GREENVILLE, SC. (September 9, 2023) — North Carolina FC come out on top against Greenville Triumph SC 0-2 at Paladin Stadium. North Carolina take the last game in the season series, making their record against the Triumph 3-0. NCFC continue to sit atop of the USL League One table, and are the first team in the league to reach 50 points on the year.
North Carolina FCcame out early in the 11th minute after gaining a penalty that Rafa Mentzingen put into the bottom right of the net. Not even ten minutes later North Carolina doubled their lead. Oalex Anderson used his footwork to get past the Triumph defense and cross it to Jaden Servania to deflect in for a goal, giving them a 2-0 lead going into the second half. Servania has contributed to goals in his last 5 games in the USL League One (2 goals, 3 assists).
NCFC looked to the depth of their bench as they made multiple substitutions to get fresh legs on the pitch. Nathan Ntalu looked to make a big impact as he had a goal go into the back of the net, however it was called offsides moments later. North Carolina FC held off Greenville from scoring giving them the 2-0 win. Brooks Thompson recorded his first clean sheet of the season.
Quoting North Carolina FC
Head Coach John Bradford on the match with Greenville Triumph and Brooks Thompson’s first clean sheet:
“I’m very proud of this group for responding with a gritty performance to earn an important three points on the road. This was a total team effort and getting a clean sheet on the road is not an easy task in the league. I’m also happy for Brooks Thompson to earn his first clean sheet in an NCFC jersey. It’s a promising sign for him and our entire group to be able to secure a shutout at this stage of the season.”
Head Coach John Bradford on Jaden Servania and Oalex Anderson:
“Jaden has been very impactful since coming back from injury and it was great for him to find the net again tonight. He and Oalex have put a lot of minutes in and we wish them the best as they go to represent their national teams this week.”
Midfielder Jaden Servania on the match and his contributions during the match:
“I thought we came out with the mentality of everyone being ready to fight for one another and we slowly were able to get into the game with an early goal from Rafa, which always helps going up early. Everyone was up for the task of not conceding a goal from the starting group to the bench which is really helpful everyone being ready no matter what their role is. It is always a blessing being able to get on the score sheet, like I said before it’s not possible without the guys and staff around trusting in me pushing me every day in training and especially on game day. Now we are focused on our next game as we go again at home.”
Goalkeeper Brooks Thompson on the match and getting his first clean sheet:
“Was a great match-and a much-needed response from the team. It feels fantastic to finally get the clean sheet for myself and for our back line. We are going to look to keep building off it and keep our momentum going!”
Match Notes:
- North Carolina have scored in their last 14 games (30 goals) in the USL League One, their longest scoring streak this season.
- North Carolina have scored in 23 of their 26 games, no team has done so more often in the USL League One this season.
- Rafael Mentzingen has attempted 88 shots this season, more than any other player in the USL League One.
- J. Servania has contributed to goals in his last 5 games in the USL League One (2 goals, 3 assistsP. Popp has scored his first goal in the USL League One this season.
Next Up:
North Carolina FC will return home next weekend as they take on the South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, September 16, with a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff. The match will stream on ESPN+ and @NorthCarolinaFC will provide social media updates.
Box Score:
NCFC (4-3-1-2): Brooks Thompson, Nelson Blanco, Gustavo Fernandes, David Garcia, Christian Lue Young, Jaden Servania (Raheem Somersall – 45’), Rafael Mentzingen (Devin Benton – 78’), Michael Maldonado, Louis Perez (Max Flick – 72’), Oalex Anderson (Nathan Ntalu – 45’), Garrett McLaughlin (Luis Arriaga – 61’)
Subs Not Used: Tor Saunders, Preston Popp
GVL(4-4-2): Jared Mazzola, Evan Lee, Brandon Fricke, Jamie Smith, Allen Gavilanes (Venton Evans – 59’), Noah Pilato (Lucas Coutinho – 59’), Aaron Walker, Tevin Shaw, Devin Boyce (Lyam MacKinnon – 59’), Leo Castro (Noah Franke – 90’), Jacob Labovitz
Subs Not Used: Gunther Rankenburg, Daniel Wu, Nate Shultz
Score:
NCFC: 2
GVL: 0
Goals:
NCFC: R, Mentzingen — 11′ (Penalty), J. Servania — 23′ (O. Anderson)
GVL:
Cautions:
NCFC: O. Anderson — 37′, Rafael Mentzingen — 51′
GVL:
Ejections:
NCFC: –
GVL: