Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Louisville City FC

2018 US Open Cup Round 4: Brian Ownby’s wonderstrike gives Louisville City upset of New England Revolution

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Oscar Jimenez of Louisville City celebrates an equalizing goal against the New England Revolution in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography
Oscar Jimenez of Louisville City celebrates an equalizing goal against the New England Revolution in the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: EM Dash Photography

Louisville City FC notched another massive win in the club’s short history as it took down its first MLS team in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Louisville came back from a goal down on two occasions to knock off the New England Revolution, 3-2, in the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup Tuesday evening at Lynn Stadium, on the campus of the University of Louisville. Former Houston Dynamo winger Brian Ownby was a threat all night and he capped an impressive performance with an absolute laser into the upper 90 midway through the second half that helped give LouCity the win.

“You could see the juice out there,” Ownby said with a smile, referring to the high emotional energy on display for Louisville City. “We had everyone buzzing around. Everyone had each other’s backs regardless of a mistake here or there. We always believe in the process … and I think that’s showed today.”

In fact, had you shown up at Dr. Mark and Cindy Lynn Stadium and not known which team was in MLS, you could be mistaken for believing it was Louisville City, which took the game to New England for nearly 70 minutes before sitting back and defending its lead.

A raucous crowd at kickoff was silenced just five minutes into the match when Louisville City goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski misplayed a ball and Revolution winger Mark Segbers was able to tap the ball in for a quick 1-0 lead.

It didn’t take long for Louisville City to find its answer. Ownby, who sent the Revolution defense into fits all game, cut inside with the ball in the 11th minute and sent a chip towards the left side of the box. Wing back Oscar Jimenez arrived and slotted home just under the dive of Revolution goalkeeper Brad Knighton to tie the game.

Ownby finished the match with 12 duels, putting his body on the line, where he won seven of those against the Revolution. When he did have a chance to run against the defense, he wound up with three key passes, three crosses and three shots. “We broke a very important rule: When you go and play teams that are in lower divisions than you … you have to at least match their work rate,” Revolution head coach Brad Friedel said. “It’s a very simple thing. We spoke about it for the past two days.” “Fair play to Louisville,” Friedel added. “They deserved to win today. Absolutely. No issues with them advancing with the type of performance that we put out.” Once again, another Louisville City error gave the Revolution another lifeline. A long-ball into the box was shanked by Femi Hollinger-Janzen towards goal. But after Dobrowolski missed handling it, Louisville City defender Pat McMahon knocked the ball into the net. Following the goal, Louisville City pushed forward and were rewarded. George Davis IV found Tottenham product – and onetime teammate of Friedel with Spurs – Cameron Lancaster at the top of the box. The Englishman swerved and fired a low strike that may have taken a deflection before finding the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2 in the 37th minute.

After a chance for both teams to regroup at halftime, Louisville City once again came out the more aggressive team in the second half, and it finally paid off with Ownby. The 27-year-old star brushed off a challenge from Revs midfielder Scott Caldwell that left Caldwell on his back before charging up and unleashing a strike that had eyes for the upper 90. Knighton dove to save it but was only able to get fingertips on the singing strike.

Louisville City held off a handful of attacks from New England late, still managing to force turnovers with its press. Juan Agudelo and Kelyn Rowe each earned shoutouts from Friedel but neither were able to find the equalizer.

As the final whistle neared, fans in the packed crowd of 5,196 chanted “USL,” showing their support for the league which Louisville City lives.

“Incredible from the guys to have that mentality, not just to win but to win in that manner. It’s very, very pleasing,” Louisville City coach James O’Connor said.

2018 US Open Cup Round 3: Who should be the TheCup.us Player of the Round?

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thecup-us-social-logoNow that the Third Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is finished, it’s time to look back at some of the standout performances of the 12 matches.

From dominant displays to rocket shots to vital moments, there are plenty of great performances to choose from for TheCup.us Player of the Round.
The staff of TheCup.us and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters vote for the award, but if you had a vote, who would you choose?

Reyno Bustamante (Fresno FC, USL)
With Fresno FC locked in a tough extra-time period on the road against Sporting AZ FC (USASA), Bustamante worked some magic to score the game-winner in the 99th minute.

