Early momentum fades as Asheville capitalizes late
Asheville, NC (March 18, 2026) – The Greenville Triumph’s 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run came to a close on Wednesday night, falling 3-1 to Asheville City SC at Greenwood Field.
Asheville struck first in the 13th minute, with Evan Southern finishing a close-range chance off a low cross from Raí Pinto. The early breakthrough gave the hosts momentum, but Greenville responded quickly. Just six minutes later, Devin Boyce delivered. Standing over a free kick outside the box, Boyce curled a right-footed strike into the upper left corner, leveling the match at 1-1 in the 19th minute.
The deadlock held until the 82nd minute when Asheville found its breakthrough. Aston Bilow capitalized inside the six-yard box, finishing a low cross from Ben Fall to give the home side a 2-1 lead.
Greenville pushed forward in search of another equalizer, but the game slipped further out of reach deep into stoppage time. Azaad Liadi received a yellow card in the 96th minute during a frantic closing stretch, and just two minutes later, Ben Fall sealed the result with a goal from inside the box to make it 3-1.
The Triumph will now turn their focus back to league play as they take on the Cosmos at home March 25th at 7:00PM.
