Complete U.S. Open Cup Coverage

North Carolina FC

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Charlotte FC offense erupts in OT with 4-1 win over North Carolina FC

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Liel Abada of Charlotte FC celebrates after scoring a goal against North Carolina FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Taylor Banner
Liel Abada of Charlotte FC celebrates after scoring a goal against North Carolina FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Taylor Banner

The first official meeting between MLS’ Charlotte FC and USL Championship side North Carolina FC provided plenty of drama for North Carolinian fans of either team, but everyone needed to wait until extra time for the scoreline to move.

A goal by Charlotte FC’s Liel Abada in the 97th minute was equalized in the 99th by Rafa Mentzingen of NCFC, leading towards more of stalemate before Charlotte FC score three more by the final whistle, with goals by Patrick Agyemang in the 104th, Nikola Petkovic in the 119th, and Kerwin Vargas ending the game with a goal at 120’+3 for a 4-1 Charlotte win in Round 4 of the 2025 US Open Cup on Tuesday night.

The five total goals in extra is just one shy of the Modern Era record of six, which was set back in the Third Round of the 2012 US Open Cup. That year, the Harrisburg City Islanders and New England Revolution scored three extra time goals each and went to penalty kicks where Harrisburg prevailed 4-3.

Chances for both teams began early, with Charlotte FC’s duo of Tyger Smalls and Idan Toklomati almost scoring in the third and North Carolina FC’s corner in the seventh that led to a skillful Conor Donovan header. Tempers flared early, leading to several on-field confrontations from both sides. The chances continued, but no goals were to be found during the first half. Most notable was a run by NCFC’s Oalex Anderson in the 22nd that was deemed offside, and another chance by Idan Toklomati of CLTFC in the 33rd, going just wide of the goal.

Coming into the second half, both teams knew they had missed earlier chances and were seeking to end this game in regulation. Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith even admits that things needed to change coming out of the locker room.

“I just felt the first half was a little bit too slow,” Smith said. “I thought the tempo of the game wasn’t good enough. I thought we were a lot slicker in the second half.”

Both teams were giving it their all, with North Carolina FC dominating both possession and chances created, but nothing was able to come through. With 15 minutes left in regulation, NCFC brought in fresh legs, giving the chance for Oalex Anderson to create more opportunities in the 80th and 89th. Charlotte FC started to slowly bring in their regular starting players, with their most effective chances both in stoppage time by Agyemang. The whistle blew, and extra time was nigh.

As players got ready for the additional time, fanbases on each side of the stadium revved up, anxious to see what their teams would bring as play started once again. Jack Neeley, a staple in Charlotte FC’s Next Pro team Crown Legacy FC — and earning his Charlotte FC debut — was in awe of the atmosphere.

“Playing with Legacy, it’s quiet on the road a lot, so having this is really cool,” he said.

Halfway through the first period of extra time, scoring finally opened up. In the 97th, Abada’s goal was quickly answered from North Carolina’s Mentzingen. A header in the 104th by Charlotte’s Agyemang created the lead for the MLS side. NCFC needed to get back into this if they were intent on making it through to the Round of 16, but was unable to find another equalizer in the last 15 minutes of the match. Charlotte scored twice in the dying moments of the game, with Petkovic scoring in the 119th, and Vargas scoring three minutes into stoppage time.

NCFC will play again at home May 9 against Orange County SC. Charlotte FC’s season continues May 10 as it travels to Nashville SC.

Charlotte will travel to play DC United as it continues its Cup journey either May 20 or 21.

 

2025 US Open Cup Round 3: North Carolina FC wins Dogwood Derby with Charlotte Independence

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North Carolina FC players celebrate after defeating Charlotte Independence 3-1 in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: North Carolina FC
North Carolina FC players celebrate after defeating Charlotte Independence 3-1 in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: North Carolina FC

The heated “Dogwood Derby” between USL Championship team North Carolina FC and USL League One team Charlotte Independence lived up to its name in the Third Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. While NCFC was ahead in shots and possession, it was Independence’s Jon Baquero who struck first in the 49th minute. North Carolina was soon to answer with three goals in quick succession.  A goal in the 71st minute by Oalex Anderson and a brace by Rodrigo Da Costa in the 74th and 77th minute made for smooth sailing into the next round for NCFC, with the final score being 3-1.

As the match began, both teams saw quite a few chances, with NCFC striking with a shot in the first minute. Independence struck back with two back-to-back chances in the 8th and 9th minutes – both with Luis Alvarez involved. 

Independence’s next big chance was in the 39th minute, with Souaibou Marou’s shot sailing just over the crossbar. Plenty of set pieces were afforded to NCFC, but none were able to find the back of the net. And so, halftime came with a 0-0 stalemate. 

The second half began just as strongly as the first, with Oalex Anderson giving two shots in rapid succession within the first two minutes. As hot as NCFC started, Independence answered right back. 

Jon Baquero’s shot at close range hit true, with an assist from Luis Alvarez.  Now North Carolina was on the hunt for an equalizer and almost had one with a shot from Ahmad Al-Qaq in the 59th minute.  

