Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Memphis 901 FC

2024 US Open Cup Round 4: Logan Farrington’s first pro goal gives FC Dallas narrow win over Memphis 901

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Logan Farrington of FC Dallas celebrates after scoring a goal against Memphis 901 FC in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Dallas
Logan Farrington of FC Dallas celebrates after scoring a goal against Memphis 901 FC in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Dallas

Logan Farrington’s first professional goal proved to be enough to help hosts FC Dallas take down USL Championship side Memphis 901 FC to advance to the Round of 16 of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Farrington came off the bench in the second half and provided the ultimate spark as he got on the end of a Jesus Ferreira free kick and made the most of his chance.

Farrington was thrilled to make his mark on the tournament, but also tempered expectations after the match.

“It’s fantastic being able to score my first goal in this tournament and feeling the warmth and support of our fans after the goal. It’s amazing but it’s only the first step and we have more challenges ahead of us.”

It was the 37th US Open Cup win for FC Dallas in club history, which moves them into a tie for third place in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present) with the Seattle Sounders FC (who play on Wednesday night) and the LA Galaxy who did not enter the competition this year.

Dallas set the tone early, earning a corner kick in just the second minute. Katlego Ntsabeleng had arguably the best chance of the half in the 13th minute, but his point blank shot inside the box was deflected out for a corner; which Dallas failed to capitalize on.

Memphis came back with their best chance in the 22nd minute when Marlon Dos Santos Prezeres found himself in space inside the Dallas penalty box but his shot went over the crossbar.

Frustration began to set in for the home side as Dallas picked up back-to-back yellow cards in the 41st and 43rd minutes. Dallas finally picked up their first shot on goal in first half stoppage time, but Nkosi Tafari’s header was hit right at Memphis goalkeeper Tyler Deric.

Dallas wasted no time applying pressure in the second half, earning a corner kick in the 49th minute. Three minutes later, Petar Musa found himself 1-on-1 with Deric, but his chip went over the bar. Memphis responded immediately with a close range shot from Luiz Fernando Nascimento that went just wide of the goal. Both sides made multiple substitutions to try and shake things up in the 65th minute and the visitors from Memphis were able to quickly earn a corner kick, but ultimately couldn’t convert.

Dallas finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute. Ferreira whipped in a free kick towards the back post and Farrington needed just one touch to settle the ball and fire past the keeper for the goal. Memphis immediately came back to force back-to-back corner kicks at the other end but could not take advantage. Dallas maintained their hold over the game and Musa managed to conjure multiple shots on goal in the final 10 minutes, but failed to double his team’s advantage. In the end it wouldn’t matter though, as Dallas secured the 1-0 win to move on to the next round.

Dallas head coach Nico Estevez commended his team’s adjustments at halftime to help turn the tide.

“I think the adjustments we made at halftime, offensively and defensively, helped us to be more of a threat and aggressive. At the end, we couldn’t score more goals, and this is why it’s very important to score the first goal. It was late for us, but I think we gained good experience and now we have to recover and get ready for Austin (next league match).”

Dallas will hit the road in the Round of 16 to take on the winner of Birmingham Legion and Tampa Bay Rowdies.

2024 US Open Cup Round 3: Nighte Pickering’s brace sends Memphis 901 FC past Miami United

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Nighte Pickering of Memphis 901 FC scored two goals against Miami United FC in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC
Nighte Pickering of Memphis 901 FC scored two goals against Miami United FC in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC

Cupset-minded Miami United FC of the United States Soccer League fell to Memphis 901 FC of the USL Championship 2-0 on Wednesday night. Memphis was powered by a brace from US youth international (Under-19) forward Nighte Pickering lifted the home side over the tenacious amateurs from south Florida.

The win is the first in all competitions for Memphis since the USL Championship opener against Las Vegas back on March 9.

The victory comes just over a week before the one-year anniversary of the dramatic extra-time game winner Pickering netted against Atlanta United in the 2023 edition of the US Open Cup.

Though his goals tonight may not have been as dramatic as the one scored in Kennesaw, Pickering capitalized on superb service from former US men’s national team member Emerson Hyndman in the 31st minute and winger Dylan Borczak in the 85th.

