U.S. Open Cup: No upsets but plenty of comeback wins

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, May 12, 2022

The field in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup has been narrowed to 17 teams: 15 winners in the round of 32, plus Minnesota United and United and the Colorado Rapids, whose match will have to be played Thursday afternoon in St. Paul after heavy rains forced it to be postponed.

All five MLS that played against lower-division teams won.

No, there were no upsets on Tuesday or Wednesday, but there were plenty of comeback wins, five in all.

The excitement in the round of 32 went late into the night Wednesday at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Washington, where the San Jose Earthquakes beat the Seattle Sounders, 10-9, in an 11-round shootout after their match ended 2-2. Seattle was one of three teams to pull even after trailing 2-0 in the second half.

Nashville SC and Sporting KC both went on to win their games after equalizing in stoppage time. Nashville SC beat Atlanta United, 3-2, equalizing on C.J. Sapong's goal and winning on Ethan Zubak's goal three minutes into overtime. Sporting KC beat FC Dallas, 4-2, after Marinos Tzionis headed in Remi Walter's corner kick eight minutes into stoppage time to send their match into overtime.

Three other teams overcame deficits to move into the round of 16, whose draw is scheduled for Thursday.

The LA Galaxy, a 3-2 winner at NISA's Cal United Strikers,went down 1-0 before equalizing late in the first half on the first of two penalty kicks from Dejan Joveljic. The go-ahead goal was scored by 21-year-old defender Owen Lambe, promoted to the first team from LA Galaxy II on a short-term loan on Wednesday.

The New England Revolution was down earlier to FC Cincinnati before getting five unanswered goals from stars Carles Gil and Adam Buksa for a 5-1 win.

Louisville City won at Detroit City in a battle of USL Championship teams, getting an equalizer from Wilson Harris in the first half and going on to win the shootout.

Wednesday, May 11
New England Revolution 5 FC Cincinnati 1. (Goals: Gil 34 pen. 37, 54, Buksa 47, 57; Barreal 12. Att.: n/a.)
In Jamaica, NY New York City FC 3 Rochester New York FC 1. (Goals: Thiago Andrade 23,  Heber 31, Chanot 76; Batiz 45+3. Att.: 1,513.)
Richmond Kickers 1 Charlotte FC 5. (Goals: Moran Correa 53; Rios 34, Reyna 54, Gaines 58, 61, Shinyashiki 86. Att.: 4,621.)
Nashville SC 3 Atlanta United 2. (Goals: Mukhtar 50 pen., Sapong 90+2, Zubak 93; Almada 13, Araujo 29. Att.: 12,375.)
Union Omaha 2 Northern Colorado 0. (Goals: Meza 46, Doyle 58. Att.: n/a.)
Minnesota United vs. Colorado Rapids (postponed, bad weather).

they don't call us the Land of 10,000 Lakes for nothing... pic.twitter.com/Xfu1A5rJO2

— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) May 12, 2022

Houston Dynamo 1 San Antonio FC 0. (Goal: Ferreira 82. Att.: n/a.)
Cal United Strikers 2 LA Galaxy 3. (Goals: Kadono 19, Garcia-Lopez 88; Joveljic 45, pen. 83 pen., Lambe 80. Att.: n/a.)
Sac Republic FC 2 Phoenix Rising 0. (Goal: Luis Felipe 30, Martinez 88. Att.: n/a.)
In Tukwila, WA Seattle Sounders 2 San Jose Earthquakes 2. (Goals: Medranda 54, Montero 77; Skahan pen. 10, Cowell 50. Att.: 3,773.)
(San Jose Earthquakes win 10-9 on penalties.)

Tuesday, May 10
Orlando City 2 Philadelphia Union 1. (Goals: Kara 54, Perea 57; Findlay 77. Att.: 7,601.)
D.C. United 0 NY Red Bulls 3. (Goals: Luquinhas 45+3, Tolkin 48, Ryan 68. Att.: 8,920.)
Inter Miami 3 South Georgia Tormenta 1. (Goals: Lassiter 45, 83, Robinson 47; Sterling 88. Att.: 3,198.)
Detroit City FC 1 Louisville City 1. (Goals: Rodriguez 14; Harris 23. Att.: 6,837.)
(Louisville City wins 4-2 on penalties.)
Sporting KC 4 FC Dallas 2. (Goals: Vujnovic 60, Tzionis 90+8, own goal 94, Shelton 114; Jara 8, Munjoma 34. Att.: 14,922.)
LAFC 2 Portland Timbers 0. (Goals: Arango 32, Fall 34. Att.: 11,014.)

Photos: Nashville SC, LA Galaxy.