There wasn’t much time to wait for that equalizer, with one of Anderson’s many shots on the night finally finding its target in the 71st minute. Control of the field shifted once again, punctuated by another goal from North Carolina, this time from Da Costa in the 74th minute, followed by another in the 77th minute, a brace for the Brazilian. 

For the remainder of the game, the Independence just couldn’t find the answer to such a quick cluster of goals. Once the final whistle blew, it was North Carolina heading into the next round.

North Carolina FC Sporting Director and Head Coach John Bradford was proud of his team’s accomplishments. 

“It was a quick turn-around for us having played in New Mexico this weekend and to get down here yesterday to play tonight. The guys did well after conceding a goal against the run of play – to stay disciplined and then get to respond – was positive and a whole team effort. The who came on really impacted the game.”  

And about this particular match-up, Bradford had this to say:

“It’s a good group, a well coached group, there’s a lot of respect for the Independence and we knew tonight was going to be a situation where we had to come in and try to be the aggressor and dictate the game and I thought we did that. And it won’t be long until we see them again.”

This is Bradford’s second time bringing NCFC to the round of 32 as Head Coach, and he has high hopes for his team. 

“I’ve followed the Open Cup for years, as well as the history of it, and so for us to be able to compete in it, is a privilege that we don’t take lightly. The opportunity for us to win, whether it be the league, the Jägermeister Cup, or the Open Cup, is something we want our players to value, and they do.”

NCFC travels south this weekend to play against Miami FC Saturday, April 19, and Charlotte Independence will host South Georgia Tormenta this Sunday in league play. Another instance of this rivalry looms close, with these teams meeting each other again in Cary, NC for the USL Jägermeister Cup opening match on April 26. North Carolina FC will play in the next round of the Open Cup on May 6 or 7. The draw for the next round will be this Thursday, April 17.

 

2024 US Open Cup Round 4: Doratiotto’s OT winner sends Phoenix Rising past North Carolina FC, into Round of 16

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Players from Phoenix Rising FC (left) and North Carolina FC battle for the ball in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg NG
Players from Phoenix Rising FC (left) and North Carolina FC battle for the ball in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg NG

With one strike, Giulio Doratiotto made history for himself and his club.

The 19-year-old product of Juventus’ academy subbed on for Phoenix Rising FC at the beginning of the first period of extra time against North Carolina FC in the Fourth Round of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Then, in the 110th minute, Doratiotto cut through the teeth of NCFC’s defense to gain positioning in the penalty area. Once there, a feed from Erickson Gallardo found his left foot, which rocketed the ball between two defenders and NCFC’s keeper for the go-ahead score.

Doratiotto ripped his shirt off in celebration, earning a yellow card — but it didn’t matter. Rising’s defense held strong for the final 10 minutes and left WakeMed Soccer Park victorious after notching a 2-1 win over North Carolina FC in front of an announced crowd of 822 fans on a cool Wednesday night.

“It feels amazing,” Doratiotto said. “I was waiting for that moment. I’m so happy to have the team get a win.” 

The goal was Doratiotto’s first professional score, and the result gives Phoenix its first trip in the club’s 10-year history to the Round of 16 in the Open Cup. Rising will face the winners of the Seattle Sounders and Louisville City FC on May 21 or 22.

“We won a tough away game,” Rising coach Danny Stone said. “To be in the last 16 in obviously an exciting thing… And now, honestly, the attention turns to fast recovery. The credit goes to the players who fought very, very hard in a game tonight and, in the end, I think deserve to come away with a victory.”

North Carolina FC is now winless in its last four matches across all competitions. The club has not advanced to the Open Cup Round of 16 since 2014, when it was one of two lower division sides to make the quarterfinals.

“A lot of effort was given this evening,” NCFC coach John Bradford said. “The details, in terms of an early goal that has no business being defended the way we defended it and allowing it to come in, changes the game. We anticipated it being a physical match and it was. We’ve got to be able to keep our heads a bit better and don’t let the referee make decisions that can go either way, but ultimately go a way that didn’t help us.”

The game featured 12 yellow cards in all. North Carolina outshot Phoenix 20-14, but only put two of those attempts on target in the defeat.

The match was a weird one on multiple levels. It included a weather delay, a late change to the starting lineup, three players being sent off, and two periods of added time. Most of the game was played 10-versus-10, then NCFC saw a second player get a second yellow in added time.

It kicked off 26 minutes later than originally scheduled due to inclement weather in the area. Shortly after the opening kick, Phoenix struck first as Juan Carlos Azocar found the back of the net in the ninth minute. It marked the first goal for the 28-year-old Venezuelan midfielder in a Phoenix kit – he signed with the club this past offseason after spending the last three seasons with various USL Championship clubs  while on loan from Deportivo La Guaira.

Gabriel Torres wasn’t officially credited with an assist, but he created the goal-scoring opportunity for Rising by beating his defender along the left edge of the box and crossing the ball, where it took two bounces before Azocar fired an off-balance, left-footed shot into the roof of the net. Shortly after the goal, NCFC defender Paco Craig was given a yellow card for pushing Azocar, trying to stop him from celebrating and causing a bit of a kerfuffle. 

Azocar wasn’t originally in the starting lineup. He was a late addition for Phoenix after Edgardo Rito was a last-minute scratch upon suffering an apparent injury during warmups, a team spokesperson said. Azocar was promoted to the starting lineup in his place, while Jose Hernandez was added to the bench.

The match changed in a dramatic way in the 24th minute when Phoenix was forced to play the remainder of it with 10 men after defender Laurence Wyke earned his second yellow card and was sent off for a reckless tackle from behind at midfield on NCFC’s Oalex Anderson. Wyke had earned his first yellow in the seventh minute for a previous bad foul.

“Manage the emotions,” Stone said. “There can be a lot of different outcomes and eventualities and situations that we have to deal with …. When these things happen, it’s not a shock for anybody.”

Over the next 16 minutes, NCFC failed to capitalize on its advantage, and in the 40th minute, the game was made even again. Craig was given his second yellow after getting tangled up with a Phoenix forward Remi Cabral in the midfield, stopping his progress on an attack.

“I think (playing 10-on-10) favors a brave team, to try to have the ball,” Stone said. “The physical component of the game becomes a bit more prevalent.”

NCFC struggled with putting together meaningful scoring chances. Then, finally, in the 80th minute, Louis Perez fired in a corner kick from the left side, and Justin Malou spun to meet the ball with his right heel, guiding it into the net with flair for the equalizer. It was the first goal in an NCFC uniform for Malou – a 25-year-old Clemson University product who won a national championship with the Tigers in WakeMed Soccer Park in 2021.

“That was the message, just stay the course and try to get a goal,” Bradford said.

Picking up a great feed from Mohamed Traore, Azocar had the chance to notch the go-ahead goal for Phoenix in the 88th minute but put a chip attempt over the crossbar.In extra time, NCFC lost another player when defender Ezra Armstrong picked up his second yellow card for a hard foul in the 94th minute.

2024 US Open Cup Round 3: North Carolina FC’s youth “mission” pays off, 1-0 over Carolina Core

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Julian Placias of North Carolina FC scored the lone goal in his team's 1-0 win over Carolina Core FC in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg Ng
Julian Placias of North Carolina FC scored the lone goal in his team’s 1-0 win over Carolina Core FC in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg Ng

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.

Collin Martin of North Carolina FC dribbles against Carolina Core FC in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg Ng
Collin Martin of North Carolina FC dribbles against Carolina Core FC in the Third Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg Ng

“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.

2023 US Open Cup Round 2: Wesley Leggett’s late winner in OT gives Loudoun United win in USOC debut

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Wesley Leggett of Loudoun United celebrates after scoring a goal against North Carolina FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Loudoun United
Wesley Leggett of Loudoun United celebrates after scoring a goal against North Carolina FC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Loudoun United

Loudoun United’s Wesley Leggett may have grabbed the headlines on April 5 with his game-winning goal in the 116th minute of extra time. However, it was Loudoun goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux who grabbed several key saves to lead the USL Championship club to a 2-1 victory over USL League One side North Carolina FC in the Second Round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

A 26-year-old native of Cannes, France, Fauroux was spectacular on the night, earning Man of the Match honors and allowing Loudoun to win the club’s US Open Cup debut and advance to Round 3. Some of Fauroux’s best saves came late in regulation.

In the 86th minute, he stopped a point-blank shot by NCFC’s Jaden Servania that was headed into the right corner of the goal to keep the score deadlocked at 1-1.

Then, in the 94th minute of stoppage time, Fauroux made a save on NCFC’s Rafa Mentzingen and Loudoun defender Koa Santos was able to clear the ball on the goal line.

Before Fauroux’s heroics, Loudoun opened the scoring with an early goal in the 7th minute of play when midfielder Kalil ElMedkhar delivered a cross into the box that was headed home by Zach Ryan.

In the 67th minute, Servania tied the match for North Carolina FC as his strike from outside of the box was the only shot of the night to beat Fauroux.

Before substitute Abdoul Zanne found Leggett for Loudoun’s game-winner late in extra time, North Carolina FC had several chances to take the lead during the 30-minute session. And once again Fauroux came up big.

In the 98th minute, a shot by NCFC’s Luis Arriaga was tipped over the bar by Fauroux. Then in the 113th minute, Faroux stopped a point-blank shot by Mentzingen.

“The magic of the Open Cup,” said Loudoun head coach Ryan Martin. “We made some key blocks, whether it was Koa’s on the line, Hugo’s saves, Janis (Leerman) and Bryce (Washington) made some key tackles and plays…Wow, what a performance.”

Despite playing in its fifth season in the USL Championship, this was the first US Open Cup match for Loudoun, who had been ineligible in prior years as the club was owned by DC United. In February, it was announced that Attain Sports & Entertainment had purchased a majority ownership stake in the club, making it eligible to compete in the Open Cup as an independent club.

Loudoun will host Flower City Union of the National Independent Soccer Association on either Tuesday, April 25 or Wednesday, April 26 at Segra Field in Leesburg, VA. Flower City advanced to the Third Round with a 3-1 win over USL League Two club Manhattan SC on April 4.

 

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Rio Grande Valley rallies to win Open Cup debut over NCFC

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Rio Grande Valley Toros North Carolina FC 2022 US Open Cup
Jonathan Ricketts of Rio Grande Valley FC tries to avoid a tackle from a North Carolina FC player in the club’s Second Round match in the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Greg Ng @followgregsports @wearencsoccer

The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros beat North Carolina FC 2-1 to advance to the Third Round of the US Open Cup at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

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NCFC took a lead into the halftime break thanks to a rocket of a shot from Jaden Servania, but the Toros came roaring back after the break, with an SportsCenter Top 10 contender of their own from Frank Nodarse Chaves giving the visitors a 79th minute winner.

“It was an even game, especially in the first half,” said RGV head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “I thought we started off well, but then we gave the other team the chance to get comfortable with their plan and then, at the end of the first half, they, in a counter attack, created a problem and they scored and it was a better half for them at the end.”

The win marked the USL Championship side’s first appearance in the Open Cup. While the club is new to the competition, Cabrera is no stranger, winning in 2018 with the Houston Dynamo and losing against the then-Carolina RailHawks in 2014.

“It’s been good.” Cabrera said. “Coming back to the US Open Cup is a great opportunity. And it’s my second time coming over here to North Carolina. I remember I came in 2014 and we lost against the team in PKs, so it’s great to be back and it’s now even better for us because we have the opportunity to win. But it feels good to be back in the US Open Cup, especially for our club, which is the first time in franchise history.”

Capping off a chippy and physical first half, Servania blasted NCFC into the lead in the 45th minute. Capitalizing on a poor clearance, Servania’s first touch gave him enough time and space to line up a rocket off a shot off the bottom of the bar.

“For him, anytime it’s on his left foot and when he’s on that inside kind of right position formation wise, we want him to be aggressive,” said NCFC head coach John Bradford. “We want him to create goals, and I think he’s gonna have a lot more of those as the season goes on.”

The hosts took that lead into the break, but the Toros didn’t take long to level things up as Frank Lopez Garcia finished off a breakaway in the 54th minute.

NCFC defender Jordan Skelton was in good position to snuff out the danger early but slipped, allowing Garcia to go one-on-one with goalkeeper Will Pulisic.

With both teams searching for a late winner, it was Rio Grande Valley that broke the deadlock in the 79th minute. In an attempt to one-up Servania’s first-half goal, Chaves beat Pulisic with a hard-hit shot from 30 yards out.

“We spoke about being a little bit more of a solid team because we didn’t combine as well as we should and in the second half we improved our movement of the ball, our touches,” Cabrera said. “We were able to score two goals and I think it was more solid for us and it was a good game.”

The two sides combined for five yellow cards in the tightly contested matchup, with three cautions coming after the 77th minute.

Rio Grande Valley FC’s next opponent will be determined in the Third Round draw on April 8.

2019 US Open Cup Round 4: New York City FC blank North Carolina FC to win first US Open Cup game

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Keaton Parks of NYCFC scored a pair of goals in the club's 4-0 win over North Carolina FC in the Fourth Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Sebastian Ramirez
Keaton Parks of NYCFC scored a pair of goals in the club’s 4-0 win over North Carolina FC in the Fourth Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Sebastian Ramirez | IG: @sebasbk | sebasbk.com.

For the first time in the club’s relatively short history, New York City FC was able to taste victory in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. NYCFC pulled away from North Carolina FC in the second half on the strength of a pair of goals by Keaton Parks to beat the USL Championship side, 4-0 to advance to the Round of 16.

If you knew New York City Football Club’s history, then the first 25 minutes of this match would have made you nervous that the club was headed toward US Open Cup disappointment for the fifth year in a row. In their first two seasons, NYCFC lost to the North American Soccer League’s New York Cosmos in the Open Cup. The next two seasons would see NYCFC fall to cross-river rivals New York Red Bulls. This year’s edition didn’t start with much indication that City would be able to get over that Open Cup hump.

Early chances for NYCFC were either saved by North Carolina FC keeper Alex Tambakis, or didn’t even challenge his net, missing the target completely. Although the Boys in Blue dominated the game from the first kick, the lack of goals gave their supporters a long stretch of nervous moments. A fabulous Tambakis fingertip save on a close range chip shot from Jesus Medina was followed up by striker Valentin Castellanos’s attempt ricocheting off the crossbar.

The nerves were exacerbated because – for the second time in their short history – NYCFC was fielding a predominantly-reserve squad. Of the 11 players on the field, only Anton Tinnerholm (out of position at centerback instead of his usual right back) and playmaking midfielder Maxi Moralez are regular starters in league play. The rest of the team was composed of spot starters for injured players, or first-time starters including professional debutante Daniel Bedoya – on the same pitch he called home during his two seasons with St. John’s University.