Memphis controlled the game early, with a golden opportunity off a corner in the 3rd minute when Miami keeper Cristian Blanco was called into service to save a good header and gobble up the rebound.

Akeem Ward’s curled shot from 22 yards in the 15th minute and a good 29th minute Oscar Jimenez run into the box that forced a diving Blanco to smother a dangerous cross seemed to be a sign of things to come. But Miami United FC, who dispatched Chattanooga FC and Club de Lyon to get to Memphis, didn’t look out of place against the second tier side once they settled into the game. Santiago Frean found himself in on goal in the 18th minute, only to have a backtracking Jimenez do enough to force a weak shot Memphis keeper Tyler Deric was able to corral. Miami even looked to go ahead in the 22nd minute, where a mishandled free kick by Deric was put into the net only to be called offside.

Pickering’s 31st minute goal was made possible by a beautiful, lofted pass from Hyndman that found him beating an offside trap, with Miami’s right back, Sebastian Luzuriaga, kept him onside when the rest of the backline stepped up. Both Pickering and wigner Luis Fernando were in on goal with no defenders between them and Blanco. Pickering waited for Blanco to come of his line, sliding the ball neatly inside the left post with his left foot.

Again showing that they did indeed belong on this stage, Miami responded with another free kick in the 35th minute, forcing Deric to make a spectacular double save. Miami continued to look dangerous towards the end of the first half, forcing Deric to make another save in the 41st minute after some questionable Memphis defending in the box.

Memphis made one change at the break, as Fernando gave way to Borczak after the former picked up a minor knock. Early in the second half, the game was fairly even with teams sharing half chances. Miami nearly scored a spectacular goal after Ward lost the ball in the 55th minute and the curling shot nearly missed the top left corner.

The game seemed to devolve somewhat after that chance as Miami picked up four yellow cards in the next eight minutes and Memphis adding one a minute later in the 63rd. After exchanging a few half chances, in the 85th minute, Borczak beat a defender down the right and send in a cross that found Pickering beating his man from four yards out to salt the game away.

Of his young forward, Memphis 901 FC head coach Stephen Glass said, “He was excellent. He was unfortunate not to score three or four.”

The scoreline may have favored Memphis, but Miami United actually put more shots on frame
(5-3) and controlled nearly as much of the ball as Memphis (46-54). Despite his brace, Pickering
said the team knew it would be a difficult game.

“It’s always going to be a tough game. They’re playing with a different type of intensity and fire.”
Glass agreed: “To be honest, if we were not on our game tonight they could have (won). So we had to be at our best; we had to be strong; we had to be good on the ball. Full respect to Miami.”

2023 US Open Cup Round 4: Birmingham Legion beats rival Memphis 901 in USL Championship matchup

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Juan Agudelo of Birmingham Legion FC celebrates after scoring a goal against Memphis 901 FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Birmingham Legion FC
Juan Agudelo of Birmingham Legion FC celebrates after scoring a goal against Memphis 901 FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Birmingham Legion FC

On Wednesday, May 10, Memphis 901 FC made the trip down the I-22 to take on rival Birmingham Legion FC. There was not a lot of southern hospitality at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. as the Legion defeated Memphis 3-0 to advance to the Round of 16.

Birmingham Legion We Want The Cup Shirt US Open Cup
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With the win, Birmingham becomes the first Alabama club to reach the Round of 16 in the 108-year history of the competition. 

This rivalry has gone through many iterations and is about as even of a match as you will find. This rivalry, dubbed Southern Harm, is anything but full of Southern Charm. There’s hatred, intensity, and a real intention to do damage to another person, and that’s before you even leave the pitch.

Coming into this match, Memphis was riding high, going seven matches unbeaten, including a thrilling win over Atlanta United in the US Open Cup. East on the I-22, the 3 Sparks were not having the same luck, losing their last two matches by a combined 7-2 scoreline.

In the first five minutes, it looked like it would be the same again. The Beale Street Boys were dictating play and had complete control of the ball, letting Legion only have one touch in the entire first five minutes. That, however, would be the only real success Memphis would have on the night.

