MATCHDAY INFO:
NORTH CAROLINA FC VS. CHARLESTON BATTERY
SAHLEN’S STADIUM at WAKEMED SOCCER PARK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 – 7 PM ET
TV: WRAL2
DIGITAL: ESPN+
RADIO: 620 The Ticket
LIVE UPDATES: @NORTHCAROLINAFC, #NCvCHS
CARY, N.C. (Aug. 3, 2018) – North Carolina FC will host a Southern Derby rivalry match against the Charleston Battery when the two teams meet at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, August 4 at 7 p.m. ET. The match will resume action in the Southern Derby for NCFC and a continue a rivalry that goes back to the 1990s.
Winners of its two latest matches, NCFC enters the game riding a four-game point streak and is within two points of a playoff spot.
NCFC’s point streak began with a 1-1 home draw against the Battery on July 7. Trailing 1-0 following halftime, NCFC pulled even on a goal by forward Daniel Rios and nearly came away with three points thanks to a flurry of great scoring chances in stoppage time.
Since that meeting, Charleston has been in tremendous form, winning four consecutive matches to move up to second place in the Eastern Conference.
In their most recent match, the Battery won 3-0 at home against the Richmond Kickers, thanks to a pair of goals from midfielder Nico Rittmeyer and a score from forward Ataulla Guerra.
Guerra, a Trinidad & Tobago international, scored against NCFC in July and leads the USL with 12 goals in 2018.
However, Guerra and his Battery teammates will be facing an NCFC squad that is in fine form and coming off an emotional win.
Last Time Out:
Playing the second of three consecutive home matches, NCFC turned a potential draw into a dramatic 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
With nothing separating the two teams, NCFC scored the decisive goal less than a minute into stoppage time when midfielder Steven Miller’s free kick was partially cleared but ultimately rebounded into the net by second-half substitute Wuilito Fernandes, who one-timed his effort past Pittsburgh goalkeeper Daniel Lynd.
In the 24th minute, Rios opened the scoring for NCFC, as he tallied his team-leading 11th goal of the season, a figure that also ranks second in the USL. Rios’ goal was assisted by midfielder Kyle Bekker, the Canadian’s ninth assist of the year. Like Rios’ goal tally, Bekker also ranks second in an individual statistic – assists.
Players to Watch:
North Carolina FC – #31 Steven Miller
A versatile player, Steven Miller has filled a variety of roles for NCFC in 2018. Miller, who entered the season as the team’s leading returning scorer, scored in NCFC’s season-opening match against the Rowdies in March. Since then, Miller has brought value by playing sound defense and putting himself in attacking positions, especially out on the flanks. While he started off the year playing on the right side of the midfield, Miller has also played right back and played a good portion of last Saturday’s match against Pittsburgh as a left midfielder.
Charleston Battery – #15 Gordon Wild
We’ll assume you already know that you should be paying attention to Charleston’s Guerra, but Gordon Wild is someone to watch, too. A 22-year-old German forward on loan from MLS’ Atlanta United, Wild has scored the second-most goals for Charleston (6) and tied for the team lead with three assists. When these two teams last got together in July, Wild didn’t enter the game until the 89th minute and didn’t have much time to make an impact. But if Wild sees the field for an extended period of time on Saturday, the NCFC defense will have to keep an eye on him at all times.
Coming Up Next
NCFC hits the road and begins a three-game road trip at the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Al Lang Stadium. NCFC has not faced Tampa since its season opener on March 17.
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MATCHDAY INFO:
NORTH CAROLINA FC VS. CHARLESTON BATTERY
SAHLEN’S STADIUM at WAKEMED SOCCER PARK
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4 – 7 PM ET
TV: WRAL2
DIGITAL: ESPN+
RADIO: 620 The Ticket
LIVE UPDATES: @NORTHCAROLINAFC, #NCvCHS
CARY, N.C. (Aug. 3, 2018) – North Carolina FC will host a Southern Derby rivalry match against the Charleston Battery when the two teams meet at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, August 4 at 7 p.m. ET. The match will resume action in the Southern Derby for NCFC and a continue a rivalry that goes back to the 1990s.
Winners of its two latest matches, NCFC enters the game riding a four-game point streak and is within two points of a playoff spot.
NCFC’s point streak began with a 1-1 home draw against the Battery on July 7. Trailing 1-0 following halftime, NCFC pulled even on a goal by forward Daniel Rios and nearly came away with three points thanks to a flurry of great scoring chances in stoppage time.
Since that meeting, Charleston has been in tremendous form, winning four consecutive matches to move up to second place in the Eastern Conference.
In their most recent match, the Battery won 3-0 at home against the Richmond Kickers, thanks to a pair of goals from midfielder Nico Rittmeyer and a score from forward Ataulla Guerra.
Guerra, a Trinidad & Tobago international, scored against NCFC in July and leads the USL with 12 goals in 2018.
However, Guerra and his Battery teammates will be facing an NCFC squad that is in fine form and coming off an emotional win.
Last Time Out:
Playing the second of three consecutive home matches, NCFC turned a potential draw into a dramatic 2-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
With nothing separating the two teams, NCFC scored the decisive goal less than a minute into stoppage time when midfielder Steven Miller’s free kick was partially cleared but ultimately rebounded into the net by second-half substitute Wuilito Fernandes, who one-timed his effort past Pittsburgh goalkeeper Daniel Lynd.
In the 24th minute, Rios opened the scoring for NCFC, as he tallied his team-leading 11th goal of the season, a figure that also ranks second in the USL. Rios’ goal was assisted by midfielder Kyle Bekker, the Canadian’s ninth assist of the year. Like Rios’ goal tally, Bekker also ranks second in an individual statistic – assists.
Players to Watch:
North Carolina FC – #31 Steven Miller
A versatile player, Steven Miller has filled a variety of roles for NCFC in 2018. Miller, who entered the season as the team’s leading returning scorer, scored in NCFC’s season-opening match against the Rowdies in March. Since then, Miller has brought value by playing sound defense and putting himself in attacking positions, especially out on the flanks. While he started off the year playing on the right side of the midfield, Miller has also played right back and played a good portion of last Saturday’s match against Pittsburgh as a left midfielder.
Charleston Battery – #15 Gordon Wild
We’ll assume you already know that you should be paying attention to Charleston’s Guerra, but Gordon Wild is someone to watch, too. A 22-year-old German forward on loan from MLS’ Atlanta United, Wild has scored the second-most goals for Charleston (6) and tied for the team lead with three assists. When these two teams last got together in July, Wild didn’t enter the game until the 89th minute and didn’t have much time to make an impact. But if Wild sees the field for an extended period of time on Saturday, the NCFC defense will have to keep an eye on him at all times.
Coming Up Next
NCFC hits the road and begins a three-game road trip at the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, August 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Al Lang Stadium. NCFC has not faced Tampa since its season opener on March 17.
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