Match Report (U.S. Open Cup - R32) - D.C. United 3 (5) - (6) 3 One Knoxville

USL League One team, One Knoxville, made history taking down MLS and Open Cup giants, D.C. United. They earned $50,000 as the highest-advancing team of the third division.

Washington, D.C. — Three-time U.S. Open Cup champions D.C. United suffered a surprising elimination in the Round of 32, falling to Division III side One Knoxville in a dramatic penalty shootout after a 3–3 draw through extra time.

D.C. United controlled large stretches of the match and broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute. Matti Peltola opened the scoring with a powerful strike from outside the box, assisted by Servania, giving the Black-and-Red a deserved lead.

However, the visitors responded with resilience. In the 75th minute, Diene capitalized on a rebound from Rodrigues’ shot, taking advantage of D.C. United's defensive passiveness. Just three minutes later, substitute Krioutchenkov made an instant impact, scoring only moments after entering the pitch to give One Knoxville a shocking 2–1 lead.

Head coach René Weiler reacted with changes of his own, introducing defender Hefti, which proved decisive. In the 83rd minute, Hefti delivered a precise cross into the box that Markovic met with a stunning volley to equalize at 2–2 and force extra time.

D.C. regained the advantage early in extra time in one of the most unusual plays of the night. Goalkeeper Alex Bono launched a long ball from his own half that found Peglow, who capitalized on a misread by goalkeeper Burke and calmly headed into an open net to make it 3–2 in the 97th minute.

With momentum seemingly in their favor, D.C. United appeared poised to close out the match. A potential fourth goal was ruled offside, keeping One Knoxville within reach. The visitors took full advantage in the 113th minute, when Perkins delivered a perfectly weighted ball behind the defense, that Krioutchenkov chipped over Bono equalizing 3–3 and sent the match to penalties.

In the shootout, One Knoxville held their composure. Substitute Linhares converted the decisive penalty after D.C.’s Gabriel Pirani missed the sixth attempt, sealing a historic upset and advancing the Division III side to the next round.

Post-Match Reaction — René Weiler

“We didn’t play with the same energy. They had much more mentality and fighting spirit. For me, it was a bad game with a bad result.”

On conceding late after taking the lead:

“Unbelievable how we played after this goal — so passive, and no one pushed the other forward.”

Braudilio Rodrigues - One Knox Midfielder

“We had the mentality to go and look for the second and the third goal. We suffered a lot, but we knew we were going to have our chances to score.”

On the penalty shootout, the confidence within the squad remained strong:

“The coach told us to trust in our work and our preparation for the penalty shootout.”

Three Points

1. Historic Upset: One Knoxville eliminated a three-time U.S. Open Cup champion, earning $50,000 as the highest-advancing Division III team and continuing their remarkable run.

2. Goals Return: D.C. United scored three goals after going 270 minutes without scoring in league play, with Peltola, Markovic, and Peglow all finding the net.

3. Bono’s Impactful Return: Alex Bono made his first start of the season, recording three saves and providing an assist in a standout individual performance.

What’s Next

D.C. United now shifts focus back to MLS play, where they will travel to Subaru Park to face the Philadelphia Union, who currently sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, One Knoxville will host Charlotte Independence as they look to carry momentum forward in both league and cup competitions.

Starting XI

D.C. United (4-2-3-1):

Bono; Antley (Hefti 82’), Markovic, Rowles, Kurokawa; Kijima (Stroud 46’), Hopkins (Servania 46’); Peglow, Peltola (C), Turner (Pirani 46’); Munteanu (Murrell 76’)

Unused Subs: Farr, Avilez

One Knoxville:

Burke; Tiao (Fernandez 77’), McRobb, Skelton (C), Brown (Perkins 98’); Murphy (Cordova 62’), Caputo (Krioutchenkov 76’); Rodrigues, Goling, Gil (Conway 62’); Diene (Linhares 90’)

Unused Subs: Garibay

Scoring Summary

D.C. United:

Peltola (62’, assisted by Servania)

Markovic (83’, assisted by Hefti)

Peglow (97’, assisted by Bono)

One Knoxville:

Diene (75’)

Krioutchenkov (78’, assisted by Brown)

Krioutchenkov (113’, assisted by Perkins)

Booking Summary

D.C. United:

Markovic (64’)

One Knoxville:

Fernandez (95’)

Perkins (118’)

The Black-and-Red goalkeeper, Alex Bono, had his first start of the 2026 season, recorded 1 assist and 3 saves.