After two chippy fouls by Akeem Ward, a former Legion man, the match seemed to completely shift in the Legion’s favor. The 3 Sparks started mounting up the pressure, and it was only a matter of time before the flood dams opened, and they opened in the 20th minute thanks to a solid short corner routine that made its way from Prosper Kasim, to Juan Agudelo, to both goal posts, and finally in the back of the net.

It was Agudelo’s third goal of the tournament, and the seventh of his career. Wednesday’s goal was scored a little less than 11 years since his first Open Cup goal which was scored as a teenager with the now-defunct Chivas USA of Major League Soccer. 

From there, Birmingham was unrelentless. In the first half, the real bright spots were Bruno Lapa (making his first return to Birmingham), Jeremy Kelly, and Laurent Kissiedou, being the only real creative options on the night for Memphis.

Just 19 minutes later, Legion had a breakaway opportunity and Tyler Pasher was staring down at goal and had a rip from outside the box. Unfortunately for Bill Hamid, the ball took a wicked deflection off of a defender, but he did well to save it. Once again unfortunately for Hamid, his save only went as far as Enzo Martinez who took a touch around a defender and fired the ball into the bottom right corner. To this point, Memphis hasn’t made Trevor Spangenberg prove his worth yet, with every single one of their shots going well over or blocked before it could even trouble the Number 18.

In the second half, it was more of the same for Legion. The third and final goal was a beautiful goal set up entirely by Juan Agudelo. His touch and dribble into space to find Kasim was masterful. Unfortunately for Agudelo, Prosper’s slight touch before completely losing his footing and the ball falling to Tyler Pasher was enough to steal away the assist. Pasher, who was an absolute menace on the wings and in the middle, gets the goal he deserves, firing it far post to give the 3 Sparks 3 goals and securing the win.

In the next round, the Legion will likely be facing their first ever MLS opponent in the US Open Cup. The draw will take place on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET. 

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: Memphis 901 scores late equalizer, OT winner in upset of Atlanta United

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Memphis 901's Phillip Goodrum celebrates after scoring a PK goal vs. Atlanta United in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC
Memphis 901’s Phillip Goodrum celebrates after scoring a PK goal vs. Atlanta United in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC

It was a fresh match between two sides with absolutely no history — at least on paper — but Wednesday’s Third Round tie between visiting Memphis 901 and 2019 US Open Cup winner Atlanta United conjured up some of the best underlying storylines a Cup match could manifest in a 2-1 Memphis victory in extra time at to advance to the Round of 32.

Memphis 901’s new manager, Stephen Glass, was Atlanta United 2’s gaffer early in their tenure before becoming interim manager of the first team in 2020. He left for Aberdeen in Scotland before arriving in Memphis in November of 2022, where he took over a team ripe with former MLS and Atlanta United 2 talent. The proverbial chip on the shoulder was on full display Wednesday night as Glass took absolute advantage of the tools at his disposal to helm another 2023 “Cupset.”

Atlanta — playing host at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University — started the match well, slotting a goal in the third minute, but it would ultimately be Glass’ side that came out on top.

Atlanta quickly became lax and Memphis’ chances racked up one by one — as did Atlanta’s yellow cards. That lack of inspiration seemed to progress into an inability to string together passes or win duels, and 901 continued to take advantage. Memphis was finally rewarded in the 96th minute when a penalty was given via a late tackle in the box, and former Atlanta United 2 player Phillip Goodrum stepped to the spot. He calmly buried it past Atlanta keeper Clement Diop and forced extra time.

The killer blow came moments later as extra time began. A sustained spell of pressure forced a turnover against Atlanta, and Memphis drove forward with numbers into the box. Nighte Pickering took full advantage of his opportunity and put the Tennessee side up 2-1. Atlanta continued to push for the equalizer but ultimately came up short, leaving behind one of their most distraught performances — in all competitions — in history.

“I felt that today Memphis were more ready for the battle, they were trying to win the duels and do everything they can to put pressure on us,” said Atlanta United coach Gonzalo Pineda. “It didn’t manifest today.”

The Memphis playbook was on full display the entire match; from the opening whistle they were disrupting Atlanta’s desire to possess the ball and play from the back. But it was a quick Atlanta switch from right to left by Luiz Araujo that found Tyler Wolff early — and somewhat against the run of play — to give Atlanta the quick 1-0 lead when Wolff fired the ball just past former D.C. United keeper Bill Hamid.