Austin da Luz (North Carolina FC, USL)
The veteran NCFC midfielder da Luz put on quite a performance, scoring the game-winning goal at home in a 4-1 victory against the Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL). He also assisted twice, on the game’s opening goal, as well as NCFC’s first insurance goal.

Allisson Faramillio (FC Golden State Force, PDL)
Going up against USL side Las Vegas Lights at home, Faramillio provided all of the offense Golden State needed. He scored the opener in the 75th minute, breaking a scoreless tie. After Vegas had tied the game a short time later, the Force earned a penalty kick in stoppage time, and Allisson was able to find the net to send his side home 2-1 winners.

Luiz Fernando (Richmond Kickers, USL)
With Richmond hosting fellow USL side Penn FC, Fernando started the game off on fire. He notched his first goal just 11 minutes in, and repeated the feat again in the 22nd minute. The Kickers would end up moving on to the Fourth Round, winning 3-2.

Christian Okeke (NTX Rayados, USASA)
After coughing up a 2-0 home lead within a span of five minutes against FC Wichita of the NPSL, the Rayados were on the ropes when they subbed in Okeke in the 82nd minute. Their faith in the forward was repaid just four minutes later, as he notched the game-winner in a 3-2 victory.

Jorge Rivera (Penn FC, USL)
Playing on the road against fellow USL team Richmond Kickers, Penn FC was on their heels after Luiz Fernando had a hot start (see above). However, Rivera helped dig the visitors out of the hole, getting them on the board at 36th minute, then tying the game with a half hour left. While his team would ultimately lose, Rivera’s effort was nothing short of heroic to prevent a possible blowout and rally his team.

Sean Totsch (Louisville City FC, USL)
King’s Cup rival Saint Louis FC (USL) came to town, in a match that largely came down to defense, and Totsch helped City’s backline limit chances and helped keeper Tim Dobrowolski keep a clean sheet. However, it was on the other end where Totsch was vital, running on the ball and launching an absolute screamer from five yards outside the box into the top left corner of the net, giving the home team a 1-0 win.

2018 US Open Cup Round 3: Sean Totsch’s ‘special moment’ boosts Louisville City FC past Saint Louis FC

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USOC STL-LOU FINALWith the prize a likely opportunity to challenge a Major League Soccer side next in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, it took a major-league type of strike to seal a Louisville City FC 1-0 victory over Saint Louis FC in a Third Round match Wednesday.

Defender Sean Totsch scored an unassisted screamer of a goal in the 58th minute to tilt an otherwise deadlocked game in the host club’s favor.

“I’ve had a couple good goals in college like that — mostly training goals,” Totsch said. “But it was my special moment. It’s really hard to describe. I just kind of took my space, closed my eyes and hoped for the best.”

He got the shot off as a trio of Saint Louis FC defenders parted at just the right moment. Visiting goalkeeper Tomas Gomez never had a chance at stopping the only goal scored at the University of Louisville’s Lynn Stadium.

Most of the 2,008 fans in attendance went into a frenzy. A few, of course, were wearing Saint Louis FC’s green and navy blue colors.

Both USL clubs entered the league in 2015, playing their inaugural match against one other. But multiple changes in Saint Louis FC’s conference affiliation have impeded the rivalry. This year, Saint Louis is back to the West and LouCity still in the East, meaning this is the only competitive meeting they’ll have barring a postseason meeting.

Totsch’s highlight goal made it a memorable one.

“Relief” is what went through LouCity’s Oscar Jimenez’s mind when he saw the goal. Coach James O’Connor echoed that, saying he was “very pleased.”

“I’ve seen Totsch hit those in training,” Jimenez said. “I saw him stepping up and stepping up. In my head I’m like, ‘Shoot it. Shoot it. Shoot it.’ He shot it — and such a great goal.”

Added O’Connor: “I think it was fantastic technique.”

LouCity moved on to the Cup’s Fourth Round for just the second time as a result. In 2015, the boys in purple took the Chicago Fire to extra time before falling 1-0 on the road.

After suffering consecutive defeats in league play, the club has now rattled off three straight wins across all competitions. O’Connor’s side by no means overwhelmed Saint Louis FC, but the squad seemed to get the better of chances, out-shooting the visitors, 10-7.

It took Gomez’s diving 36th-minute save off a Jimenez free kick to keep things level in the first half. Saint Louis FC offered little in response to Totsch’s goal, aside from a loose ball scrum in the box off a corner in stoppage time. LouCity keeper Tim Dobrowoslki corralled back possession to secure the win.

“We always know it’s going to be very organized,” O’Connor said of Saint Louis FC’s defense, “and it’s going to be difficult to break them down.”

He credited a second game in a week on a “bigger field” at Lynn Stadium — LouCity plays its regular-season home games in a Triple-A baseball stadium — for room to operate offensively.

Additionally, the matchup brought back a pair of former LouCity stalwarts in defender Sean Reynolds and midfielder Kadeem Dacres. Both started for Saint Louis FC in their first seasons with the club, and were welcomed by applause. There are good vibes between the clubs despite their past rivalry, with O’Connor a close friend, too, of Saint Louis coach Anthony Pulis, a former Orlando City SC teammate during their own playing days.

2018 US Open Cup Round 2: Louisville City crushes Long Island Rough Riders in this year’s amateur blowout

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Kyle Smith of Louisville City celebrates a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Mathew Ballard | Louisville City
Kyle Smith of Louisville City celebrates a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Mathew Ballard | Louisville City

Having watched film of his club’s Second Round opponent in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Louisville City FC forward Ilija Ilic saw in advance the type of play that led the Long Island Rough Riders to a Premier Development League conference final appearance a year ago.

“They have some movements that are next level,” Ilic said of the amateur side. But as the professionals in the PDL-USL matchup, Ilic added, “We were ready for it.”

It showed as Louisville City posted a dominant 5-0 victory Wednesday night at Lynn Stadium in Louisville, Ky. It was the second year in a row that City began the US Open Cup with a one-sided blowout of an amateur side. Last year, they traveled to Pittsburgh and embarrassed Tartan Devils Oak Avalon by the score of 9-0.

Ilic assisted Kyle Smith’s opening goal in the 25th minute before scoring one of his own own off a corner 12 minutes later. The game that was never in doubt from there with the Rough Riders unable to record a shot until the second half. In turn, Louisville goalkeeper Tim Dobrowolski had to make just one save all night.

“They’ve had some success there as well,” Louisville coach James O’Connor said of Long Island, which defeated the Kingston Stockade to advance to the Second Round and also opened their PDL season with a win.

“It’s easy to see why, because they play really well. They’ve got good movement. We caused them a lot of problems and didn’t really allow them to get a foothold in the game, which was important, because if you do, then they’ll capitalize. It was great to see that intensity tonight.”

Rounding out scoring, Oscar Jimenez crossed to Luke Spencer for a tap-in goal in the 67th minute; Brian Ownby juked a defender on the end line and rocketed a shot in the upper corner in the 81st; and Cameron Lancaster scored on a gem of a curling free kick in the 86th.

Luke Spencer and Oscar Jiminez of Louisville City celebrate a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Matthew Ballard
Luke Spencer and Oscar Jiminez of Louisville City celebrate a goal against the Long Island Rough Riders in the Second Round of the 2018 US Open Cup. Photo: Matthew Ballard

Lancaster shrugged, smiled, and ensured LouCity was on to the Open Cup’s Third Round against fellow USL side Saint Louis FC, a former rival now playing in the Western Conference.

“I thought the guys performed really well,” O’Connor said. “I thought there were some lovely passages — some really good finishes. We can be really pleased.”

The scoreline would have been more lopsided were it not for a standout effort by Long Island’s goalkeeper, Danny Vitiello, whose University of Albany last year won the America East Conference and knocked traditional powerhouse Maryland out of the NCAA tournament.

Vitiello prevented a brace for Smith by diving to his right, stopping a penalty try in the 50th minute. And in the 60th, City midfielder Magnus Rasmussen played a shot through a defender’s legs. Vitiello couldn’t have seen much of the ball — but he got a hand on it nonetheless.

Ultimately, Louisville out-shot the Rough Riders 18-3 in what was a bounce-back performance. The 2017 USL champions entered having lost consecutive league games for the first time in nearly two years.

“I think it’ll certainly help,” O’Connor said. “It’s great to see some of the guys go on and get goals.”

