MATCHDAY INFO:
CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE VS. NORTH CAROLINA FC
SPORTSPLEX AT MATTHEWS
SATURDAY, OCT. 13 – 7 PM ET
DIGITAL: ESPN+
LIVE UPDATES: @NORTHCAROLINAFC, #CLTvNC
CARY, N.C. (October 12, 2018) – North Carolina FC is set for a thrilling conclusion to the regular season, facing the Charlotte Independence in a North Carolina Derby match on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Sportsplex at Matthews. The match could help push North Carolina FC to the playoffs and will decide who claims the Southern Derby Cup.
While NCFC needs help to make the 2018 USL playoffs, there is still a chance for the team to qualify. First, North Carolina FC needs to win against Charlotte. Three points will boost NCFC to 47 points and keep the team’s postseason hopes alive.
Additionally, Ottawa Fury FC must tie or lose against Charleston Battery on Saturday and Bethlehem Steel FC must lose to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sunday. From there, the tiebreakers would come down to goal differential or goals scored. NCFC needs to make up a six-goal margin to surpass Bethlehem.
Winning big will be no easy task, as Charlotte presents a tough challenge. With this match guaranteed to be the final game of the 2018 campaign for the Independence, the side will look to end on a strong note.
The two teams also enjoy a storied rivalry that started in the 1990s between the Raleigh Flyers and Charlotte Eagles. The series was revived in 2015 with the arrival of the Independence. The sides have played in heated matches over the last few years with NCFC having the better of the results. Overall, NCFC is 4W-1L in official contests with its rival and is outscoring Charlotte 17-4 across those five matches.
For added motivation, a win will also clinch the Southern Derby Cup for North Carolina FC and its supporters. Charleston currently has six points to lead the trio, but North Carolina could surpass the defending champions and claim the trophy with a victory. Any other result will see Charleston hold on for another year.
Last Time Out:
North Carolina dropped a tightly contested match against Louisville City FC, as the hosts scored late to win 2-1. Daniel Rios scored his team high 18th goal of the season in the result.
Players To Watch
North Carolina FC – No. 7 Donovan Ewolo
Head Coach Colin Clarke has called the Cameroonian striker’s number plenty in the last several months of the season. Ewolo has started up top for Coach Clarke four out of the past five games, including a four-goal match against Atlanta United 2 that earned the striker USL Player of the Week honors. Ewolo currently ranks second on the team in goals (7). He comes into the match in fine form and will look to continue that momentum.
Charlotte Independence – No. 23 Alex Martinez
Martinez has been a staple in the Independence starting XI this season, amassing over 2,500 minutes and earning 29 starts. While the midfielder leads his team in assists (5), he also contributes heavily on the defensive end, winning a team-high 48 tackles. Fans of NCFC may recognize Martinez from his playing days as a member of the Carolina Railhawks, where he suited up for the team twice in his 2014 campaign.
Up Next:
NCFC will await results around the league to determine the remaining playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
MATCHDAY INFO:
CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE VS. NORTH CAROLINA FC
SPORTSPLEX AT MATTHEWS
SATURDAY, OCT. 13 – 7 PM ET
DIGITAL: ESPN+
LIVE UPDATES: @NORTHCAROLINAFC, #CLTvNC
CARY, N.C. (October 12, 2018) – North Carolina FC is set for a thrilling conclusion to the regular season, facing the Charlotte Independence in a North Carolina Derby match on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Sportsplex at Matthews. The match could help push North Carolina FC to the playoffs and will decide who claims the Southern Derby Cup.
While NCFC needs help to make the 2018 USL playoffs, there is still a chance for the team to qualify. First, North Carolina FC needs to win against Charlotte. Three points will boost NCFC to 47 points and keep the team’s postseason hopes alive.
Additionally, Ottawa Fury FC must tie or lose against Charleston Battery on Saturday and Bethlehem Steel FC must lose to the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sunday. From there, the tiebreakers would come down to goal differential or goals scored. NCFC needs to make up a six-goal margin to surpass Bethlehem.
Winning big will be no easy task, as Charlotte presents a tough challenge. With this match guaranteed to be the final game of the 2018 campaign for the Independence, the side will look to end on a strong note.
The two teams also enjoy a storied rivalry that started in the 1990s between the Raleigh Flyers and Charlotte Eagles. The series was revived in 2015 with the arrival of the Independence. The sides have played in heated matches over the last few years with NCFC having the better of the results. Overall, NCFC is 4W-1L in official contests with its rival and is outscoring Charlotte 17-4 across those five matches.
For added motivation, a win will also clinch the Southern Derby Cup for North Carolina FC and its supporters. Charleston currently has six points to lead the trio, but North Carolina could surpass the defending champions and claim the trophy with a victory. Any other result will see Charleston hold on for another year.
Last Time Out:
North Carolina dropped a tightly contested match against Louisville City FC, as the hosts scored late to win 2-1. Daniel Rios scored his team high 18th goal of the season in the result.
Players To Watch
North Carolina FC – No. 7 Donovan Ewolo
Head Coach Colin Clarke has called the Cameroonian striker’s number plenty in the last several months of the season. Ewolo has started up top for Coach Clarke four out of the past five games, including a four-goal match against Atlanta United 2 that earned the striker USL Player of the Week honors. Ewolo currently ranks second on the team in goals (7). He comes into the match in fine form and will look to continue that momentum.
