Penalty shootouts were all the rage throughout the early portions first night of action in the 2019 U.S. Open Cup. Three of the matches were unable to find a winner after 120 minutes of play, creating quite the exciting night of action.
The Richmond Kickers started the night by blowing out Virginia United, but the rest of the eastern matches were all thrillers. FC Motown scored late to force penalties against the New York Red Bulls U-23 side, The Villages SC survived a lengthy shootout to get by the Lakeland Tropics, and the West Chester Predators took down FC Baltimore on the road in an exciting shootout in Maryland.
The late night matches featured plenty of goals, including a first half hat trick for Cal FC’s Or Barouch as part of a 5-1 win over Mulhouse Portland.
Here is a full rundown of the first night of the first round of the 2019 U.S. Open Cup:
Richmond Kickers 6-2 Virginia United FC
The Richmond Kickers of USL League One scored the blowout of the night with their 6-2 win over local qualifiers Virginia United on home soil. They were led by the goal scoring efforts of Charles Boateng, who bagged four in the victory. Next up for the Kickers is a trip to Raleigh to face North Carolina FC.
New York Red Bulls U-23 4-4 FC Motown (Red Bulls U-23 win 5-3 on penalties)
FC Motown scored in the 119th minute to level their tie with the New York Red Bulls U-23 squad at four goals each and sent it to penalties. After the two sides traded goals in the first three rounds, Red Bulls keeper Marcelin Gohier came up with a stop in the fourth round, allowing Salvatore Esposito to win it for the home team. They will face Memphis 901 FC in the second round.
FC Baltimore Christos 1-1 West Chester Predators (West Chester win 5-4 in penalties)
The West Chester Predators needed penalties to see off FC Baltimore after allowing an early lead to slip away at Johns Hopkins University. Troy Amspacher scored in the second minute for the visitors, but Baltimore leveled early in the second half through Jake Dengler.
West Chester prevailed after going Baltimore midfielder Charles Pulham skied a shot over the crossbar in the seventh round of the shootout. West Chester will travel to Alabama to face Birmingham Legion of the USL Championship in the second round.
Lakeland Tropics 1-1 The Villages SC (The Villages win 8-7 in penalties)
The Lakeland Tropics and The Villages SC couldn’t settle their differences in 90 minutes or extra time in central Florida. Raheem Taylor-Parkes scored for the Tropics to cancel out Danilo Seglio’s opener for The Villages. The two sides proceeded to go ten rounds in penalties before Sukrija Dudic won it for The Villages, sending them through to a second round date with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
South Georgia Tormenta FC 2 3-0 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
Chattanooga Red Wolves earned the dubious honor of being the only professional side to lose on the first day of the tournament. They fell to the reserve side of fellow USL League One club South Georgia Tormenta.
Jarvian Wigfall opened the scoring for Tormenta 2 in the 25th minute. Luc David Mayr-Falten and substitute Adrian Billhardt added to that in the second half to send them through to the second round. Tormenta 2 will move on to play Nashville SC on the road next week.
Milwaukee Bavarian SC 0-2 Forward Madison FC
USL League One’s Forward Madison had no trouble at all with defending U.S. Amateur Cup Champions Milwaukee Bavarian SC. Goals from Brandon Eaton and Jiro Barriga Tomaya were enough to see the professional side through away from home. The Flamingoes will make the long trek to west Texas to take on USL Championship expansion side El Paso Locomotive FC as they continue their Open Cup campaign.
Laredo Heat SC 1-0 Brazos Valley Cavalry FC
This one didn’t go to a shootout, but it was a penalty that decided the game. Laredo went in front with a 60th minute spot kick from Francois Sakou. Both sides finished the match with only ten players thanks to a pair of second yellow cards. Brazos Valley’s Ivan Leon was sent off for an aggressive challenge in the 66th minute and Jose Hincapie followed suit for Laredo ten minutes later. The Heat would hang on to advance to face San Antonio FC on the road next round.
Academica SC 1-2 El Farolito
El Farolito was able to survive going down to ten men with a two goal lead in the second half to beat Academica SC 2-1. They were ahead 2-0 at the break thanks to first half goals from Miguel Garduno and Leonardo Fredes, but they played the last 36 minutes down a man when Walter Mazzolatti was sent off with a second yellow card. Academica managed to get a 72nd minute goal from Cody Golbad, but it wasn’t enough to get through. El Farolito will host Fresno FC of the USL Championship in the second round.
Cal FC 5-1 FC Mulhouse Portland
Goals were flying off the shelves in the first half of this match. Former Chicago Fire forward Or Barouch had a hat trick before halftime for Cal FC, who carried a 4-1 lead into the second frame. Richard Menjivar added their fifth early in the second half to help Cal cruise to victory. They will head to Sin City to face the Las Vegas Lights in round two.
Orange County FC 2-0 FC Golden State Force
Orange County FC got a goal from Cody Shelton in the 28th minute and a well struck free kick tally from Aaron Lombardy in the 68th to see them through FC Golden State Force. Golden State had their opportunities late in this match, but nice saves and bad bounces kept them off the scoreboard. In one of the stranger matchups of the second round, Orange County FC stay in California and face Orange County SC of the USL Championship next week.