Orlando City SC will host the 2022 US Open Cup final on Sept. 7 against USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC after both clubs won their semifinal matchups Wednesday night.
At Exploria Stadium, both silverware and a 2023 Concacaf Champions League spot will be on the line after Orlando beat New York Red Bulls, 5-1, and Sacramento ousted Sporting Kansas City on penalty kicks following a 0-0 draw.
Orlando City SC 5, New York Red Bulls 1
Orlando City SC became the first club to book a spot in the 2022 US Open Cup final, turning a 1-0 deficit into a commanding 5-1 semifinal victory over the New York Red Bulls at a rain-soaked Exploria Stadium.
The match got off to an inauspicious start for the Lions, as RBNY’s Lewis Morgan opened the scoring with a first-time golazo in first-half stoppage time to put the visitors in the driver’s seat after Patryk Klimala twice hit the woodwork.
But Orlando rattled off five unanswered goals after that, starting with a massive equalizer from Cesar Araújo just moments after Morgan’s opener, the first of two goals on the evening for the Uruguayan U22 Initiative midfielder.
The floodgates opened for the Lions in the second half as the rain started to fall, as Mauricio Pereyra started the onslaught with a goal just after the restart. Araújo, Facundo Torres and Benji Michel all found the scoresheet before full time to seal off the one-sided result before an 11,612-person crowd.
Goals
Sacramento Republic FC 0 (5), Sporting Kansas City 0 (4)
Sporting Kansas City fell victim to Sacramento Republic's third Cupset of this year's tournament, falling 5-4 to the USL Championship side in penalty kicks after the match finished 0-0 in regulation time.
The MLS visitors couldn't quite find a go-ahead goal despite racking up 31 shots, few of which troubled Sacramento goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, who also denied Graham Zusi from the spot in the decisive shootout.
Sacramento Republic nearly sent the home crowd into a frenzy in the 62nd minute, when Keko controlled a cross in the penalty area and unleashed a scorching shot on target, only to see it denied by a sprawling save from goalkeeper John Pulskamp. Sporting KC’s best look, meanwhile, came in the 98th minute when Daniel Salloi sent a close-range shot off the crossbar.
Every penalty taker converted their spot-kicks until the fifth round, when Vitiello went to his left to deny Zusi, setting the stage for Rodrigo López to slot home the decisive kick and send Sacramento through.
The second-division club, in earlier Open Cup rounds, had knocked off MLS sides LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes.
Goals
- None
