North Carolina FC 3 – 0 Loudoun United FC
Cary, NC—After a disappointing result in Birmingham over the weekend, North Carolina FC returned to Sahlen’s Stadium Wednesday night to take on a youthful Loudoun United FC Squad.
Facing the harsh reality of three games in a week—the first two played in oppressive heat— and dealing with a slew of injuries, head coach Dave Sarachan had a different-look starting eleven on the field. Darrin MacLeod got the nod in goal with Duval Wapiwo earning his first USL Championship start.
Victor Igbekoyi came into the game for the injured Caleb Duvernay and made a good impression at center back.
The visitors got everyone’s attention early in the match when Connor Presley drove a hard shot at the goal, but MacLeod batted the ball away and Kyle Murphy’s diving header off the rebound went wide.
North Carolina was awarded a free kick at the top of the penalty arc in the 10th minute. Forwards Donovan Ewolo and Robert Kristo lined up over the ball and sized up the Loudoun wall. When referee Elvis Osmanovic blew the restart whistle, Ewolo ran over the ball, leaving it for Kristo who picked out the top left corner of the goal. 1-0 NCFC.
With the lead in their pocket, the Dead Whales let up on Loudoun, opening up chances for them. But MacLeod put in a solid shift in net for North Carolina and they took the lead into halftime.
“We kind of put our foot off the gas,” Kristo said after the match. “Glad we got into halftime 1-0 and then kind of took care of it second half. A little later than we like to, but we’ll take the three points.”
Loudoun United head coach Ryan Martin talked about the chances his team missed in the first half. “We were we know we squandered three chances early. And I think it changes the game,” he said. “They did a very good job kind of absorbing pressure and catching us on the counter, especially when they made some subs late and really punished us for it. We had some good moments and we need to execute better in the early part of the game.”
Robert Kristo’s first half free kick got NCFC on the scoreboard early.
The injury bug bit NCFC twice in the first half, causing Sarachan to make two early substitutions. Defender Caleb Duvernay had to come out of the game in the 35th minute, making way for Victor Igbekoyi. Ewolo went down in the 19th minute and was tended to by the training staff. He continued in the half but was replaced at the start of the second half by Yamikani Chester.
The pairing of Chester and Kristo up front gave North Carolina speed and size that gave Loudoun all kinds of trouble in the second half. In the 51st minute, Kristo caught the end of a long lob out of the back from Igbekoyi and went one-on-one with Loudoun goalkeeper Calle Brown, who came to the edge of the six-yard box to challenge. Kristo’s shot went off of Brown’s chest and Steven Miller’s shot off of the rebound from 19 yards out was wide of the goal.
A minute later, Chester collected the ball from Miller but blasted his shot just wide.
In the 72nd minute, Kristo and Chester would combine for the second goal of the game when Steven Miller brought the ball into the final third and pushed it to Kristo near the center of the field. With the defense closing in on him, he sent a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of Chester, who had slipped past his defender. He took one touch to create more space before pushing the ball past Brown to double NCFC’s lead.
Kristo spoke after the game about the team’s adjustment in the second half to disrupt Loudoun’s center backs. “I feel like after we regrouped at halftime we kind of knew what we had to do and stop their center backs in spreading the ball out wide and we just had to counter which we did and it worked out.”
Two minutes later, Chester got it in his mind to give himself an assist on his brace when he picked the ball off of the feet of Loudoun midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro and took off through midfield. He shook off a Loudoun defender who tried to bring him down and fired a cannonball from 25 yards out that was beyond Brown’s reach.
“I don’t know what was in his diet today but he was extra,” Sarachan said of Chester’s performance.
NCFC goalkeeper Darrin MacLeod earned a clean sheet in his third start.
With the game out of the visitors’ reach, North Carolina kept the pressure on and Kristo nearly netted his own brace in the 79th minute. Late game substitute Dre Fortune was in with a golden opportunity in the waning minutes of the match when he was hauled down but referee Osmanovic declined to call a foul.
When the final whistle blew, North Carolina FC had another home win and MacLeod earned a clean sheet.
Sarachan was impressed with MacLeod’s game and he also called out Igbekoyi, who impressed with his turn at center back. “Victor we’ve used as a center back quite often–a lot of times because we were thin back there. As I watched him and got to see some of the qualities that he has I recognize that this [move to center back]might be a good a good next step for him. And I thought he was great, given really limited experience in that position.”
Final Notes
- This was Loudoun United’s first visit to Sahlen’s Stadium, but was a homecoming for defender Peabo Doue, who played for North Carolina FC last year.
- The win moved North Carolina into a tie with Indy Eleven for third place in the Eastern Conference.
- Like much of the United States this week, the Raleigh area has been under a heat advisory. A triple-digit heat index creates challenges for players and training staff managing fitness in the heat. “When I moved here you guys told me it gets hot in July. I didn’t quite understand that,” Dave Sarachan laughed. “I mean I used to live in Virginia years ago but man it takes a lot out you. Birmingham was no picnic, so we definitely need to be smart in terms of rotation.”
- Next up for NCFC is a quick turnaround trip to Pittsburgh to take on the Riverhounds before returning to WakeMed Soccer Park for a July 27th match against Atlanta United 2.
Lineups
North Carolina FC: D. MacLeod; S. Brotherton, C. Duvernay (V. Igbekoyi, 35’), DJ Taylor, A. Guillen; D. Wapiwo, B. Speas, N. Albadawi, S. Miller ©; D. Ewolo (Y. Chester 46’), R. Kristo
Loudoun United FC: C. Brown; A. Ward, A. Saravia, H. Hawkins, P. Doue; N. Martinez, M. Nyeman, A. Bustamante; C. Presley, O. Sinclair, K. Murphy ©
Score:
North Carolina FC: 3
Loudoun United FC: 0
Goals:
North Carolina FC: R. Kristo (10’ unassisted); Y. Chester (72’, R. Kristo); Y. Chester (74’, unassisted)
Loudoun United FC: none
Discipline
North Carolina FC: D. Wapiwo, YC 66’
Loudoun United FC: none
Attendance: 3,273
Photo gallery: North Carolina FC v Loudoun United FC
All photos by Victoria Klum
