Lexington Sporting Club eliminated from U.S. Open Cup despite goals from standout players
For the second straight year, Lexington Sporting Club has gone one-and-done in the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States.
On Tuesday night, LSC lost 4-3 at Vermont Green FC in the opening round of the 109th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Lexington Sporting played from behind for virtually the entire match, conceding the game’s first goal in the fifth minute. LSC trailed by as many as three goals early in the second half, and couldn’t close that gap despite scoring twice in the second half.
LSC — which plays in USL League One, the third tier of American men’s professional soccer — suffered Tuesday night’s defeat to Vermont Green of USL League Two, a lower division. Vermont’s team is largely made up of college soccer players or recently graduated college players.
The match, played in front of a packed crowd of at least 2,500 fans at Virtue Field in South Burlington, Vermont, (on the campus of the University of Vermont) marked the first-ever U.S. Open Cup match played in the Green Mountain State.
Lexington Sporting allows several goals from set pieces
Three of the goals that LSC allowed — to Zach Barrett in the fifth minute, to Nick Lockermann in the 10th minute and to Jake Ashford in the 50th minute — came as the direct result of corner kicks from Vermont Green.
The home side also got a goal from Jacob Labovitz in the 24th minute.
LSC forward Issac Cano — a former standout player at Lexington’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School who is with the team on a season-long loan from Louisville City — scored his first professional goal in the 20th minute on a point-blank finish.
After falling behind 4-1 in the 50th minute, star LSC forward Cameron Lancaster — who joined the team in the offseason after a storied career at Louisville City — scored twice to try and rally the team.
Lancaster scored on a spectacular long-distance free kick in the 60th minute and again with a rotating right-footed strike in the 78th minute.
But, LSC would get no closer, and Tuesday night’s defeat marked the first loss for the club under new manager Darren Powell.
Previous to this, LSC played to a 0-0 draw and recorded a 1-0 win, both at Toyota Stadium in Georgetown, in USL League One play.
The four goals conceded to Vermont Green were the first goals allowed this season by LSC.
Goalkeeper Nico Campuzano played in Tuesday’s match instead of usual starter Amal Knight. This was one of several lineup changes made by Powell for the match.
Last year, LSC lost, 1-0, at Louisville City in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup.
LSC is still yet to record a win in the most prestigious knockout competition in American soccer.
Next match
Lexington Sporting Club at One Knoxville SC
What: USL League One
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Regal Soccer Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
Live video stream: ESPN Plus
