Charlotte Falls on Penalties, D.C. United Advance in U.S. Open Cup
The Crown’s run in the U.S. Open Cup came to an end last night in the round of 16 after D.C. United won 2-1 on penalties. As a result, D.C. advances to the round of eight in the tournament.
Midweek games can provide the opportunity to experiment with the starting XI and give some regular starters a chance to rest and last night was no different. Coach Smith and the coaching staff went with a mix of regular starters while also giving some guys who find themselves on the bench most weeks a chance to start.
The regular faces we saw were mainly on the defensive side of the ball with Malanda and Scardina getting the go while the regular face we saw on the offensive side of the ball was Patrick Agyemang up top. Other players who have started a few matches this season were Djibril Diani in the midfield and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty on the defensive side. Nikola Petkovic and Eryk Williamson got the nod to complete the midfield while Kerwin Vargas and Iuri Tavares filled out the attack. Bill Tuiloma rounded out the defense while David Bingham held it down between the pipes.
Overall, I don’t like or dislike this lineup. I like the mix of regular starters and getting some new blood in the lineup. With a regular season game on Saturday, it can be tough to figure out who sits and who starts and I think a cup competition is the perfect game to experiment with the lineup. You can try something new and if it doesn’t work, you aren’t dropping points.
Getting into the match, D.C. got the scoring started in the 17th minute as David Schnegg put the home side up 1-0. This score would hold until the second half, however Patrick Agyemang put The Crown on the board with a goal in the 58th minute as he cut through the D.C. defense to put one past the keeper. Defender Bill Tuiloma gave Charlotte the lead three minutes later as he headed one home on a corner from Williamson. 2-1 Charlotte. D.C would tie it up in the 86th minute as Garrison Tubbs found the back of the net. When the full time whistle blew, we were even in the nation's capital, extra time. Charlotte would take the lead in the 95th minute as Tyger Smalls grabbed his first MLS goal on an assist from Marshall-Rutty. However, D.C. would answer in the 104th minute as Jackson Hopkins put one past Bingham. When the final whistle blew, we were still tied and headed to penalties. In the penalty shootout, D.C. would win 2-1, putting an end to Charlotte’s Open Cup dreams for the season.
It’s no secret that Charlotte FC has struggled in their last handful of matches. Loses aren’t fun but there are some positives that you can take away from last night. The biggest positive I saw was the score. Not the 2-1 loss on penalties but the 3-3 score. Charlotte held the lead at one point in the second half and took the lead again in the second half. The boys were also able to battle back and convert chances. Getting a goal from a set piece was great as was Patrick weaving through the defense while displaying great control. My favorite moment was seeing Tyger get his first goal, I know that felt great. Overall, I would have liked for the team to win (obviously) but I felt there were a lot of positives you can take away from the match.
The boys look to rebound on Saturday as they welcome the Columbus Crew to town for a theme night at the Fortress. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm.