylor left both players down on the field and tended to by the training staff resulting in a yellow card for Morris who left the game shortly thereafter with an apparent groin injury.

Minnesota was able to weather a late barrage of crosses into the box as City desperately tried to find an equalizer in the final minutes of the match, at one point subbing on rookie University of Louisville center back Josh Jones at striker in an effort to give the team more size up top.  The lone goal from Randell proved to be enough for Minnesota though, who advance to play fellow MLS side St. Louis CITY on the road in Round 5.

For Louisville, it was just the second home loss in 14 US Open Cup games (10-2-2, 2-0 PKs) and it snapped the club’s four-game home unbeaten streak. 

“For our guys, it really highlights how well they’ve been doing,” said Knowles, who played in seven career US Open Cup games for three different clubs. “A lot of those guys with the second team, and then coming in and stepping in, and some guys who have seen limited time with the first team to come in and put together a really complete result … and then for Darius to have that moment where he becomes the youngest appearance maker and goalscorer for the club in history is just a fantastic moment for us.”

 

2025 US Open Cup Round 3: Louisville City strikes early, holds off Loudoun United FC

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Louisville City players celebrate after scoring a goal against Loudoun United in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography
Louisville City players celebrate after scoring a goal against Loudoun United in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography

It was an all-USL Championship affair as Loudoun United made the trek from Virginia for the second time in a month to face the two-time USL champs, Louisville City FC. The trip proved to be unsuccessful as Louisville’s Adrian Perez and Sam Gleadle both scored in the first 30 minutes of the match to advance, 2-1, in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, KY on Tuesday night. 

LouCity coach Danny Cruz had mixed feelings about his squad’s performance. 

“I thought in the first half we were really strong,” Cruz said. “But I thought in the second half we kind of took our foot off the gas … ultimately this tournament is about advancing, and we did that.”

Despite a competitive start to the match, Loudoun dug themselves a hole with a defensive blunder in the 18th minute. The turnover in the final third resulted in Perez scoring and putting the home side up 1-0. 

Tommy McCabe’s hard-hit shot from the top of the box for Loudoun only a few minutes later aimed to even the score, but the quick reflexes of Louisville’s Damian Las deflected the on-target shot. Later, it was Louisville City that would find the net again. In the 28th minute, Amadou Dia sent a long pass threading the gaps in the Loudoun back line to Gleadle, whose near-post shot made it past the keeper. 

The visitors had one more close call in the first half in the 43rd minute, but the high-flying shot to the top right corner was just a few inches off target.

Loudoun may have been down entering the second half, but not out. Feeling the pressure of a knockout, they went on to record four of their five total shots on target. This offensive swing included a shot from outside the box narrowly missing the far post in the 46th minute and a great shot by Riley Bidois at the top of the box, forcing a diving one-handed save from Las. 

LouCity, looking to put the match away, found its best opportunity in the 82nd minute with a blazing fast break by Aiden McFadden who dished the ball over centrally to Gleadle. He failed to make the most of the advantage, though, by shooting it right at the keeper. 

As the match crept towards its conclusion, the visitors were thrown a lifeline. Long-time Louisville center-back, Sean Totsch mishandled the ball in front of the net, allowing Abdellatif Aboukoura to put away the point-blank shot in the 90th minute. However, it was too little too late as an equalizer was unable to be found by Loudoun with the match ending 2-1.

The win by Louisville City not only puts them into the Round of 32 in May, but also extends its unbeaten streak to six straight in 2025. The club also remains unblemished in its opening game in Cup ties, having never failed to advance from its opening round in the competition.

 

2024 US Open Cup Round 4: Seattle Sounders hold off upset-minded Louisville City with dramatic PK shootout win

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Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Andy Thomas celebrates during a PK shootout vs. Louisville City in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner - Sounders FC Communications
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Andy Thomas celebrates during a PK shootout vs. Louisville City in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner – Sounders FC Communications

The Seattle Sounders fielded a young but talented lineup against a tough Louisville City FC who played up a division but looked equal on the field. The night was a tale of two games, with 120 minutes of attacking action followed by the Andy Thomas show, Seattle’s goalkeeper who saved three penalties and scored the game winner himself, sending the Sounders into the Round of 16.

While the Sounders had a core of MLS veterans controlling the center of the pitch, Louisville City was able to work the channels and create an open, back and forth game. The match started fast, with Georgi Minoungou getting in behind for the Sounders in the first minute, and continued with both teams pressing the back lines all night.

