Lansdowne Bhoys FC will try to add another scalp to their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup collection Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET when they visit North Carolina FC in a second-round match.
In 2016, Lansdowne earned the reputation of being upset artists and advanced to the third round with a 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (United Soccer League). Regarded as one of the top amateur teams in the United States, Lansdowne holds two big amateur national titles – the National Amateur Cup and the Werner Fricker Cup.
Lansdowne is captained by a former Arsenal youth academy product Sean Kelly, who played alongside Cesc Fabregas. The veteran is in his fifth season with the club. He played for Galaway United, Limerick FC and Cork City before landing at Lansdowne Bhoys FC.
The roster’s ties are extremely close with the two clubs, as Lansdowne’s goalkeeper, Abdoukarim Danso, is the brother of current NCFC defender Futty Danso. Abdoukarim has starred in goal with Lansdowne and helped his team clinch an upset win over the Riverhounds in 2016.