The anxious energy would be released in the 25th minute. NYCFC moved the ball through the midfield, opening up Castellanos, who moved the ball out wide to the often-overlapping left back Tony Rocha. He drove a low cross into the box where both midfielder Keaton Parks Moralez were collapsing. It would be North Carolina’s Aaron Guillen that would ultimately deflect the ball into the far side netting for an own goal.

The next 20 minutes would be more of the same, with North Carolina’s best chances coming from corner kicks while NYCFC continued to dominate possession. North Carolina coach Dave Sarachan could not find a way to allow his team to capitalize on the fact that multiple NYCFC players were in new positions to cover for teammates who are either hurt or on international duty. That was in part because of the strong play of a young trio of NYCFC midfielders in their first starts of the season: Parks, Daniel Bedoya, and homegrown 17-year old Justin Haak. The first half ended with North Carolina losing control of the ball deep in NYCFC territory thanks to the tenacious work of Bedoya and Rocha. Rocha left the ball for Moralez and sprang down the line  A simple ball back to Rocha allowed him to look up and spot the run of right winger Jesus Medina. A beautiful curling cross from Rocha would land on Medina’s foot at the top of the box for an easy shot past Tambakis. NYCFC took a 2-0 lead into half time and it seemed that the team from the Bronx was on their way to an easy victory despite the heavy squad rotation.

Photo: Sebastian Ramirez | IG: @sebasbk | sebasbk.com
Photo: Sebastian Ramirez | IG: @sebasbk | sebasbk.com

It was all smiles for NYCFC, as again they held majority possession of the ball and scored two more goals to seal the victory. In the 52nd minute, Medina and Castellanos linked up to possess at the top of Carolina’s box, allowing right back Torres to advance and find space wide. He received the ball and placed a high cross to the back post, where Keaton Parks headed it down and into the net past a lunging Tambakis. Parks added his second goal in the 76th minute, rewarded for a 50-yard sprint when Moralez placed a short pass through the Carolina defense leaving Parks one-on-one with Tambakis. Parks would coolly place the chance in the far corner.

NYCFC head coach Domènec Torrent praised his players for their performance.

“I was happy the players played really well,” the Frenchman said. “I was sure because when I say they deserve to play because they train very very hard every single day. I have confidence with these players. The shame for me, like a coach, is that I have to choose 11, not 18 but every player deserves to play because they have quality.”

“I think a lot of credit goes to training,” Haak said of his ability to integrate into the starting lineup just a week after his professional debut. “We do a lot of passing, a lot of movement with each other, creating chemistry there, but also playing games with the academy a couple of times when I need to get a game in helps me be more prepared for this.”

“We work hard every day in training,” added Parks. “We have a lot of chemistry in the team. We have a lot of good friendships in the locker room and everything.  The chemistry is there, it’s just about giving us the opportunity.”

NYCFC advances to the US Open Cup’s Round of 16 for the first time in club history where they will play on the road against D.C. United on June 19. The winner of that game will have a Quarterfinal road game against the winner of Orlando City SC and the New England Revolution.

“It feels great to be part of history like winning the first game for New York City,” Rocha said. “I mean it’s awesome. People are always going to talk about the first one and being a part of it, and it is something that I am going to be able to tell my kids and grandkids about so it is definitely a good feeling.”

2019 US Open Cup Round 3: Outward Soccer Soldiers … North Carolina FC ousts Florida 1-0 to advance

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Players from North Carolina FC celebrate the team's only goal against Florida Soccer Soldiers in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Credit - Rob Kinnan
Players from North Carolina FC celebrate the team’s only goal against Florida Soccer Soldiers in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Credit – Rob Kinnan

The last time North Carolina FC played a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match on Field 2 (aka the Koka Booth Stadium) at WakeMed Soccer Park was 2014, when the team was called the Carolina RailHawks. The game featured a higher caliber, more talented squad coached by Dave Sarachan against a scrappy, yet overmatched underdog that nevertheless managed to pull off an improbable upset win.

Wednesday night in Cary, North Carolina FC, now a second-division pro team in the USL, hosted the amateur side Florida Soccer Soldiers in the Third Round of the 2019 US Open Cup. Sarachan was back, now as the manager of North Carolina, which defeated Sarachan’s LA Galaxy in 2014 by a score of 1-0. Five years later, history partly repeated itself, as North Carolina carried an early second half goal by DJ Taylor to another 1-0 victory to advance to the Fourth Round of the Open Cup.

“It was a good win,” Sarachan said. “The Open Cup is what you saw tonight. You have a group of players from Florida who did a good job disrupting us and asking questions of us. We were in second gear in the first half, for whatever reason, and we created nothing. We adjusted some things at halftime, and I thought our second half start was good. We got the early goal, and I thought the soccer was good in the second half.”

For Sarachan, the win adds to his US Open Cup coaching resume, as the two-time champion improved his career advance percentage to .889, and his winning percentage to .833. Both numbers are the best of any manager in the tournament’s Modern Era (1995-present).

“We came with huge expectations about this game because we thought we could win,” said Soccer Soldiers manager Daniel Godoy. “We played a high level against an excellent team with an excellent staff and excellent coach. Of course, we knew that if we made one mistake, they would score. We did our best, but it wasn’t for us.”

