Lexington Sporting Club suffered a defeat on the road on Saturday, ending the club’s unbeaten run in the USL Jägermeister Cup against One Knoxville SC.
Entering the competition on the back of a disappointing road loss against Forward Madison FC in USL League One play, the Boys in Green looked to get back on the right path back in the in-season cup competition, of which it had been undefeated prior, securing two victories and a penalty kick win after a draw.
Traveling to Regal Soccer Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a match against One Knox, Lexington’s rival in the Bourbon Barrel Derby, both sides would start the game dead even for much of the game.
In fact, things were so tightly contested that, by the end of the first half, the score remained 0-0.
Unfortunately for the visitors, things began to go awry at the start of the second half when the home side found the back of the net for the first time in the 50th minute.
The Boys in Green refused to die down, but would suffer a second massive blow in the 57th minute, this time in the form of a red card delivered to defender Ebenezer Ackon, forcing the trailing visitors to face a numbers disadvantage as well.
Lexington SC remained undeterred and made impressive plays as it searched for an equalizer, once again showing fight and toughness in the face of adversity, but the numbers advantage was ultimately too much to overcome as the home side found a dagger before the final whistle sounded, signifying defeat.
“It’s going to click eventually and we know that,” CC Uche, who made his first start for the club, said. “We had an unfortunate red card situation that switched the flow of the game but we had a lot of good chances and prior to that the momentum was in our favor.”
When all was said and done, One Knox led with possession in the contest, holding the ball 54% of the time while also narrowly winning in expected goals 0.70-0.64. Lexington SC currently sits in second in the Central Division of the club, just one point behind Madison in first.
“Obviously it wasn’t the result we were wanting, but there’s definitely a lot to learn from and build from,” Anthony Patti said. “We are still in a very good spot. I have full confidence in this team and staff and think that we are definitely serious contenders for this tournament. Just have to keep our heads straight and keep working for the next match.”
Next up for the Boys in Green, they’ll hit the road again, once again back in USL League One play, for a rematch against Spokane Velocity FC after an off week. That game is set to kick off at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 23, from ONE Spokane Stadium.
About Lexington Sporting Club
Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer third division men’s professional soccer), and in USL Super League (women’s professional soccer launching in 2024). The two professional teams are the pinnacle of the soccer ecosystem in Lexington that features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems. Lexington SC in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.