It all went downhill for the Five Stripes from that moment.

Memphis continued to win the battles, as Pineda eloquently described in his post-match press conference, while the Five Stripes fell short on their individual duels.

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“This happens to be more mental to me than any other thing,” Pineda described of his team’s overall performance. “But the reality is today, we didn’t play well. And we need to correct many things.”

Luis Abram, Araujo, Wolff, and Ajani Fortune all received yellow cards during the match as frustration appeared to creep through the team.

Halftime came and went with no subs to either side, and the match progressed similarly to the first half. Memphis created multiple chances and shots, ultimately finishing the match with 12 corners, 30 total shots with 10 on goal. Meanwhile, Atlanta United settled for 11 total shots with two on goal and three corners. Memphis also forced Diop, a seasoned keeper with plenty of MLS and first-team experience, to tie his career high number of saves at eight. Memphis simply passed both the eye test and stat test as the better team, while Atlanta floundered.

“We are in shock because they didn’t beat us with quality, they beat us because of attitude,” said Atlanta wingback and captain Ronald Hernandez. “We are upset about it because we talked about it before the game. We as a team are more upset than you guys.”

It all came to a head in the 96th minute when Memphis finally got the opportunity they were looking for. Juanjo Purata went in for a sliding tackle in the box and just missed the ball, instead catching Goodrum’s legs and giving up the penalty for him to take. Goodrum made no mistake and leveled the game at 1-1 in the dying seconds, forcing the extra 30 minutes against his former club.

Memphis rapidly struck again in the 100th minute when Pickering was able to firmly redirect a short cross from Luiz Fernando past Diop. The last solid opportunity for Atlanta to find an equalizer came from forward Machop Chol in the 103rd minute, but Hamid was positioned well and made a comfortable save.

The 2-1 scoreline would hold and be the final nail in the coffin for Atlanta, as they burned out of the Open Cup as quickly as they entered.

Memphis, on the other hand, will view this as one of their best results in team history, and the first time they’ve ever defeated an MLS side.

“I think after the first goal in the first half we couldn’t really get set and they kept coming,” Wolff said. “We didn’t have many answers. It just wasn’t great.”

Memphis are now unbeaten in their past five matches in all competitions, and appear to be entering a more confident run of form as Glass settles in as manager.

That mindset will be vital if they wish to surpass their previous Open Cup best finish from 2019, where they exited in the Fourth Round. Meanwhile, Atlanta will return to league play on Saturday against Nashville, who pulled out a 1-0 win over San Antonio FC in their own Open Cup match.

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Memphis 901 escapes One Knoxville’s upset bid with last-second OT winner

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Photo: Memphis 901 FC


Just as a penalty shootout looked certain to decide the game on Tuesday night, Memphis 901 FC found a goal from Jeremy Kelly in the fourth minute of stoppage time after extra time to defeat One Knoxville SC on the road and advance to the Third Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

This was the first meeting between the two cross-state opponents, marking One Knoxville’s debut in the US Open Cup in their second match as a professional club.

With the result, Memphis notches their first victory of their 2023 campaign, following two losses and a draw in the USL Championship. The win is also their first in the US Open cup since 2019.

The match opened with intense, back-and-forth physical play from both sides, though neither was quick to make attempts toward the goal. Though not an exceptionally brutal game, the close-quarters, technical play styles created many opportunities to push the limits of contact and draw a number of fouls. Over the course of the night, each team earned four yellow cards and more than 20 fouls.

The first goal pierced the night and quieted the cheering Knoxville crowd in the 39th minute. Aaron Molloy won a free kick and sent a cross towards the center of the box. There, Dylan Borczak connected with the ball and headed it into the left side of the net.

After the half, One Knoxville returned with force, attempting a handful of close shots that keeper Bill Hamid saved to slow the momentum. A veteran of the men’s national team with eight appearances, Hamid made this his second appearance for Memphis.



Ilija Ilic leveled the score in the 57th minute on a penalty kick goal, passing to the right of Hamid as he dove to block the shot.

One Knoxville continued to control the pace of the game for most of the remainder of regulation. Memphis’ first shot to the goal only came in the 78th minute. No one was able to find the final push to put the ball in the net, sending the match to extra time.

