Match Info:
North Carolina FC vs. Rio Grande Valley FC
Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. ET
WakeMed Soccer Park
Cary, NC
CARY, NC (April 4, 2022) — North Carolina FC will return to their home stadium to take on Rio Grande Valley FC in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. ET. The match will air live on ESPN+, and tickets are available here. Wednesday’s contest follows closely on the heels of NCFC’s season opener, in which the squad collected three points against Tormenta FC to move into third place in USL League One standings.
Last Time Out
NCFC registered their first win of the season on the road last Saturday, defeating South Georgia Tormenta FC 1-0 behind a goal from Garrett McLaughlin. Oalex Anderson added the assist on McLaughlin’s goal, and several players made their regular season debut with the club, including McLaughlin, Anderson, Jordan Skelton, Christian Lue Young, Jaden Servania, Showkat Tahir, Gustavo Fernandes, and Will Pulisic.
“I couldn’t be happier and more proud of this group for the way they competed,” said Head Coach John Bradford. “To fight this way on the road, earning three points is an example of what these guys are capable of. It’s been a long preseason and it’s great for these guys to have earned this reward. Even after going down a man, I knew we had fight left to get a result. I’m happy for Will Pulisic to make his professional debut and do it with a clean sheet, and happy for Garrett to open his scoring account this season and happy for all of them to defend as hard as they did.”
Players to Watch
North Carolina FC – #5 Jordan Skelton
Named to USL League One’s Team of the Week in Week One for a standout performance against Tormenta, Skelton tallied six interceptions and a week-high 12 clearances to render the Ibises scoreless throughout the full 90. A proven leader through several months of preseason, the Newcastle, England native also wore the captain’s band in the squad’s season opener. As the North Carolina side gears up for their first contest at home, Skelton will look to bolster the backline against the Toros’ offensive attack and piece together a performance similar to that of Saturday’s win.
Rio Grande Valley FC – #18 Dylan Borczak
One of the newest members of the Rio Grande Valley roster, Borczak signed his first professional contract with the Toros in early March. Soon after joining the club, the Oakland University graduate opened his scoring account in a recent match against San Antonio, knotting the score of the competition in the 44th minute. Only 22 years old, the Detroit, MI native is a dominant midfielder who will look to challenge the NCFC defense and add to the scoresheet for the Toros in Wednesday’s tilt.
Up Next: North Carolina FC will continue their home campaign against the Chattanooga Red Wolves at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, April 9 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets to the match are available here.
