Overview:
Mohammed Sofo made sure there wouldn’t be a cupset in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Tuesday.
Mohammed Sofo scored twice in the opening half. (Photo courtesy of MLS)
Mohammed Sofo made sure there wouldn’t be a cupset in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Tuesday.
In fact, he was doubly sure. The 20-year-old forward scored twice in the opening half to spark the Red Bulls to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the Round of 32 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the rain.
Dennis Gjengaar and second-half substitute Sean Nealis added goals at Weidner Field as the Red Bulls tallied a season-high four goals. The most goals they had prior to Tuesday night was two.
“I mean, very opportunity is something I try to grab,” Sofo said. “It doesn’t matter which competition I’m playing, whether it’s MLS or Open Cup, I try to give my best for the team, which is something I always try to do.”
The Red Bulls were coming off a 4-1 loss at Inter Miami CF on Saturday.
“It’s very important for us,” Sofo said. “After the loss, we needed this win to bounce back, Also mentally. So, I think it’s a very important win for us to stay positive and then continue our journey.”
The Red Bulls will host Wednesday night’s winner between FC Dallas and AV Alta FC, in the Round of 16 on either May 20-21.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz decided to use a squad of mostly reserves in the match, although center backs Tim Park and Noah Eile were in the Starting XI.
Sofo lifted the Red Bulls into the lead in the 16th minute. After taking a long feed, Sofo battled defender Duke Lacroix in the box, got around his man and fired a shot to the near post past goalkeeper Christian Herrera for his second goal in as many matches. Sofo also tallied in the 4-1 loss at Inter Miami CF on Saturday.
Four minutes later, Gjengaar drilled a volley from the right side, off a Raheem Edwards cross, that Herrera managed to knock away.
-Sofo doubled the lead in the 44th minute after a Switchbacks turnover. After taking a short pass, he bolted down the right flank before depositing the ball into the back of the net.
“It’s the result of his development at the beginning of the year, started the preseason last year,” Schwarz said. “It’s good to see him that he’s very aggressive, that he’s also very strong in the duels.”
Two minutes into stoppage time, the hosts came close to cutting the deficit in half as forward Justin Dhillon powered a shot from the left side of the penalty area that sailed wide left.
Some 40 seconds into the second half, midfielder Wiki Carmona tried to put the game out of reach, but his left-footed attempt went wide right.
That seemed to wake up the Switchbacks, who dominated the rest of the half.
Halftime substitute Yosuke Hanya took a shot from the left side of the box that keeper AJ Marcucci managed to save in the 54th minute.
Midfielder Daniel Edelman came on for Peter Stroud in the 60th minute as he made his first appearance in a month since recovering from a hamstring injury.
The Switchbacks’ inability to clear the ball out of the area came back to haunt them in the 64th minute as Gjengaar finally got his goal, powering home a shot from the top of the box into the upper right corner for a seemingly safe three-goal margin.
Colorado Springs, however, had other things in mind. The Switchbacks were rewarded for their efforts in the 72nd minute as Anthony Fontana found the net. Matt Real sent in a long ball from the left side that Fontana volleyed past Marcucci from close range to slice the lead to 3-1.
Schwarz had seen enough of his team’s shoddy second-half defense and brought in captain Emil Forsberg and Nealis for Wiki Carmona and Eile, respectively, in the 74th minute.
In the 81st minute, Quenzi Huerman’s free kick went directly to Marcucci.
During a scramble in the box in the 85th minute, Nealis scored as the visitors retained their three-goal lead. Nealis kept the ball in the box. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting got possession and then tapped the ball to the defender, who drilled a shot from the top of the area into the right corner.
