Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

Orlando City SC

2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Adam Grinwis of Orlando City SC voted TheCup.us Player of the Round

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Adam Grinwis of Orlando City SC celebrates in front of the club's fans after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC
Adam Grinwis of Orlando City SC celebrates in front of the club’s fans after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC

On several occasions over the years, the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup has given players an opportunity to prove themselves in a pressure situation. In the US Open Cup’s single-elimination format, one mistake can send you home. And with nearly every tournament game taking place midweek, teams are often managing their roster in between weekend league games, giving reserve players a chance to shine.

Orlando City SC backup goalkeeper Adam Grinwis got his chance to shine for the Major League Soccer side in the club’s quarterfinal match against New York City FC on July 10. Orlando City finished with a 1-1 draw, with Grinwis making three saves over 120 minutes. Then, in the penalty kick shootout, Orlando won 5-4 with Grinwis making two saves to send City to the Semifinals for the first time in club history.

Michigan Bucks GK Adam Grinwis makes a dramatic save in the 86th minute off a Pittsburgh Riverhounds corner kick. The Bucks would later score a 90th minute penalty kick to upset the Riverhounds 1-0. Photo: Michigan Bucks
Michigan Bucks GK Adam Grinwis makes a dramatic save in the 86th minute off a Pittsburgh Riverhounds corner kick. The Bucks would later score a 90th minute penalty kick to upset the Riverhounds 1-0. Photo: Michigan Bucks

For his efforts, Grinwis was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round. The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team. Grinwis beat out Angelo Rodriguez of Minnesota United FC for the award. Rodriguez scored a first half hat trick in a 6-1 home win over New Mexico United (USL Championship). Defender Larrys Mabiala of the Portland Timbers (MLS), who anchored a defensive unit that shut out MLS’ best team in a 1-0 road win vs. LAFC, also received strong support.

Grinwis was still in college at the University of Michigan when he started adding to his US Open Cup resume. The Ada, Mich. native spent three summers playing for the Michigan Bucks (now Flint City Bucks), where he was named the league’s 2012 Goalkeeper of the Year, 2012 Rookie of the Year and the MVP of the 2014 PDL championship game as he led the Bucks to the title.

As a college player playing in the Premier Development League (now USL League Two), he was able to get experience playing against pro teams in the US Open Cup. The Bucks qualified for the tournament in all three years, and his shining moment came when he started all four games of the Bucks’ run to the Fourth Round in 2012. After back-to-back shutouts over Jersey Shore Boca (USASA) and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL Pro), the Bucks pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the Modern Era (1995-present).

Playing at home in their indoor stadium at the Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich., the Bucks scored a 93rd minute goal by Nermin Crnkic and held on to upset the Chicago Fire of MLS, who were the previous year’s runner-up. Grinwis made seven saves that day and was a finalist for TheCup.us Player of the Round.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Grinwis’ performance at Michigan, where he was a two-time All-Big Ten selection, and his accomplishments with the Bucks earned him his first pro contract with the Rochester Rhinos (USL). He would earn another Open Cup shutout with a 1-0 win over the NPSL’s Greater Binghamton FC, then would spend a season with Saint Louis FC (he would be in goal for the Chicago Fire’s 1-0 win over Saint Louis in the Open Cup), before signing with Orlando City prior to the 2018 season.

Grinwis would make five starts during the 2018 season, showing some flashes of brilliance, including a clean sheet in his MLS debut, a scoreless draw against the Houston Dynamo on Sept. 22, 2018.

The Open Cup has been Grinwis’ only playing time this season, starting all three games of Orlando’s cup run. He made three saves in his season debut in the team’s 3-1 Fourth Round road win against Memphis 901 FC (USL Championship). Grinwis followed that up with a 2-1 extra time win at home over the New England Revolution, where he only had to make two saves in 120 minutes of work.

2019 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners
Round 1: Charles Boateng (Richmond Kickers, USL-1)
Round 2: Bryant Martin (Florida Soccer Soldiers, USASA)
Round 3: Blake Frischknecht (Orange County FC, NPSL)
Round 4: Teal Bunbury (New England Revolution, MLS)
Round 5: Sam Fink (Saint Louis FC, USL-C)
Quarterfinals: Adam Grinwis (Orlando City SC, MLS)

2019 US Open Cup Semifinals Preview: Atlanta United, Orlando City both seek first title game appearance tonight

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Graphic by Dallas Kreil | IG: @dak_design
Graphic by Dallas Kreil | IG: @dak_design

The first of two games of the Semifinals of the 2019 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup kick off on Tuesday night with Orlando City SC hosting Atlanta United FC. On Wednesday, Minnesota United FC will host the Portland Timbers (8 p.m. ET) to round out a semifinal round featuring four teams that have never won the US Open Cup. This marks just the 10th time in the 106-year history of the tournament where the entire final four has never reached the Final.

The winners will advance to the championship game which will take place on Aug. 27. If Atlanta advances, they will host the winner of Minnesota and Portland. Minnesota United will only host the title game if they advance and Orlando City defeats Atlanta. Orlando City can only host the Final if they advance and Portland defeats Minnesota.

Both Semifinals will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Since 2003, fans who wanted to follow the opening round of the second-oldest, continually-operating soccer tournament in the world, would have to rely on updates from this site, or, in later years, the occasional live audio or video stream. Now, fans who are unable to attend a match in person, can watch every game from the comfort of their home, or through their favorite mobile device.

Below is a preview of the Atlanta / Orlando game (with links to live video and other US Open Cup coverage):

#USOC2019 ESSENTIALS
2019 US Open Cup Schedule/Results (with links to every match report)
2019 US Open Cup statistical leaders (Goals, Assists, GKs)
2019 US Open Cup bracket (TheCup.us)

USSF announces hosts for 2019 US Open Cup Semifinals, hosting priority for 2019 Final

2019 US Open Cup Round 1: Game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Round 2: Game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Round 3: Game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Round 4: Game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Round of 16: Game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Game-by-game review

Appreciate what we do? Help improve our coverage by joining TheCup.us Patreon team!

VISIT THECUP.US STORE

NPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference adds matches to end of regular season to try to make 4 of 5 teams 2020 US Open Cup eligible
Every US Open Cup game to stream on ESPN+ in multi-year media rights deal

THECUP.US PLAYER OF THE ROUND
Round 1: Charles Boateng – Richmond Kickers
Round 2: Bryant Martin – Florida Soccer Soldiers
Round 3: Blake Frischknecht – Orange County FC
Round 4: Teal Bunbury – New England Revolution
Round of 16: Sam Fink – Saint Louis FC
Quarterfinals: Adam Grinwis – Orlando City SC

#USOC2020 QUALIFYING
Newtown Pride FC win first Amateur Cup title, qualify for 2020 US Open Cup
Which USL League Two teams could qualify for 2020 US Open Cup?