Strong defense from One Knoxville defined the first period of extra time, and it largely resembled the second half – play up and down the pitch with little to show for either team’s efforts. The crowd surged to support the home side as it returned for the second period, and both sides seemed desperate to end play before a shootout.

Then, in the final moments of stoppage time, a Memphis corner floated to the box amid a sea of players. It dropped to the ground, where Kelly found it after a beat to slam the deciding goal to the bottom left corner of the net.

Memphis 901 head coach Stephen Glass appreciated the growth from his players after a tough start to their season. He credited the victory to a respect for their opponent and preparation to battle through the length of the match.

“It’s a reward for the effort the boys put in. It’s a testament to their fitness, and their levels, and their drive to go win,” explained Glass. “ were very good, let’s give them a lot of credit. They were very well drilled and had a great quality. I’m pleased to get through, and I’m pleased that the boys got the winner before the penalties. I think the team are close, and a win like tonight makes them feel better about themselves.”

Memphis 901 won’t learn their Round 3 opponent until the draw takes place later this week. 

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Chattanooga FC’s early goals, strong defense upset Memphis 901 FC

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Taylor Gray Chattanooga FC Memphis 901 FC 2022 US Open Cup
Taylor Gray of Chattanooga FC scores a goal against Memphis 901 FC in the Second Round off the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Joseph Dycus @joseph_dycus

Chattanooga FC made history Thursday night with the club’s first-ever US Open Cup victory as a professional club, taking down in-state rivals Memphis 901 FC, 3-1 in front of more than 2,000 fans at Finley Stadium in the competition’s second round.

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The match was only the second time that two Tennessee clubs had faced off in the history of the Cup (2018 Round 2: Inter Nashville vs. Nashville SC) and the first time Chattanooga FC had entered the competition since 2017 when they were members of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).

Chattanooga struck first early in the game with a goal from Alex McGrath, capping an immediate, high-tempo pressure that forced a turnover high up the pitch and allowed Brett Jones to thread a through ball into the box that McGrath lashed into the opposite corner just 56 seconds into the game.

The goal marked just the 20th time in the Modern Era (1995-present) that a goal was scored in the first minute of an Open Cup game.

After conceding early, Memphis 901 took control of the game territorially, seeing large swaths of possession in Chattanooga’s half but with little to show for it. Chattanooga relied on the counter attack to generate threats, and that it did; a solo run from Jones won a corner, which led to a cross from Ian Cerro that Nick Spielman tapped towards the frame. Memphis goalkeeper Drew Romig saved Spielman’s effort, but parried the ball into the path of Travis Ward, who poked the ball home to double Chattanooga’s advantage, 2-0.

Memphis continued to box in Chattanooga, and eventually found a reward for their continued pressure in the 39th minute. That’s when Patrick Seagrist struck a beautiful effort from the top of the box into the opposite corner of the net, bringing Memphis back within a goal.

But lazy defensive work on the other end allowed Taylor Gray to beat Romig to the ball from Ian Cerro’s cross and tap in a third goal for Chattanooga in first-half stoppage time.

The second half saw few clear-cut chances, with Memphis controlling possession but failing to get the ball into dangerous areas. Chattanooga never really looked like conceding, and held firm to full time to advance to the Third Round of the Cup, becoming the fourth NISA side to advance.

Chattanooga’s opponent for Round 3 will be announced on Friday at Noon ET. They are in a group with defending US Open Cup champ Atlanta United (MLS), Birmingham Legion (USL-C) and South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL-1).

2019 US Open Cup Round 4: Sacha Kljestan brace leads Orlando City to 3-1 win over Memphis 901 FC

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Orlando City SC supporters cheer on their team in their Fourth Round game against Memphis 901 FC in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Orlando City SC supporters cheer on their team in their Fourth Round game against Memphis 901 FC in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC


An over-capacity crowd at Mike Rose Soccer Complex in the Memphis suburb of Collierville was treated to an entertaining game between Memphis 901 FC and Orlando City in the Fourth Round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.  The 3,088 fans crammed in to a 2,500 seat stadium saw Orlando strike first on a penalty from Sacha Kljestan only for the hometown Boys in Blue to strike back just after halftime on a header from Elliott Collier.  After the equalizer, though, it was all Orlando as Kljestan struck again and then Robin Jansson made it 3-1 to put the game to bed 20 minutes from time. 

