Memphis 901 FC notches historic win in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

Morton, Lindley combine for 3 goals in team’s first win at AutoZone Park

Memphis 901 FC MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Josh Morton was made for historic moments at AutoZone Park.

The Memphis 901 FC defender scored the first goal in the stadium’s history back in September as a member of the Tulsa Roughnecks.

On Wednesday, Morton helped his new club record its first win at home behind the first brace (two goals in one match by a single player) in club history.

Memphis’ 3-1 win over New York Red Bulls U-23 in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will go down in the club’s record books.

For Morton, he was just happy to be out there with his teammates.

“I was psyched for the game and wanted to make as much out of the game as I possibly could,” Morton said. “Getting two goals wasn’t bad.”

Those two goals help Memphis grab and build on the lead following a lightning- delayed kickoff.

Memphis fell behind just five minutes into its Open Cup debut. But New York’s lead was short-lived as Wednesday night’s captain Cam Lindley tied the match up at 1-1 following an eighth-minute free kick.

In the 26th minute, No. 26 for Memphis was there to give the club the lead after a great assist from forward Lagos Kunga, who made his Memphis debut Wednesday night.

“I found myself up the field a little bit, which I’m not used to,” Morton said.

“But Lagos found himself in a good position and I just got a perfect pass from him for a great assist.”

Memphis went into halftime up 2-1, but the club was far from over when it came to entertaining the crowd of 4,057 strong when it returned from the second half.

Memphis continued to make the most out of set pieces and the duo of Lindley and Morton again conjured up some Memphis magic on a corner kick, giving 901 FC a 3-1 lead after the 73rd minute.

After the final whistle, teammates briefly congratulated one another before the entire team made it way to thank those who mattered most.

“The fans have deserved this for the better part of two months,” Memphis head coach Tim Mulqueen said after the match. “We had that in our mind, we knew it. It’s something that we have talked about. We wanted to repay them.

“They stuck through a weather delay tonight as well. We wanted to give them something unique, which is an Open Cup win.”

The fans at AutoZone Park will remember May 15, 2019 for many reasons.

Maybe it’ll be for the club record of three goals scored in a single match.

Maybe it’ll be for the fashion in which they were scored in.

But the players and coaches will forever remember Wednesday night as a night dedicated to a dedicated fanbase.

Memphis is back in league play Saturday as the club takes on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at 7 p.m. inside AutoZone Park. Tickets for that match are on-sale now.

Memphis 901 FC is a professional American soccer team playing in its first season in the United Soccer League Championship. Memphis 901 FC, led by Principal Owner Peter Freund, Minority Owner Tim Howard, President Craig Unger, Sporting Director Andrew Bell, and head coach Tim Mulqueen, is part of a market that includes over 8,000 youth soccer players, an established American Outlaws chapter, and strong collegiate programs.

Call (901) 721-6000 or go to www.memphis901fc. com/tickets for more information on all ticket options. For the latest information on Memphis 901 FC, visit www.memphis901fc. com and follow the club on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.