Triumph’s Second-Half Surge Falls Short in 3-1 Loss
Greenville, SC (April 2, 2025) – The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club fell 3-1 to fellow League One club, One Knoxville, sending the Triumph home from the 2025 U.S. Open Cup in the second round. A red card to Greenville’s Rodrigo Robles and two first-half goals from Knoxville put Greenville behind early, and the club was unable to make up the deficit.
The match saw back-and-forth action, but Knoxville struck first. Stavros Zarokostas opened the scoring in the 15th minute, capitalizing on a rebounded volley to put the visitors ahead 1-0. Knoxville doubled their lead just eight minutes later, leaving Greenville searching for answers. The Triumph had a chance to cut the deficit before halftime, but Ben Zakowski’s penalty kick was denied, sending Greenville into the break trailing 2-0.
Head coach Rick Wright made adjustments at the half, bringing on Brandon Fricke in defense and Connor Evans in midfield. The changes nearly paid off immediately, as Rodrigo Robles found the net—only for his goal to be ruled offside. Moments later, frustration boiled over, and Robles was shown a red card, forcing Greenville to battle with 10 men for the remainder of the match.
Despite the disadvantage, the Triumph pressed on. In the 55th minute, Ropapa Mensah pounced on a third rebound to finally break through, trimming the lead to 2-1. The hosts pushed for an equalizer, but Knoxville sealed their fate in stoppage time with a third goal, ending Greenville’s 2025 Open Cup run.
The Triumph now turn their focus back to league play, hosting Charlotte on Saturday, April 5, at 7 p.m. at Paladin Stadium. Get tickets here.