Orlando now advances to the Round of 16 where they host the New England Revolution on June 19 at the newly-renamed Exploria Stadium (formerly Orlando City Stadium).  The winner of that game advances to take on either DC United or New York City in the Quarterfinals. 

As was the case in their last game of the US Open Cup, Memphis 901 FC was unable to play at their usual home stadium of AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis due to scheduling conflicts with the Memphis Redbirds.  And as was the case in their last game of the US Open Cup they played at the stadium at Mike Rose Soccer Complex in the suburb of Collierville.  Unlike the last time however, the place was full to the brim and then some.  The crowd for the first game was a respectable 1,819but on this night there wasn’t room for four more people.  All grand stand seating was sold out the day before and the grassy hill behind one of the goals had to be opened up.

 

What was different this time around for Memphis from their previous was they were missing a number of key players who had been called up for international duty: Duane Muckette and Leston Paul had been called up by Trinidad & Tobago for the Gold Cup while Cam Lindley had been called into the US U-23 camp by Jason Kreis.  They did get Adam Najem back from international duty with Afghanistan and he was given the starting nod in the midfield. Orlando came into this game not missing anybody through injury (although Dom Dwyer was initially listed as questionable with a hamstring injury).  They rolled out a starting XI that was a strong one, but still not their full squad.  Missing was the superstar Nani, as he is not yet eligible to play in the Open Cup, but guys like Sacha Kljestan, Christian Higuita, and Tesho Akindele were given the start.

Things looked bright early on for Memphis as they had the first several chances but couldn’t quite take advantage of them, either through heroics in goal by Orlando or the offside flag of the assistant referee or just bad luck.  The talent and experience for Orlando showed as they weathered the early storm and eventually began to assert themselves.  They eventually earned a penalty a few minutes before halftime that Kljestan stepped up to take.  Memphis keeper Scott Levene guessed the right way but Kljestan placed it perfectly to put Orlando up 1-0.  The second half however, Memphis came out with a purpose and quickly found an equalizer off the head of Collier.  Orlando responded immediately through Kljestian to go back up 2-1.  Memphis gamely tried to get back into it and kept pushing and made an attacking sub as Orlando was set to take a corner, but the ensuing kick pinballed around in the six yard box a few times before it wound up in the back of the net off the foot of Robin Jansson.  That goal seemed to take the wind completely out of the sails of the Memphis fight back and Orlando got out of town with a 3-1 win.

Orlando head coach James O’Connor was impressed with how Memphis performed against his MLS side.

“I thought Memphis played well and made it very difficult for us to break them down,” said O’Connor, who managed Memphis’ USL rival Louisville City before taking the Orlando City job last season. “They defended in numbers and it was a tough game for us. So we’re really pleased that we managed to get the win and get through to the next round.”

Memphis head coach Tim Mulqueen and some of the Memphis players certainly felt hard done by the referee.  Elliott Collier was the least diplomatic of the bunch as he yelled to nobody in particular after the game that the no-call leading the Orlando’s second goal was “un-f***ing believable.”  Marc Burch agreed with the sentiment saying, “He shouldn’t be refereeing any more.”

One thing that does need to be said is that the atmosphere of the game was nothing short of outstanding for the entire game.  Much has been made by fans and certain media members (Taylor Twellman of ESPN chief among them) that for the US Open Cup to grow, MLS teams need to travel to lower division sides up to the quarter-finals.  The crowd and atmosphere in Memphis and a number of largely empty MLS stadiums only serve to bolster that argument.  Memphis packed the house and there was a decent contingent of Orlando fans, and they even had flags that were big enough that they looked like they belonged on a Revolutionary War battlefield.  Nights like that are all the proof that should be needed to have more MLS teams play on the road in the Open Cup. 

2019 US Open Cup Round 3: Memphis 901 right at home with 4-0 win over Hartford Athletic

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Memphis 901 FC celebrates in the locker room after a 4-0 win over Hartford Athletic in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC
Memphis 901 FC celebrates in the locker room after a 4-0 win over Hartford Athletic in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC

It may not have been the friendly confines of AutoZone Park, but Memphis 901 FC sure they made Mike Rose Soccer Complex feel like home.

