CINCINNATI — FC Cincinnati secured its second trip to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on the back of a strong second-half showing against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Tuesday night at TQL Stadium.
What You Need To Know
- FC Cincinnati secured three straight goals in the second half to earn their second U.S. Open Cup semifinal appearance
- They'll play the winner of Wednesday's match between Birmingham Legion FC and Inter Miami CF
- A draw on Thursday will determine the sites of the semifinals
The 3-1 quarterfinal win featured three goals in the final 45-plus minutes — an opening tally by Brandon Vazquez in the 56th minute, a laser-strike off a corner by Álvaro Barreal in the 71st minute and a stoppage-time goal by Santiago Arias. It was Arias’ first goal for the Orange and Blue in any competition since joining the squad this offseason.
Pittsburgh — which plays in North America’s second-tier league, the USL Championship — got on the board late in stoppage time off a finish by Tola Showunmi.
The win moves Cincinnati’s record to 15-1-4 across all competitions this season. They remain undefeated at home.
All-time, FCC is 7-0-4 against Pittsburgh, dating back to when both clubs were in the USL. That includes a 3-0-0 mark against the Riverhounds in the U.S. Open Cup.
FC Cincinnati has had a strong showing in the U.S. Open Cup dating back to its inaugural season in 2016. The club is 12-4-3 in the annual knockout tournament, which pits franchises from the top six leagues in the United States against one another.
This is Cincinnati’s first trip to the cup semifinals since 2017. That year, FCC defeated Major League Soccer sides Columbus Crew and Chicago Fire en route to the penultimate match. Their miraculous run came to a heartbreaking end to the New York Red Bulls, which advanced on a goal in the 101st minute of action.
FCC advances to take on the winner of Wednesday’s quarterfinal fixture between Birmingham Legion FC and Inter Miami CF.
Real Salt Lake plays LA Galaxy in the day’s other quarterfinal. Houston Dynamo defeated Chicago Fire on Tuesday.
A draw on Thursday will determine the sites of semifinal match. It will also determine the hosting priority for the U.S. Open Cup final on Sept. 27.
FC Cincinnati returns to MLS action on the road on Saturday against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The 10:30 p.m. kickoff will wrap up an eight-match stretch over a 25-day period for the Orange and Blue.