FC Cincinnati advances to U.S. Open Cup semifinal with 3-1 win vs. Pittsburgh | Replay
On a night of frequent whistles, the last one of the match signaled FC Cincinnati history.
In a tightly-officiated match Tuesday at TQL Stadium, FC Cincinnati downed Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, 3-1, in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open quarterfinal match.
The result allowed FC Cincinnati (15-1-4 overall record) to progress to its second-ever semifinal in the 110-year-old Open Cup, and its first since 2017.
The location of the Aug. 23 semifinal is still to be determined by the U.S. Soccer Federation and Open Cup officials. On Wednesday, Inter Miami CF and Birmingham Legion of the USL Championship play in the corresponding quarterfinal match to determine FCC’s opponent.
"The job is far from finished, so nothing should change in terms of how we approach these things if we want to have the same levels of success in bigger games," FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said afterward. "They're certainly a confident group, as they should be, and they've done a really good job, as I've said numerous times in this difficult stretch to be able to advance in the cup competition and also stay in a very good position in league play."
The Riverhounds enjoyed a memorable run in the competition and, as a second-tier club from the USL Championship, upset two MLS clubs but lost to Cincinnati after conceding goals for the first time in three matches.
FC Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez scored on a feed by captain Luciano Acosta in the 56th minute to five FCC the lead it needed.
The goal was Vazquez’s second in the Open Cup this season and his sixth including MLS play.
In the 71st minute, second-half substitute Alvaro Barreal smashed home a highlight-reel, left-footed volley from about 20 yards out off a corner kick by Acosta.
"It was better than other goals we've seen," Noonan deadpanned with a smile. "Wonderful finish, you know, you see just the talent that this kid has, and it's been on display in so many different ways on both sides of the ball, but you can see we've now structured certain parts of our game around putting him in position to make plays. And tonight, he scored an excellent goal with the right delivery. And so again, that goes to the preparation and the work that the staff does in getting these guys in position to make plays, but Alvaro's ability to execute is at a high level, and that was a big goal for us to get it to 2-nil."
The goal was Barreal’s third of 2023 in all competitions, and it was a reminder that he also undid the Riverhounds in the 2022 Open Cup with a two-goal performance.
FCC captain Luciano Acosta assisted on each of the first two goals on the night as he continued a strong run of form in the Cup and league play.
In second-half added time, Santiago Arias headed in his first FC Cincinnati goal for 3-0. Pittsburgh added a consolation goal quickly after the Arias tally, but the game was in-hand for FCC.
The goal was the only blemish on goalkeeper Alec Kann's night. His fourth start in the Open Cup resulted in another win as he made one save in the contest.
Collectively, FC Cincinnati's biggest concerns were related to officiating decisions on the night that will follow it into the semifinal match.
Of the three yellow cards issues to FCC players, Obinna Nwobodo and Dominique Badji received their second yellow's of the tournament, leaving them one shy of a suspension if Cincinnati were to advance to the championship match.
But Cincinnati won't concern itself too much with semifinal-related issues as the game is 72 days away as of Wednesday.
*** ***
Off to the semifinal
FC Cincinnati wins, 2-0, and will play in the Open Cup semifinal for the second time in club history. Obviously, we’ll have to wait for Wednesday Inter Miami CF-Birmingham Legon game to see who the opponent it. The location of the semifinal will be determined by a U.S. Soccer Federation draw, too.
In the meantime, FC Cincinnati can savor its progression to the semi, an uncommon feat.
Cincinnati is 15-1-4 across all competitions in 2023. That’s a lot of winning, and especially when you consider the frequency of the matches over the last five weeks.
Take a bow, Alvaro Barreal (71')
FC Cincinnati's not leaving any doubt. Alvaro Barreal, who crushed Pittsburgh's Open Cup dreams with a two-goal outing against them last year, smashed a volley off an Acosta corner kick for 2-0. That was one of the goals of the year for FC Cincinnati, and the Open Cup in general.
One foot in the semifinal (56')
By the narrowest of margins as FC Cincinnati had two players that might have been in an offside position, Luciano Acosta played a ball into Pittsburgh's penalty area. Dominique Badji let the ball run and Brandon Vazquez came in behind him to finish the play off. The goal was Vazquez's second in the Open Cup and his sixth in all competitions this season.
Yerson on, Hagglund off (46')
The second half begins with a change for FC Cincinnati. Nick Hagglund, appearing for the first time in weeks due to injury, came off in favor of Yerson Mosquera.
Halftime
We're scoreless after a choppy opening 45 minutes. Officiating decisions resulted in four yellow cards, and three of those were for Cincinnati. Dominique Badji and Obinna Nwobodo both have two yellows in the tournament. A third will result in a suspension, and that number doesn't reset.
Pittsburgh loses a key piece (16')
Albert Dikwa, Pittsburgh's leading scorer in all competitions with 10 goals, was forced out of the match due to an injury that resulted from a collision with FC Cincinnati's Obinna Nwobodo. Nwobodo picked up a yellow card on the play.
Underway at TQL Stadium (1')
The game begins at 7:03 p.m. with a healthy-sized crowd in the stands.
Pretty good crowd for a match that wasn’t on FC Cincy’s calendar two weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/JoTvoULQCR
— Pat Brennan (@PBrennanENQ) June 6, 2023
What's at stake in US Open Cup quarterfinal
FC Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are playing for a berth in the semifinal round of the U.S. Open Cup with the opponent "TBD" for now. On Wednesday, Inter Miami CF of MLS and Birmingham Legion of the USL Championship play in the corresponding quarterfinal match to determine the semifinal matchup. The semifinal is scheduled to be played Aug. 23.
Starting 11 for FC Cincinnati, Pittsburgh
FC Cincinnati starting XI: Alec Kann (GK), Ray Gaddis, Ian Murphy, Matt Miazga, Nick Hagglund, Santiago Arias, Junior Moreno, Obinna Nwobodo, Luciano Acosta (captain), Dominique Badji, Brandon Vazquez.
Cincinnati bench: Alvas Powell, Yuya Kubo, Marco Angulo, Yerson Mosquera, Quimi Ordonez, Alvara Barreal, Evan Louro (GK).
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC starting XI: Waite, Dossantos, Biasi, Ordonez, Farrell, Harmon, Etou, Rovira, Griffin, Mertz, Dikwa.
Pittsburgh bench: Forbes, Zwetsloot, Lopez, Ybarra, Showunmi, Osumanu, Gomez.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh, through to U.S. Open Cup semi | Replay
