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U.S. Open Cup Second Round Match Recaps - 4.5.2023

By USLLeagueOne.com Staff, 04/05/23, 8:45PM EDT

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Follow along as nine League One clubs enter in the Second Round

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE 2-0 APPALACHIAN FC

MATTHEWS, N.C. - The Charlotte Independence advanced to the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2017 with a 2-0 victory over NPSL side Appalachian FC on Wednesday evening at the Mecklenburg County Sportsplex.

Determined to avoid a fourth consecutive U.S. Open Cup loss to an amateur opponent, Charlotte returned to Matthews with a strong starting lineup consisting of Khori Bennett, Miguel Ibarra, and Clay Dimick, among others. The Jacks dominated the match from start to finish, maintaining over 70% possession, outpassing AFC by nearly 400 and firing off 14 more shots than the visitors.

The Jacks opened the scoring in the 25th minute as Khori Bennett opened his 2023 account with a cool penalty finish. Veteran Jack and Independence captain Clay Dimick - who bagged his first professional goal on Saturday - confirmed the Charlotte victory with a 66th-minute score.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

CLT – Bennett (Penalty) 25' - WATCH
CLT – Dimick (Flanagan) 66'

LOUISVILLE CITY FC 1-0 LEXINGTON SC

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In its U.S. Open Cup debut, Lexington SC narrowly lost to in-state rival and USL Championship power Louisville City FC, 1-0. The first meeting between the Bluegrass State rivals also coincides with the first time Kentucky has had multiple active professional men's outdoor soccer teams to call its own.

In just its third match, Lexington put up a solid fight against its USL Championship opponent. Despite an even three shots on target from each side, it was Louisville that capitalized on its few chances with a Sean Totsch goal in the 69th minute to seal the victory. The win extends Louisville's all-time unbeaten mark against lower-division opponents to eight.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

LOU – Totsch (DelPiccolo) 69' - WATCH

SOUTH GEORGIA TORMENTA FC 2-1 RIO GRANDE VALLEY FC

STATESBORO, Ga. - In the first-ever U.S. Open Cup match in Statesboro, South Georgia Tormenta extended its win streak against USL Championship opposition to three as the defending League One champions bested Rio Grande Valley FC, 2-1.

Outshot 25 to four, South Georgia were largely dominated by the visiting USL Championship side on Wednesday evening, but promising play from goalkeeper Pablo Jara and Tormenta FC's ability to capitalize on its few chances helped the Ibises to victory.

New arrival John Murpy Jr. opened the scoring with an acrobatic finish while falling back in the 39th minute. RGVFC had a chance to equalize from the spot in the 69th minute, but Tormenta FC veteran Pablo Jara stood tall to save the fifth penalty of his career. A pair of late goals from South Georgia's Kingsford Adjei and Rio Grande Valley's Ricky Ruiz added excitement at the end, but South Georgia was ultimately able to hold on and advance to the Third Round for the second consecutive year.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

TRM – Murphy Jr. (Akale) 39' - WATCH
TRM – Adjei (Akoto) 82' - WATCH
RGV – Ruiz (Luna) 90+1'

LOUDOUN UNITED FC 2-1 NORTH CAROLINA FC (A.E.T.)

LEESBURG, Va. - For the second consecutive season, North Carolina FC fell to USL Championship opposition in the Second Round of the U.S. Open Cup. NCFC took Loudoun United FC to extra time before conceding a late goal just minutes before a potential penalty shootout.

Opening the scoring in the 7th minute, former New York Red Bulls forward Zach Ryan recorded his fourth goal across his first three matches in Leesburg, heading in a perfectly timed cross from Kalil ElMedkhar. The visitors struck back midway through the second half, though, as Jaden Servania scored from outside the box in the 68th minute to tally his second goal in as many Open Cup matches for NCFC.

Even at 1-1, the match went to extra time and was nearing a penalty shootout before Wesley Leggett caught NCFC on the counter attack to put Loudoun ahead in the 117th minute.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

LDN – Ryan (ElMedkhar) 7' - WATCH
NC – Servania 68'
LDN – Leggett (Zanne) 117'

CHATTANOOGA RED WOLVES SC 1-4 BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - In its third U.S. Open Cup appearance and first at CHI Memorial Stadium, a struggling Chattanooga Red Wolves SC side was defeated by USL Championship heavyweight Birmingham Legion FC. The loss marks Chattanooga's third consecutive Second Round exit.

The Red Wolves held the USL Championship's Eastern Conference leaders in check for the first 45 minutes, but former U.S. international Juan Aguedlo broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time on a simple back-post finish.

