MATCHDAY INFO:
NORTH CAROLINA FC VS. CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE
SAHLEN’S STADIUM at WAKEMED SOCCER PARK
SATURDAY, AUG. 25 – 7 PM ET
TV: WRAL2
DIGITAL: ESPN+
RADIO: 620 The Ticket
LIVE UPDATES: @NORTHCAROLINAFC, #NCvCLT
CARY, N.C. (August 24, 2018) – North Carolina FC will take on the Charlotte Independence in an important Southern Derby rivalry showdown with playoff implications on Saturday, Aug. 25 at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.
While Charlotte has previously traveled to Cary for Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches, the game marks history with it being the first time the two teams have met at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in a Southern Derby contest.
Going all the way back to the early 1990s, soccer teams from the Raleigh and Charlotte areas have faced off regularly. However, North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Independence have featured in a heated rivalry since 2015.
NCFC has maintained a strong advantage in the series history, winning all but one match. Overall, NCFC is 3W-1L-0D against Charlotte and has outscored the Independence by a commanding 11-2 margin. The latest victory came on April 14, 2018 where NCFC won 2-0 in Matthews, N.C., with goals from strikers Daniel Rios and Marios Lomis.
The match is also a major contest in the playoff race. NCFC and Charlotte enter the game separated by only two points in the USL Eastern Conference standings. The two teams are firmly in a pack of mid-table sides gunning for a top-eight finish.
NCFC will bring the stronger momentum into the match. The home side has only dropped one game in the last seven contests, while Charlotte is looking for a positive result, winless in its last five matches.
A win tonight will certainly increase the victor’s odds of a top-eight finish and playoff qualification.
Last Time Out:
NCFC rallied two times to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw on the road against New York Red Bulls II on Tuesday.
In the first-ever matchup between the two clubs, NCFC went into the halftime break trailing 1-0, but responded immediately at the beginning of the second half. Forward Daniel Rios, NCFC’s leading goal-scorer, equalized, poking in midfielder Marcel Kandziora’s service. New York equalized seven minutes later, but NCFC took control of the match when Red Bulls’ midfielder Benjamin Mines received a red card in the 69th minute.
Ultimately, NCFC captured a point thanks to forward Donovan Ewolo’s late heroics. After coming on as a substitute in the 87th minute, Ewolo in the 90th minute blasted in the game-tying goal from just a few yards out, his third score of the year.
Players to watch:
North Carolina FC – #18 Marcel Kandziora
In recent weeks, Kandziora has provided a boost to the NCFC attack from the midfield. Since July 14, the German midfielder has scored twice and added an assist. In the team’s 1-1 draw against Bethlehem Steel in July, it was Kandziora’s first-half strike from well beyond the 18-yard-box that helped NCFC earn a crucial point away from home.
And on NCFC’s recent road trip, Kandziora rose to the occasion multiple times. Against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Kandziora opened the scoring in NCFC’s 2-0 victory with an on-target header in the second half, and he provided the assist on Rios’ goal against New York. Now NCFC is hoping that Kandziora’s good form continues now that the team is back at home for a crucial three-game stretch.
Charlotte Independence – #17 Cordell Cato
In addition to leading scorer Jorge Herrera, Charlotte also has a reliable attacking threat in Cordell Cato. The Trinidad & Tobago international ranks second on the Independence with eight goals in 20 matches, double the amount the team’s third-leading scorer, Éamon Zayed, has. Currently in his first season with Charlotte, Cato, 26, previously played in Major League Soccer with Seattle Sounders FC (2012) and the San Jose Earthquakes (2013-17), scoring seven goals in 119 matches. In addition to his ability to score goals, Cato can also set up his teammates; his three assists are tied for the team lead.
Coming Up Next:
NCFC returns to Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park for the second of three consecutive home games, as the team hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. ET.
In its most recent match against Tampa, NCFC won 2-0 on the road on Aug. 11 behind goals from Kandziora and Rios.