The victory came in the University of Louisville’s soccer-specific Lynn Stadium, which is about half the size of what the club is currently constructing. For now, LouCity plays regular-season home games in a Triple-A baseball stadium, but will open its own facility in 2020.

“The first thing I’d like to do is really thank everyone connected with U of L,” O’Connor said. “Genuinely, a heartfelt thanks for allowing us to come and play at such a wonderful facility.”

“It was great — I’ll tell you that,” Ilic said of playing to a home crowd in the more intimate environment. “It was really good.”

And they’ll do it again next week, with Louisville-Saint Louis FC also to be played at Lynn Stadium.

2017 US Open Cup Round 3: Fall scores another game winner as FC Cincinnati edges rival Louisville City

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Nippert Stadium
Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.

River Cities rivals clashed in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup on Wednesday night at Nippert Stadium, with FC Cincinnati claiming a 1-0 victory over Louisville City FC.

Djiby Fall netted a poacher’s goal in the 48th minute of play to give the match its lone tally of the evening. The forward did well to get on the end of a rebound after Harrison Delbridge’s header off a corner was parried away by Louisville goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh.

After weathering an early chance by Louisville in just the sixth minute of action from a long-range try by Oscar Jimenez, the hosts responded with several quality chances of their own. However, neither team was able to break the deadlock, and the clubs went into the locker rooms at the interval knotted up at 0-0.

The stalemate concluded quickly after the restart after Cincinnati earned a corner thanks to Fall’s efforts. Though Louisville ramped up the pressure desperately searching for a goal as the match marched on, they were unable to come away with anything for their efforts. In fact, they almost gave up a second goal when Danni Konig saw his headed effort just tipped over the crossbar by Ranjitsingh in the 78th minute.

Surviving that near-decisive shot, Louisville nearly had the tying goal in the 80th minute when Guy Abend made good contact on the volley. Unfortunately for Abend and the Louisville faithful, the shot went high. Cincinnati was able to see out the dying embers of the match to punch their ticket to the Fourth Round.

This marks the first time in club history that FC Cincinnati has moved on to the Fourth Round after bowing out, 1-0, to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Third Round last season. Cincinnati will host MLS-side Columbus Crew SC on June 14.

2017 US Open Cup Round 2: Louisville City leaves no doubt in 9-0 thrashing of Tartan Devils

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Louisville City logoThe Tartan Devils Oak Avalon have been a resilient amateur club — making an unprecedented run to reach the 2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup’s Second Round.

That run came to crashing halt on Wednesday night at Highmark Stadium, as the Pittsburgh-based team were outclassed by Louisville City FC, 9-0.

“People look at Open Cup, or FA Cup in England, and sometimes underestimate teams,” James O’Connor, Louisville City FC coach, said. “It was important that we showed them the respect that they deserved for getting to this point. And for our guys who needed to get important minutes, and show tremendous hunger to make a statement.”

Indeed, Louisville City may have bungled a few possessions early on when the Tartan Devils stayed back in an organized defensive shape, but by the eighth minute, they broke through for a goal that would set the tone for the rest of the game.

Ilija Ilic’s hard shot ricocheted off the post, at Tartan Devils keeper Zach Varga and in the back of the net.

“When you play a game like this, a little bit of unluckiness is not going to help you at all,” Varga said. “But they kept coming at us, and made it very difficult on us.”

From there, the visitors controlled a game which was mostly played in the LouCity attacking third. The underdog Devils, who knocked off the Derby City Rovers a week ago in a match that extended to penalties, really had a hard time trying to play the ball out of the defensive third.

Tartan Devils Oak Avalon conceded again in the 16th minute when Sean Totsch delivered a lengthy cross to Mark-Anthony Kaye, who out-jumped a Devils defender in good position to head in a goal.
Ballard scored his first professional goal in the 22nd and Ilic was later credited with his own in the 41st, sending LouCity into the locker room ahead 4-0 at halftime.

“That really wasn’t our best effort tonight. The moment was pretty big for our guys, but give all the credit to Louisville, they are a really great team,” Andy Kalas, Tartan Devils player/coach, said. “We didn’t know what to expect. They got up 1-0 early, then another, then another. It was tough to bounce back.”

