Match Info:
North Carolina FC vs. Richmond Kickers
Saturday, July 2 at 7 p.m. ET
City Stadium
Richmond, VA
CARY, NC (June 30, 2022) – On the heels of their most recent road trip to Greenville, SC, North Carolina FC will travel to face the Richmond Kickers for the second time this season at City Stadium in Richmond, VA on Saturday, July 2 at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+, and marks the North Carolina side’s second consecutive road tilt this week.
Last Time Out
North Carolina FC fell to the Greenville Triumph on the road on Wednesday night, 3-1. Allen Gavilanes, Jacob Labovitz, and Jake Keegan tallied a goal apiece to secure three points for the home side, while Nicolás Molina scored the lone goal for NCFC in the final minute of the match. The contest also marked Raheem Somersall’s 50th USL League One appearance across four professional seasons, the midfielder recording minutes with FC Tucson, Tormenta, and NCFC throughout his playing career.
The Triumph drew first blood in tonight’s match, the scoring play beginning as Noah Pilato fed a driven ball into the NCFC box, intended for Gavilanes. Taking the pass in stride, Gavilanes took a single touch and placed a shot into the upper 90 to give Greenville the 1-0 edge nine minutes into the match. The 1-0 scoreline held through the rest of the half, despite several near chances at an equalizer from the combined efforts of Garrett McLaughlin, Oalex Anderson, and Showkat Tahir.
Greenville added a pair of goals to their lead in the second half, the first coming at the hands of Labovitz and the second from Keegan. Later, in stoppage time, Triumph goalkeeper Paul Christensen mishandled a passback from a defender, the ball falling to the feet of Molina with an open net now ahead. Putting away his second goal of the season, the Argentinian forward was able to get NCFC on the board as the final seconds ticked away, denying the Triumph a shutout.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Players to Watch
North Carolina FC – #16 Nico Molina
Scoring two goals in only three appearances with NCFC, last year’s USL League Two MVP and Golden Boot winner has certainly made an impression in a short period of time. Collecting his most recent goal in Wednesday’s contest against the Greenville Triumph, Molina will look to add his name to the scoresheet once more on Saturday as NCFC squares off with yet another of their regional competitors. The forward has converted all of his shots on frame thus far, maintaining 100% shooting accuracy and averaging 90 minutes of play per goal, consistencies NCFC will lean into as they strive to return to the win column.
Richmond Kickers – #17 Jonathan Bolanos
One of Richmond’s most efficient attacking players, Bolanos has recorded six assists and two goals in eight appearances with the Kickers, once collecting three assists in a single game and scoring a game-winning goal against FC Tucson on Wednesday. Bolanos will look to repeat this pattern against NCFC this weekend as the Kickers aim to avenge their 2-1 defeat at the hands of the North Carolina side earlier this season. Richmond currently sits at second place in the table, and with a win on Saturday, the squad has the opportunity to leap Greenville Triumph SC and move into first place.
Up Next: Following a brief road stint, North Carolina FC will return to WakeMed Soccer Park to take on Union Omaha for their Pride Night match on Saturday, July 9 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are available here, and the match will be available to stream on ESPN+.