The complex is home to some of the biggest and best youth tournaments in the region, with a number of tournaments this spring having over 200 teams and requiring over 100 referees. It was also home to Memphis City FC for one season in the NPSL back in 2016. But on this night, with AutoZone Park playing host to a baseball game, Mike Rose was a fantastic, albeit temporary, home for Memphis 901 FC. Not only was co-owner and longtime Memphis resident Tim Howard in the house, but the Boys in Blue ran out 4-0 winners over Hartford Athletic to advance to the next round of the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Jochen Graf scored a pair of goals to lead the way for the home team as Memphis becomes just the third Tennessee-based club to advance beyond the Third Round in the last two decades, joining Nashville SC (2018) and the Nashville Metros (1998).

In fact, the only hitch on the night was a technical error with the public address system during the national anthem but luckily the supporters in the stands took over and sang it themselves.

Like their last US Open Cup outing, the game sprang into life early on for Memphis 901 FC. Unlike the last game however, they were the ones jumping out to an early lead as Marc Burch dispatched a penalty in the sixth minute to give Memphis a 1-0 lead. For Burch, it was his first US Open Cup goal since 2008 when he scored a pair of goals to help D.C. United win the club’s second US Open Cup title.

Things got even better in the 21st minute as a dangerous Memphis free kick found the head of Graf who gave Memphis their second goal of the night.

The scoring chances calmed down after that and Memphis took a 2-0 lead into halftime.

It was more of the same in the second half as Graf bagged his second to give Memphis a 3-0 lead.

Not too long after that, Hartford was reduced to ten men but Memphis wasn’t done yet as Morgan Hackworth got in on the fun seven minutes from time to make it 4-0.

One little oddity of the game was that Memphis has played two US Open Cup games ever and in both of them has had a player score two goals: Graf against Hartford and Josh Morton two weeks ago against New York Red Bulls Under-23s.

After the game, Coach Tim Mulqueen said it was nice to get off to a fast start and not have to chase the game like they’ve had to so many times this season.

Hartford’s coach Jimmy Nielsen is no stranger to the US Open Cup, having won it as a player in 2012 with Sporting Kansas City.  But on the night, not even that level of experience was enough to keep the game close for Hartford. Despite having beaten them in league play earlier this year, Hartford was totally outmanned and outplayed by Memphis. Hartford really only threatened once the entire game and nearly made it 2-1 in the first half after some shoddy defending by Memphis on a corner kick, but Cam Lindley was able to clear it off the line.

Refereeing decisions were a point of contention on some level, but they all appeared to be correct. There was the penalty in the first ten minutes, three Hartford players and one Memphis player were cautioned and shown yellow cards for rough fouls in the first half. Memphis had what would have been their third goal of the night disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper which resulted in the referee having to temporarily stop the game and have a word with Coach Mulqueen on the touchline (which he said after the game wasn’t much more than the referee telling him it was a foul). Things didn’t get any better for Hartford in the second half as Sem DeWit picked up his second caution and was sent off halfway through the second half.

Memphis now advances to the fourth round of the Open Cup, but do not know their opponent as US Soccer has not yet made the draw. Hopes are high that it will be an MLS team and be at home. Many in the local Memphis media finally began to pick up on the team when the prospect of an MLS team coming to town seemed like it really could happen.

Burch said that most of the guys relish a chance against an MLS team and he feels that if they just play their game the way they have been, they’ll have a good shot at pulling an upset against whoever they play. Whether it’s at home or on the road, Memphis could have the potential to spring a surprise upset and keep their magical run going.