With both teams using all three subs at halftime, LouCity were determined to keep filling the goal at Highmark Stadium, where they have a league match against USL foe Pittsburgh Riverhounds in a few days.

“That’s the biggest thing for us – guys that hadn’t got minutes – got them. And we performed professionally,” O’Connor added. “Now we’ve got a big game to prepare for here in a few days, so we’ll need to get some rest and train and hopefully get another win here in Pittsburgh.”

A hungry Louisville City FC squad, coming off its first league loss at Tampa Bay last week, would tack on five more second half goals, and could have reached double-digits if it weren’t for the efforts of Tartan Devils’ goalkeeper Varga, who faced more than 20 shots on goal.

“Last week, we beat a team (Derby City Rovers) that was technically sound, but they were younger, and small, and we were able to frustrate them,” Kalas added. “But playing a team on this level. They are so technically gifted, they have speed, size and quality — and they don’t let up.”

Varga, a former Duquesne University standout, played for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in 2008-09, making 17 appearances, said that despite the loss, it was a special night for the Pittsburgh soccer community and for a club that only came together just three years earlier at Pipers Pub on Pittsburgh’s South Side.

“I really haven’t played in this kind of environment, and having a great group of fans here supporting us like this in a long time,” Varga said. “We started out as a small, little club, and look at where we’ve come. As heartbreaking as result may have been, we’re all happy to have had this opportunity and there’s a lot of smiles on a lot of people’s faces. We have a great group of guys and maybe this can be the beginning of more great things.

The final tally marked the most goals scored by Lou City in a single game, eclipsing the six racked up on Oklahoma City Energy FC in a June 27, 2015 game at Louisville Slugger Field. In fact, entering Wednesday’s contact, Louisville City had only scored a total of five goals in all five of their previous US Open Cup matches.

As a result, LouCity advanced to a Third Round matchup against FC Cincinnati, a 1-0 overtime winner Wednesday against AFC Cleveland, to be played May 31 at Nippert Stadium.

2016 US Open Cup Round 3: Indy Eleven rally to avenge last year’s loss to Louisville City

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Indy_Eleven_Logo.svgOn a beautiful night under the lights at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, the Indy Eleven got their US Open Cup revenge on Louisville City with a come-from-behind win on Wednesday night. The Eleven will now advance to play the Chicago Fire of MLS in the next round.

Louisville took control early as Chandler Hoffman scored in the 21st minute from a George Davis IV through ball at the top of the 18. The Eleven did not get on the scoresheet until the 58th minute when a poor clearance by LCFC goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh allowed Omar Gordan to collect the ball and fire a low shot into the back of the net. The Eleven sealed the win in the 68th minute as substitute Éamon Zayed was able to redirect Duke Lacroix’s cross into the back of the net on a counter attack.

This was only the second loss of the season for Louisville City. They should take reassurance in the fact they were on the brink of eliminating a team from a higher league and that they dominated the game for long stretches. Louisville City controlled possession in the first half and in front of goal through their traditional 4-2-3-1 formation. By having three central midfielders Louisville was able to play numbers up and force the Eleven to chase the game early. Indy adjusted their formation to a 4-2-3-1 in the second half, eliminating the mismatches Louisville exposed in the first 45 minutes. This did not stop LCFC from creating chances to score and perhaps their best opportunity came in the 67th minute when Hoffman fired a free kick past Keith Cardona but was denied by the crossbar.

It is also encouraging for Louisville that they played well with their captain and defensive midfielder, Aodham Quinn, on the bench. Guy Abend and Paolo DelPiccolo were able to frustrate the Eleven when they tried to play the ball through the middle. On the offensive side, Abend and DelPiccolo distributed and cleared the ball, helping Louisville generate counter attacks going forward.

Dealing with multiple injuries and even one player with an Open Cup suspension, the Eleven entered this match with an extensively altered lineup. In the early stages of the bout this was most evident on the defensive side of the ball where it took players time to settle in and establish confidence in one another. After poor communication resulted in Louisville’s opening tally, Nemanja Vukovich, who was at center back instead of his usual role on the left, did well as captain to settle the back line and stop the bleeding.

