A physical match on a cool Wednesday night at WakeMed Soccer Park in front of an announced crowd of 1,112 fans featured just one goal and one red card. The good news for host North Carolina FC was, their player netted the goal, and the red card was assessed to the other side.
North Carolina FC needed just one strike, a second-half score from youngster Julian Placias, to beat Carolina Core FC 1-0 in the Third Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
“I thought the guys played well tonight,” NCFC coach John Bradford said. “Competed well, and the first shutout we’ve had in a little while – I think that was important for us. Really pleased with the overall effort, and I really think (the win) speaks to the club’s mission being able to play young players and have faith, trust and support in them, and see them flourish on a great stage.”
For NCFC, the victory marks the eighth time it has advanced to the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup. It’s also the first time NCFC has won a match in the century-old soccer tournament since 2019, snapping a three-game losing streak.
This season is the first active one for Carolina Core FC. The MLS NEXT Pro side is based in High Point, N.C. – which is located about 85 miles west of the home of NCFC in North Carolina’s Triangle. The two teams played a preseason friendly that NCFC won 5-2, but this Tar Heel State Derby marked the first official meeting between the two sides with real stakes.
Carolina Core FC advanced to this stage of the Open Cup by besting Vermont Green FC of USL League Two, 2-1, on the road two weeks ago.
“We expected a really good game out of them,” said NCFC forward Garrett McLaughlin, who provided the assist on Placias’ goal. “John got us ready and showed us the film. They’ve had some good results this year. We expected it was going to be a tough game.”
With a 5-3-2 formation, NCFC dominated possession early on in the match – controlling the ball 71% of the time at one point – but didn’t get a good look at its opponent’s net until the 21st minute. Unfortunately for the home team, Jacori Hayes couldn’t find the goal with a left-footed attempt from inside the box after getting a feed from Placias. Moments later, Jaden Servania put a shot on-target, but it was saved by Carolina Core’s Alex Sutton, who dove low and to his left to halt the attempt.
Nelson Flores Blanco had a chance at a score in the 42nd minute for NCFC after hauling in a cross, but Sutton batted the ball over the bar to keep the score tied heading into intermission.
In the 61st minute, NCFC finally broke through. After McLaughlin corralled the rebound from his own miss a second time in the span of a few seconds, he then settled the ball, spun around and fed a pass to Placias, who was standing unmarked at the far post and blasted a right-footed shot into the back of the net with relative ease.
“It was scrappy at times. We only put away one, but that’s all we needed,” McLaughlin said. “I’m really, really happy for (Placias). He’s been training really well and getting more and more opportunities. To see him score and celebrate, it was kind of like a weight lifted off his shoulders. Happy I could provide that for him.”
The goal was the first for Placias in an NCFC uniform. The product of the LA Galaxy academy just turned 18 less than two weeks ago.
Kyrome Lumsden, a 16-year-old midfielder who came up in LAFC’s academy, made his professional debut by subbing on for NCFC in the 69th minute. He picked up the first yellow card of his pro career in the 83rd minute for a hard tackle in the midfield.
Moments later, referee Josh Parke gave Carolina Core’s bench a yellow card after receiving some jawing from head coach Roy Lassiter – the former U.S. men’s national team forward. Lassiter remained unpleased in the 88th minute when what seemed to be the equalizing goal for the Core was called off after the scoring player, Josuha Rodriguez, was whistled for being offside. The Core bench was then given a second yellow card after assistant coach Amado Guevara voiced frustrations. In the 90th minute, Guevara was sent off with a second yellow card that turned red after touching a NCFC player.
In all, the game featured 12 yellow cards.
“I didn’t expect the amount of fouls and kind-of nonsense yellow cards that came as the game wore on. But we have to deal with it, and that’s part of it,” Bradford said. “You hopefully will see very little of our guys talking to the referees and wasting time on things they can’t change.”
Another well-known name on Carolina Core’s bench, goalkeeping coach Donovan Ricketts – who played in 100 games for the Jamaican national team – at the very least had to be happy with performance of Sutton, who finished the match with seven saves and allowed just one goal despite facing 15 shots from NCFC.
“I thought their goalie had a fantastic game,” McLaughlin said.
The home side’s goalkeeper played well too. It was the first start at WakeMed Soccer Park for 20-year-old Antonio Carrera between the pipes for NCFC and he finished the game with a clean sheet, not allowing Carolina Core to score on four shot attempts.
“It was a team effort,” Carrera said. “It wasn’t clean, it wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done – which, in the Open Cup, is what you need.”
Carolina Core is 0-2-1 in the MLS Next Pro season, while NCFC is 1-2-3 so far in its first season back in the USL Championship after spending three campaigns in USL League One.
North Carolina FC will play in the Round of 32 on May 7 or 8.