Facundo Torres broke through with a goal in the 75th minute, then converted on a penalty to give Orlando City SC its first-ever trophy with a 3-0 victory over the Sacramento Republic in the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday night.
Torres’ penalty kick in the 80th all but sealed it for the Lions, who had not won a title since joining Major League Soccer in 2015. Orlando native Benji Michel added a stoppage time goal.
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Sac Republic, which plays in the USL, was looking to become the second lower-division club to win the Open Cup championship in a quarter-century. The Rochester Rhinos won the title in 1999.
Torres’ first goal came off a pass from Michel, a homegrown player signed before the 2019 season, with the Uruguayan’s goal prompting the sellout crowd at Exploria Stadium to chant “We want the cup!”
Michel was fouled in the box to set up Torres’ penalty, then scored himself in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Players from Orlando City SC celebrate after winning the U.S. Open Cup, the franchise’s first-ever major title. USA Today Images
Orlando City had beaten the New York Red Bulls 5-1 in the Open Cup semifinals to advance to the title game.
Sacramento advanced 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City in the semifinals. The Republic also downed the San Jose Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy in Open Cup play on their way to the final.
Before Wednesday night, the closest the Lions came to winning silverware was in 2020, when they were runners-up in the MLS is Back tournament. Orlando City became the first Florida team to win a major pro soccer trophy since 2001, when the Miami Fusion won the MLS Supporters’ Shield.
Ths was the 107th edition of Open Cup, which was not played the past two years because of COVID-19.
The result earns Orlando a guaranteed spot in next season’s CONCACAF Champions League tournament.
Source: espn.co.uk
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