Victory for Indy Eleven would be achieved through a remarkable display of coaching from Tim Hankinson. The veteran manager began the game relying heavily on second-stringers in the usual 4-4-2, began to shake things up as early as the 41st minute when he brought on regular starter, Justin Braun. In the second half he revealed more of his plan, putting in front man Eamon Zayed and moving Omar Gordon back into his accustomed position on the wing. Proving that he can play just about anywhere, Vukovich switched with Daniel Keller and moved into the midfield in the 56th where he dominated possession and helped the wingers create chances.

Having shifted formation, individuals, and played “gotcha” with Louisville through his lineup, Hankinson finally opened his hand to reveal a late, blistering attack which overwhelmed Louisville City for the win. Indy Eleven now remain the only undefeated pro club in the United States.

Indy Eleven’s next US Open Cup tie will be with the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on June 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

2016 US Open Cup Round 2: Louisville City claws out 3-1 PK victory over Detroit City FC

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Louisville City vs. Detroit City in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Alena Shuckmann | Louisville City
Louisville City vs. Detroit City in the 2016 US Open Cup. Photo: Alena Shuckmann | Louisville City

Louisville City FC rode a little bit of luck and a lot of grit to beat amateur side Detroit City FC (NPSL) 3-1 in a penalty shootout after clawing out a 1-1 draw in extra time. Ilija Ilich salvaged what could have been a game of missed opportunities to counter a Sebastian Harris goal earlier in extra time, and Scott Goodwin allowed only one ball past him from the spot in during the shootout, notching a save while two Detroit kicks were no threat to the Louisville goal.

The game, played at Frazier Stadium on the campus of Bellarmine University due to scheduling conflicts with Slugger Field, had the hosts facing northward and pushing down on the gas. After the teams exchanged initial possessions, Louisville held possession for the most part, usually winning the ball back quickly from Detroit before they could get any sort of counter started. The home team got a scare early, after midfielder Kadeem Dacres hit the netting behind the goal after contact with Detroit keeper Steinwascher, and came up limping. Dacres stayed in, though would be subbed out at the half.

Louisville had a great chance early when midfield Aodhan Quinn was fouled hard by Zach Schewee just outside the box, earning a yellow for DCFC. Paolo DelPiccolo, however, sent the ensuing free kick wide right of the goal. This seemed to be the theme for most of the night for the Louisvillans, who dominated possession throughout the game, led 9-0 in both shots and corner kicks at the half, but only managed one shot on goal. Whether it was poor service on free and corner kicks, or crosses that were either just too far from the receiver or too close to a defender, or passing on clear chances for shots to get a closer look and coming up empty, a lack of finishing for the team in purple kept the game scoreless. A solid goalkeeping performance from Nathan Steinwascher, who replaced the reigning TheCup.us Player of the Round Evan Louro in net.

As Detroit built up momentum in the second half, Steinwascher’s brilliance was matched by Louisville City keeper Scott Goodwin. Goodwin sniffed out multiple crosses and free kicks, suffocating Detroit’s counterattacks. This set the stage for one of the unpredictable extra time periods that make the Open Cup what it is.

Louisville sub Ilija Ilich was attempting to corral a blocked shot ten minutes into the first extra period, when he was brought down by Matt Nance inside the box. Nance received a yellow, and Ilic a penalty kick. While the Serbian missed, a scrum after the rebound ended with Tyler Stevens being shown a straight red card. DCFC coach Ben Pirmann was heated over the call, and just two minutes later was shown the door himself after verbally confronting the ref. This seemed to energize the Michigan bunch, as a counterattack found Sebastian Harris fouled in front of the box a few moments later. Detroit sub Ali Al-Gashamy sent the free kick into the box, where Harris slotted home to give the visitors the lead.

Things seemingly went from bad to worse for Louisville in the second extra time period, as Conor Shanosky was tagged very quickly with his second yellow for dissent five minutes in. However, being at ten men each seemed to open things up for Louisville, as the rebound from a free kick in the final minute went right to Ilich, who made sure things would continue on even terms. The home side did not quit pressing for a winner, but ran out of time before they could do so.

Detroit City suddenly found themselves up again after the first round of penalty kicks, as Harris made his goal while LCFC’s Quinn had his shot saved. However, the hosts rebounded, as Paolo DelPiccolo and Ilich made their shots, followed by a George Davis miss, while Al-Gashamy and Dave Edwarson missed their shots, while Tyler Channell’s effort was saved. This left Cameron Lancaster with a chance to seal the victory, and he deked Steinwascher to end the match.

