LEESBURG, VA (April 5, 2023) — After a back and forth battle, Loudoun United defeated North Carolina FC 2-1 in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It was a tightly contested affair, but ultimately Loudoun were able to hang on and advance to the next round.
The hosts struck first just minutes into the match, with striker Zach Ryan heading home a wonderfully placed ball from midfielder Kalil ElMedkhar. ElMedkhar found himself one-on-one on the wing with NCFC defender Chris Lue Young and was able to loft the ball above David Garcia and Gustavo Fernandes right onto Ryan’s head in the six-yard box.
Although neither team created a big scoring chance in the rest of the first half, Loudoun was the closest to adding another goal, hitting the woodwork twice. Midfielder/forward Panos Armenakas saw a curling effort strike the post in the 25th minute, and captain Koa Santos hit the bar after a dazing run in the 40th minute.
NCFC would come out hot in the second half, holding a sustained period of pressure. The visitors almost found an equalizer through Shak Adams twice, with one effort from the edge of the box going just over the bar and another shot from close range being saved by the keeper.
Almost immediately after NCFC made a triple substitution, Jaden Servania leveled the score, driving a shot into the corner of the goal from the edge of the box. This marks Servania’s first goal of the 2023 campaign, although he had a free kick that was diverted into the net via a Lexington SC player a week ago.
The two clubs would go blow for blow in the final 20 minutes of regular time, but the best chance fell to NCFC in the dying seconds of stoppage time. Rafa Mentzingen was able to get on the ball in the box before firing off a shot that was saved by Hugo Faroux. The ball fell perfectly to NCFC sub Luis Arriaga, but Loudoun captain Koa Santos cleared the effort off the line.
In the first half of extra time, Arriaga would have the best chance, seeing Faroux just get his fingertips on an effort that was destined for the top corner. Arriaga found himself alone just inside the box after Rafa Mentzingen dribbled around two defenders to create the space.
NCFC was on top in the second period of extra time, but Loudoun would find the winner through a devastating counter attack. A perfectly weighted ball set Abdou Zanne free down the left hand side, who then squared the ball to Wesley Leggett for the winner in the 116th minute.
Match Notes:
- David Garcia made his professional debut
- Louis Perez and Raheem Somersall made their first starts of the season
- This was Loudoun United’s U.S. Open Cup debut
Next Match: North Carolina FC returns home for a Dogwood Derby clash with Charlotte Independence. The match is set for kickoff at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday, April 8, at 7:00 PM. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+. Tickets can be purchased here.
Quoting NCFC:
Head Coach John Bradford
On the match …
“I really love this group. Going down early, having the character to stay in the game and come back all in a tough environment against a good team – I’m really proud of the group. Throughout the game I thought we created a lot of positive chances, unlucky not to finish, and unlucky to concede late.”
On the quick turnaround to the Charlotte match …
“We’re gonna have the guys take care of themselves tonight and tomorrow. Obviously we’ll get ourselves back to North Carolina and shift our focus to Charlotte. We’ll be ready for Saturday.”
Defender Nelson Flores Blanco
On playing in front of friends and family…
“It’s a blessing. I’ve never played in front of my friends and family, so its a surreal feeling. Being away [from Northern Virginia] for so long, and having all my friends and family here, it feels nice. I’m happy everyone was able to come out.”
Defender David Garcia
On making his professional debut…
“Obviously, I’m very happy to be on the field and make my professional debut, but all that matters is the result. We came here to win, and I feel like we were really close. We had the chances, but we couldn’t get the second goal. I think we deserved more, so I’m not happy. I think the team did well, we showed up, and we made it clear we’re here to do big things.”
Box Score:
NC (4-4-2): Nicholas Holliday, Chris Lue Young, Gustavo Fernandes, David Garcia, Nelson Flores Blanco (Max Flick – 85’), Mikey Maldonado, Raheem Somersall, Shak Adams (DJ Benton – 63’), Louis Perez (Luis Arriaga – 78’), Oalex Anderson (Rafa Mentzingen – 63’), Garrett McLaughlin © (Jaden Servania – 63’)
Subs Not Used: Tor Saunders, Daniel Navarro
LDN (4-4-2): Hugo Faroux, Koa Santos ©, Yanis Leerman, Bryce Washington, Gaoussou Samake, Panos Armenakas, Juan Ramirez (Jeremy Garay – 72’), Houssou Landry (Aidan Rocha- 60’), Kalil ElMedkhar (Daniel Chica – 120’), Tommy Williamson (Abdoul Zanne – 60’), Zach Ryan (Wesley Leggett- 84’)
Subs Not Used: Dane Jacomen, Abdoul Koanda
Score:
NC: 1
LDN: 2
Goals:
NC: J. Servania – 67’
LDN: Z. Ryan – 7’, W. Leggett – 116’
Cautions:
NC: C. Lue Young – 85’, D. Garcia – 92’
LDN: H. Landry – 45 + 2’, K. ElMedkhar – 71’, W. Leggett – 85’, J. Garay – 120’
Ejections:
NC: –
LDN: –