Down just one at the break, things unraveled quickly for Chattanooga. Ricardo Jerez and the Red Wolves conceded goals in the 48th and 64th minutes, even with a Legion FC ejection in the 56th minute. Red Wolves defender Aaron Lombardi scored his first Open Cup goal since finding the back of the net with San Francisco City FC in the 2018 edition of the tournament, but Birmingham quickly responded with a final goal eight minutes later.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

BHM – Agudelo (Dupont) 45+2' - WATCH
BHM – Smith 48' - WATCH
BHM – Agudelo 64' - WATCH
CHA – Lombardi 80'
BHM – Nwegbo 88' - WATCH

UNION OMAHA 2-0 EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC

OMAHA, Neb. - Picking up right where they left off, the Owls of Union Omaha grabbed their first win over a USL Championship opponent with a 2-0 victory over the visiting El Paso Locomotive FC. After becoming the first third-division side to advance to the Quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup a year ago, Omaha have now amassed five Open Cup victories - three of which have come against higher-division opposition - in just two appearances.

Omaha's big offseason signing helped the Owls to a convincing victory, as forward Steevan Dos Santos assisted Junior Palacios' opening score in the 58th minute before heading in a goal of his own to seal the match in the 75th minute. For El Paso, Locomotive FC's three Open Cup matches have ended in three losses to League One clubs.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

OMA – Palacios (Dos Santo) 58'
OMA – Dos Santos (Brito) 75'

COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS FC 1-3 NORTHERN COLORADO HAILSTORM FC (A.E.T.)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - 364 days after its first-ever match - a 1-0 Open Cup victory against Colorado Springs in extra time - Northern Colorado returned to Weidner Field and earned a 3-1 victory in extra time against its in-state, USL Championship rival. Northern Colorado's victory over Colorado Springs serves as the 10th time in league history a League One side has defeated a USL Championship opponent.

Northern Colorado controlled the tempo of the match, outshooting Colorado Springs 22 to 10 and placing eight shots on target to the Switchbacks' two. Colorado Springs found an unlikely opener, though, as Drew Skundrich perfectly executed a backheeled goal in the 82nd minute. Northern Colorado found its equalizer through a Trevor Amann header in the 88th minute.

The dagger came from Central African Republic international Donald Benamna who dove toward goal to head in the match-winning score in the 95th minute. Nearly aligning perfectly with last year's result, Benamna's extra-time winner in the 95th minute was just one minute shy of occurring at the same time as Jerry Desdunes' 96th-minute winner against the Switchbacks a year ago. After assisting the match-winning score, Marky Hernández finished off the match with a powerful goal in the 106th minute.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

COS – Skundrich (Rios) 82' - WATCH
NCO – Amann (Rogers) 88' - WATCH
NCO – Benamna (Hernández) 95' - WATCH
NCO – Hernández (Amann) 107' - WATCH

PHOENIX RISING FC 1-0 GREENVILLE TRIUMPH SC

PHOENIX - Greenville Triumph SC fell 1-0 to USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday evening in Arizona. The loss marked the first time Greenville has failed to progress to the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup since 2019.

Rising FC found its opener in the 21st minute, as Panama international Carlos Harvey rose up to head in a botched Baboucarr Njie shot attempt. Greenville had plenty of chances, but Phoenix goalkeeper Patrick Rakovsky kept all four Triumph SC on-target shots out of the net. 

SCORING SUMMARY
 

PHX – Harvey (Njie) 21' - WATCH

CENTRAL VALLEY FUEGO FC 1-3 MONTEREY BAY F.C. (A.E.T.)

FRESNO, Calif. - In the highly anticipated matchup between Central Valley Fuego FC and USL Championship's Monterey Bay F.C., Fuego FC fell in extra time, 3-1. It's the first time Central Valley has failed to progress beyond the Second Round in its second appearance in the tournament.

An even opening 90 minutes resulted in the first extra-time experience for both two-year-old clubs. Once the extra periods began, the goals started to come in quick succession for Monterey Bay. Christian Volesky and Alex Dixon teamed up for two quick MBFC goals to seemingly put the match out of reach. Fuego FC responded with a late goal in the 116th minute through Zahir Vazquez, but MBFC hit back with a late Sam Gleadle score to seal the victory on the road.

SCORING SUMMARY
 

MB – Volesky (Dixon) 97' - WATCH
MB – Dixon (Volesky) 110' - WATCH
CV – Vazquez 116'
MB – Gleadle (Dixon) 120+1'


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