Louisville will travel up I-65 to play the NASL’s Indy Eleven on Wednesday, June 1 in Round 3.

2015 US Open Cup Round 4: Quincy Amarikwa rescues Chicago Fire in OT win over Louisville City (video)

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Quincy Amarikwa scored the game-winning goal in the 116th minute. Photo: Chicago Fire
Quincy Amarikwa scored the game-winning goal in the 116th minute. Photo: Chicago Fire

UPDATE: The Round of 16 draw was conducted by the US Soccer Federation and it was determined that the Chicago Fire will host the Charlotte Independence (USL) in the next round.

A Quincy Amarikwa header in the 116th minute gave the Chicago Fire a 1-0 victory after a strong challenge from Louisville City FC in its first-ever game against an MLS side.

The Fire, who are now 25-1-1 in Open Cup games in Illinois, looked in danger of dropping only their second tournament game in Illinois as they couldn’t crack a difficult and stingy Louisville City FC side until late in extra time at Toyota Park. The deciding goal came after second-half substitute Guly do Prado fired a shot toward the top right corner of the goal. Amarikwa saw the shot and quickly threw his head in front for a bang-bang deflection goal.

Amarikwa had missed roughly three quality chances in the second half and struggled to find the frame in the first as well. Despite his struggles, the forward kept his work rate up and said after the game it was that kind of effort from all his teammates that led to winning the hard fought match.

“That’s what happens in these Open Cup games,” said Amarikwa who now has four career US Open Cup goals. “They’re scrappy, the other team is looking for something to prove and it makes it hard to break down. We knew that all we had to do was keep going.”

The Fire threatened a few times in the second half after a more evenly matched first half. Dynamic midfielder Harry Shipp set up a pair of chances within five minutes as roughly 15 minutes remained in the second half. One service to Amarikwa was shot wide on an attempt from the top of the box while another ball to Prado could not be headed on target.

Chicago had a flurry of corner kick opportunities in the second half, but the consistent presence near the final third opened up a couple counter attack opportunities for Louisville. The USL side looked primed to score in the 85th minute.

Former Fire striker and MLS veteran Matt Fondy found Naill McCabe streaking down the left side. McCabe, who was alone entering the box and sizing up Sean Johnson, was unexpectedly cut off by Adailton who tackled the ball away at the last second.

That attempt followed a lesser threat in the 73rd minute from Charlie Adams who sent a shot over the crossbar.

Fire coach Frank Yallop said while it was not the prettiest of performances, it was an important win to gain confidence in the team’s aspirations of winning a record-tying fifth Open Cup title and turning around their fortunes in league play where they have lost three straight.

“It wasn’t pretty … but what I will say is we kept going, we won the game and we’re into the next round. We kept fighting. We kept pushing,” Yallop said.

Louisville City FC gave the Fire all they could handle in the first half, limiting dangerous chances and coming up with one of their own.

The best chance of the game came in the 22nd minute when a failed clearance in the box fell to Louisville’s Magnus Rasmussen near the top of the 18-yard box. Rasmussen connected, but the shot deflected off the crossbar, missing by inches.

The Fire had the better of the possession and consistently attacked the right side of the Louisville defense. Fire left back Greg Cochrane and midfielder Michael Stephens were looked to often, but the best chance for the Fire came in the 31st minute when Jason Johnson forced a turnover at the top of Louisville’s box. The ball deflected to Amarikwa who was all alone in the center of the box, but he sent his rushed shot just wide on an onrushing Scott Goodwin.

The Fire had one last surge in the 43rd minute when a Greg Cochrane cross was grazed by a diving header effort from Johnson. Louisville cleared the ball to the top of the box where Matt Watson had a clean shot that went wide of the net.

Louisville’s Fondy forced a diving save from Sean Johnson in the 11th minute for the Fire keeper’s only save of the half.

FULL MATCH REPLAY: LOUISVILLE CITY AT CHICAGO FIRE

2015 US Open Cup Round 3: Louisville City scores two late OT goals to pull off sloppy road upset of Indy Eleven (video)

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louisville_fc_contest_logo_detailWith a late start due to the sky unleashing watery hell on Indianapolis’ Carroll Stadium, another USL-NASL matchup ended in dramatic fashion as Louisville City FC scored a pair of goals in added extra time to upset Indy Eleven, 2-0.

