On and off the pitch, this team reeks of professionalism and is supported by a tremendous fan base… Hey MLS…you getting all of this???
FC Cincinnati continued its fairy-tale run in the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday with a 3-1 penalty shootout win over the Chicago Fire to reach the quarterfinals.
The USL club made headlines after eliminating in-state Columbus Crew SC in the fifth round and needed penalties to sneak past a second-straight MLS club after a scoreless first 120 minutes.
Cincinnati had a goal controversially ruled out for offside late in the second half, while goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt made a number of fine saves to frustrate Bastian Schweinsteiger and the MLS stars.
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And Hildebrandt was the star in the shootout as well, stopping attempts from MLS leading scorer Nemanja Nikolic as well as Arturo Alvarez and Juninho for another famous FC Cincinnati victory.
The nationally televised game drew 32,287 fans to Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, one of 12 cities currently competing for an opportunity to move to MLS.
“We have an MLS-quality team, we have an MLS-quality stadium, we have MLS-quality fans,” Hildebrandt said after the win. “Everyone here, the city deserves this.”
Miami scored deep into stoppage time to shock MLS giants Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup.
Also on Wednesday night, Kwadwo Poku’s stoppage-time goal gave Miami FC a stunning upset of its own, beating Atlanta United 3-2 at Riccardo Silva Stadium, two weeks after the NASL club also eliminated Orlando City.
Stefano Pinho’s 37th-minute goal cancelled out Brandon Vazquez’s opener for Atlanta. Rhett Bernstein put Miami temporarily ahead in the 52nd minute before Julian Gressel evened the score from the penalty spot 15 minutes from time.
But Poku delivered three minutes into added time, turning home Vincenzo Rennella from close range to send Miami to the quarterfinals next month, when the club will host FC Cincinnati.
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