#USOC2019 QUALIFYING
2019 US Open Cup qualifying schedule/results
2019 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1 game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 2 game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 3 game-by-game review
2019 US Open Cup Qualifying Final Round game-by-game review
Florida Soccer Soldiers qualify for first time after America SC withdraws
More pros, less amateurs, an extra sub in 2019 US Open Cup format
Chattanooga FC qualifies for 2019 US Open Cup, but opts out
Bavarian SC qualify for 2019 US Open Cup by winning Amateur Cup title

MEET THE UNDERDOGS SERIES
Milwaukee’s Bavarian Soccer Club, proudly amateur since 1929
West Chester United battle tested from long journey back to US Open Cup
NTX Rayados grooming “new generation” to keep qualifying streak going
Academica SC earns first US Open Cup berth after more than 40 years as a club
FC Denver using US Open Cup to build to “higher level”
First year Florida Soccer Soldiers winning with “respect, pride and commitment”

Atlanta United FC (MLS) at Orlando City SC (MLS)
Exploria Stadium – Orlando, FL
Kickoff: August 6 – 7:30 p.m. ET
BROADCAST: ESPN+

 

Players from Atlanta United celebrate a goal against Saint Louis FC in the Quarterfinals of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Karl L. Moore | Atlanta United
Players from Atlanta United celebrate a goal against Saint Louis FC in the Quarterfinals of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Karl L. Moore | Atlanta United

Orlando City SC has never managed to beat rival Atlanta United in seven previous matches. With a chance to play for its first trophy on the line, its eighth matchup against the club from Georgia may have the most meaning to date.

Orlando and Atlanta square off in the first of two U.S. Open Cup semifinals on Tuesday evening at 7:30 at Exploria Stadium. The winner advances to its first-ever Open Cup Final, where it will face the winner of Wednesday’s Portland Timbers/Minnesota United contest on either August 27 or 28.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Orlando City’s road to the Semifinals began with a 3-1 win at USL Championship side Memphis 901 behind second-half goals by Sacha Kljestan and Robin Jansson to break a 1-1 deadlock. That was followed by a 2-1 home win against the New England Revolution on June 19 on a pair of extra time goals by Benji Michel and Tesho Akindele, before drawing NYCFC 1-1 on July 10 and advancing behind a stirring 5-4 penalty shootout.

Atlanta United was paired up with the Charleston Battery for the third straight year in the Fourth Round, but after weather forced the match from South Carolina to Georgia, it ended up winning a closed-door game 3-1 thanks to two extra-time goals by Brandon Vazquez. Five days later, Vazquez registered another brace as Atlanta took down the Columbus Crew 3-2 on June 18. It punched its ticket to the semifinal on July 10 as Pity Martinez’s 52nd-minute goal stood as the game winner in a 2-0 victory over second-division Saint Louis FC.

RECENT FORM

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

While things have been solid at home for Atlanta United, its play away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium has caused fans the most concern. It has dropped six of its last seven on the road across all competitions, allowing 14 goals in its last four away games. On Saturday, Atlanta made MLS history by breaking their own regular season attendance record (72,548) with a 3-0 win over the LA Galaxy. With the win, United sits in second place in the Eastern Conference, and in third place in the overall league standings. Safe to say that if Atlanta gets past Orlando and hosts the US Open Cup Final, the tournament’s all-time attendance record of 41,012 (that Atlanta set last year) would likely be in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, Orlando City is 5-6-1 at Exploria Stadium but have won three of its last four at the venue in all competitions. After last Saturday’s 2-0 home win over FC Dallas, the Lions snapped a three-game winless streak (0-2-1). City now find themselves in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, four points shy of the last playoff spot.

PAST MEETINGS

This is the second time Atlanta and Orlando will meet this season, with Atlanta winning the first meeting 1-0 on May 12 through Pity Martinez’s first MLS goal. The Five Stripes lead the all-time series 5-0-2 and have won the last four meetings by a combined score of 9-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Players from Orlando City SC celebrate after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC
Players from Orlando City SC celebrate after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC

Brandon Vazquez, Atlanta’s all-time leader in US Open Cup goals (6), has a team-leading four goals in this year’s competition, which ranks second in the Golden Boot race. However, Vazquez has been ruled out of Tuesday’s match. Meanwhile, Orlando City has seen its scoring spread out a bit more in this year’s tournament, with Sacha Kljestan’s two goals in the win against Memphis leading the team. Four other players – Tesho Akindele, Robin Jansson, Benji Michel and Chris Mueller – have found the net.

Atlanta can be encouraged by the fact that several key members of its attack are slowly starting to return to health. Ezequiel Barco, who sustained an injury to his knee in the match against the Crew, played 31 minutes off the bench at LAFC on July 26 and played just over an hour in his return to Frank de Boer’s starting XI in a 3-0 win against the LA Galaxy on Saturday. Tito Villalba, who has not played since May 19, cracked the matchday 18 on Saturday and could be up for some minutes on Tuesday. The biggest name for Atlanta, though, will be Josef Martinez, who was with Venezuela at the Copa America during the first two Open Cup matches but scored a late penalty against Saint Louis FC in the Quarterfinals. His last trip to Orlando? Aug. 25, 2018, when he broke the MLS single-season scoring record with his 28th goal. Martinez, however, there are indications that the reigning MLS MVP may not be traveling with the team to Orlando.  

On the other side of the field, Orlando City have a relatively clean bill of health and could have both Cristian Higuita and Will Johnson available to them on Tuesday. Nani and Tesho Akindele, who have scored eight goals each in MLS play, have a goal and assist between them during the Open Cup. A big question will be who Orlando sends out as goalkeeper on Tuesday. Adam Grinwis, the reigning TheCup.us Player of the Round winner for his performance in the Lions’ penalty shootout win over NYCFC in the Quarterfinals, has started all three US Open Cup matches so far, but has yet to make an appearance in league play. He may get the call over regular starter Brian Rowe.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP
Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

 

 

US OPEN CUP HISTORY

 

Atlanta United FC (MLS)
3rd US Open Cup appearance
Overall: 5-2-0
Away: 1-1-0
vs. MLS: 1-1-0
Best finish: Fifth Round (2017, 2018)

Orlando City SC (MLS)
11th US Open Cup appearance (5th as MLS team)
Overall: 17-10-3 (3-0 PK) | 5-4-3 (3-0 PK) as MLS team
Home: 11-3-1 (1-0 PK) | 2-2-1 (1-0 PK) as MLS team
vs. MLS: 4-8-2 (2-0 PK) | 2-2-2 (2-0 PK) as MLS team
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2013*, 2015, 2018)
* as USL PRO team (Div. 3 pro)

Both teams are in uncharted territory this year. Atlanta had never advanced past the Fifth Round of the competition in two previous tries, while Orlando City’s best showings were three trips to the Quarterfinals which ended in losses to the Philadelphia Union in 2018, the Chicago Fire in 2015, and again against the Fire in 2013 when they were a member of the USL Pro (Div. 3).

