Jacksonville Armada U23 2–1 The Villages SC
We were in front before some people had found their seats.
Ericksson Alves needed less than a minute at Patton Park on Wednesday night, slamming home a rebound in front of goal to put us 1–0 up in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup.
We could not add to it. Jacksonville came out after the interval with more numbers forward, made two substitutions just after the hour, and were level within a minute of the second of them — Josh Castellanos on sixty-three.
From there the game ran their way. We had chances late. So did they, and theirs went in: Cameron Grassmyer, a centre back who does not score often, got his head to a free kick in the eighty-ninth minute.
2–1. Our Open Cup is over in the first round.
We came into this as defending Southeast Division champions and we go out to a header a minute from time, having led inside sixty seconds. That is the competition. It has given this club a stoppage-time winner and a night in Charleston, and now it has given us this.
We will be back for it next year.
