FC Cincinnati March on Through Leagues Cup, Defeat Santos Laguna in Penalty Kicks

August 9, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release

In the first win or go home match of Leagues Cup 2024 for FC Cincinnati, The Orange and Blue punched their ticket to the Round of 16 with an emphatic penalty kick victory emphasized by a Sergio Santos PK finish to win the shootout in the sixth round.

Despite the match going to PK’s, FCC dominated play for all 90 minutes, outshooting Santos Laguna 19-9 and taking eight corners to their one.

In front of an electrified home crowd, FC Cincinnati scored each of their six PK attempts with Luciano Acosta, Kevin Kelsy, Luca Orellano, Corey Baird, Pavel Bucha and finally Sergio Santos cashing in their shots. The victory was won when Santos Laguna’s Aldo Lopez skied his shot into The Bailey and ended the shootout with the miss.

For what played out to be a dominant performance, it started in disaster as FC Cincinnati conceded their only goal of the night in the fifth minute on a mishandled ball inside their own box. Chidozie Awaziem, making just his second start and third appearance for the club, couldn’t control a ball at his feet and Santos Laguna jumped all over it for a free look from just right of the penalty spot. Roman Celentano did his best to rush the attacker and make himself big but Antony Lozano stayed composed and slid in the shot.

It wasn’t long after that though that Luca Orellano took matters into his own hands to level the score. On a run through the middle of the field the Argentine attacker dribbled a ball off a defender, picked up the leftovers and curled a left-footed shot around the keeper from about 10 yards outside the box to the upper corner of the netting.

The goal, Orellano’s first of Leagues Cup, brough the score level in the 11 minute and essentially reset the match early while giving FCC the confidence to push forward and reclaim the game despite the early deficit. Pavel Bucha, who has developed a knack for assists on Orellano wonder goals, again earned the helper on this take.

FC Cincinnati pushed hard from there and twice more had goals that seemed assured wiped off the board. A penalty kick, that was earned from a nifty and technical bit of passing, was saved as Yuya Kubo put on a strong shot but was met by a correct guess from the Santos Laguna keeper. On the followup play, DeAndre Yedlin was called offside after feeding a crossing pass to Bucha who appeared to score his second goal in as many games. But the flag went up on the goal after the midfielder had slid home…