| 2026 LAMAR HUNT US OPEN CUP | 2ND ROUND | 1ST HALF | 2ND HALF | EXTRA TIME | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONE KNOXVILLE SC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1(3) |
| ASHEVILLE CITY SC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1(2) |
ASHEVILLE, NC – The fourth edition of the Smoky Mountain Series featured a little bit of everything across the 120 minutes played at Greenwood Field on Tuesday night. But for all of the goals, red cards and end-to-end action, the result all came down to the final kick of the match. Or in the case of One Knoxville SC goalkeeper Jonathan Burke, it came down to the final save.
His three stops in the penalty shootout sees shorthanded One Knox keep the Smoky Boot and advance in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 3-2 win from the spot after playing Asheville City SC to a 1-1 result in regulation and extra time.
“I’m just so grateful for these types of experiences,” said Burke afterwards. “A few things didn’t go our way, but it just shows our character as a team. For this group, it’s definitely a benchmark going forward for us, especially for the new guys to the club. It shows how gritty we are and how ready we are for the challenge no matter what happens.”
After Steven Cordova converted his penalty to put Knoxville ahead heading into the fifth round, Burke sealed the deal with a dive to his left, getting both hands behind a low attempt from Asheville’s Ryan Holmes. Moments later, a triumphant Burke was getting chased and eventually mobbed by his teammates.
“The little kid in me came out after that,” laughed Burke. “I’ve made two saves (in shootouts) before, but that’s the first time I’ve made three and with it being in a tournament that is as historic as the Open Cup, you’re aware that there is way more on the line because it’s win or go home. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a few shootouts, but that was a different beast.”
The saves from the spot in the final stanza of the match were just the icing on top of what was a career-night for Burke who was an impenetrable wall in goal for the visiting side with 11 saves made as One Knox found itself down a player for much of the second half and then another player for the entirety of extra time.
“You just have to lock in on the moment,” Burke explained. “You just prepare yourself to know that they are going keep coming at you and anticipate everything.”
The victory marks Knoxville’s third consecutive win in the four meetings with Asheville in the Smoky Mountain Series. Now moving on to the Third Round of US Open Cup, the club will learn if it hosts a side from Major League Soccer for the first time in its history when US Soccer draws the matchups on Thursday at 9:00 a.m. ET.
A goal from recently-acquired forward Braudilio Rodrigues put One Knox at halftime. However, a second yellow card for Stavros Zarokostas, a converted penalty by Asheville’s Simon Carlson and then a second yellow card for Teddy Baker had the away side fighting for survival for much of the evening.
“At that point, it’s mostly about just trying to get the ball in their half and try to earn set pieces,” Burke explained of the approach. “We’re still trying to score but, being down a player definitely hurts us in possession, so it forces us to be a little more scrappy in how we play. So we do a lot of things to kill the game and try and get to penalties. It’s just a defensive battle for sure.”
Of Burke’s 11 saves, none may have been more impressive than a pair of saves in quick succession, stymieing a strike in the box from Evan Southern and then quickly bouncing back up to push away the follow up from Kameron Lacey.
With Burke as the last line of defense, the remaining One Knox players on the pitch showed their heart and sturdiness in not allowing a single goal from the run of play despite the disadvantage in numbers.
“A big part of who we are is how good we are defensively,” Burke said. “We’ve started to show that in recent league games this season. We have the depth for sure with second and third string guys who can step up and do the job just as well as the first string. Tonight was just a great night of character and I’m super proud of the boys.”
The penalty shootout began with Burke stopping a shot from Simon Carlson, however One Knox wasn’t able to consolidate after Mikkel Gøling’s penalty was saved as well. Jordan Skelton, Eli Conway and Cordova all converted their shots from the spot, while Ryan Flood and Ashton Bilow scored before Burke made his second save of the shootout on an attempt from Rai Pinto.
Including the pair received by both Zarokostas and Baker, 11 total yellow cards were issued throughout the match, including a caution issued to Fuller and Asheville Head Coach Scott Wells. Asheville City defender Johnny Fenwick was sent off after drawing a red card in the final minute of the second period of extra time.
> MATCH DETAILS
LINEUPS
KNX: Burke – GK, Perkins, McLeod, McRobb (Williams 90′), Fernandez (Linhares 111′), Caputo – C (Cordova 64′), Baker, Zarokostas, Rodrigues (Gøling 64′), Diene (Conway 55′), Krioutchenkov (Skelton 64′)
ASH: Pannenberg – GK, Fenwick, Holmes, Padilla (Bilow 105+3′), Flood, Baer, Kelly (Vignali 64′), Huckaby (Pinto 64′), Carlson – C, Southern (Keenan 111′), Lacey (Mbuyu 102′)
GOALS
KNX: Rodrigues 33′
ASH: Carlson (Penalty) 67′
DISCIPLINE
KNX: Baker (Yellow) 35′, (Yellow/Red) 90′; Caputo (Yellow) 41′; Zarokostas (Yellow) 45+1′, (Yellow/Red) 50′;
ASH: Holmes (Yellow) 27′; Flood (Yellow) 59′; Fenwick (Red) 120′
NEXT UP
As it awaits its next opponent in the Open Cup, One Knox returns to USL League One play with a trip to Florida on Saturday to face Sarasota Paradise. The squad then plays at Portland Hearts of Pine on April 11, before finally returning to Covenant Health Park on April 18 to host the Charlotte Independence (tickets).
