Lexington SC Falls to Lou City in U.S. Open Cup

Louisville City FC eliminates Lexington Sporting Club for fifth straight time in tournament

Apr. 2, 2026 at 3:04am

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Lexington Sporting Club was unable to capitalize on early scoring chances against Louisville City FC in their Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matchup, leading to a 2-0 defeat. Despite an aggressive start, Lexington couldn't find the back of the net as Louisville scored in the 21st and 49th minutes to advance in the tournament.

Why it matters

This marks the fifth straight time Louisville City FC has eliminated Lexington Sporting Club from the U.S. Open Cup, continuing a regional rivalry between the two Kentucky clubs. The loss is a setback for Lexington as they look to make a deep run in the prestigious national tournament.

The details

Lexington came out aggressively and put Louisville on the defensive early, but were unable to convert their scoring chances due to miscommunications and bad bounces. Louisville weathered the early storm and took the lead in the 21st minute off a corner kick. In the second half, Lexington continued to attack but couldn't find the equalizer, and Louisville added a second goal in the 49th minute to seal the victory.

  • The match took place on April 2, 2026.
  • Louisville City FC scored in the 21st and 49th minutes.

The players

Baba Niang

A Louisville City FC player who scored the opening goal in the 21st minute.

Tola Showunmi

A Louisville City FC player who scored the second goal in the 49th minute.

Mac Hemmi

The head coach of the Lexington Sporting Club men's team.

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What they’re saying

“Disappointed, not to get a result. Proud of the group's performance for the first 70 minutes. I thought we were together and really fighting for the game. I thought there was a reaction from the San Antonio game. They were better than us around the box. Starts from me to make sure that the guys can be on the same page and still have maybe too many ideas around the box and we got to get better there. And also just, maturity to put together a 90-minute performance.”

— Mac Hemmi, LSC men's team head coach

What’s next

Lexington Sporting Club will return to USL Championship league play this weekend for a road match against Colorado Switchbacks FC as they look to bounce back from the U.S. Open Cup defeat.

The takeaway

This loss continues a frustrating trend for Lexington Sporting Club, who have now been eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by their in-state rivals Louisville City FC five times in a row. The team will need to regroup and find a way to break through against Louisville if they hope to make a deep run in the prestigious national tournament in the future.