Atlanta United, who had their US Open Cup runs end in the Round of 16 in each of their first two seasons, have broken through to the Semifinals. The state of Georgia has never had a team lift the US Open Cup trophy in the 106-year history of the tournament. In fact, United are the first Georgia club to reach the final four in 38 years. Only two teams from the Peach State have reached the Semis: Atlanta Wolves were the first in 1980, followed by Datagraphic in 1981.

While this is the first trip to the final four for Orlando City, the club has been very competitive in the tournament dating back to their days in the USL. In the team’s 11 trips to the Open Cup, beginning in 2009 when they were the Austin Aztex in the USL First Division, they have only had one cup run end in a one-and-done situation (In 2017, they were upset by the NASL’s Miami FC). In their first six years as a USL team, they amassed a very respectable 12-6-0 record with two MLS scalps to their credit (both in 2013 vs. Colorado Rapids and defending champion Sporting Kansas City)

Orlando’s home state of Florida has not had a wealth of Open Cup success. Florida didn’t see a team reach the Semifinals until the Clearwater Chargers of the Florida Suncoast Soccer League reached the final four in 1979. Since then, the Kickers from St. Petersburg, Fla. (under a few different names) reached the Semifinals but failed to reach the Final in 1984, 1993 and famously in 1994. In 1994, the team forfeited their Semifinal match because several members of the team had purchased World Cup tickets months in advance. The Kickers’ one breakthrough came in 1989 when they eliminated Chicago’s AAC Eagles in penalty kicks before denying the New York Greek American Atlas a record-tying fifth championship with a 2-1 extra time win in Saint Louis. That 1989 team remains the only team from the Sunshine State to lift the trophy. The last Florida team to reach the Semifinals was the now-defunct Miami Fusion of MLS, who lost to the Chicago Fire in the 2000 championship game.

Josh Hakala also contributed to this report

2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Adam Grinwis’ PK heroics send Orlando City past NYCFC, into Semis for first time

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Adam Grinwis of Orlando City SC celebrates in front of the club's fans after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC
Adam Grinwis of Orlando City SC celebrates in front of the club’s fans after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC

Orlando City advanced to their first Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Semifinal Wednesday night, defeating New York City FC in penalties in front of a rowdy 7,227 in attendance on a steamy night at Exploria Stadium.

One of two all-MLS Open Cup Quarterfinals, the matchup lived up to the billing as both teams fielded strong lineups and played a rollicking, back and forth, tense game that featured stark momentum changes, chaotic goals and last-minute heroism.

In the end, James O’Connor’s side won the day, thanks to an incredible- perhaps unlikely- star turn from goalkeeper Adam Grinwis, who made three vital saves in 120 minutes, controlled his area well and parried away two NYCFC penalties to secure the victory in spot kicks.

The match was a credit to the character of both teams, who entered the game playing on short rest, having struggled through Sunday league fixtures. Orlando City also suffered through a travel delay that pushed their return to Florida back a day, further limiting their rest ahead of this crucial quarterfinal.

O’Connor was pleased none of those hardships became an excuse, and even more proud of how his team found a result despite surrendering a heart wrenching late equalizer in regular time.

“We’ve talked about culture and having a next man up mentality. We’ve tried to build that from preseason, to get a level of trust and commitment in our performances,” O Connor said after the game. “The difference this year has been noticeable and we saw it matter tonight. It’s a special night for our club and we should savor it.”

“Being on the field at the end of the game, seeing the joy it brought to the crowd, that was amazing,” Chris Mueller said after the win. “We want to bring the first trophy to Orlando, that’s the mentality. But we’re going to enjoy this right now, making the first semifinal in club history. It’s a big moment.”

Early on, it didn’t look as if it would be Orlando’s night.

Despite the questions about fitness- or perhaps because of them– NYCFC seized the initiative early. The Pigeons dominated possession for the first twenty minutes, winning nearly every second ball and pinning Orlando City deep with terrific pressure from their wingbacks.

The hard work nearly paid off just under the ten-minute mark.

A searing run down the left flank by Ronald Matarrita saw the Costa Rican international latch onto a well-placed diagonal and fire a strong effort just wide of the far post from just inside the left edge of the eighteen.

Players from Orlando City SC celebrate after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC
Players from Orlando City SC celebrate after a 5-4 PK win over NYCFC in the 2019 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC

Minutes later, Matarrita was again the source of NYCFC’s danger, pumping in a lovely ball that found the head of Maxime Chanot, who placed his header well only to be denied on a spectacular leaping save from Orlando City goalkeeper Adam Grinwis.

The hosts managed the early scares and came into the game late in the first half, nearly taking the lead themselves after a corner, when Nani played a strong cross to Sebastián Méndez, only to see the Ecuadorian strangely decide to hit the ball one-time and well-wide. Nevertheless, it was a statement of intent from the Lions that they didn’t plan on going quietly into the humid central Florida night.

Orlando City controlled the early stages of the second half. First, Chris Mueller made a sharp run through NYCFC’s center, only to be denied a shot on goal by a swarming Pigeons defense. Minutes later, it was Nani probing the NYCFC defense, playing a slicing ball to Kyle Smith whose ensuing cross just missed the extended leg of Mueller.

The early second half purple and gold onslaught wasn’t over, either.

After a corner, Nani’s effort was deflected but crossed again by Mueller, only to see a terrific effort Will Johnson miss just high and right. Next, it was Sacha Kljestan’s turn to nearly breakthrough as the veteran beat his defender with a tidy pirouette only to be denied a shot on frame by a timely Alexander Ring challenge.

A Juan Torres injury gave the Blues a moment to collect themselves at the hour mark, but the respite was only brief. After the restart, Nani latched onto a ball on the left flank and scorched his defender on the incut, slicing an inch perfect cross to an unmarked Chris Mueller at the far right post. Mueller’s head did the rest, easily beating Brad Stuver, who could do little beyond hopelessly appeal for offside.

Mueller has had a special year for Orlando, but O’Connor, predictably, saw a team effort.

