Nashville United

2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In: Nashville United flattens Soda City in the rain

November 25, 2019 by Wade Brazell

2020 US Open Cup qualifying nashville united — Graphic by Harrison Huntley | @hhuntley17

On a rainy night in the capital city of Columbia, S.C., Nashville United came into town and stunned hosts, Soda City FC Sorinex, by a score of 4-0 to become the first Tennessee-based Open Division Local team to qualify for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present).

Nashville was led by former professional Georgi Hristov and Logan Paynter who each scored two goals, one in each half.

With the win, Nashville qualifies for the 2020 US Open Cup in just their second attempt. The tournament is scheduled to begin in the spring. The format and draw for the 107th edition of the tournament will be held in the coming months.

From the opening whistle, Nashville United was on the front foot and opened the scoring in the 5th minute when Danny Dunleavy sent in a long cross to the foot of Hristov, who recently finished his pro career as the all-time leading goalscorer for the Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship). The Bulgarian then slotted it past the Soda City keeper to make it 1-0.

Players from Nashville United pose for a team photo before their 2020 US Open Cup qualifier against Soda City FC Sorinex. Photo: Nashville United

After a little bit of back-and-forth, Nashville found the goal again from the foot of Paynter. Lipscomb University’s all-time leading goalscorer nailed a strike into the back of the net to make it 2-0 in the 15th minute.

Soda City wouldn’t get their first quality chance until the 29th minute when Seth Hansen sent a nice through ball to Davis Bryan who sent the ball just wide of the goal.

In the 36^th minute, Soda City had a case for a penalty kick after the Nashville goalkeeper came off of his line to challenge Bryan as he fell down hard around the six-yard box trying to get a shot off. That proved to be an emotional spark that Soda City needed and continued their pressure on the Nashville goal.

However, they got too emotional as Paul Grandacarpio and Nestor Jaramillo were both booked for rough challenges in the 38th and 42nd minutes, respectively.

Once the second half started, Soda City kept up the pressure from the first half as Dean Smith had a great shot on goal in the opening moments, but it was saved.

In the 51st minute, United’s Paynter whipped in a lobbed ball that found the head of Hristov who put it just high of the net. Nashville would continue their press with pretty combination play as Paynter doinked one off the post in the 63rd minute but would get another chance a minute later to redeem himself. On the second chance, he did not disappoint.

Paynter’s shot found the back of the net to put his side up 3-0 on the road. Just as the game was drawing to a close and the pitch continued to get bogged down with rain, Hristov found the net yet again in the 88th minute to extend the Nashville lead to 4-0 and put Soda City out of their misery and out of the tournament for the second straight year in Round 3.

As previously mentioned, Nashville became the first Open Division Local team from the Volunteer State to qualify, but three other Open Division National teams have qualified. The now-defunct Memphis Express from the Premier Development League (now USL League Two) were the first to participate in 2002, followed by Chattanooga FC (NPSL) who qualified six times (2011, 2013-17) and most recently, Inter Nashville FC (NPSL) in 2018.

#USOC2020 ESSENTIALS

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2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Schedule / Results
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1 Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2 Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Win & You’re In Weekend Game-By-Game Review
2020 US Open Cup Qualifying Goalscoring Leaders

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2018 US Open Cup qualifying: FC Kendall overcomes lengthy travel, bad storm to earn first USOC berth

November 20, 2017 by Josh Hakala

FC Kendall poses for a team photo after a 4-2 win over Nashville United in the 2018 US Open Cup qualifying tournament. Photo: FC Kendall

On Saturday, Nov. 18, FC Kendall’s flight left Miami at 6:30 a.m. and arrived in Nashville about four hours later. With only a few hours of sleep, the team anxiously waited and prepared for their “Win & You’re In” match in the 2018 US Open Cup qualifying tournament against Nashville United.

FC Kendall owner Mauro Grignola called it the “most important game in the history of the club thus far.”

After their lengthy trip to Nashville, which was a risky one considering they were flying out the morning of the gameday, they got settled and defeated the home team in a heavy rain storm, 4-2 to qualify for the US Open Cup for the first time.

The clouds were already thick when FC Kendall arrived in Music City before lunchtime. The winds picked up throughout the afternoon ahead of the 7 p.m. kickoff at Richard Siegel Soccer Park in nearby Murfeesboro, Tenn. With heavy rain in the forecast, the two teams agreed to move the match to the original venue, E.S. Rose Park in Nashville, (it was moved to Murfeesboro in the weeks leading up to the match) which featured an artificial turf field.

On the way to the field, players and coaches were receiving alerts on their phones informing them of a tornado warning. Fifteen minutes before kickoff, the rain stopped, but the gusty winds of more than 40 mph remained. The match commissioner and the referees decided that the game would begin on time.

After winning the coin flip, Nashville United decided to defend against the wind and they were more comfortable on their home field, creating a couple of chances which forced FC Kendall Ronald Garces into action in the opening five minutes.

FC Kendall, a team representing the American Premier Soccer League, started to build possession, and created a few wind-aided shots, but Nashville maintained control and no one was able to find a goal in the opening half-hour.

Shortly after the half-hour mark, FC Kendall took control of the match. It all started with an impressive combination play that found Daniel Gonzales on the right wing. Gonzales, a former captain at Florida International University, sent a low cross into the box where former Fort Lauderdale Strikers player Gonzalo de Mujica put the ball into the back of the net at close range.

Just a few minutes later, Gonzales was back at it again, as he made a run and was fouled just outside of the box. Former NASL player Martin Nunez, took the free kick and with a little help from the wind, he found the back of the net to make it 2-0.

And just a few minutes after the second goal, FC Kendall scored another. It was another similar combination play from the first goal. This time, it was Jona Andrade who was open on the right side of the penalty area. Andrade turned and beat the keeper with a low shot to the right of the netminder to give the visitors at three-goal lead.

Kendall did not take their foot off the gas pedal as they added one more goal before the halftime break. Santiago Schmid beat two defenders and fired a shot into the upper corner, to the left of the goalkeeper.

FC Kendall continued to put the pressure on but a couple of chances failed as they went into the halftime break with a 4-0 lead. On a windy and cold night, the visitors, used to the warm Florida weather raced into the locker room.

In the second half, Nashville came out firing and put pressure on Kendall. United received a pair of goals from Andrew Chamberlain (60th min.) and Joe Omondi (75th min.) but ultimately Kendall would hold on to win 4-2 to secure the club’s first-ever trip to the US Open Cup.