Lamar Hunt Open Cup – Round 2 Cupsets & Winners | OneFootball

There were a half-dozen matches that had the aroma of #cupset around them this round. Happily, some of them even came into bloom as the early spring rounds delivered on a bunch of fantastic soccer from coast-to-coast over 48 hours!

The #Cupsets

Columbus Crew 2 3 – 0 Lexington SC

We predicted three goals by Lexington; three went against Lexington. We formally eat our words with a side of mustard. It all started in the 7th minute when defender Owen Presthus drilled a low hard shot into the right netting from just outside the box. Lexington were a bit too lax in closing him down. The visitors then applied pressure but could not crack through the Crew’s defense or the woodwork, striking it multiple times. Crew’s keeper Luke Pruter also made three BIG saves to keep his sheet clean.

Monterey Bay 1 – 2 El Farolito

You can read our match report here, written in almost real time and published moments after the final whistle.

Portland Hearts of Pine 1 (4) – 1 (2) Hartford Athletic

It wasn’t as easy as their first foray against Hartford, a pre-season friendly they won 4 – 0, but Portland got the job done last night on a gray afternoon in Lewiston, Maine. But it was dramatic. Both teams combined for 34 shots, 11 on frame, and 11 corners. For the fan, it was a ribald, attacking affair. Hartford’s keeper Gerald Ngnepi kept his team alive with some acrobatic saves, and the teams entered extra time tied nil-nil.

It looked like Hartford’s fortune shifted when Portland’s primary attacking threat, Azaad Liadi, drew a second yellow for a boneheaded off-the-ball challenge in the 95th minute. Their go-ahead goal in the 106th was waved for off-sides, but they finally got their goal moments into the second extra half when Jordan Scarlett’s header from a corner kick was deemed to have crossed over the line. But in the 116th minute, Jake Keegan split through the Hartford back line chasing a hopeful longball. Keegan managed to get a touch before Ngnepi could close him, and the resulting arching shot looped into the far corner. In the ensuing shootout, Pines’ keeper Hunter Morris picked the correct side on every kick, blocking the third from Sebastian Anderson. Michee Ngalina skied the fourth PK, leaving Evan Southern to clinch the upset with his resulting blast.

Tacoma Defiance 2 – 1 Spokane Velocity FC

This was a bit of a smash-n-grab job. Tacoma came onto the pitch guns a-blazing and scored two minutes after the starting whistle with an eight-pass end-to-end combo finished by Kang Joon-Mo. That would be their only shot on frame the entire game. Spokane had some dangerous moments, with five of their shots stopped by Tacoma’s keeper Jacob Castro. Their only goal was a redirected cross from Luis Gil. In stoppage time, the

The #Closesets

These are the “we ALMOST did it” matches, in which a lower tier team got oh-so -close to the upset.

South Georgia Tormenta FC 3 – 2 Foro SC

Holy shoot but this one didn’t disappoint! With the score equal at 1 – 1 going into the 83rd minute, all signs pointed to some overtime. Then came a chaotic flurry of tackles, goals and insanity. First, Tormenta scored off a six-pass combination that started with the goalkeeper’s throw and ended with an icy-cold finish from substitute Yanis Basini in the 85th. But in the 90th, seconds after a stunning save from keeper Austin Pack, Foro’s Brayden Padilla dribbed the rebound into the box and got tripped. Obvious PK, which he converted calmly. There was chatter in YouTube comments about whether the referee blew a penalty call for Tormenta, but that was made moot by Sebastián Vives’ header into the corner in the 95th. Matches like this are special. Like, really, really special. Easily one of the better U.S. Open matches so far.

Westchester SC 3 – 2 New York Pancyprian Freedoms

Westchester’s first ever home game got off to an explosive start when Juan Carlos Obregón took a long pass from Kemar Lawrence, split the Pancyrian center backs and took it first time off the bounce and into the net. For both teams, this was their third game in eight days. That fatigue might have weighed on veteran defender Jack Sluys, who crumbled to the turf after his attempted block of a cross from Prince Saydee deflected into his own goal. Then in the 34th, a poor Pancyprian clearance landed at the feet of Daniel Bouman right in the middle of the box.  He settled the ball, then casually directed it home for the home side’s third of the night.

Inter Miami CF II 0 – 1 Miami FC

This was a tight match that was essentially decided by a single play. As such, it was a pale imitation of the other two above, but it still counts. Miami FC scored off a deflected corner, the type of goal that will keep the defeated team’s defenders up at night. At least Miami avoided the embarrassment of losing to a local rival. They have little else going their way right now.

Chattanooga FC 1 – 2 Chattanooga Red Wolves

Think folks don’t care about the Open Cup? Despite sharing the same home town, this was the first ever official competition between the two clubs from Chattanooga, and over 12,000 fans crammed into Finley Stadium to witness it. Local kid (and FC academy graduate) Omar Hernandez gave Red Wolves the lead from a dead ball in the 7th minute, FC’s Daniel Mangarov equalized off a stunning free kick in the 19th. The match settled into a stalemate after that, and moved onto the shootout. Mangarov, the dead ball hero, had the first shot. On the line was Red Wolves keeper Ricardo Jerez, who had saved his last two PK attempts. Mangarov wound up, shot to the left and… Jerez parried it with the hard hand! The remaining nine shooters would convert; that miss would hand Red Wolves the victory.

All the Rest

Charlotte Independence 2 – 1 Carolina Core FC

Charlotte’s first goal was the stuff goalkeeper nightmares are made of. Andrew Pannenburg got his pocket picked in the 2nd minute by Luis Alvarez, who then had an easy tap-in. But the Core responded a few minutes later when Joshua Rodriguez came in on the goal-face pass to blast it home. The match then settled into a nervy stalemate with the Core having the slightly better run of play but unable to capitalize. Early in stoppage, Souaibou Marou found himself one-on-one with the keeper on a tough angle. Keeping his composure, he casually lofted it over and into the net. It was a classy finish, definitely worthy of winning a game.

AV Alta 2 – 1 LAFC 2

Loudoun United FC 4 – 2 Virginia Dream FC

Greenville Triumph 1 – 3 One Knoxville

FC Naples 3 – 0 Little Rock Rangers

Forward Madison FC 1 – 3 FC Tulsa

Des Moines Menace 1 –2 Union Omaha

Ventura County FC 0 – 3 El Paso Locomotive FC