“(Mueller) is an exciting young attacking player, one who plays with great composure. He took the header well, fantastic ball from Nani and all he had to do was place it. But credit Tesho for getting back onside- a testament to his character and intelligence. We made a number of good plays to score a good goal.”

Domènec Torrent went to his bench shortly after the Orlando goal, calling on Benfica loanee and US U-23 prospect Keaton Parks off the bench to try to stabilize the NYCFC left flank. Defensively, it worked, with Parks tucking centrally to solidify the spaces being exploited by Mueller, Méndez, and Kljestan. Offensively, however, the Pigeons lacked a creative spark outside of the existential threat created by their wingbacks.

Tempers flared late as late NYCFC substitute Valentin Castellanos put in a hard, late tackle on Orlando’s Robin Jannsson in the 83rd minute, earning a yellow card and jeers from the Orlando City Wall for his efforts. Torrent may have seen that moment as a sign of life for his side, and Castellanos nearly leveled proceedings two minutes afterward on a headed cross from Jesús Medina, only to see Grinwis beat him to the ball.

Less than two minutes later, Parks exploded through the channel with only one defender to beat, but took too heavy a touch and lost the ball– another chance to level squandered.

The Pigeons, however, would get one more glorious chance late in stoppage time- and this time, they would take it. Maxi Moralez, fresh off being named MLS Player of the Month in June, got a toe to the end of a 50/50 in a congested scramble in the eighteen, clipping the ball just past Adam Grinwis and two Orlando defenders to level proceedings at one and send what had been a jubilant home crowd into agonized disbelief.

In extra time, Orlando was happy to sit deep, defend and wait for penalties, rarely seeing the ball and not hurling bodies forward when they did. For the most part, it worked, though NYCFC nearly found a winner in the 112th minute when Jesus Medina played Castellanos through and the young Argentine’s well-struck, curling effort was parried away by the extended arms of Grinwis. That would be the best chance for either side in extra time, as the game headed to penalties knotted at one goal apiece.

In penalties, as Orlando supporters on the “Wall Side” raced from one side of the stadium to the other to cheer on their Lions.

O’Connor said that was a sight to see.

“To see them- bumrush their way over there or whatever you want to call it- was incredible. I’m so thankful for them. It provided us an immense lift and put us in the right frame of mind to win in penalties,” O’Connor said.

The Lions shot first, with Tesho Akindele burying the kick in the left corner and saluting the fans who made the trek. Alexander Ring was denied by Grinwis on the NYCFC opener, sending the LIons faithful into rapture. Their joy was short lived, as moments later, Dom Dwyer’s meek effort was saved by Brad Stuver and after NYCFC’s Anton Timmerholm connected, proceedings were again level. They would remain that way until the sixth penalty taker, when once again, Grinwis would come up huge for the purple and gold. Maxime Chanot stepped up and Grinwis read the penalty properly, punching the hard and low penalty away to send Orlando City to the semifinals.

“As a goalkeeper, those are the situations you dream of,” Grinwis said. “Growing up, you play penalty shootouts with friends and you want to be the hero. Usually, if you’re the goalkeeper, the idea is to not be noticed. But the team fought hard for 120 minutes, and I was just glad to come up big for them at the end too. I’m still trying to figure out where I am and what’s going on. It was surreal.”

It won’t get any easier for the Lions, who will face Atlanta United in the Semifinals, a club they’ve never defeated in a game of soccer. But for a club that has never won a trophy- indeed, never made a MLS Playoff appearance– this deep Open Cup run is a well-deserved gift to a tremendous and patient fanbase, and one Orlando City doesn’t want to end any time soon.

2019 US Open Cup Round of 16: Orlando City back in Quarterfinals after OT win over New England Revolution

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Benji Michel of Orlando City celebrates after scoring a goal against the New England Revolution in a Round of 16 match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC
Benji Michel of Orlando City celebrates after scoring a goal against the New England Revolution in a Round of 16 match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Orlando City SC

Orlando City SC and the New England Revolution, both struggling teams from Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, met at Exploria Stadium in Orlando Wednesday night, with each club fielding strong starting elevens. It was a signal that each side hoped to use a deep Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run to wash away the sting of disappointing seasons in MLS. The game was the first game played in Orlando under the name Exploria Stadium, formerly known as Orlando City Stadium.

In the end, Orlando City vanquished Bruce Arena’s New England Revolution 2-1 in extra time on goals from rookie Benji Michel and Canadian international Tesho Akindele.

“It was an outstanding effort,” Orlando City head coach James O’Connor said after the win. “We can be immensely proud of all the players, and I think our fans will certainly appreciate the level of fight and commitment from all the players. It’s fantastic to get through and have the opportunity to play at home and play for something bigger.”

For the first ninety minutes, the game was largely a listless stalemate.

“I thought both teams did a great job of canceling each other out for much of the game,” O’Connor said.

Certainly, both clubs tried to seize the early initiative, with the best attacking moments of an otherwise choppy, stolid first half coming in the game’s first ten minutes.

First, New England had a marvelous chance three minutes in when Teal Bunbury latched onto a pass from Carles Gil in space, only to push a decent effort just wide of the right post.

Minutes later, it was the hosts turn, with a clever late run from Cristian Higuita onto a probing ball from Tesho Akindele forcing New England goalkeeper Matt Turner into a nice save.

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Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

The game tightened after those early chances, with the clubs looking very much the part of teams that had enjoyed a Gold Cup weekend away. Orlando City did control tempo and flow, but failed to produce quality first-half chances despite the lion’s share of possession. The purple and gold’s best chance likely came in the 37th minute, when Santiago Patiño, who was active throughout, sailed an unmarked volley high and wide off a corner kick in the 37th minute.

Beyond that, the only truly memorable moment in the opening 45 came when longtime Lion Cristian Higuita left the game in tears with what appeared to be a serious injury. Higuita was met with a roaring ovation and hugs from teammates, a sign of the respect he’s earned in Orlando and a sign of what his presence means in the locker room.

In the second half, it was the visiting Revolution who seized control early. Five minutes into the half, Carles Gil played a slicing ball to the speedy Cristian Penilla in space but the diminutive winger’s shot went harmlessly wide of the target, despite little pressure from a late closing Lamine Sané.

Ten minutes later, the Revolution again nearly found the breakthrough, after a darting run by Juan Agudelo again freed Penilla up in space. Only a spectacular, lunging challenge from Orlando City’s Dillion Powers kept the Ecuadorian from putting the visitors out in front.

Minutes later, Penilla would miss an even better chance for New England, whiffing on a sitter from three yards with the Brazilian defender Ruan hopelessly a step behind.

