Even more magic: Edgewater Castle 2-1 Berber City, U.S. Open Cup qualifying
Edgewater Castle advanced to the 3rd round of U.S. Open Cup qualifying on Saturday night as they defeated Berber City 2-1 at the CIBC Fire Pitch.
It was the away side who were better to start, and they scored the opener as a result. Edgewater grew into the contest in the second half, though, and a red card to Berber’s captain was the catalyst for a comeback. Castle tied things up midway through, and then a dramatic stoppage-time goal proved to be the winner, sending them to the next round of Open Cup qualifying in the process.
Berber started the contest on the front foot, controlling the ball and the pace of play. The first opening fell to Edgewater, though, as Kenny Adiyiah hit a dangerous cross into the area, but no one was able to pounce on it.
It was the away side who eventually jumped in front. The ball fell to Rafael Santos on the edge of the area, and he was clinical, burying a low shot into the back of the net.
Edgewater nearly responded soon after when Gabe Cavelheiro broke free past the backline and poked the ball past the goalkeeper. He didn’t score, though, as a defender got back in time to clear the attempt away before it crossed the goal line.
Cavelheiro was involved again later on. He got the ball in the box, and a wonderful first touch took him past the defender, but his shot hit the wrong side of the side netting.
Berber came incredibly close to doubling their advantage before the half. Mounir Alami did very well to hold off his marker before whipping a cross into the area. It eventually fell to Moritz Seban at the back post, but his close-range effort was heroically blocked away, with the ball flying over the bar.
Edgewater came out hot to start the second half, and they arguably should’ve tied things up. Bardia Kimiavi was played through on goal, but his shot was hit right at the goalkeeper, who made a solid save.
They were handed a boost when Berber had their captain sent off. Amine Airaki took out a player in midfield while on a yellow, and the referee decided to show him a second following the foul, which meant that the red card was next.
The equalizing goal came with about 20 minutes to go. A strike from Andrew Ribeiro took a major deflection, and that proved to be vital as the ball bounced by the diving goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
Berber nearly hit on the counter against the run of play, winning the ball high up the pitch. Some lovely play got Alami into space, but his effort rolled just wide of the frame.
Things kicked into high gear at the very end, with both teams having opportunities to pull in front.
Just as it seemed like we were set for overtime, Edgewater jumped in front. Flying forward on the break, Andres Rocha broke past the backline before getting the ball, taking a touch, and slotting home to send the home crowd into celebration.
After a few tense moments, the referee blew for full-time, clinching the win for Castle in the process.
Edgewater advances to the 3rd qualifying round as a result, with that game set for either October 21st or 22nd. The draw for that is Monday, but there’s a good chance they’ll face Chicago House Athletic Club.
Notes and takeaways
I still can’t believe there was an actual Open Cup qualifying game at the Fire Pitch, which is where my rec league teams play. The duality of man is undefeated.
Amine Airaki just sat down for a while after being sent off, which was one of the most remarkable things I’d ever seen.
Kenny Adiyiah worked so hard on the night. He was up and down and up and down the field throughout, and you could tell how much he wanted it.
On the other wing was Bardia Kimiavi, and he put in a really promising showing. He was a danger whenever he got on the ball, and on another night he could’ve had a goal or assist himself. He’s certainly one to watch for in the next round.
Like most clubs at this level, Edgewater has a ton of great people who put in plenty of hard work, and it was nice to see them rewarded.
Man of the match - Andres Rocha
When you score a stoppage time winner in a cup contest, you get the man of the match award. Simple as that.
Andres Rocha didn’t do a whole lot over the course of the night, but he stepped up when it mattered most. Bursting past the opposing backline, he was the coolest man in the park, converting on the counter with minutes to go to secure a massive victory for the club.It was a huge moment for him and for Edgewater, and they’ll both hope it’s just the start of a wonderful future.
Key quotes
Edgewater Castle midfielder David Abidor:
“That was amazing. First Open Cup win in Edgewater history, and it felt amazing. We never got down, and we never believed the game was over. It’s a resilient group of guys, and I couldn’t be any prouder of the way they bounced back.”
“We just gotta prepare, we’ve got a month to prepare. We have to fix a few things, but we’ll be ready.”
“It’d be good to potentially play the House. There’s a little bit of revenge, we lost to them in the summer in the league, so I think it’d really be a special game.”