A back-and-forth opening half saw the hungrier Soccer Soldiers stymie North Carolina FC’s occasional attacking sorties and clog the midfield. The visitors’ offense consisted mainly of hunting for poaching opportunities. But the feisty Soccer Soldiers kept the scoreline clean entering intermission.

For the second straight Open Cup match, Sarachan was not pleased by his squad’s sluggish first half.

“The message was more urgency and more movement,” said Sarachan, who is leading a team in the US Open Cup for the first time since winning the tournament in 2006 with the Chicago Fire. “Sure it’s hot and all, but the message was let’s get to third and fourth gear. Step up the pressure and step up the tempo, get the game more on our terms.”

“In the first half, our movement was too slow,” Taylor added. “The team came out very lethargic—I don’t know if it was the heat or whatever. We weren’t moving the ball fast enough, and technically they were good and making it difficult for us.”

Graphic by Harrison Huntley | @hhuntley17

A more determined North Carolina FC came out for the second stanza and immediately christened the scoreboard. Fullback D.J. Taylor took a lay off from Steven Miller and drove towards goal, cutting loose a low liner from 19 yards out that slipped past Soccer Soldiers goalkeeper Bryant Gammiero Martins for a 1-0 advantage.

“I just saw space and dribbled through opponents, and they gave me space to cut onto my left foot and I hit it,” Taylor beamed. “It was a good goal.”

From there, the fitter Dead Whales wore down the Florida visitors. Three bookings, including a late red card shown to Florida’s Carlos Daniel Meneses Freire, were the lone notable events as North Carolina FC ground out a win and Florida appeared to finish the match with heavy legs.

“Maybe we pressured too high, but we knew that if we did that we were going to find one opportunity,” Godoy said. “We created a couple of those early in the game, but in the second half came with better energy.”

North Carolina FC now moves on to the fourth round of the Open Cup, the MLS round, which is familiar territory for the Cary-based side. An MLS side has ousted North Carolina from six of the past seven Open Cups.

“I’m very excited,” Taylor said. “We have a new coach, new team, and I think we’ll have a lot of success this year. I think it’s a great challenge to show what we can do. Last year, we lost to DC United on PKs, so we have to settle the score through the MLS rounds.”

BOX SCORE
LINEUPS
NC: MacLeod, Taylor, Mehl, Guillen, Duvernay, G. Smith, Wapiwo (da Luz, 77’), Perez (Miller, 46’), Fortune, Chester, Kristo (Ewolo, 73’)
FSS: Gammiero Martins, Serrano, Aldunate (Coll 85’), Calderon, Hoyos Cadavid, Suazo Williams, Meneses Freire, Boggio, Ruiz de Somocurcio (Ferro, 56’), Guanipa Morles (Olivares, 55’), Sabella

GOALS
NC: Taylor, 47’ (Miller)
FSS: —

CAUTIONS
NC: Mehl, 21’; Wapiwo, 71’
FSS: Sabella, 45’; Olivares, 90’

EJECTIONS
NC: —
FSS: Freire, 90’

ATTENDANCE: 1,270

2019 US Open Cup Round 2: North Carolina FC oust Richmond Kickers in Dave Sarachan’s return to USOC

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Photo: Rob Kinnan | North Carolina FC
Photo: Rob Kinnan | North Carolina FC

Dave Sarachan won the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup twice as the manager of the Chicago Fire in 2003 and 2006. When he was an assistant coach for the LA Galaxy, his team thrice visited WakeMed Soccer Park from 2012 through 2014, and three times his MLS side was ousted from the Open Cup by the hometown Carolina RailHawks.

Sarachan, who has the highest win percentage of any coach of the Modern Era,  is now the manager of North Carolina FC, and in Round 2 he earned his first Open Cup victory in Cary, leading the né Hawks to a 4-1 win over USL League One side Richmond Kickers.

“The game had moments in the first half where we did OK, but there were a lot of moments where we were a step late and lethargic,” Sarachan said. “After we scored our goal, I think there was a little let-up … We got into halftime 1-1, and we could have been down, to be frank. I had some words with the boys at halftime and we made a few adjustments, and I think our second half was much better.”

“The caliber of North Carolina FC and the Championship isn’t something we’ll face on a regular basis,” said Richmond manager David Bulow. “It’s a huge compliment that some coaches and players say we’re trying to play, and we did quite well for large periods of the game.”

At least seven North Carolina FC regular starters either began on the bench or were not active for Wednesday’s match.

“There’s always a little bit of a question when you haven’t seen enough players in real games that matter for 90 minutes,” Sarachan said. “But sometimes your intuition takes over, and I thought these guys put themselves in a position to get this game tonight.”

North Carolina FC cracked the scoreline first in the 16th minute. A ball into the box found the foot of Donovan Ewolo, who dropped it off to Dre Fortune stationed atop the penalty arc. Fortune’s shot sailed past Kickers keeper (and former RailHawk) Akira Fitzgerald for the early 1-0 advantage.

