For the first time in club history, CT United FC took the field at NKU Soccer Park in Highland Heights, Kentucky, as the club squared off against FC Cincinnati 2 in Connecticut's inaugural match
First-year Head Coach Shavar Thomas rolled out a 4-3-3 formation that saw Gunther Rankenburg start in goal behind the backline of Andre Applewhaite, Lukas Kamrath, Jahvar Stephenson, and Hivan Kouonang. Robbie Mora, Steven Sserwadda, and Ibrahim Kasule formed the midfield three behind the attacking trio of Captain Alex Monis, Cauã Paixão, and Barnabas Tanyi.
Tanyi came close to finding the opener in the 21st minute when his shot from outside the box deflected off a Cincy defender and nearly re-directed into the bottom left corner, but it just trickled wide of the goal. After several good chances, CT United finally found its breakthrough in the 45th minute when Mora received the ball from Sserwadda atop the box and curled a shot to the bottom-right corner and rolled into the net to give CT a 1-0 lead just before halftime.
Mora entered the book in the 69th minute when he saw yellow following Noah Gassan. Some controversy arose immediately after, as a minor collision led to the referee awarding FC Cincinnati 2 a penalty kick. Stefan Chirila stepped to the spot and delivered as he sent a right-footed shot down the middle and in to level the game at one apiece. Thomas went to the bench immediately as Daniel D’Ippolito replaced Andre Applewhaite.
After winning the ball back in their attacking half, Mora worked the ball to Monis, who rocketed an absolute banger of a shot from outside the box on frame that evaded the reach of Dowd and in to give CT the 2-1 lead.
A pair of changes came in the 79th minute as Rickson Van Hees and Michael Boamah replaced Stephenson and Kouonang. Monis entered the book with a yellow card in the 82nd minute.
If the game wasn’t secured already, Kasule put the nail in the coffin in stoppage time when he got on the end of a ball from D’Ippolito and slotted it in to give CT a 3-1 lead.
CT United FC returns to action on Sunday, March 8, when they travel to Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to face fellow independent side Chattanooga FC at 3:00 PM ET.