Minoungou, who just made his debut for the Sounders last week, showed his skill and speed as a promising prospect on the wing. He was a focal point of the attack, with Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva noting after the game that they planned to go over the top of Louisville’s aggressive pivot and target Minoungou. He matched up on the same side as Wilson Harris of Louisville City who pushed back, connecting clever passes and dribbling through the Sounders lines in tight spaces.

Seattle native Paul Rothrock broke the game open in the 41st minute, scoring his third US Open Cup goal and first in all competitions this year. Minoungou had the assist, showing composure and picking out a difficult pass.

Coming out of halftime the Sounders midfield duo of Danny Leyva and Josh Atencio started to take over the game, linking possession and controlling the flow. After Sounders forward Danny Musovski earned a free kick 40 yards out in the 61st minute, Leyva hit an inch perfect ball that Musovski headed home to double their lead. Leyva was a clear leader on the field, playing a part in both goals and scoring a penalty, as well as directing the attack and moving guys into position throughout the night.

Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Andy Thomas makes a save during a PK shootout vs. Louisville City in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner - Sounders FC Communications
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Andy Thomas makes a save during a PK shootout vs. Louisville City in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Mike Fiechtner – Sounders FC Communications

Louisville City pushed back immediately after the second goal, throwing numbers forward. Minutes later a Sounders handball in the box earned them a penalty, and Defender Sean Totsch calmly chipped it past Sounders GK Andrew Thomas.

Both teams refused to sit back, and in the 86th minute Louisville City halftime sub Jorge Gonzalez pounded home a well-earned rebound to send the game into extra time.

Neither team was able to break through in extra time as tired legs showed through, and the game felt destined for penalties. It ultimately went eight rounds, and after saving three penalties Sounders netminder Thomas called his own number. “I wanted to finish it myself”, he said after the game, noting that he felt he should have saved even more shots and the game should have already been over. “We prepare for all eventualities, and I was prepared for this.” he said. Coach Schmetzer added praise saying “We wanted him to take that kick, we wanted him to. He kicks the ball really hard.”

The Sounders hope this win will spark another US Open Cup run. After winning the tournament four of their first six years in MLS, the team has had a disappointing run of early exits recently. Seattle entered the 109th edition of the tournament having been “one-and-done” in four of the last five years and haven’t reached the Quarterfinals since 2016. The four-time champs will host Phoenix Rising FC in the next round the week of May 21-22.

2024 US Open Cup Round 3: Louisville City extends opening round unbeaten streak, 3-1 over Greenville Triumph

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Wilson Harris of Louisville City FC celebrates after scoring a goal against Greenville Triumph in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Connor Cunningham - Louisville City FC
Wilson Harris of Louisville City FC celebrates after scoring a goal against Greenville Triumph in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Connor Cunningham – Louisville City FC

Powerhouses from the USL Championship and USL League One squared off in Louisville, KY for the Third Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Tuesday night. The home side, Louisville City FC, has amassed two league titles and boasts an impressive nine straight conference final appearances dating back to their start in 2015. The Greenville Triumph, meanwhile, find themselves on a comparable trajectory winning USL League One in their second season and making two more finals appearances since they joined the league in 2019.

Thoughts of a “cupset” in this cross-league heavyweight matchup were quelled by an early LouCity goal. However, added time goals from both the Triumph and Louisville kept things interesting until the end with the home side prevailing, 3-1.

With the win, Louisville advances to the Fourth Round. It marked the eighth tournament in a row that Louisville has advanced in their opening round game. In fact, their 7-0-1 (1-0 PK) record in opening round games also boasts an impressive total of 24 goals scored with just two against (with six clean sheets) They will learn their opponent in Round 4 when the draw takes place on Thursday.

Before many fans could even find their seats, LouCity’s Sean Totsch secured the early lead. His 2nd minute goal off a header to the near post from a corner kick by Niall McCabe, was Totsch’s his fifth career goal in the competition. It is the most career Open Cup goals in team history, breaking a tie with Cameron Lancaster.

The boys in purple kept Greenville on the back of their feet, venting their frustrations from the club’s first loss of the season in USL Championship play. Totsch nearly earned a brace in the 34th minute when a free kick was gifted to him at the far post, but the partial contact he made on the ball was not enough to get a shot on target.

The Triumph, who only had found a few forgettable shots, got their first real look at scoring in the 37th minute when Leo Castro got past the league’s reigning defender of the year, Arturo Ordonez, and fired a shot goal-bound that the keeper, Danny Faundez, deflected away.

