One Knox advances 3-1 over Triumph in US Open Cup
USL League One rivals meet for second-straight year in Open Cup
One Knoxville eliminated fellow USL League One rival the Greenville Triumph 3-1 on Wednesday night in the second round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The result reverses the 2024 US Open Cup clash between these two sides when Greenville eliminated One Knox in the exact same round.
One Knox scored two goals in the first 25 minutes of play and then weathered a fierce Triumph push in the second half to claim the victory.
The match started with One Knox tilting the field in their favor and wave after wave of One Knox pressure chipped away at the Triumph defense.
In the 14th minute One Knox won a corner kick and the service was punched by the Triumph keeper to the top of the box where One Knox’s Stavros Zarokostas collected the bouncing ball and hit a half-volley with his laces through the crowded penalty area into the Triumph net.
The pressure only increased after the goal and it was Zarokostas this time in the 23rd minute crossing a ball from the right flank to Mark Doyle running free inside the area to slot home the second goal of the night.
One Knox took the 2-0 advantage to the locker room after One Knox goalkeeper Johan Garibay saved a Triumph penalty in the 45th minute. Garibay was never fooled and dove to his right to turn away the best Triumph scoring chance of the half.
The second half opened with Triumph pressing One Knox and twice there were shouts for a ball across the line in the frantic opening minutes of the second half. Nothing was given by the officials and this seemed to enrage the hosts who were shown a red card in the 50th minute after a wild scramble inside the One Knox goalmouth that yielded no goal but lots of pushing and shoving after the next stoppage of play. After Rodrigo Robles Grajera was show red, the now 10-man Triumph finally found a goal off another wild scramble inside the One Knox area when Ropapa Mensah was there to apply the final touch to make no mistake as to whether the ball had crossed the line.
After the goal One Knox settled into a more comfortable defensive shape and they killed off the rest of the match adding a third and final goal in the 90th minute as Sivert Haugli ripped a low shot into the near post after a long, solo, time-wasting dribble took him up the left side of the field.
Greenville will feel rightfully undone by the final result as the saved penalty and the several goal-mouth, second-half scrambles seemed to create enough chances to see the hosts through to the next round. Greenville at the final whistle had an advantage in every stat except the most important column of goals scored.
One Knox was successful in their trip to the Upstate to grab a few goals, have some bounces go their way, and then professionally close out a match to survive and play in the next round. This is only the second victory by One Knox over Greenville in all competitions but still leaves the series heavily in favor of the Triumph at 5-2-1 all-time.
As the USL One schedule makers would have it, One Knox plays at Greenville in an upcoming USL match day in exactly one week’s time. One Knox will find out their next Open Cup opponent in Thursday’s third round draw.