Richmond equalized in the 34th minute after NCFC left back Caleb Duvernay failed to clear a deflected cross by Kickers forward Joe Gallardo. The ball fell back to Gallardo, who crossed across the face of goal to a waiting Wahab Ackwei, who redirected into net to even the score at 1-1 entering intermission.

North Carolina FC’s first-half play let the home side frustrated, and Sarachan let his team hear about it in the locker room.

“After we scored the goal, I felt like our team believed this was going to be an easy game,” Sarachan said. “They let their feet off the gas a little bit, and I had to remind them that we needed to step up our pressure and compete better on 50-50 balls. They made that response in the second half, but wasn’t good enough for me in the first half.”

“Honestly, we came out terrible,” said NCFC forward Robbie Kristo. “Everything was a step too slow, and we kind of put out head down after we gave up the goal. We let them get a chance after a mistake on our part, not clearing the ball. We had to get to halftime to gather ourselves and get it together. Coach put us together in the locker room, told us to be a step faster and think a little faster.”

The duly motivated Dead Whales reclaimed the lead shortly into the second stanza. Duvernay caught up to a bounding ball heading into the left corner in the 52nd minute, then whirled and whipped a looping cross into the goalmouth, where Kristo climbed over Ackwei and nodded the ball across the goal line to make the score 2-1.

“It was a great service by Caleb to put it in the box,” Kristo said. “I just outmuscled the guy — being 6-foot-5 makes it a little easier to get on the end of things and put it in the corner.”

North Carolina FC extended their advantage beginning in the 61st minute when Kristo drew a penalty from Ackwei.

“Great movement by Duval taking it down the middle of the field,” Kristo said. “I cut outside, and played me in and was a step too late.”

Kristo stepped to the spot and converted past Fitzgerald to give him a brace and push the scoreline to 3-1. Two minutes after coming into the match, Yamikani Chester got on the end of a Manny Perez cross in the 70th minute, burying his angled shot across the face of Fitzgerald to account for the final 4-1 margin.

The win marked the third time that NCFC had defeated the Richmond Kickers at WakeMed in team history. The biggest of those wins was when the club (then known as the Carolina RailHawks) beat the Kickers in the 2007 Quarterfinals to punch their ticket to the tournament’s final four. They met again in the opening round in 2009 with Carolina winning , 2-1.

Next, NCFC hosts amateur team Florida Soccer Soldiers on May 29 in Round 3. The Soccer Soldiers were a surprise winner over USL Championship side Charlotte Independence on Tuesday.

“This is the beauty of this tournament,” Sarachan gushed. “I am pulling for that team, other than the next time we play them. You pull for teams like that. That just tells you about this tournament, that anybody can enter, play well, and win. We’ll be ready, and obviously they’re a well-coached team. We certainly won’t take them for granted.”

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS
NC: MacLeod, Duvernay, Guillen, Mehl, Perez, Fortune, Wapiwo, McCabe (G. Smith, 77’), Panchot (Taylor, 46’), Ewolo (Chester, 68’), Kristo
RIC: Fitzgerald, Thomsen, Magalhães, Shanosky (Hughes, 63’), Ackwei, Troyer (Lockaby, 62’), Retzlaff (Mwape, 63’), M. Rodriguez, Bolduc, Gallardo, Boateng

GOALS
NC: Fortune, 16’ (Ewolo); Kristo, 52’ (Duvernay); Kristo, 61’ (PK); Chester, 70’ (M. Perez)
RIC: Ackwei, 34’ (Gallardo)

CAUTIONS
NC: McCabe, 47’; Fortune, 53’; Wapiwo, 82’
RIC: Ackwei, 61’

EJECTIONS
NC: —
RIC: —

ATTENDANCE: 1,553

Who should be voted 2018 US Open Cup’s TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament?

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Finalists for the 2018 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament (from left to right): Christian Okeke of NTX Rayados, Allisson Faramilio of FC Golden State Force, Tim Dobrowolski and Brian Ownby of Louisville City, Marios Lomis of North Carolina FC.
Finalists for 2018 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament (from left to right): Christian Okeke of NTX Rayados, Allisson Faramilio of FC Golden State Force, Tim Dobrowolski and Brian Ownby of Louisville City, Marios Lomis of North Carolina FC.

UPDATE: Allisson Faramilio of FC Golden State Force edged Christian Okeke for the 2018 TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament

The heart of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is the underdog stories that arise nearly every year. Amateur teams and lower division professional teams attempt to make a name for themselves as they try to put themselves on the same field, and possibly defeat, teams from Major League Soccer.

Each year, TheCup.us has a Player of the Tournament award, but in 2012, an additional honor was added: TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament. The goal is to honor the players on lower division teams who have stood out and helped their team make a memorable run in the competition.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff and a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters but if YOU had a vote, which player do you think would win?

Here are the finalists (in alphabetical order):

Tim Dobrowolski (Louisville City FC – USL)
Dobrowolski played every minute in goal for Louisville City as they made their first trip to the Quarterfinals in the club’s short history. Louisville was the last lower division team standing, which earned them $25,000 in prize money. Dobrowolski earned a pair of shutouts in City’s first two games, then helped the team upset the New England Revolution (MLS) and defeat USL rival Nashville SC before the run ended with a one-sided loss to the Chicago Fire (MLS) on the road.

