FC Cincinnati earned their first Leagues Cup victory, coming from behind twice to defeat Sporting Kansas City 3-3 (4-2 in penalty kicks), earning two points in the opening match of group play on Sunday night at TQL Stadium.

Conversions from Luciano Acosta, Brandon Vazquez, Yuya Kubo and Matt Miazga were enough to outscore the visiting side after SKC’s Remi Walter missed high and FC Cincinnati goalkeeper Alec Kann saved the final shot of the night from Andreu Fontàs, earning The Orange and Blue victory on the evening and a spot atop their group in Leagues Cup group play.

Acosta sends it to PKs

In the match’s dying moments, FC Cincinnati’s captain Luciano Acosta stepped to the penalty spot and delivered the equalizer for The Orange and Blue, saving a loss at the hands of Sporting Kansas City and earning at least a point for the club.

Acosta earned the PKs with a shot into the box that found the hand of Dany Rosero in the 90+5 minute, forcing the official to award FC Cincinnati a penalty kick with just moments remaining in the match.

The conversion was Acosta’s sixth of the season from the spot across all competitions.

SKC strike first, twice

FC Cincinnati found themselves in a hole early on Sunday night, conceding two goals to visiting Sporting Kansas City in the first 12 minutes of the match.

The first goal came in the ninth minute as a product of an own goal that FCC defender Nick Hagglund headed in an attempt to clear a cross. The pass came in from Shelton Khiery, who was sprung after the referee played advantage to a foul committed by FCC defender Ian Murphy. Ultimately, Murphy would receive a yellow card for his actions, but Hagglund would go in the score sheet for an own goal.

Sporting Kansas City extended their lead just three minutes later when Dany Rosero headed a free kick into the box past starting goalkeeper Alec Kann. SKC midfielder Gadi Kinda curled the free kick from just beyond the corner of the box to the back post, and Rosero could sneak behind the defense and get a finishing touch on the goal.

Red card flips momentum.

While FC Cincinnati was trying to get back into the match, they could not find the finishing touch to get on the score sheet in the 20 minutes following Sporting Kansas City’s second goal.

But momentum swung heavily in The Orange and Blue’s favor when SKC striker Alan Pulido was assessed an instant red card from referee Daniel Quintero Huitrón in the 30th minute for headbutting FCC defender Yerson Mosquera after both players got tangled up on a loose ball.

Mosquera required brief medical attention after taking a headbutt to the face, forcing a delay in play, but ultimately stayed in the match.

Up a man for the remaining 60 minutes of the match, FCC quickly capitalized on the advantage, scoring their first goal on a Luciano Acosta flick to the center, where Ian Murphy rose to head the ball into the net. While the goal was ultimately an own goal after the SKC goalkeeper got a hand of the shot and deflected it off the crossbar and in, Murphy was the catalyst for the goal.

Weather pauses the action.

Immediately following Murphy’s goal, the referee declared the match delayed due to lightning in the area, and both teams cleared the field.

The delay would last 40 minutes of real-time before players returned to the pitch to finish the final 16 minutes of the half, with Sporting KC maintaining their 2-1 lead going into the locker room.

Vazquez evens the score

Playing with a man advantage, The Orange and Blue dominated possession in the early parts of the second half, eventually breaking through on Brandon Vazquez’s goal created by a perfect feed from Luciano Acosta in the 56th minute.

After picking up a loose ball that was a product of a poor touch from the SKC defender, Acosta dribbled seamlessly into the box and found a perfect ground pass to the surging Vazquez, who was able to tap home the pass for an equalizing goal.

SKC penalty breaks the draw

Despite being down a man, Sporting Kansas City found their moment and regained the lead due to a handball by Alvas Powell in the box, awarding the undermanned side a penalty kick that was converted by Gadi Kinda in the 69th minute.

Kinda converted the shot to the bottom left corner past Kann, scoring Sporting Kansas City’s third goal and their first since going down a man in the 30th minute.