Just minutes later, a bold Jansen Wilson shot from outside the box forced a deflection from Greenville’s Gunther Rankenburg. Louisville’s clinical finisher, Wilson Harris, was there for the rebounded shot, but an imperfect hit allowed Rankenburg a second chance at securing the ball.

It remained 1-0 at halftime, with the Triumph not yet out of the match.

The rising star, Wilson Harris, needed little time to extend Louisville’s lead in the second half. The developing Wilson-to-Wilson connection made this possible with Jansen Wilson providing the low cross that Harris easily tapped home inside the six-yard box. This was his third career US Open Cup goal with his two previous ones coming in the 2022 tournament.

The Triumph’s Rankenburg made two great blocks in the 68th minute from Adrien Perez and Wilson Harris to keep his team in the match. He was in action again just a few minutes later with an outstanding save of a header coming from a freekick.

A scary collision in the 75th minute was enough for the LouCity staff to sub out their keeper and bring on the rookie, Ryan Troutman, for his professional debut. Ten minutes later, the Triumph tested Troutman with two shots that he managed to stop with a third heading goal bound, but cleared off the line by Ordonez. This quick and thrilling sequence garnered the biggest eruption of cheers from the announced crowd of 4,373 in attendance at Lynn Family Stadium.

“I got a little emotional after the game,” said the Louisville native Troutman. “I’ve been coming to these games for a long time — 10 years now — and to make my debut, my whole family was here. It was really something special, and I’m glad I have the support from all the guys, all the fans, my family. It’s something really, really special. I’ll remember this the rest of my life.”

However, the match was not quite done producing exciting moments. Greenville’s Hayden Anderson put one into Louisville’s net on a counter sequence in the third minute of second half stoppage time, putting the League One side just a goal away from sending the match into extra time. The goal also denied City a chance for a sixth consecutive clean sheet in opening round games. The last time they allowed a goal in an opening round game was at home against Detroit City FC (when they were an NPSL team) in the Second Round of the 2016 tournament. That is a span of 555 minutes of shutout soccer.

However, it was not meant to be as Jorge Gonzalez squashed those dreams after a steal near midfield. Gonzalez received the ball near midfield and dribbled all the way into the box and finished to the near post after a deflection off a defender.

“This is a historic tournament,” said LouCity head coach Danny Cruz after his squad’s win. “It’s about making sure you’re doing everything you can to advance.”

This victory marked Louisville’s fifth win across all competitions with only one loss as Louisville eyes a return to playing for a trophy. Greenville can hold their heads high, as they kept the match competitive against a larger club. While their cup dreams will have to wait another year, their focus can revert to League One play where their 3-1-1 record has them sitting in first as they look to continue their growing tradition of success.

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.”

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Sean Totsch’s header gives Louisville City win over Lexington SC in Kentucky derby

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Sean Totsch of Louisville City celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Lexington SC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Humphrey
Sean Totsch of Louisville City celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Lexington SC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Humphrey

Louisville City managed to edge out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup newcomers Lexington Sporting Club on Wednesday night, sealing their spot in the Third Round of the competition.

Who else but prolific goal-scoring defender Sean Totsch was the player to finally break the stalemate between the two sides. A challenge in the 69th minute earned Lexington Sporting Club’s Terique Mohammed a yellow card and City a free kick. Totsch was able to connect off of a DelPiccolo free kick for a header that would find its way into the back of the net, sealing the fate of the game. 


“It was a relief,” said Totsch, who tied the Louisville City club record with four career US Open Cup goals. “We know what we’re capable of. Even with a 1-0 game, there are a lot of things to take away. All respect to Lexington. They put up a great fight.”

The path to that 1-0 result wasn’t an easy one. Severe storms passing through Louisville and tornado sirens blaring only an hour before the match, made it seem like a meeting between these two rivals would have to wait. After merely a 30 minute delay the match was able to get under way for a soggy night of soccer.

Once the match was underway a back and forth struggle ensued to find the first shot on goal, which did not come until almost the 25th minute. This was not for lack of trying as LouCity’s Mares and Serrano, along with LSC’s Balogun and Baynham, found themselves in dangerous positions a multitude of times throughout the first half. 