Memphis 901 FC 4-0 Hartford Athletic
Mike Rose Soccer Complex – Collierville, TN
Attendance: 1,819

Goal: 6′, Memphis 901 FC, Marc Burch (pen)
Goal: 21′, Memphis 901 FC, Jochen Graf
Goal: 59′, Memphis 901 FC, Jochen Graf
Goal: 83′, Memphis 901 FC, Morgan Hackworth

Referee: Leland Grant
AR1: Benjamin Meyer
AR2: Ryan Starr
4th Official: Laura Waliski

2019 US Open Cup Round 2: Memphis 901 pulls away from Red Bulls Under-23s to earn club’s first home win

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Players from New York Red Bulls Under-23s and Memphis 901 FC battle for the ball in a Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC
Players from New York Red Bulls Under-23s and Memphis 901 FC battle for the ball in a Second Round match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC

Memphis 901 FC’s debut in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup got off to a thunderous start against the New York Red Bulls U-23s. Thunderous because the start of the game was delayed close to an hour due to severe weather in the area. Once the weather moved out and the game got started, it was still quite the thunderous start.

New York took the lead inside five minutes and Memphis grabbed one back just two minutes later. Things settled down somewhat after that. Memphis did bag another goal before the half plus one more in the second half and that was enough to see out the win and advance to the next round of the US Open Cup.

Jochen Graf of Memphis 901 FC looks to the skies during the club's Second Round match against the New York Red Bulls Under-23s in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC
Jochen Graf of Memphis 901 FC looks to the skies during the club’s Second Round match against the New York Red Bulls Under-23s in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Memphis 901 FC

The theme for Memphis at home this year had been lack of goal scoring and failure to get results. In fact in their first our USL home games they scored just one goal and had zero wins. But a recent run of good form in league play appeared to carry over into the Open Cup as the dam finally broke with Memphis netting two goals in the first half, the first from Cam Lindley on a great free kick and the second from Josh Morton off a fantastic solo run by new signing from Atlanta United, Lagos Kunga.

The second half saw more pressure from Memphis as they wanted to make sure that they put the game completely away and Josh Morton did just that about 15 minutes from time as he headed home a corner to give Memphis a 3-1 lead that they did not give up to seal their first home win of the season.

Coach Tim Mulqueen was quite happy after the game, even dropping Jim Valvano “Survive and Advance” references when talking about the nature of cup play. But Mulqueen was happy to finally get the club’s first home win.

“I think it’s tremendous. The fans have deserved this for the better part of two months,” said Mulqueen. “We had that in our mind, we knew it. It’s something that we have talked about. We wanted to repay them. They stuck through a weather delay tonight as well. We wanted to give them something unique, which is an Open Cup win. Being able to be the first team to do that in club history is important. There will be many more wins at AutoZone Park, but it’s special to get the first one. We’re just really happy to deliver for the fans. I’m really happy for the boys inside. They have worked really hard in training. They deserve this result.”

Credit needs to be given to the Red Bulls and their coach Simon Nee, however. Despite being an academy team of U-23 players, they came out ready to play and stole into what can be described a shock lead after just five minutes on a goal from Jean Paul Marin (who scored in their first round win over FC Motown). And despite going down a goal 20 minutes later, they continued to fight and push. They didn’t back down or shy away from anything.

But at the end of the day, Memphis is a team of professional players, several of whom play for their respective national teams and eventually the talent just took over. One odd thing did occur in the second half as several media members in the press box noticed that Red Bulls had two #19’s on the field at the same time. Luckily for the referee crew and US Soccer, Memphis came away with the victory so there was no need for any extra paperwork or filings or complaints.

Memphis now advances to the third round of the US Open Cup to face Hartford Athletic, a team they just beat in USL play this past weekend in Connecticut. However, while this will be a home game for Memphis, it will not be played at AutoZone Park due to a scheduling conflict with the Memphis Redbirds (the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals). The game on Wednesday May 28 will instead be played in the stadium at Mike Rose Soccer Complex in the Memphis suburb of Collierville.

This win, combined with Nashville SC advancing, this marks the first time in the history of the tournament that multiple teams from the state of Tennessee have advanced to the Third Round.

Memphis 901 FC 3:1 New York Red Bulls Under-23s
AutoZone Park – Memphis, TN
Attendance: 4,057

Goal: 5′, New York Red Bulls U-23, Jean Paul Marin
Goal: 7′, Memphis 901 FC, Cam Lindley
Goal: 25′, Memphis 901 FC, Josh Morton
Goal: 72′, Memphis 901 FC, Josh Morton

Referee: Carlos Peilago
AR1: Benjamin Meyer
AR2: Mario Cabrera
4th Official: Michael Mysiewicz

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