In a rematch of last year’s first round matchup that saw Greenville emerge victorious on penalty kicks, the Blues scored two late goals to get revenge and upset the Triumph 3-1 for the club’s first ever US Open Cup victory.
On a chilly night in Asheville, the Blues started off hot–producing multiple half-chances, including a Ben Assane Fall shot from a tight angle on the right side of the box in the 12th minute that Greenville keeper Seth Torman caught cleanly.
However, a minute later the Blues finally broke through for their first US Open Cup goal in club history. Rai Pinto shuttled the ball from the midfield area into the attacking third on the right flank before playing a nifty one-two with Assane that set Pinto up with time and space inside the box. Pinto squared it to Evan Southern who carefully tucked his first time finish inside the far post to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.
Five minutes later, a Blues foul just outside of the box on the left side handed the Triumph a free kick opportunity from a dangerous position. Devon Boyce stepped up to take the kick and struck a rocket that flew into the upper right corner to bring Greenville back to level terms.
In the 33rd minute, the Blues threatened once again. Assane received a feed on the right flank and darted toward the endline before his cross attempt was deflected out for a corner kick. The ensuing corner found Johnny Fenwick’s head at the back post but his attempt popped just over the crossbar. A couple of smaller chances went both ways in the remainder of the first half but the match entered the break all squared at one.
After the Triumph defense thwarted a breakaway chance by Southern less than a minute after the restart, the Blues manufactured their best chance since the opener just two minutes later. Southern carried the ball into the box and sent a through ball toward the back post that was just a tick too fast for a sliding Tresor Mbuyu to get a foot to as the ball rolled out for a Greenville goal kick.
Most of the half rolled by with no immense danger at either end as the game looked earmarked for penalties once again. Then, in the 82nd minute, Assane found himself in space on the right flank and sent a beautiful ball over to substitute Ashton Bilow at the back post who directed the ball into the back of the net to put the Blues back in front.
The Blues defended hard throughout the remainder of the match before Assane dealt the Triumph a knockout blow with the last kick of the game in the 9th minute of stoppage time. Greenville took a quick goal kick to their centerback while Assane was still on the ground after a physical challenge. While he rose to his feet, the Triumph player took too heavy of a touch that Assane pounced on before calmly placing his finish past Torman to put an exclamation point on a 3-1 Blues victory.
Ben Assane Fall was awarded the Wicked Pie Player of the Match award for his efforts on the night.
The Blues will now await the draw to reveal their opponent for the second round of the USOC. The second round matches will take place from March 31st to April 1st.
The Blues kick off their USL League Two campaign on the road against league newcomer Appalachian FC on May 13th. They return home to Greenwood Field with the Women’s team on May 16th as part of a doubleheader with the first match kicking off at 3:30. You can buy season tickets here.
