Indy Eleven NPSL Bows out of U.S. Open Cup with 1-2 Defeat at FC Cincinnati
Published on May 18, 2016 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Indy Eleven News Release
CINCINNATI - Indy Eleven NPSL went toe-to-toe with USL side FC Cincinnati in tonight's Second Round Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup affair, but the amateur squad would bow out of the tournament after a 1-2 defeat in front of 8,668 fans at Nippert Stadium.
The match began with FC Cincinnati dictating the play as expected in front of the solid home crowd. Cincy's veteran striker Omar Cummings would have three chances within the opening 26 minutes, but he couldn't send his first two looks on frame and saw a third far post effort parried well by Indy Eleven NPSL goalkeeper Cody Schweitzer. FCC midfielder Omar Mohamed would cut across the area in the 16th minute and slice a chance wide, then a minute later he'd set up Luke Spencer with an open header off a cross from the right, but the Cincinnati forward would send his shot right to Schweitzer.
The visitors would start to show some teeth in attack around the half hour mark, with Thomas Schmitt's open header off of a Lukman Ahmed-Shaibu cross from the right just flashing past the left post. In the 33rd minute Schmitt would have two chances after being played into the area by Vincent Mitchell, but FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Dallas Jaye did well to stop the initial low effort and saw Schmitt's follow-up header sail over the bar.
Cincinnati would open the scoring in the 36th minute as Cummings finished high and left from the penalty spot, a minute after a backtracking Nick Strack unintentionally got a high arm on a cross just inside the Indy 18-yard box. However, the visitors would even up just three minutes later when a give-and-go with midfielder Christian Soto put Mitchell into the top of the area, where he finished low and left from 15 yards out, his second goal of the tournament providing a surprising equalizer heading into the halftime break.
Mitchell almost enjoyed a highlight-reel moment 10 minutes into the second half as he adjusted to Travis Wannemuehler's cross from the right flank, but his dragging backheel attempt was pushed just wide of the far post. It would be just past the hour mark when FC Cincinnati would find the eventual game-winner through substitute Jimmy McLaughlin, who pounced on a rebound of Cummings' saved shot by Schweitzer and pushed a low effort through traffic and off the leg of a scrambling defender at the post to push the score to 2-1.
Indy Eleven NPSL's best chance for the remainder of the match came in the 69th minute when Mitchell and Soto went on a 2-v-3 counter-attack, which looked promising until a tackle broke up the run at the top of the Cincy area. Cummings almost found his hat trick in the 77th minute with a finish from 15 yards out, only to have the play nullified by the offside flag.
From here Indy Eleven NPSL will have a quick turnaround, as the squad will play host to the Rochester River Dogz in its NPSL home opener on Friday night at Grand Park, with kickoff from the Championship Field set for 7:00 p.m. Meanwhile, FC Cincinnati advances to the Third Round of U.S. Soccer's national championship tournament at the NASL's Tampa Bay Rowdies on June 1.
North American Soccer League Stories from May 18, 2016
- Inspired Effort Comes up Short as Eddies Bow out of Amway Canadian Championship - FC Edmonton
- Armada FC Will Host the Villages SC on June 1 in U.S. Open Cup Third Round - Jacksonville Armada FC
- Fury FC Advance to Canadian Championship Semifinals; Host Vancouver Whitecaps June 1 - Ottawa Fury FC
- Indy Eleven NPSL Bows out of U.S. Open Cup with 1-2 Defeat at FC Cincinnati - Indy Eleven
- Fury FC Advance to Canadian Championship Semifinals; Host Vancouver Whitecaps June 1 - Ottawa Fury FC
- Forward Wojciech Wojcik Loaned to USL's OKC Energy FC - Indy Eleven
- Corea, Diakite Named to NASL Team of the Week - FC Edmonton
- Strikers U-19s to Participate in 2016 Weifang Cup in China - Fort Lauderdale Strikers
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