Match Info:
North Carolina FC vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves
Saturday, April 9 at 7 p.m. ET
WakeMed Soccer Park
Cary, NC
CARY, NC (April 7, 2022) – North Carolina FC will kick off their regular season home campaign against the Chattanooga Red Wolves at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, April 9 at 7 p.m. ET. The North Carolina side will look to add their second win of the season against one of their regional opponents and improve to a 2-0-0 record. Tickets to the match are available here, and the contest will stream live on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Despite a hard-fought performance throughout the entirety of the match, North Carolina FC fell to Rio Grande Valley FC in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, 2-1. Jaden Servania added the goal for NCFC, opening his scoring account in his second appearance with the club. Frank Lopez and Frank Nodarse each added a goal apiece for the visitors.
After spending most of the first half deadlocked at 0-0, Servania broke the ice for the North Carolina side in the 45th minute. To begin the scoring play, Raheem Somersall beat his defender and slipped a pass to Oalex Anderson just outside the eighteen. Taking several touches, Anderson played a ball into the corner, finding Chris Lue Young for the service. Lue Young’s cross was then headed out by an opposing defender, only to be intercepted by Servania. Settling the ball at his feet, the midfielder buried a shot into the upper 90 to give the home side a 1-0 advantage.
The Toros added an equalizer in the 54th minute, a goal from Frank Lopez knotting the score at 1-1. Later, in the 79th minute, Frank Nodarse scored the go-ahead goal for the visitors to pull Rio Grande Valley ahead. Despite creating several scoring chances as the clock wound down, NCFC were unable to find the goal that would send the match into overtime, falling short of Rio Grande Valley FC 2-1.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Players to Watch
North Carolina FC – #10 Jaden Servania
Opening his scoring account with the club against Rio Grande Valley FC in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, Servania has been nothing short of impressive in the NCFC midfield. Between his quick footwork, field vision on and off the ball, and passing accuracy, the Birmingham, AL, native has played an integral role in each of his appearances with the club. Collecting 180 minutes of playing time between regular season and Open Cup play, the Puerto Rican international will look to add to his goal tally on the season against the Red Wolves this weekend.
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC – #10 Jimmie Villalobos
Villalobos scored a goal in Chattanooga’s season opener against Forward Madison, clocking 90 minutes of playing time during the contest. The midfielder was likewise dominant for the Red Wolves last season, appearing in 27 matches for a total of 1,993 minutes and scoring two goals throughout the 2021 campaign. Villalobos will look to contribute to the Red Wolves’ attack this weekend, challenging the NCFC backline to get the visitors on the board.
Up Next: North Carolina FC will continue their home stretch against the visiting Greenville Triumph SC at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are available here.
