- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,150,434
- Reaction score
- 59
Defending USL League One champions One Knoxville SC traveled to the nation’s capital and knocked off a Major League Soccer giant to advance in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Wednesday night's monumental win over D.C. United went to penalty kicks after regular time ended in a 3-3 tie. The teams exchanged goals on penalty kicks until One Knox came out on top 6-5.
Reaching the third round alone marked a milestone for the five-year-old club, whose fourth professional season ended with an undefeated streak at home and the team's first league championship in 2025. One Knox has played in the U.S. Open Cup every year as a pro, but 2026 is the first time the club has advanced far enough to face − and topple − an MLS opponent.
One Knox beat SC Vistula Garfield 3-1 in the first round of this year's tournament, followed by a 3-2 second-round win earned on penalty kicks over Asheville City SC − both amateur opponents. MLS teams appear in the third round.
Ahead of the third-round match, One Knox owner Drew McKenna spoke about D.C. United in baseball terms, comparing the matchup to facing the New York Yankees.
"It'd be like UT football playing the (Atlanta) Falcons," McKenna said. "So, for these guys − especially for the ones who've never been able to play on an MLS team before − it's a huge opportunity."
Seizing that opportunity, the victory sets up a fourth-round match with major Scruffy City implications. One Knox's next U.S. Open Cup opponent will be the Columbus Crew, owned by Knoxville's influential Haslam family.
Continue reading...
Wednesday night's monumental win over D.C. United went to penalty kicks after regular time ended in a 3-3 tie. The teams exchanged goals on penalty kicks until One Knox came out on top 6-5.
Reaching the third round alone marked a milestone for the five-year-old club, whose fourth professional season ended with an undefeated streak at home and the team's first league championship in 2025. One Knox has played in the U.S. Open Cup every year as a pro, but 2026 is the first time the club has advanced far enough to face − and topple − an MLS opponent.
One Knox beat SC Vistula Garfield 3-1 in the first round of this year's tournament, followed by a 3-2 second-round win earned on penalty kicks over Asheville City SC − both amateur opponents. MLS teams appear in the third round.
Ahead of the third-round match, One Knox owner Drew McKenna spoke about D.C. United in baseball terms, comparing the matchup to facing the New York Yankees.
"It'd be like UT football playing the (Atlanta) Falcons," McKenna said. "So, for these guys − especially for the ones who've never been able to play on an MLS team before − it's a huge opportunity."
Seizing that opportunity, the victory sets up a fourth-round match with major Scruffy City implications. One Knox's next U.S. Open Cup opponent will be the Columbus Crew, owned by Knoxville's influential Haslam family.
Continue reading...
