MIAMI – Djiby Fall scored his fourth goal of the tournament, and FC Cincinnati became the first USL club to advanced to the Semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup since 2011 on Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory against Miami FC in front of 10,415 fans at Riccardo Silva Stadium on the campus of Florida International University. FCC’s shutout was its fifth of the tournament, and set up a home game with the New York Red Bulls at Nippert Stadium on August 15.

Cincinnati’s run equals the run of the Richmond Kickers six years ago. FCC now has the chance to become the first USL club to reach the tournament’s final since the Charleston Battery in 2008.

Cincinnati had the first good look at goal as a cross from the right by Aohdan Quinn looked for Djiby Fall at the back post, but the Senegalese forward couldn’t direct his header on goal in the seventh minute. FCC’s Danni König also shot wide of the near post from the right side of the penalty area, while Quinn almost capitalized on a bad clearance by Miami goalkeeper Daniel Vega, only to fired wide of the right post from 20 yards.

Miami moved into the Cincinnati half well in the opening 15 minutes, but was unable to find a final pass to test FCC goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt. FCC went close in the 20th minute when Quinn ghosted in behind the Miami defense into the left channel, but his low cross through the six-yard area didn’t get a final touch.

FCC’s Kevin Schindler stung the palms of Vega with a half-volley from the top-right corner of the penalty area moments later. Miami’s Stefanho Pinho fired well high in the 24th minute from 25 yards out, while Vincenzo Rennella just missed on a volley after a good cross from the right by Kwadko Poku a few minutes later.

Cincinnati went close again through Quinn, who made space for a shot by going around his defender 25 yards out centrally, but his curled finish went just over the crossbar. Miami also had its best chance before the break in first-half stoppage time as a header by Rhett Bernstein from a corner kick forced a save by Hildebrandt, but the teams went to the break scoreless.

Miami opened the second half on the front foot as it forced Cincinnati to withstand some pressure, and FCC defender Harrison Delbridge just sent a cross wide of his own net on a tough cross by the hosts. Schindler had the visitors’ first chance of the second half as his shot on a counterattack was deflected wide from 25 yards, but Miami continued to pressure, and Fall had to head away off a corner that was knocked back dangerously across the FCC six-yard area in the 60th minute.

FCC’s Quinn went close in the 67th minute as a half-cleared cross came to him 25 yards out in space, but his shot flashed just wide of the right post. A minute later, however, Fall gave Cincinnati the lead as a good turn of speed down the left opened space for Justin Hoyte, and his low cross to the near post was put away for a 1-0 lead.

Miami pushed forward in search for an equalizer as FCC was again put under pressure, but the visitors almost found a second with four minutes to go as Corben Bone’s low ball through the six-yard area didn’t find a finishing touch. Second-half substitute Andrew Wiedeman also forced a save by Vega on a counterattack as Miami threw more numbers forward.

Miami came agonizingly close to an equalizer in the 89th minute as Poku wriggled past a challenge to get into the penalty area, but Hildebrandt got a piece of his shot to the left corner, and Renella was unable to divert home the deflection as the ball made him stretch back to try and head home. That proved the final chance of the game, however, as Cincinnati closed out another famous victory.