In a sign of what the game meant to both teams, each manager turned to offensive firepower off the bench after the hour mark. First, O’Connor brought on Portuguse superstar Nani in the 65th minute, replacing Patino. Arena countered with Colombian Juan Caicedo minutes later, for Pinella.

It was Caicedo who made the larger impact, at least initially. First, his flick onto Teal Bunbury forced a great save by Lions keeper Adam Grinwis on a backheel in the 74th minute. Minutes later, Caicedo fired brilliantly from distance, beating Grinwis, only to be cruelly turned away by the woodwork. The woodwork deflection fell towards Bunbury, who was in a great position, but the former Hermann Trophy winner’s rebound was mishit wide, leaving Orlando City to fight on with the game level.

Orlando City would have golden chances of their own late.

In the 86th minute, Tesho Akindele made a slalom run through the channel and fired off a powerful strike that beat Turner, only to hit the post, with the woodwork unkind. Dillon Powers fired a shot across his body minutes after that, with Matt Turner making a strong, lunging save to keep the game level. The game headed to extra time moments later.

Early in extra time, the hosts finally made the breakthrough.

Orlando City and the New England Revolution square off in a Round of 16 match in the 2019 US Open Cup at the newly-renamed Exploria Stadium in Orlando. Photo: Neil Blackmon
Orlando City and the New England Revolution square off in a Round of 16 match in the 2019 US Open Cup at the newly-renamed Exploria Stadium in Orlando. Photo: Neil Blackmon

João Moutinho’s overlapping run led to a low cross whipped in a cross from the left flank, which fell to midfielder Carlos Ascues. The first shot was parried away by Turner, but fell back towards Benji Michel, who had come on for Chris Mueller in the 81st minute.

Michel, a 21-year-old MLS homegrown player who grew up in the Orlando area, tapped home, scoring an immense goal for Orlando City- and his first professional goal in the process.

For Michel, it was a dream come true.

“To score my first professional goal, for my hometown club, in front of these fans, was an amazing feeling,” Michel said. “You dream about your first professional goal but to do it in that moment, it’s incredible.”

O’Connor was thrilled with the performance of the homegrown talent, and not just in attack.

“(Michel) scored the goal, and that showed fantastic composure. But what I was pleased with was he tracked back late in the game and made a fantastic tackle and interception in our penalty area,” O’Connor said. “It’s easy to be complacent when you score a goal, but Benji didn’t do that. He tracked back and made a play that impacts winning that you don’t often see in a young player.”

The Lions would add to their lead only five minutes later. With New England pressing for an equalizer, Orlando City won a fifty-fifty ball in midfield and pressed forward on the counter, with Sacha Kljestan winning a free kick on the left. On the restart, Tesho Akindele took a touch near the top of the box and, dribbling into the area, clipped an effort towards goal. While Akindele didn’t get much on the shot, it took a wicked deflection and trickled past an off-balance Matt Turner’s near post anyway, providing the Lions with a 2-0 lead.

As it turned out, Orlando City would need the insurance.

Late in the second extra time period, Carles Gil, dangerous all night, made a darting run down the flank and crossed to another MLS homegrown product, the late running Justin Rennicks. Rennicks, fresh off a terrific Under-20 World Cup for the United States, greeted the cross with a clinical header and scored his first professional goal to cut Orlando City’s lead to one.

New England would almost equalize twice in stoppage time.

First, Diego Fagundez whipped in a cross and Caicedo beat his defender to the spot, only to see his header glance just wide of an outstretched Grinwis. Then, in the dying moments of the game, with New England hurling bodies forward following a last gasp corner and with chaos in the box, Orlando City defender Sané somehow managed to see- and deflect- a low, driven effort from Caicedo that would have surely sent proceedings to penalties.

The victory assures that Orlando City will host a quarterfinal against their expansion brother NYCFC at Exploria Stadium on July 10, and with that opportunity, the Lions will have the chance to advance further in the Open Cup than the club has in its history. This will be the second year in a row that Orlando as reached the Rough of Eight, and the fourth time in club history.

For Orlando City, the sense is that this year might be the year for a semifinals breakthrough and perhaps, even more.

“We showed a lot of character in this game,” Grinwis said after the game. “(O’Connor) arrived for preseason and he insisted and we wanted to flip the script about the expectations around here, to give something to the fans. We showed it today, that this team has great character and togetherness and the connection this year is special and different.”

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. 

2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals review: Protest drama, Chicago Fire end Louisville’s run, three first-timers advance

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2018 US Open Cup bracket through quarterfinals

When the dust settled on the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals, all four home teams were victorious, leaving just one former tournament champion and three teams seeking to lift the trophy for the first time.

The home team was victorious in all four games. The four-time US Open Cup champion Chicago Fire put an end to Louisville City’s Cinderella run. The last remaining lower division side fell out of the tournament 4-0 as the Fire move one step closer to becoming the fourth team in tournament history to win five US Open Cup titles.

Elsewhere, the Houston Dynamo advanced to the Semifinals for the third time in club history with a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City, the reigning tournament champions. The Philadelphia Union only needed an early goal by Alejandro Bedoya to defeat Orlando City SC to reach the Semis for the fourth time in the last seven years.

The last game of the evening was MLS expansion team Los Angeles FC who not only made headlines with a 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers, but made headlines after the game when the Timbers filed a protest because LAFC had used too many international players (Pro teams are limited to five on their gameday roster). Reportedly, the US Soccer Federation approved LAFC’s roster in error, but Portland eventually withdrew their protest, allowing Bob Bradley’s squad to reach the final four.

Click below for links of our coverage, a brief summary of each game and links to the full match reports:

