There was an unlikely matchwinner for Nashville SC in their **Leagues Cup 2023** round of 32 clash against **FC Cincinnati** on Friday night, as back-up goalkeeper Elliott Panicco made the difference in the penalty shoot-out after coming on in stoppage time.
The hosts dominated proceedings in Cincinnati, with nearly two-thirds of possession during the match. However, it was the Tennessee team who would open the scoring on the hour mark through midfielder Aníbal Godoy, who fired in from close range after a headed effort was parried into his path.
But FC Cincinnati were going into the game as the Central 3 group winners, and were not going to take the result lying down. Five minutes from time, Brandon Vázquez would equalize from the penalty spot, scoring his fifth goal of this summer’s Leagues Cup and atoning for an agonising earlier miss.
The final stretch of the match saw a barrage of attacks from FC Cincinnati, but the Ohio outfit were unable to strike for a second time. As the clash was heading for a penalty shoot-out, Nashville head coach Gary Smith made a peculiar substitution. He would bring off starting goalkeeper Joe Willis, and bring on second-choice shot-stopper Elliot Panicco in his place ahead of the spot-kick session.
The move was reminiscent of former Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal’s gamble at the 2014 World Cup, when he brought on Tim Krul to win his team a penalty shoot-out against Costa Rica with two saves.
Smith’s decision brought similar success. Panicco, who was making only his tenth appearance for Nashville SC, had only stopped one out of six penalties he had faced in his career thus far. On Friday night, he would double that tally as he kept out Matt Miazga’s effort. The veteran Dax McCarty would then step up to score the winning penalty, setting up a Round of 16 clash against Club América, who beat Chicago Fire earlier in the evening.
Although he conceded four goals against Toluca FC in the group stages, Panicco will have certainly staked his claim for a return to the starting lineup with his heroics tonight. In any case, Gary Smith will now know he has a reliable backup plan should his team’s upcoming Leagues Cup clash head to a penalty shoot-out.
