Men's First Team Advances to Round 3 of U.S. Open Cup in 2-1 Win

Edgewater Castle FC's Men's First Team advanced to Round 3 of the U.S. Open Cup thanks to two goals from Qudus Lawal in their 2-1 victory against United SC.

GOALS:

• Edgewater Castle FC: Lawal 8' (Alami), 62' (Torres)

• United SC: 33'

---

First Half

The Rooks started the game strong, pressing the ball up and into United's third early. Solid defensive plays in the midfield led by Andres Rocha set the tone, and long passes up the sides from the Rooks' backline helped create multiple shots on goal and corner kicks in the opening minutes.

This continuous pressure from the Rooks led to the them scoring first at 8'. Rushing past United's defenders, Joshua Torres received a through ball launched by Roberto Cardano. After securing the ball, Torres passed to Mounir Alami in the center of the box, who then passed to Qudus Lawal on the right. Lawal created a one-on-one opportunity thanks to his teammates, and shot the ball into the right corner to give the Rooks a 1-0 lead.

Following the goal, United started to gain momentum, taking possession back from the Rooks quicker than before and landing shots on goal. However, Rooks defender Tobias Wimmer and goalkeeper Greg Stellatos stood ready, preventing United from scoring using strong tackles and diving saves.

United eventually broke the Rooks' defense in the 33rd minute. Pressing up the left, United's forwards used their speed to run past the Rooks' midfield and get themselves into scoring position. After receiving a quick pass in the Rooks' box, United scored using a powerful short kick angled just past Stellatos' reach.

With the game tied 1-1, emotions on the pitch were rising. After fouling a United SC player to get his first yellow in the closing minutes of the half, Gabriel Cavalheiro drew a second yellow card after arguing with the referee. Now one man short, the 10-player Rooks squad faced an uphill battle to stay in the U.S. Open Cup competition.

---

Second Half

Despite being less than full strength, the Rooks were able to maintain their composure heading into the second half. After changing their strategy by dropping back to secure their defensive third, consistent defending by Lucas Sampson and Wimmer kept the Rooks competitive. With this shift, United were unable to make meaningful shots on goal, making the game a stalemate on the pitch.

The Rooks scraped a goal in the 62nd minute thanks to this counterattacking strategy. After stopping an attempt on goal, Stellatos passed the ball into his backline, who sent it forward to Torres in the midfield. A quick pass to Alami set up a through ball, which Alami sent up the field back to Torres. Seeing that Lawal was running into the box alongside him, Torres passed another through ball to him on the left, giving Lawal the chance to send the ball soaring into the top right corner. Thanks to the Rooks' speed and determination, the shorthanded squad clawed their way back to a 2-1 lead.

After their goal, the Rooks continued to frustrate United with their dominance in the backfield. United had multiple chances to tie the game, but the Rooks' defense proved to be up for the challenge. Through their willingness to adjust to the game's challenges, the Men's First Team was able to preserve the lead and advance to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup qualifying.

The Men's First Team's next match will be against SC Connection at Foster Turf Field at 8:00 PM on October 16th.