Bradley Wright-Phillips scored two of New York’s three unanswered goals and the Red Bulls advanced to the title game of the US Open Cup with a 3-2 victory over FC Cincinnati on Tuesday night.
It was a crushing defeat for FC Cincinnati, a second-year club of the United Soccer League, which shares second-division status with the NASL in the United States pyramid.
After striking first on Corben Bone’s opener in the 31st minute and doubling their advantage when Cincinnati local Austin Berry headed in a corner kick in the 62nd, it appeared they would become the first non-MLS team since the Charleston Battery in 2008 – and only the third in the last 21 years – to reach the final of the 104-year-old tournament.
But Cincinnati conceded their first goal of the competition in the 75th minute when second-half substitute Gonzalo Veron’s knocked in a loose ball in front of the net to pull New York to 2-1. Three minutes later, Wright-Phillips headed it inside the near post from the penalty spot to tie it.
In the first 15-minute half of extra time, Wright-Phillips headed in Sal Zizzo’s chipped cross for his third goal in US Open Cup play.
The @NewYorkRedBulls are going to the 'ship!
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) August 16, 2017
Red Bulls will join @SportingKC in the #USOC2017 final thanks to @TheRealBWP's ET game-winner. pic.twitter.com/4pL6SxjgmQ
The crowd of 33,250 at Nippert Stadium was the second largest in tournament history.
New York will play for the championship on 20 September against Sporting KC, a penalty-kick shootout winner over the San Jose Earthquakes last Wednesday.
The only lower-division side to win the US Open Cup since MLS launched in 1996 were the Rochester Rhinos in 1999.
