In one of the first major events held in Asheville since the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Asheville City SC and Green Triumph SC met in the first round of the US Open Cup. 

The action started in the 12th minute as Greenville claimed the first threatening chance. A chipped ball was sent through that looked like it was going to get in over the Blues backline and into the center of the box but Yanis Lelin was able to rise up and head it safely back into the hands of goalkeeper Francois Djiba.

The Blues would receive their first big chance of the game in the 17th minute when Izaiah Vignali hopped on a ball on the left flank. Vignali squared it back to Simon Carlson on the edge of the box who took a dribble and unleashed a shot but it would be blocked almost immediately by a Greenville defender.

Greenville threatened again in the 24th minute and would get a low-driven shot off from the center edge of the box but Mao Wong was able to get in front of it and take enough sting off it while deflecting it out wide for Djiba to come and calmly collect it.

In the 30th minute Greenville came close to finding an opener but the near-post shot hit an Asheville City defender's leg and was deflected out into the side netting for a Greenville corner.

The 42nd minute would bring another chance about for the Triumph, as an inswinging corner kick would find the head of an unmarked teammate but the uncontested header sailed over the crossbar.

The Blues would create a chance of their own in the final minute of the first half as Carlson would lay off a slightly-overhit ball to Lelin on the left flank who was able to meet it at the touchline and send a ball across that was safely caught by Greenville’s keeper Seth Torman.

After an uneventful 10 minutes to start off the second half, the Blues would grab a chance courtesy of a Djiba long ball that would fall to Carlson. Carlson ripped one from outside of the box but Torman was equal to the shot and parried it out for a corner.

In the 67th minute the Triumph would get the best chance of the game so far when a splitting through ball beat the Asheville backline found Leo Castro on the right side. With Wong hounding him from the backside Castro dribbled the ball in and took a shot at the near-post from just inside the eighteen but Djiba was able to get his hands up to make a brilliant save.

In the 90th minute Chay Strine would take a crack from outside of the box but the attempt sailed wide and the two squads would head to extra time still scoreless.

The Blues would gather a flurry of chances starting in the 94th minute when Michael Rempel was played in out wide on the flank and sent in a dangerous cross to the near post but a Greenville defender was the first to the ball and would head it out wide.

Two minutes later after Strine won a free kick for Asheville, Carlson would send a ball in from the center of the field around 30 yards out that made its way into the mixer just inside the eighteen. The ball ricocheted off of the head of Zane Bubb and looked earmarked for the upper right corner but it flew just over the bar as the game remained level.

A minute after that Clay Obara took the ball down the right flank and sent a scorching low-driven ball across the mouth of goal but nobody was able to get on the end of it as it went out wide for a Greenville throw-in.

In the 101st minute Asheville would keep up the pressure as Rempel again received a ball on the left flank and sent it through perfectly to Lyons at the far post who was unable to turn the shot on frame.

Asheville would muster another shot on target in the 102nd minute but nothing too troubling as the teams headed into the second half of overtime still in a stalemate.

In the 109th minute Asheville kept their string of chances alive as Carlson sent a wonderful through ball behind most of the backline to Vignali setting him up in a 1-on-1 situation with a defender. Vignali carried the ball to the edge of the box on the left side and ripped a powerful shot just wide of the net.

In the 117th minute the Blues sent in a corner that was caught by an off-balance Torman who stumbled backwards once securing the ball. He held the ball out just in front of the goalline while his body had fully crossed it which brought shouts of a goal from Asheville attackers and fans but the referee ruled the ball had not crossed the line and therefore no goal.

The last chance of the game came in the 120th minute also from Asheville, as a rolling ball was sent in diagonally into the six where a lunging Lyons tried to flick it on frame but was unable to get a boot to it as the ball trickled harmlessly into Torman’s waiting hands as the match moved onto penalties.

Obara started things off with a beautiful panenka to get the crowd rowdy but Greenville seemed to answer right back every time. Hakeem Morgan and Lyons would sandwich a Torman save on a Stromsten shot before Djiba denied a Greenville penalty with a beautiful diving save to the left to knot things up ahead of the last frame. Unfortunately for Asheville, Fenwick’s blistering shot would ring off of the crossbar and Sebastian Velasquez would beat Djiba to put the Triumph through into the second round of the US Open Cup.

The Boys in Blue start their USL2 campaign on May 24th at home against USL2 newcomer Apotheos FC at 7:30 in tandem with the Women's match against Birmingham Legion WFC at 4:30 in a doubleheader. The Women in Blue begin their season on May 11th against the brand new One Knoxville USLW squad before bringing the first bit of regular season action to Greenwood Field on May 17th against Southern Soccer Academy. Single game tickets will be available for purchase shortly. However, ACSC season tickets are available now at this link.