The wet artificial turf at Carroll definitely set the tone for play early on as struggles with the first touch and errant passing left Indy with little offensive momentum. Louisville seemed to handle the conditions somewhat better and held most of possession in the first half.

Louisville’s push toward the net earned them several corners in the first half, but solid marking by the Indy backline led by Greg Janicki and quick play by Kristian Nicht kept the visitors at bay. Indy’s offensive chances were few and far between except for highlights like Wolciech Wojcik sending a rocket on the Louisville net in the 13th minute, forcing City keeper Scott Goodwin to make a diving save. Goodwin won TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament with the Carolina RailHawks last year.

One had to feel for Indy’s Don Smart, who made numerous offensive advances only to be fouled outside the box, tripped up by the wet artificial turf or, when he could maintain ball control, sent a number of balls arcing into the space between the six-yard box and the penalty spot only for there to be not an Eleven player within 20 feet. His night ended early as he was subbed out in the 58th minute for Charlie Rugg.

Louisville remained in control to start the second half as Indy still seemed like they were fighting to just get solid footing.

Frustration mounted as time rolled on. In the 60th minute, Magnus Rasmussen declined to move forward even though he had a good 10 feet between himself and the nearest Eleven defender. After sending a shot wide right, he was loudly reprimanded by his captain Guzman.

City made two key subs in the 65th minute with Matt Fondy setting up on the right and Kareem Dacres on the left. Both players elevated the offensive pressure as Dacres’ skills with the ball and Fondy’s ability to evade defenders gave City formidable scoring chances. In the 85th minute, Indy nearly capitalized as Rugg made a run down the right side and sent a cross in to a streaking Bryan Brown. Unfortunately, as the ball entered the area, Brown and his trailing defender, Tarek Morad, both went tumbling to the ground as the ball continued toward the opposing sideline. The referee apparently didn’t see any infraction occur and play continued.

As the game went into extra time, it felt as if someone was going to get to be the hero and the win for their side. Fondy again charged down the right side and nearly gave City the go-ahead goal while Indy fought back and worked a sequence of shots before Louisville’s Goodwin was finally able to clear it out of his space.

In the first half of overtime, it finally came together for the Eleven. Employing runs down the flanks, Indy was able to speed past the midfield and sent numerous crosses into the Louisville 18. Louisville’s major chance in this frame was Fondy nearly scoring in the 98th minute as Indy’s Erick Morales went down in his own 18-yard area. As players slowed down awaiting a stoppage from the ref, Fondy slipped down the area’s left line and fired a shot on net. Nicht was forced to make a quick diving save to his left corner. Indy turned up the pressure on City’s backline, sending crosses into traffic, which forced City keeper Goodwin to make several saves on direct shots. We would go on to the back half of the overtime period still scoreless.

After the break, play opened up for both sides as fatigue set in for the midfield. The clubs traded runs down the flanks for decent scoring chances only to send them wide of the nets. Finally, as play collected outside Indy’s 18, Louisville popped the ball out of the congestion to Nate Polak at the left of the arc. Polak sent a rocket to the far side of the Indy net, just outside Kristian Nicht’s reach to give the USL upstarts a late 1-0 lead in the 115the minute. The goal sent City’s 100 or so supporters at the top of the stands into a frenzy as the rest of the nearly 7,000 fans sat in stunned silence.

As the Eleven quickly tried to regroup for the equalizer, the ball would end up back in Louisville’s possession. A Juan Guzman shot was knocked away by Nicht, but Sydney Rivera pounced on the rebound, sending it past the Eleven keeper for some insurance and as time ran out, a 2-0 victory.

The win is another milestone for the USL expansion side as they become the first team from the state of Kentucky to defeat a professional side in the tournament’s history. Louisville can now shift its focus to league play for a couple of weeks. When the Open Cup resumes on June 16, Louisville City gets its biggest challenge yet this season, traveling to Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. for a match against the four-time Open Cup champion Chicago Fire.

HIGHLIGHTS: LOUISVILLE CITY AT INDY ELEVEN

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