Charlotte Independence – No. 23 Alex Martinez
Martinez has been a staple in the Independence starting XI this season, amassing over 2,500 minutes and earning 29 starts. While the midfielder leads his team in assists (5), he also contributes heavily on the defensive end, winning a team-high 48 tackles. Fans of NCFC may recognize Martinez from his playing days as a member of the Carolina Railhawks, where he suited up for the team twice in his 2014 campaign.
Up Next:
NCFC will await results around the league to determine the remaining playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Game-by-Game Series History with Charlotte Independence:
Match 1: Charlotte Independence 1. North Carolina FC 0. – May 27, 2015
North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Independence opened their rivalry in 2015 during the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup. This was the first official match between NCFC and the Independence. After a scoreless 80 minutes of play, Independence forward Ryan Finley netted the game winner for Charlotte as the side shocked NCFC and advanced to the fourth round of the tournament.
Match 2: North Carolina FC 5. Charlotte Independence 0. – June 1, 2016
The two sides met again in an Open Cup rematch in 2016. This time it was NCFC walking away with bragging rights after a five-goal effort in extra time secured a win. Charlotte’s Jun Davidson earned a red card in the 29th minute giving NCFC a man advantage for the remainder of the match. NCFC would have to wait until extra time to capitalize on the advantage. The team set the Open Cup record for goals in extra time, notching five in 23 minutes. Billy Schuler started the scoring in the 92nd minute and the floodgates opened with Nazmi Albadawi, Brian Shriver and Jonathon Orlando scoring before Schuler put away the fifth and final goal.
Match 3: North Carolina FC 4. Charlotte Independence 1. – May 31, 2017
North Carolina FC continued its dominating run over Charlotte on the way to a 4-1 victory in the third round of the Open Cup in 2017. Goals by James Marcelin, Connor Tobin and Nazmi Albadawi (2) soundly put the Independence away. Charlotte managed to score a consolation goal in stoppage time with a penalty kick from Alex Martinez.
Match 4: North Carolina 2. Charlotte Independence 0. – April 14, 2018
The 2018 season marked NCFC’s first year in the USL, which meant supporters were guaranteed regular season North Carolina Derby matches. NCFC came into the match searching for its first win of the season, while Charlotte was looking to extend a three-game unbeaten streak. Daniel Rios was able to break though for the game's first goal in the 50th minute. Marios Lomis put the game on ice for NCFC with a goal in the 86th minute.
Match 5: North Carolina 6. Charlotte Independence 2. – August 25, 2018
In the latest installation of the rivalry, North Carolina left no doubt about who was the superior side with an absolute route of the Charlotte Independence. The game would be marked by the debut of new signee Zach Steinberger, who made an instant impact for the team. After going down a goal in the 24th minute, Steinberger quickly equalized with a world-class scissor kick. From there, NCFC didn’t look back as Steinberger scored again, and Steven Miller, Austin da Luz and Daniel Rios each added to the lead. Charlotte scored a second goal in dying minutes of the match, bringing the game to its final score of 6-2 – the highest scoring NC Derby to date.
Game-by-Game Series History with Charlotte Independence:
Match 1: Charlotte Independence 1. North Carolina FC 0. – May 27, 2015
North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Independence opened their rivalry in 2015 during the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup. This was the first official match between NCFC and the Independence. After a scoreless 80 minutes of play, Independence forward Ryan Finley netted the game winner for Charlotte as the side shocked NCFC and advanced to the fourth round of the tournament.
Match 2: North Carolina FC 5. Charlotte Independence 0. – June 1, 2016
The two sides met again in an Open Cup rematch in 2016. This time it was NCFC walking away with bragging rights after a five-goal effort in extra time secured a win. Charlotte’s Jun Davidson earned a red card in the 29th minute giving NCFC a man advantage for the remainder of the match. NCFC would have to wait until extra time to capitalize on the advantage. The team set the Open Cup record for goals in extra time, notching five in 23 minutes. Billy Schuler started the scoring in the 92nd minute and the floodgates opened with Nazmi Albadawi, Brian Shriver and Jonathon Orlando scoring before Schuler put away the fifth and final goal.
Match 3: North Carolina FC 4. Charlotte Independence 1. – May 31, 2017
North Carolina FC continued its dominating run over Charlotte on the way to a 4-1 victory in the third round of the Open Cup in 2017. Goals by James Marcelin, Connor Tobin and Nazmi Albadawi (2) soundly put the Independence away. Charlotte managed to score a consolation goal in stoppage time with a penalty kick from Alex Martinez.
Match 4: North Carolina 2. Charlotte Independence 0. – April 14, 2018
The 2018 season marked NCFC’s first year in the USL, which meant supporters were guaranteed regular season North Carolina Derby matches. NCFC came into the match searching for its first win of the season, while Charlotte was looking to extend a three-game unbeaten streak. Daniel Rios was able to break though for the game’s first goal in the 50th minute. Marios Lomis put the game on ice for NCFC with a goal in the 86th minute.
Match 5: North Carolina 6. Charlotte Independence 2. – August 25, 2018
In the latest installation of the rivalry, North Carolina left no doubt about who was the superior side with an absolute route of the Charlotte Independence. The game would be marked by the debut of new signee Zach Steinberger, who made an instant impact for the team. After going down a goal in the 24th minute, Steinberger quickly equalized with a world-class scissor kick. From there, NCFC didn’t look back as Steinberger scored again, and Steven Miller, Austin da Luz and Daniel Rios each added to the lead. Charlotte scored a second goal in dying minutes of the match, bringing the game to its final score of 6-2 – the highest scoring NC Derby to date.
