READING, Pa. – Richmond Kickers midfielder Koby Osei-Wusu scored his first professional goal and goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg made the decisive save in a shootout as the visitors took a 4-3 victory in a penalty shootout against the Premier Development League’s Reading United AC after the sides had played to a 1-1 draw through extra time at Alvernia University Stadium to advance to the Third Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night.

Spangenberg saved from Khori Bennett in the fifth round of the shootout to send the Kickers through after a dramatic contest against the perennial PDL contender and into a matchup with fellow USL side Penn FC in next week’s Third Round at City Stadium.

The Kickers took the lead in the eighth minute as Koby Osei-Wusu scored his first professional goal after Heviel Cordovés’ first-time shot was parried by Reading goalkeeper Bennet Strutz leaving Osei-Wusu to pounce on the rebound and finish.

Cordovés almost doubled the lead just before halftime when Osei-Wusu worked the ball up the left side of the field and played a give-and-go with Cordovés, and after returning the ball back to the Cuban forward at the top of the Reading penalty area Cordovés took a touch and went for the near post, only for Strutz to be there to make the save.

Reading pushed for an equalizer and finally found it in the 70th minute as second-half substitute Austin Maloney worked his way up the right side and sent in a cross that found Bennett to clip home a finish at the near post to send the game to extra time. Richmond pressed to regain the lead in the additional 30 minutes but was reduced to 10 players with five minutes to go in the second half of extra time when Oscar Umar was sent off. Reading almost grabbed a late lead when Alex Lipinsky hit the post late, but after the contest went to a penalty shootout the Kickers held their composure from the penalty spot.

Both Yudai Imura and Raul Gonzalez scored the first two penalties for Richmond, while Aaron Molloy and Daniel Krutzen did the same for Reading. After the teams exchanged misses in the third round, Cordovés and Neil Hlavaty converted for the Kickers to put pressure on Bennett to match in the fifth round, and when Spangenberg produced a diving save the Kickers advanced to the Third Round. 

LOUISVILLE CITY FC 5, LONG ISLAND ROUGH RIDERS 0: Louisville swept past the PDL’s Rough Riders as Ilija Ilic recorded a goal and assist at Lynn Stadium on the campus of the University of Louisville. Ilic provided the assist on Kyle Smith’s opener in the 24th minute before adding a goal of his own 11 minutes later. The hosts then pulled away in the second half as Luke Spencer, Brian Ownby and Cameron Lancaster all found the net in a comprehensive victory.

SAINT LOUIS FC 2, FC DULUTH 0: First-half goals by Kadeem Dacres and Corey Hertzog led Saint Louis past first-time Open Cup qualifiers FC Duluth at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth, MN. Dacres opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a low shot from the right side of the penalty area, and Hertzog added a second 10 minutes later as he flicked home a header at the left post. From there the visitors saw out the win in the second half to move past the Second Round for a fourth consecutive year.

NORTH CAROLINA FC 3, LANSDOWNE BHOYS FC 0: North Carolina FC scored twice in the first half as it cruised to victory against Lansdowne to advance at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. The hosts struck early as Connor Tobin headed home a corner kick by Kyle Bekker in the second minute. Then a minute before halftime Marios Lomis added a second for NCFC before Bernhard Luxbacher put the result out of doubt with 16 minutes to go on Bekker’s second assist of the night.

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC 2, ERIE COMMODORES FC 1: Riverhounds SC scored twice in the opening half-hour and then held out defensively in the second half to advance past the Commodores at McConnell Family Stadium on the campus Gannon University in Erie, Pa. Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the fourth minute as Thomas Vancaeyezeele scored off a feed by Kevin Kerr, and the visitors doubled their advantage through Kerr from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark. Erie hit back through Cameron Philpot just before halftime, but the Hounds held firm after the break to advance.

NASHVILLE SC 2, INTER NASHVILLE FC 0: Tucker Hume scored both goals for NSC as it advanced to the Third Round at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex in Nashville in a game that was delayed for 41 minutes midway through by lightning. Hume struck first in the 19th minute as he latched onto a through-ball by fellow forward Robin Shroot before rounding the goalkeeper and finishing into the open net. The 6-foot-5 forward then iced the contest with a minute to go as Shroot provided his second assist of the night to see NSC through.

PENN FC 3, FC MOTOWN 1: A late three-goal rally lifted Penn into the Third Round with victory against FC Motown at Ranger Stadium in Madison, N.J. Motown took the lead in nine minutes into the second half when former New York Red Bulls midfielder Dilly Duka found the net, but with 11 minutes to go Penn hit back as Miguel Jaime sparked the comeback. A minute later Prince Baffoe put the visitors ahead, and a late insurance goal by Pedro Galvao secured Penn its victory and a place in the Third Round.

MISSISSIPPI BRILLA 1, INDY ELEVEN 0: Indy bowed out of the Open Cup in the Second Round for a second consecutive season as the Premier Development League’s Brilla FC scored late to earn victory at Clinton Stadium in Clinton, Miss. Koray Easterling scored the only goal of the game for the hosts with eight minutes to go as Brilla FC became the first club from Mississippi to advance to the tournament’s Third Round.

OCEAN CITY NOR’EASTERS 3, CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE 1: Early back-to-back goals saw the Nor’easters take victory against the Independence at the Sportsplex at Matthews. Ocean City scored twice in two minutes through Kyle Gurrieri inside the opening 10 minutes and added a third just before the halftime break as Fredlin Mompremier. The Independence pulled a goal back through Jorge Herrera just before the hour-mark, but Charlotte was unable to continue its comeback as it fell in the Second Round for the first time in its history.

JACKSONVILLE ARMADA FC 1, TAMPA BAY ROWDIES 0: The Rowdies were eliminated after a lightning-delayed kickoff at Southern Oak Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Tampa Bay had chances to take the lead in the first half, but after J.C. Banks gave the hosts the lead in the 58th minute the Rowdies were unable to get back on level terms with Zac Portillos’ shot off the crossbar the closest the visitors came to leveling the score.