One of the biggest chances of the first half came in the 36th minute from a backwards header from Louisville’s Wilson Harris that was miraculously saved by LSC keeper Austin Causey. Very little would come from after this chance prior to the half, with Louisville ending the first 45 as the primary aggressors and LSC lacking a single shot on goal.


Not long after the second half began LSC’s Terique Mohammed delivered the team’s first shot on target from well outside the box in the 48th minute.

The remainder of the game would see several attempts on goal from the likes of Mushagalusa, Brown, and Mohammed, to name a few. LSC even sent all 11 players forward for a free kick in Louisville’s half for a shot that almost found its way home, but Totsch’s 69th minute goal would prove to be the deciding factor in the match.

When asked about if Louisville always had the winning goal in them, head coach Danny Cruz said, “I believed it (a goal) would come. I wanted the team to not concede in transition and make something happen on our side of the ball. I thought they responded well after the half. I’m proud of these guys.”

Lexington Sporting Club head coach Sam Stockley remains hopeful after the defeat stating, “We haven’t got time to dwell on it…You can’t buy culture. You’ve got to build it and grow into it. The players have been growing into it from day one. Never giving up is part of who they are and who we are.”

Both coaches commented on the positivity surrounding the growth and direction of soccer in Kentucky, citing each program as being an important step forward in growing the game and impacting their respective communities.

2022 US Open Cup Round 5: Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar scores late winner to end Louisville City’s home streak

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Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC (left) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in the 89th minute against Louisville City in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC
Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC (left) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal in the 89th minute against Louisville City in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Nashville SC

A rivalry was revived in the Round of 16 of the 2022 US Open Cup when MLS’ Nashville SC took the trip north for their first competitive match against Louisville City FC since their time in the USL Championship in 2019.

LouCity, who was coming off an uncharacteristic two-loss streak, found the back of the net first in the 37th minute. The excited Kentucky crowd was quickly silenced by an Ake Loba goal less than two minutes later. The home team had the edge, having greater possession and more shots, but as the likes of USMNT’s Walker Zimmerman and 2021 MLS MVP runner up Hany Mukhtar entered the match, Nashville’s quality began to prevail. Mukhtar scored the deciding goal in the 89th minute with an expertly placed shot to the far post to give Nashville a 2-1 win.

With the win, Nashville reaches the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup for the first time in club history, and become just the second Tennessee-based club in the 107-year old history of the tournament to reach the Round of Eight (1998 Nashville Metros, A-League, Div. 2 pro). They will travel to Florida to take on Orlando City SC in the next round (June 21-22).

Louisville aggressively started the match. Only nine minutes in, Corben Bone had a great opportunity in front of Nashville’s goal that he failed to make proper contact with to send it goal-bound.

Less than 20 minutes later, LouCity’s Enoch “Matiti” Mushagalusa took a dangerous shot at the near post that Kentucky native Elliot Panicco stopped. Their offensive pressure paid off in the 37th minute with an aerial cross from Amadou Dia that was headed past the keeper by Brian Ownby. The jubilation of the purple-clad fans didn’t last as a quick start from Nashville caught the two-time USL champs on the backfoot, ending with a goal from the designated player, Ake Loba.

The second half was a more even affair with a number of substitutions made to try to break the 1-1 deadlock. Notable substitutions include Louisville’s Wes Charpie in for an injured Josh Wynder in the 51st minute, Nashville’s Walker Zimmerman in for Jack Maher in the 69th minute, Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar in for Ake Loba in the 77th minute, and former Nashville striker Cameron Lancaster in for LouCity’s Wilson Harris in the 70th minute.

The Nashville changes overwhelmed Louisville and the second half statistics began to drift in the visitor’s favor. Mukhtar was the difference-maker. Tired legs gave him too much space, and he took advantage. In the 89th minute, he slotted it in the goal and helped his team to advance to the next round of the Open Cup.

“Obviously it was a difficult way to end the match,” said LouCity head coach Danny Cruz. “I told the players that a couple mistakes cost us. You give that level of opponent a half-chance, and they take it. They had four shots on the night. We had more possession. But ultimately, what matters is the result. I’m proud of the mentality on the night, but mistakes cost us.”

Goal scorer Brian Ownby echoed Coach Cruz’s thoughts: “We are disappointed. That game was for the taking for us. We gave up cheap goals, and they cost us.”

With that win, Nashville SC has advanced and will have an away matchup in Exploria Stadium against Orlando City SC after they triumphed over Inter Miami CF in penalties. In the meantime, Nashville will continue their MLS campaign on the road against the Colorado Rapids.

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