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MATCHDAY INFO:
NORTH CAROLINA FC VS. CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE
SAHLEN’S STADIUM at WAKEMED SOCCER PARK
SATURDAY, AUG. 25 – 7 PM ET
TV: WRAL2
DIGITAL: ESPN+
RADIO: 620 The Ticket
LIVE UPDATES: @NORTHCAROLINAFC, #NCvCLT
CARY, N.C. (August 24, 2018) – North Carolina FC will take on the Charlotte Independence in an important Southern Derby rivalry showdown with playoff implications on Saturday, Aug. 25 at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.
While Charlotte has previously traveled to Cary for Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches, the game marks history with it being the first time the two teams have met at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in a Southern Derby contest.
Going all the way back to the early 1990s, soccer teams from the Raleigh and Charlotte areas have faced off regularly. However, North Carolina FC and the Charlotte Independence have featured in a heated rivalry since 2015.
NCFC has maintained a strong advantage in the series history, winning all but one match. Overall, NCFC is 3W-1L-0D against Charlotte and has outscored the Independence by a commanding 11-2 margin. The latest victory came on April 14, 2018 where NCFC won 2-0 in Matthews, N.C., with goals from strikers Daniel Rios and Marios Lomis.
The match is also a major contest in the playoff race. NCFC and Charlotte enter the game separated by only two points in the USL Eastern Conference standings. The two teams are firmly in a pack of mid-table sides gunning for a top-eight finish.
NCFC will bring the stronger momentum into the match. The home side has only dropped one game in the last seven contests, while Charlotte is looking for a positive result, winless in its last five matches.
A win tonight will certainly increase the victor’s odds of a top-eight finish and playoff qualification.
Last Time Out:
NCFC rallied two times to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw on the road against New York Red Bulls II on Tuesday.
In the first-ever matchup between the two clubs, NCFC went into the halftime break trailing 1-0, but responded immediately at the beginning of the second half. Forward Daniel Rios, NCFC’s leading goal-scorer, equalized, poking in midfielder Marcel Kandziora’s service. New York equalized seven minutes later, but NCFC took control of the match when Red Bulls’ midfielder Benjamin Mines received a red card in the 69th minute.
Ultimately, NCFC captured a point thanks to forward Donovan Ewolo’s late heroics. After coming on as a substitute in the 87th minute, Ewolo in the 90th minute blasted in the game-tying goal from just a few yards out, his third score of the year.
Players to watch:
North Carolina FC – #18 Marcel Kandziora
In recent weeks, Kandziora has provided a boost to the NCFC attack from the midfield. Since July 14, the German midfielder has scored twice and added an assist. In the team’s 1-1 draw against Bethlehem Steel in July, it was Kandziora’s first-half strike from well beyond the 18-yard-box that helped NCFC earn a crucial point away from home.
And on NCFC’s recent road trip, Kandziora rose to the occasion multiple times. Against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Kandziora opened the scoring in NCFC’s 2-0 victory with an on-target header in the second half, and he provided the assist on Rios’ goal against New York. Now NCFC is hoping that Kandziora’s good form continues now that the team is back at home for a crucial three-game stretch.
Charlotte Independence – #17 Cordell Cato
In addition to leading scorer Jorge Herrera, Charlotte also has a reliable attacking threat in Cordell Cato. The Trinidad & Tobago international ranks second on the Independence with eight goals in 20 matches, double the amount the team’s third-leading scorer, Éamon Zayed, has. Currently in his first season with Charlotte, Cato, 26, previously played in Major League Soccer with Seattle Sounders FC (2012) and the San Jose Earthquakes (2013-17), scoring seven goals in 119 matches. In addition to his ability to score goals, Cato can also set up his teammates; his three assists are tied for the team lead.
Coming Up Next:
NCFC returns to Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park for the second of three consecutive home games, as the team hosts the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. ET.
In its most recent match against Tampa, NCFC won 2-0 on the road on Aug. 11 behind goals from Kandziora and Rios.
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