Round 2: 1 save, faced 3 shots in a 5-0 home win vs. Long Island Rough Riders (PDL)
Round 3: 2 saves, faced 11 shots in a 1-0 home win vs. Saint Louis FC (USL)
Round 4: 7 saves, 9 shots faced, 2 goals allowed (1 was an own goal) in a 3-2 home win vs. New England Revolution (MLS)
Round 5: 2 saves, 15 shots faced, 1 goal allowed in a 2-1 home win vs. Nashville SC (USL)
Quarterfinals: 3 saves, 17 shots faced, 4 goals allowed in a 4-0 road loss at Chicago Fire (MLS)

Allisson Faramilio (FC Golden State – PDL)
Faramilio scored at least one goal in each of the first three games of the tournament for FC Golden State Force as the PDL side became just the 14th amateur side (16th open division team) to reach the Fourth Round since 1996. Faramilio helped his team upset a pair of pro teams from the USL and his two-goal performance in Golden State’s 2-1 upset of the Las Vegas Lights in Round 3 earned him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

Round 1: Started, played 72 mins., scored the game-winning goal in a 3-1 home win over the Los Angeles Wolves FC (USASA)
Round 2: Started, played 76 mins., scored a PK goal in a 4-2 road win at Orange County SC (USL)
Round 3: Started, played 90 mins., scored 2 goals in a 2-1 home win vs. Las Vegas Lights (USL)
Round 4: Started, played 84 mins. in a 3-1 road loss at Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS)

Marios Lomis (North Carolina FC – USL)
Lomis did everything he could to help North Carolina FC make a deep run in the US Open Cup. The Dutch forward scored a goal in all three games until the team’s run came to a halt in the Fourth Round when they lost a penalty kick shootout to D.C. United (MLS). Lomis converted his attempt, but NCFC would fall short, 4-3.

Round 2: Started, played 90 mins., scored 1 goal in a 3-0 home win vs. Lansdowne Bhoys FC (USASA)
Round 3: Started, played 90 mins., had 1 goal, 1 assist in a 4-1 home win vs. Ocean City Nor’easters (PDL)
Round 4: Started, played 120 mins., scored 1 goal in a 1-1 road draw at D.C. United (MLS), scored in the PK shootout but lost 4-3

Christian Okeke (NTX Rayados – USASA)
Okeke was this year’s super sub, coming off the bench in all four games for NTX Rayados and scoring three game-winning goals to help the Dallas-based amateur side reach the Fourth Round. That trip to the Fourth Round earned them a date with the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and was the furthest the team had advanced out of their eight consecutive trips to the tournament, a streak started in 2012. Okeke’s best performance came in the Second Round when he scored the game-tying penalty kick in the 90th minute and then scored what would be the game-winning goal in the 105th minute in a 5-2 extra time win over the USL’s OKC Energy FC. It was the Rayados’ first win over a pro team and it earned Okeke TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

Round 1: 2nd half sub in the 53rd min., scored the game-winning goal in the 114th min. in a 2-1 OT home win vs. Fort Worth Vaqueros (NPSL)
Round 2: 2nd half sub in the 65th min., scored the game-tying goal in the 90th min. and the game-winner in the 105th min. in a 5-2 OT home win vs. OKC Energy FC (USL)
Round 3: 2nd half sub in the 64th min., scored the game-winner in the 86th min. in a 3-2 home win vs. FC Wichita (NPSL)
Round 4: 2nd half sub in the 53rd min. in a 5-0 road loss at Houston Dynamo (MLS)

Brian Ownby (Louisville City FC – USL)
There were several key field players that helped Louisville City FC reach the Quarterfinals of this year’s US Open Cup. It was a difficult decision, but Brian Ownby’s overall performance, highlighted by his TheCup.us Player of the Round performance in an upset of the New England Revolution (MLS) helped him stand out. Ownby was a consistent offensive threat for City in all four of their wins

Round 2: 2nd half sub in the 62nd min., scored 1 goal in a 5-0 home win vs. Long Island Rough Riders (PDL)
Round 3: Started, played 71 mins., in a 1-0 home win vs. Saint Louis FC (USL)
Round 4: Started, played 78 mins., assisted on the first goal and scored the game-winner in the 62nd min. in a 3-2 home win vs. New England Revolution (MLS)
Round 5: Started, played 75 mins. in a 2-1 home win vs. Nashville SC (MLS)
Quarterfinals: Started, played 90 mins. in a 4-0 road loss at Chicago Fire (MLS)

Past winners of TheCup.us Lower Division Player of the Tournament 
2012: Danny Barrera (Cal FC – USASA)
2013: Ty Shipalane (Carolina RailHawks – NASL)
2014: Scott Goodwin (Carolina RailHawks – NASL)
2015: Michael Salazar (PSA Elite – USASA)
2016: Diego Restrepo (Fort Lauderdale Strikers – NASL)
2017: Mitch Hildebrandt (FC Cincinnati – USL)

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