Orlando City beats second-division Sacramento Republic to win US Open Cup and lift its first trophy
Orlando City beats second-division Sacramento Republic to win the US Open Cup and lift its first EVER trophy, as Facundo Torres nets a second-half double to send sellout crowd wild
- Orlando pulled away late in the match with a flurry of three goals to win
- It’s the club’s first trophy since debuting in 2015 in MLS
- Sacramento beat three MLS sides to reach the final in a hugely impressive run
In front of a raucous home crowd, Orlando City won their first ever trophy Wednesday night, pushing past Sacramento Republic 3-0 to lift the US Open Cup.
The match was scoreless until the 75th minute, but a pair of Facundo Torres goals and a late finish from Benji Michel helped Orlando pull away to claim silverware.
Both teams combined for just five shots on target throughout the match, and it was starting to look as if Sacramento may force extra time to keep their Open Cup dream alive.
Orlando City lifted their first trophy by beating Sacramento in the Open Cup final
But Sacramento gave Orlando an opening when they lost the ball inside their own box, and Torres obliged with a wonderful left-footed shot into the top corner to open the scoring.
Sacramento entered the match as massive underdogs, as the first second-division team to reach the Open Cup final in 14 years.
They beat three MLS clubs en route to the final, taking out the Earthquakes and Galaxy before beating Sporting Kansas City on penalties in the semifinal.
Orlando midfielder Junior Urso (left) and Sacramento defender Jack Gurr jump for a header
But they ultimately could not get past Orlando to go one further.
The match was clouded beforehand by a complaint from Sacramento that an Orlando staffer spied on their practice, as multiple reports Tuesday said US soccer was looking into the matter.
The incident reportedly took place Monday at a public park in Florida, where Sacramento were practicing.
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