U.S. Open Cup: One Knoxville’s Historic Run Ends in Columbus
- Staff Writer
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — The magical 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup journey for One Knoxville SC reached its conclusion on Wednesday night. After capturing the nation's attention by upsetting MLS side D.C. United earlier in the tournament, the "Boys in Blue" were unable to repeat the miracle, falling 4-1 to the Columbus Crew at Scotts Miracle-Gro Field.
Despite the scoreline, Knoxville exits the competition as the furthest-advancing USL League One team since 2022, reaching the prestigious Round of 16.
A Flurry of Early Goals
The match began at a frantic pace. The Columbus Crew opened the scoring in the 10th minute via Hugo Picard, but One Knox responded almost immediately. Just one minute later, loanee Braudilio Rodrigues showed clinical composure, heading home a rebound after a strike from Eli Conway was parried by Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen.
The 11th-minute equalizer provided a surge of hope for the traveling Knoxville supporters, but the momentum was difficult to sustain against the reigning MLS champions.
"To get that goal was massive for us," said One Knox Head Coach Ian Fuller. "I was hoping we'd be able to push on, but we never really got our footing... against a really good team, not only do your legs go, but your mind goes."
Pressure and Woodwork
Columbus dominated the tempo for much of the first half, maintaining 74.6% possession. This sustained pressure allowed Picard to net his second goal of the night in the 23rd minute, giving the Crew a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
Knoxville did not go quietly, however. In the second half, the visitors were agonizingly close to equalizing on several occasions:
The Crossbar: Babacar Diene sent a powerful volley that beat Hagen but rattled off the woodwork.
The Post: In second-half stoppage time, Teddy Baker splintered the post with a late strike.
Hometown Effort: Former Columbus Crew Academy product Donovan Williams entered at halftime and provided a spark in front of his hometown crowd, creating two key chances.
The Crew eventually pulled away late, with goals from Daniel Gazdag (72’) and Chase Adams (77’) sealing the result.
Match Statistics
Category | Columbus Crew (MLS) | One Knoxville SC (USL1) |
Final Score | 4 | 1 |
Possession | 74.6% | 25.4% |
Shots (on Goal) | 20 (7) | 9 (4) |
Expected Goals (xG) | 1.79 | 1.04 |
Saves | 3 | 3 |
Looking Ahead: Battle for the Top of USL1
Coach Fuller urged his team to keep their heads high, noting that their first defeat since mid-March came at the hands of elite opposition. The squad has little time to recover as they head to Florida for a massive league clash.
Next Match: at FC Naples
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
Significance: A battle between the two teams currently tied for first place in USL League One (14 points each).
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
"We'll look back at this tournament in a few days and say what a great run it was," Fuller added. "We didn't get to this stage of the competition by being a bad team." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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