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FULL MATCH REPORT
In a hard fought battle between two teams trying to keep their winning momentum going from MLS play. The Philadelphia Union came out on top with a 1-0 win over Orlando City SC in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Alejandro Bedoya got things going for the Union with a goal in the 4th minute after capitalizing on the rebound given from Orlando City SC goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr’s early save from a header off a corner kick by Mark McKenzie. Orlando City SC kept pushing throughout the game but couldn’t convert on their chances and saw their run in the US Open Cup come to an end. For Orlando City SC they will now focus on trying to get their season back on track and push for the MLS playoffs while the Union advance to the Semifinals for the fourth time in the last seven years as they seek to become the first Philadelphia team to win the US Open Cup since 1966.
FULL MATCH REPORT
The Chicago Fire had a dominating performance on the night with a 4-0 win over the 2017 USL Cup champion Louisville City FC. The Fire had four different goal scorers starting with a Nemanja Nikolic header that gave the Fire the lead in the 16th minute. They doubled their lead in the 32nd minute with a brilliant goal from Aleksandar Katai to give them a 2-0 lead heading into the halftime break. Later on in the match Louisville City FC defender Kyle Smith was sent off with ten minutes left and the Fire capitalized on the man advantage with two late goals from Diego Campos and Elliot Collier to seal the win. Louisville City FC ends its run in the Cup as the last lower division side remaining while for the Chicago Fire they move on to the Semifinals for the sixth time in the last eight years as the team tries to tie the all-time record with a fifth US Open Cup title.
FULL MATCH REPORT
The Houston Dynamo bounced back from an early deficit from the defending US Open Cup champions and completed a resounding 4-2 comeback win over Sporting Kansas City. Forward Johnny Russell got an early goal in the 2nd minute for Sporting Kansas City to give them an early lead but the Dynamo were patient with their chances and found the equalizer on an impressive free kick in the 35th minute with a goal from Romell Quioto to level the score. In the second half Quioto got his second goal with a shot in the 65th minute to give his side a 2-1 lead. A few minutes later, Mauro Manotas put the Dynamo up 3-1 before adding his third goal of the tournament in the 88th minute. Yohan Croizet scored a late consolation goal in stoppage time for Sporting Kansas City but in the end the Houston Dynamo did enough to knock the defending champs out of the tournament and advance to only their third semifinal appearance in club history.
FULL MATCH REPORT
Los Angeles FC continued their historic run in the 2018 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup as they hung on to defeat the Portland Timbers 3-2 which snapped Portland’s 14-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. Things got started in the 33rd minute with an own goal from David Guzman to give LAFC the 1-0 lead. Five minutes later, Carlos Vela launched a shot into the back of the net for another goal for LAFC to give them a 2-0 lead. In first half stoppage time, the Timbers pulled one back when Julio Cascante headed a shot in off a free kick from Guzman to narrow LAFC’s lead to a single goal. In the second half, Marco Urena scored his first career LAFC goal when he flicked a shot off the side of his foot in the 51st minute to give LAFC a 3-1 lead. Seconds later, Portland answered with a blast from Vytas Andriuskevicius to trim the LAFC lead 3-2 but they were unable to find the equalizer in the final half hour of the match. While an entertaining match, the majority of the headlines were produced from what happened after the game. The Timbers filed a protest because LAFC had six international players on their gameday roster, which is more than the allowed five by US Open Cup rules. Sources from LAFC claimed that the USSF had erroneously approved the roster, but before a ruling could be made by the US Open Cup Disciplinary Committee, the Timbers withdrew their protest.The Timbers’ run in the 2018 US Open Cup came to an end and for Bob Bradley and LAFC, they advance to the Semifinals in their inaugural season. LAFC are aiming to join a short list of teams to win the tournament in their inaugural season in MLS, joining D.C. United (1996), the Seattle Sounders FC (2009) and Bob Bradley’s Chicago Fire in 1998.

2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Bedoya’s early goal holds up as Philadelphia Union edge Orlando City

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Alejandro Bedoya of the Philadelphia Union celebrates his goal against Orlando City in the 2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Greg Carroccio, Philadelphia Union
Alejandro Bedoya of the Philadelphia Union celebrates his goal against Orlando City in the 2018 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Greg Carroccio, Philadelphia Union

Alejandro Bedoya scored in the fourth minute, and that is all it took for the Philadelphia Union to sneak past Orlando City SC in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals for a 1-0 victory. With the win, the Union advance to the Semifinals for the fourth time in the club’s seven US Open Cup appearances. 

The Union capitalized on some early pressure when Borek Dockal hit a short corner to Haris Medunjanin. The Bosnian midfielder crossed into the box, and Mark McKenzie put it on net. After Earl Edwards Jr. made the initial save, Bedoya headed in the rebound to give his team the lead.

“ has been playing at his highest level,” said Union head coach Jim Curtin. “He is a professional and leader as a captain. He does everything that does not show up on the stat sheet… He is playing exceptionally well.”

It was the second-fastest US Open Cup goal in Philadelphia team history, falling just short of Walter Restrepo’s 3rd minute goal in the 2012 Quarterfinals against the Harrisburg City Islanders (now Penn FC).

From that point, both teams squandered chances. Will Johnson had two great opportunities, hitting a long shot high in the 13th minute, then a point-blank header was tipped over the bar by Union goalie Andre Blake in the 37th minute.

Philadelphia also missed out on some opportunities. In total, the home side put six of its nine shots on targets, yet scoring just once. Orlando had three shots on goal with seven total shots, none of which found the back of the net.

“The first 45 was excellent. We had Orlando pinned back quite a bit,” Curtin said.

In the second half, neither team could seem to get its footing. Numerous giveaways led to a disjointed pace to the game. Despite sloppy passing, the Union did get more good shots off, including a Cory Burke shot saved in the 52nd, and a Bedoya laser parried away in the 90th.

PUOrlando City suffered from the same problem, giving the ball away just when it would move forward. Then, it struggled to get the ball back when Philadelphia wasted time in the corners in the late stages of the game.

“We gave them a bit of life to start the second half,” Curtin said. “We were organized, but not our sharpest in front of the goal. We knew that our fitness would play a big role over the course of 90 minutes.

“The last 10 minutes we looked like ourselves again, making them run and chase. It wasn’t our best night, but to win 1-0 and grind with a young back line is important.”

The win pushed the Union’s Open Cup unbeaten streak to 13 games (8-0-5, 2-3 PKs), the second-longest in the Modern Era. (NOTE: Matches that end in penalty kicks are officially listed as draws.) It was the first time Philadelphia and Orlando have met in this competition.

With the win, the Union make the Semifinals for the first time since falling in consecutive Open Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015. Orlando still has not been able to advance past the Quarterfinals, losing at that stage three times.

 

2018 US Open Cup Round 5: After lightning delay, Orlando City wins PK shootout with D.C. United

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Earl Edwards Jr. of Orlando City SC makes a save during the club's 2018 US Open Cup match against DC United. Photo: USA Today Sports Images
Earl Edwards Jr. of Orlando City SC makes a save during the club’s 2018 US Open Cup match against DC United. Photo: USA Today Sports Images

It has been a tough week for Orlando City SC. Losing their manager last week and facing a fresh stream of rumors and theories about their future the Purple Lions supporters were looking for something, anything to feel positive about. On Wednesday night at a rain-soaked Maryland SoccerPlex they seemed to have found it. Thanks to some goalkeeping wizardry by Earl Edwards Jr., and some luck in penalties, Orlando defeated D.C. United to move on to the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

For Orlando, it will be the club’s third trip to the Quarterfinals and the first since 2015.

