Preseason Recap: NCFC Fall to Richmond Kickers in Hard-Fought Contest
CARY, NC (March 19, 2022) – North Carolina FC continued their preseason schedule against their league rival, the Richmond Kickers, on Saturday afternoon. Despite a physical, hard-fought battle that entailed several yellow cards collected by both sides, NCFC fell to the Kickers, 2-1. Garrett McLaughlin registered the lone goal for NCFC, his second of the preseason slate, and Luis Arriaga added the assist.
After concluding the first half trailing 1-0, the North Carolina side recovered the deficit immediately to kickstart the second half. The goal-scoring drive began with a corner kick from Arriaga, finding the head of Raheem Somersall in the box. Getting to the second ball was McLaughlin, who flicked a header past Richmond goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald to deadlock the score at 1-1.
“Raheem got a good head on [the corner kick] and I was in front of the goalie, just kind of moving with him, because he usually has good positioning,” McLaughlin said of his goal. “I just got a little flick on it, and it went into the back of the net. I was happy to get one.”
A chippy remainder of the half ensued, requiring several saves from goalkeepers Nick Holliday and Will Pulisic, who replaced Holliday midway through the second half to finish the match. As the final minutes ticked away, Richmond was able to gain the upper hand, placing a line drive into the lower right corner of the net to come away with the 2-1 result.
“I think it’s important for our guys to recognize their teammates’ willingness to get stuck in and fight for one another,” said Head Coach John Bradford following the match. “That’s just part of the game. I think Richmond was up for it today and our guys were up for it physically. I think it’s a good test for us going forward.”
Up Next: North Carolina FC will travel to play the Charlotte Independence on Saturday, March 26 in their final preseason tilt ahead of their season opener on April 2. Live updates will be unavailable for this contest.
Match Notes:
- Garrett McLaughlin recorded his second preseason goal with the club during the match.
- Luis Arriaga tallied his second assist of the preseason schedule, servicing McLaughlin’s goal.
