A long night of soccer ended in Austin’s favor, with the visitors pulling a 2-1 win out of the dying moments of tonight’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Despite dominating the stat sheet and long stretches of the game, the Loons simply couldn’t find the extra goal they needed to claim their spot in this year’s final.
A controlled start to the match would eventually make way for the urgency expected in a semifinal, but the opening 45 saw both teams test the other with some calculated end-to-end action. For the Black and Blue, it was the experienced players that shone early on, with Robin Lod providing an early threat and Wil Trapp controlling the midfield next to Nectarios Triantis, who earned his first start in an MNUFC jersey.
As they grew into the game, Austin began to find space between the Loons’ midfield and backline, allowing them to switch the field after driving the home side back into their defensive third. The response from the Loons was simply the presence of Triantis, who consistently won the ball in dangerous areas and carried it forward with a smoothness and power that should have fans excited for what’s to come from their new midfielder.
A surprise injury in the 29th minute forced Kelvin Yeboah out of the game, changing the plan and forcing an early shift from Coach Ramsay. Joseph Rosales came onto the field, pushing Joaquín Pereyra to the right side of the pitch and moving Lod to striker. Several uneventful minutes following the change saw the Loons adjust to the new personnel, and it looked like they’d have halftime to discuss the change and get going again. That wasn’t the case, as a surprise goal in the third minute of added time came out of nowhere, as Austin’s Osman Bukari got on the end of a long ball and proceeded to find the net through the legs of Dayne St. Clair.
The Loons came out with some extra vigor in the second half, peppering Brad Stuver with shots and firmly taking control of the flow of the game. Not only did they outshoot their opponents, they did so through dynamic passing combinations and ambitious attacking play. Their efforts paid off in the 67th minute, when Pereyra leveled the score with a fantastic, curling free kick that left Stuver rooted to the spot.
As time went on, strategic subs from the Loons steadily shifted the game plan into a far more attacking setup, with the speed of Bongokuhle Hlongwane up top helping them to stretch the field and get numbers forward. Despite the pressure they managed to exert, they couldn’t find the winner in regulation, forcing extra time.
In 30 additional minutes, both sides began to show their fatigue. When it seemed like a shootout was inevitable, the visitors managed to punch in a winner at the death, knocking the Loons out of the tournament after what felt like a very winnable match.
Despite the disappointment of elimination, the performances of new Loons Fitz and Triantis were encouraging signs. The finest of margins kept the Black and Blue out of the final, with just a few seconds separating them from a shootout in the end. Now, the club turns its attention back to the regular season, with the Supporters’ Shield race still wide open and the playoffs yet to come. The Loons will be back in action at Allianz Field this weekend to face Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire on Saturday, September 20, at 7:30 p.m. CT.