“Cup games are always hard because it’s like a mini final and you have to play to a winner,” Lions interim head coach Bobby Murphy said. “With our guys, the change of the shape, the weather delay – there was just a lot thrown at us tonight. I thought the guys coped with it really well, even the patches in the game where we were up against it and they were on top of us. We didn’t capitulate. We dug in and held firm. They stuck together and they fought. Penalties are always a toss up so you don’t feel great about winning in penalties but you’re sure happy to move on.”

Initially it did not appear as if it would be their night in Boyds, Md. After just five minutes of play the match was delayed due to lightning. Despite a 7 p.m. kickoff time, play did not resume until around 8:30 pm forcing the teams to play deep into the night in the Maryland suburbs.

When play did resume, things started in a very grim fashion for Orlando. From the restart, D.C. United used a high press in the midfield, led by Luciano Acosta, to disorient the Orlando defense. Off of a nifty 1-2 passing combination with forward Darren Mattocks, Acosta broke free of the Orlando defense and hit his shot past Edwards to give the home side a 1-0 advantage.

United very nearly made it 2-0 when Acosta once again got past the Orlando defense. This time Edwards was up to the challenge, making the kick save to keep his side within one.

That save would come in handy as it emboldened the Orlando attack into motion. Using their advantage in size Orlando pushed their line up with midfielder Justin Meram serving as the focal point of the attack. The Iraqi international took a pass from Sacha Kljestan in the 17th minute and made a quick move towards the corner of the D.C. eighteen yard box. From there he hit a low driving effort far post that United goalkeeper Steve Clark got a handle on but was unable to keep from going into the back of the net.

In the second half, the two sides failed to capitalize on their attacking chances with both Clark and Edwards making several difficult stops to preserve the scoreline. Of the two Edwards faced the stiffest competition, making five saves to Clark’s two.

The match took a dark turn in extra-time with tempers flaring for both sides. In the 99th minute, United midfielder Chris Durkin was sent off after receiving a second yellow card, putting D.C. down to ten men. Twenty minutes later, Orlando defender Mohamed El-Munir earned the ire of the 3,358 in attendance after a challenge on Acosta and proceeding to kick the ball back at him, walking away with just a yellow card. There were several instances of players tussling and some harsh words between each other during extra time but tempers did seem to cool down towards the end of extra time.

In the penalty shootout, Orlando grabbed the lead early with goals from Will Johnson and Sacha Kljestan. A diving effort from Edwards and a failed flick from Acosta gave Orlando the 2-0 advantage. Despite D.C. pulling to within one after Jose Villarreal’s shot was saved by Clark, United were unable to close the gap.

With the shootout win, Edwards joins some select company. The former UCLA Bruin joins Tim Melia as the only goalkeepers with three or more PK shootout wins (one with PSA Elite in 2014, two with Orlando City in 2015, and Wednesday night).

With the win, Orlando gave their interim manager Bobby Murphy his first achievement since taking over for Jason Kreis last Friday. Orlando will advance to face the Philadelphia Union on the road in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup on July 18.

2018 US Open Cup Round 4: Orlando City SC ignore league form, outclass Miami United, 3-0

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USOC OCSC-MIA FINALOrlando City advanced in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in convincing fashion Wednesday night, dominating the stylish and sartorially splendid but outclassed Miami United 3-0 at Ted Hendricks Stadium.

A lively crowd of 2,721 paid to see it, including a sing-song and boisterous chorus of traveling Orlando City supporters.

Miami United had the better chances early, with early round Open Cup-hero David Ochoa troubling Orlando’s central defender pairing of Jon Spector, who was playing his first game after a month in concussion protocol, and Tony Rocha. Miami had two glorious chances in the the12th minute through Ochoa, only to see midfielder Tomas Grannito and Ochoa miss chances from 10 yards.
The game evened out after the early chances, and when David Ochoa picked up an injury around the half-hour mark, Miami United lost the valve that had pressured and pinned Orlando back throughout the early stages.

After a long spell of possession, Orlando finally broke through late in the opening half. Sacha Kljestan won a second ball in the center of the field and played a ball to Josue Colman, who switched the field to fullback RJ Allen. Allen’s cross found a surging Stefano Pinho, who tapped home from five yards to give the Lions the lead.

For Pinho, it was a well-earned goal on a night where his off-ball movement and secondary runs created havoc in the area. The Brazilian had made his star turn a year prior against Orlando City in the Open Cup.

This season, he enjoyed sending the Purple and White through to the next round.

“I have confidence in the Open Cup, but I’m a goalscorer, I always want to score,” Pinho said. “I have to be myself and prove myself every day, whether a league game or a Cup game or a practice, but to help us win in Miami in front of friends and family, it’s a great feeling.”

While Pinho is no stranger to Open Cup success, having earned Player of the Round honors during last year’s competition playing with Miami FC, Orlando City have had difficulties the last two years playing fellow Florida sides in Open Cup competition. The Lions provided the city a moment of bittersweet joy in beating Jacksonville Armada in 2016 after the tragic Pulse shooting but succumbed at home to Fort Lauderdale in the following round and lost a lopsided affair to Miami FC in 2017.

Compounding matters, Orlando also entered the match winless in nearly a month, having lost four consecutive games to league foes Atlanta United, Toronto FC, New York City FC and the Chicago Fire.

But for all the trouble the Lions have had recently and historically at home against NASL sides, they handled a turf field and a hostile road environment in Miami against a tricky NPSL side Wednesday night.

“It was a moment we needed desperately,” Orlando coach Jason Kreis said. “This was a critical result for us and hopefully it builds confidence for the future.”

Kreis also noted the respect he had for Miami United when he watched them on video, insisting that he didn’t take the Open Cup — or his team’s NPSL opponent — lightly.

“I select the team that gives my club the best chance to win the game. There’s no part of me that says the league is more important, not at all,” Kreis said. “We may have league games where we’ll rest certain players to be ready for Open Cup games, because we think we can make a deep run.”

The Lions added to their lead within the first ten minutes of the second half, when a high-pressing Mohamed El-Munir charged forward down the left flank, took a ball away and chipped out of three defenders to Sacha Kljestan. The U.S. international took one cut and played a ball across to a late-running Dillon Powers, who finished clinically to give Orlando a deserved two-goal advantage.

The third would come minutes later, off an unforced error in the back by Elisma Pierre, whose simple clearance pass was intercepted by Sacha Kljestan. The Orlando star quickly turned inside and slotted the ball to PC, who tapped home from seven yards to signal that the rout was on in Miami.

As often happens when a game gets sideways, things turned chippy late, with Orlando taking exception to Miami United putting in hard, physical tackles as they chased possession down three goals. Fortunately, referee Elvis Osmonovic kept proceedings under control, issuing a handful of cards and even ejecting a Miami United coach for a bump on Orlando’s Brazilian fullback PC. Meanwhile, Jason Kreis, fully aware of Orlando’s precarious position as they chase their first MLS Cup playoff berth, used his substitutions wisely, protecting stars like Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Spector with early substitutions as the Lions seized control.

2017 US Open Cup Round 4: Stefano Pinho’s hat trick leads Miami FC to road upset of Orlando City

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Stefano Pinho of Miami FC celebrates one of his three goals against Orlando City in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Miami FC
Stefano Pinho of Miami FC celebrates one of his three goals against Orlando City in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Miami FC

Another year, another south Florida nightmare for Orlando City in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. This time, Miami FC did the job, emerging with a convincing 3-1 victory. Stefano Pinho’s hat trick, the first in the history of the new Orlando City Stadium, paced an outstanding performance by the NASL league leaders.

Only thirty seconds into the game, Kwadwo Poku raced around a pursuing Servando Carrasco and flicked a perfect ball onto an onrushing Dylan Mares. The shot went just wide of a lunging Josh Saunders at the far post. For Orlando, so dominant at home this season, it was a moment of dire portent.

Lined up in a modified 4-3-3 with Poku playing just beneath two forwards as a pure playmaking number ten, Miami was able to use the former NYC FC man to peel defenders toward the center, creating space for Dylan Mares and Michael Lahoud to operate in the channels. The result was a plethora of chances for Miami, which outshot Orlando 10-2 in the opening 45 minutes.

Miami again threatened in the eighteenth minute, with Lahoud dancing around Victor “PC” Giro and slotting a cross to Stefano Pinho, who had beaten Leo Pereira to the ball. Stefano fired just wide, but the former NASL golden boot winner was finding space to operate against the Orlando defense.

Miami broke through at the half hour mark.

Stefano Pinho of Miami FC scored one of his three goals against Orlando City in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Miami FC
Stefano Pinho of Miami FC scored one of his three goals against Orlando City in the Fourth Round of the 2017 US Open Cup. Photo: Miami FC

Michael Lahoud took a deep pass from Richie Ryan down the right flank, put a shoulder shake on PC and slotted the ball across to Pinho, who raced just past a lunging Pereira to tap the ball in off his thighs. It was a deserved lead.

“They are usually good defensively,” Lahoud said. “They were missing Will Johnson, which would have made a difference. But I’ve watched them a lot this year, and we weren’t surprised we had space in the channels to operate. Nesta stressed being composed and I thought we were. The temptation in these types of games is to want to score every time you have the ball. You can’t do that against these teams. You have to be composed and patient.”

Miami added to the lead just six minutes later, this time after Hunter Freeman raced forward from his center half spot to put a lovely parabola of a cross towards the far post. The diminutive Pinho outjumped Spector and buried the header past an off-balance Josh Saunders to give Miami a 2-0 lead.

In the opening half, Miami were first to every 50/50 ball and won eight tackles compared to three for Orlando. By the time Luis Gil put Orlando’s first shot on frame in the 41st minute, Miami had already collected eight shots, with four on goal. Whether Orlando lacked cohesion playing with a new lineup or simply lacked interest in the affair, the Lions were thoroughly dominated in the opening half on their own field. With Orlando City playing for the first time since June 4th, and the visitors coming off a weekend road trip to Edmonton, it is difficult to imagine why Miami FC appeared to have fresher legs.

Orlando’s sluggish performance was even more stunning given the Lions fell victim to a Cupset in last year’s tournament, losing 2-1 at home to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The loss was the breaking point for Orlando City’s front office with then-manager Adrian Heath, who was fired shortly after the defeat. Looking to avoid a similar fate, manager Jason Kreis fielded a blend of youth and experience, affording opportunities to youngsters like Pierre Da Silva, Hadji Barry and Rafael Ramos but flanking them with vets Antonio Nocerino, Servando Carrasco and Jonathan Spector. Also in the eleven for the Lions? PC, who scored the winning goal for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers against Orlando City last season, and signed with Orlando this winter. But the side never appeared to find any rhythm, and the Lions were largely rudderless until the insertion of Kaka at the hour mark.

By the time the former Ballon d’Or winner entered, his side trailed 3-0, victims to another Pinho goal. The Brazilian finished his hat trick in the 55th minute when Vincenzo Renella played a slicing ball in traffic to Roberto Baggio Kcira, who had plenty of space on the flank. Baggio took a quick touch and cut the ball across to Pinho, who finished tidily in space. Giles Barnes scored a consolation goal on a set piece for Orlando in the 79th minute, but by then, Miami had nine behind the ball and was content to sit deep and clear any of Orlando’s forays into the final third.

Jason Kreis was conciliatory after the game, but visibly upset with the club’s second consecutive elimination at the hands of a NASL side from the Sunshine State.

“For me this is the most disappointing night I’ve had since I’ve been in Orlando,” said Kreis, who won the MLS Cup managing Real Salt Lake in 2009. “I take full responsibility. There are three things a coach is tasked with: we must have the players ready physically, we must have the players ready mentally, and we must have them ready tactically. We didn’t do any of that. But at the same time, we have to say Miami was clearly the better team, as difficult as that is to say. And they deserve a great deal of credit.”

Kreis was quick to compliment Miami and Nesta’s setup tactically.

“I think they did a really nice job defensively making us uncomfortable,” Kreis said. “They forced us into poor choices and were quick to catch us into transition. Poku, having worked with him, and in the games we scouted — that was the most invested I’ve ever seen him defensively. Credit their coaches.”

In the winning locker room, the mood was joyful but by no means content.

Lahoud, who was marvelous in 90 minutes for the visitors after flying 29 hours from Sierra Leone, where he played in African Cup of Nations qualifying over the weekend, said the team feels they can go on.

“I believed we would win,” he said. “We had nothing to lose. Pressure is on every MLS team that plays us. We respected Orlando, we’ll respect who we play next, but the moment won’t be too big for us. If we’re going to play in this tournament, we’ll play on our terms.”

That starts and ends with defense, according to Lahoud.

“Alessandro preaches defense and trust. Everyone has a tactical role defensively. If you close a guy down, you trust the guy behind you is covering for you. More times than not, we’re seeing that domino effect, if you cover the guy next to you, there aren’t breakdowns. It becomes interchangeable football. That’s a big thing and makes us tough defensively and as a team.”
For Miami, that toughness has meant only one loss on the season. And now it means a date in the Open Cup round of sixteen.

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