Bradley Wright-Phillips struck for two headers for the Red Bulls. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
CINCINNATI — FC Cincinnati’s incredible Cinderella run in the Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup ended Tuesday night as the Red Bulls themselves pulled off a miracle at Nippert Stadium.
Faced with a two-goal deficit entering the final 15 minutes of regulation, New York tied it as Bradley Wright-Phillips struck for the game-winner in extratime to lift the MLS side to a stirring 3-2 semifinal win in front of a sellout crowd of 33,250.
“We escaped by the skin of our teeth,” Red Bulls head coach Jesse Marsch said.
“We’ve had a good two and a half years, this club. We’ve been very successful, we’ve had a good run but ultimately teams and players are judged by championships and you know that’s something that’s been barren in this club and when I first was brought in here to do a job it was to try and create a championship environment and ultimately to win championships so for us to take a huge step for us to get to a final, it’s a big moment for us, you know the energy in the locker room and the people within our club, it’s at an all-time high and I think there’s almost disbelief.”
BWP, who leads the Red Bulls with 14 MLS tallies, scored his second header of the match in the 101st minute, nodding home Sal Zizzo’s feed past goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt to snap a 2-2 deadlock against the United Soccer League team.
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The Red Bulls will meet Sporting Kansas City in Kansas City, Kansas for the title Sept. 20. It will be the franchise’s second appearance in an Open Cup final as it lost to the Chicago Fire in the 2003 championship game.
Second-half sub Gonzalo Veron pulled one back for the visitors in the 75th minute. Derrick Etienne, Jr. who had just entered the game a minute prior, sent in a right-wing cross that ricocheted off Austin Berry to Veron, who slotted it home from five yards to cut the deficit to 2-1.
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It was the first goal Cincinnati allowed in the competition in 585 minutes.
The Red Bulls did not have to wait so long to score a second. Only three minutes later, Wright-Phillips, who endured a relatively quiet game up until that point, headed in Tyler Adams feed from 12-yard shot to equalize at 2-2.
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Goals by Corben Bone and Austin Berry had given Cincinnati a two-goal advantage before the Red Bulls rallied.
The hosts struck in the 31st minute as Bone beat goalkeeper Ryan Meara via a Danni Konig feed.
They doubled their lead in the 62nd minute off Berry’s header off Kenney Walker’s corner kick.
It looked like the Red Bulls were down, but Wright-Phillips and company made sure they were not out of it.