With St. Louis responsible for 10 U.S. Open Championships in history, St Louis CITY2 knew how important it was to get the job done for the fans tonight – and the boys did not disappoint!
CITY2 opened their U.S. Open Cup account with a bang, defeating Indy Eleven 2-0 at the Michael A. Carroll Soccer Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indy Eleven got off to an impressive start as they looked to put on a good performance in front of their home fans but were faced with resistance as CITY2 battled to control the game. In the opening minutes, STL CITY2 had to defend a little deeper but grew in confidence and started to impose their will on the opposition as the game wore on.
Although Indy Eleven had most of the ball, it was STL CITY2 that opened the scoring after Ezra Armstrong latched on to a clearance from Josh Yaro before thumping his shot past the Indy goalkeeper. Following the goal, Indy controlled possession but CITY2’s defensive structure denied them any goalscoring opportunities.
The second half started with Indy Eleven pushing numbers forward as they searched for the equalizer. CITY2 kept their heads and maintained their composure despite Indy Eleven’s early pressure. The boys eventually got a handle on the game and generated numerous chances as they searched for the game’s second goal. In the 71st minute, Celio Pompeu got a toe onto a pass to set up Wan Kuzain who smashed his shot in the bottom corner to extend CITY2’s lead.
After the goal, CITY2 never looked back and continued to dictate the tempo in the final minutes to secure STL CITY2’s first-ever Open Cup win.
UP NEXT
St Louis CITY2 are back in action at Hermann Stadium on Sunday, April 10 against MLS NEXT Pro team Tacoma Defiance as they look to continue their impressive start to the season.
STARTING LINEUP
Michael Creek, Ben Di Rosa, Josh Yaro, Kyle Hiebert, Akil Watts, Max Schneider, AJ Palazzolo, Wan Kuzain, Vitor Dias, Ezra Armstrong, Josh Dolling
GOALS
18' - Ezra Armstrong
71' - Wan Kuzain
To learn more about St Louis CITY2, please find all player bios and headshots in this link here. To stay up to date with St Louis CITY SC, visit stlcitysc.com and follow the club on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
