Jersey Express S.C. on US Open Cup Run, Set for Wednesday Date with New York Cosmos

photo taken by: Bob Hector Larson

The Jersey Express are now officially on a US Open Cup run.

After taking care of business against amateur side Greek American in the opening round, this time, they dispatched a fellow pro team New York Red Bulls II, a new developmental squad of parent club New York Red Bulls.

In the 59th minute of what had been up to that point a scoreless game, Chris Karcz headed home a perfect corner kick delivered by Brayan Martinez.

Martinez played a left-footed ‘in-swinger’ from the corner arc toward the near post where Karcz timed a perfect run to head home.  Karcz was unmarked and played onside by the Red Bulls II backline who defended on the goal-line.

A vocal small contingency of Red Bulls II supporters sang for the beginning part of the match as they would for parent club New York Red Bulls which made for a good soccer atmosphere at Lubetkin Field.

They were silenced when Karcz found the net.

The Express nearly scored moments earlier when through excellent buildup play through the midfield, Marco Drijic found himself open and tried a shot from the top of the box that had to be saved.

The draw pits the upstart Express against the Cosmos of world-wide fame and now reprised since 2010 in the NASL; the league just one tier below MLS.

Should that not have been a difficult enough task for Jersey Express, they will have to travel to Long Island to face New York on its home field at Hofstra University.