One Knoxville Wins in Penalties Again, at DC United in the U.S. Open Cup

By Daniel Feuerstein | Washington, D.C. | April 15th, 2026

For the second consecutive U.S. Open Cup match, One Knoxville SC of USL League One went on the road to battle against one of the original charter members of Major League Soccer, D.C. United as they arrived in our Nation’s Capital at Audi Field. A new hope for D.C. with their new head coach, Rene Weiler, to improve their season and be a better side in this MLS Season. But instead, they took on the defending USL League One Champions, and after an amazing 120 minutes, it went to another penalty kick shootout for the Tennessee club as One Knoxville won it six to five in six rounds of the shootout after a two-goal draw in regulation, then a three-goal draw after extra time.

No goals were scored in the first half, but all the action came in the closing half and the extra time. DC has the ball in midfield and starts passing it around until it comes toward Matti Peltola. He dribbled a few feet forward with two defenders on him, then he ripped a hard shot that smashed the back of the net and inside the far post. DC takes the lead, and Peltola signalled to the supporters behind the net that the goal was for them in the 61st minute.

But One Knoxville came storming back and scored two goals in three minutes. They moved the ball up the pitch, just outside of the area. Braudilio Rodrigues took a rip, and Alex Bono made the save, but spilled the rebound to Babacar Diene, who got the rebound and converted the Equalizer. He was jumping in celebration in the 75th minute. Then the go-ahead goal came in the 78th minute. Jaheim Brown was on the far side, and he delivered a fantastic cross toward the area. Out of nowhere, Denis Krioutchenkov shot it towards the far post, and Knoxville took the lead.

DC wasn’t dead yet and wanted to remain in this match. Peltola is involved as he received the ball along the near side and attacked towards the end line. He delivers a fantastic cross toward the net and makes an amazing move by lifting his right leg and whipping it around. Nikola Markovic bangs it inside the near post to level the match at two in the 83rd minute. Nothing more in regulation in the match.

As we go to Extra Time, both sides converted a goal and pushed it into the penalty kick shootout. Alex Bono came way off his line and into the midfield to clear that ball toward the other side of the pitch. But tracking it was Joao Peglow, as he allowed the ball to bounce, challenged Jonathan Burke, who was out, and headed it in for the lead in the 97th minute in the first half of extra time.

In the second half of Extra Time, Knoxville was looking for another equalizer, and magically, they earned it when Williams Perkins had the ball along the far side by the touchline and moved it up the pitch. He delivered a long cross toward the net and saw Krioutchenkov all alone and onside. He ripped the shot and beat Bono to the back post to level the match again in the 113th minute. No more goals were scored, so a penalty kick shootout was the final level of the match.

Both sides converted their first five regulation shots. Anything DC could convert, One Knoxville told them they could do it too. But in the sixth round of the shootout, Burke came up big for Knoxville again as he made the huge save on Gabriel Pirani and stopped DC. That meant Kyle Linhares had to take the big spot kick to win it all. He jogged right to the ball, leaped a bit, and toe poked it inside the near post, forcing Bono to go the other way, and One Knoxville earned a cupset to advance to the fourth round.

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