Match Info:
North Carolina FC vs. Forward Madison FC
Wednesday, August 24 at 8 p.m. ET
Breese Stevens Field
Madison, WI
CARY, NC (August 22, 2022) – North Carolina FC will conclude their road trip in Madison, WI as they face Forward Madison FC on Wednesday, August 24 at 8 p.m. ET at Breese Stevens Field. In the last meeting between these two sides, NCFC were able to stun the Flamingoes in the final minute of the match as Christian Lue Young scored his first goal with the club to seal three points and win the game, 2-1. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
A pair of red cards proved costly for North Carolina FC last Saturday as the squad fell to Union Omaha 4-1 on the road, the North Carolina side being reduced to ten men in the 49th minute and later to nine in the 69th minute as a result of the ejections. Garrett McLaughlin scored his tenth goal of the season to rid Omaha of the shutout, with Nico Rincon registering his first professional assist. Kevin Piedrahita and Corey Hertzog each recorded a goal apiece for Omaha, and Noe Meza logged a brace to lead the Owls to the result. Christian Lue Young also recorded his 50th USL League One career appearance during the match.
Omaha opened the scoring in the first minute of the game, a punt from Piedrahita sailing the distance of the field and taking an unfortunate bounce over the head of Nick Holliday and into the net to give the Owls the advantage. Later, in the 6th minute, Hertzog bagged Omaha’s second of the night to double their lead, and Meza added Omaha’s final goal of the half, scoring in the 17th minute to extend the scoreline to 3-0.
Desperate to recover the deficit in the second half, NCFC worked tirelessly to create scoring chances, but to no avail as Piedrahita recorded several key saves to render their opponents scoreless. Meza then collected the brace for Omaha in the 58th minute, pulling the score to 4-0.
NCFC were finally able to carve into Omaha’s lead in the opening minute of stoppage time, as Rincon dribbled down the right sideline with pace, beating his defender to the endline and cutting a pass to McLaughlin inside the six. With a one-touch finish, the striker buried a shot past Piedrahita to score his tenth goal of the season. Rincon’s assist was his first as a professional, the midfielder having signed with the club last week.
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Players to Watch
North Carolina FC – #6 Gustavo Fernandes
A former member of the Forward Madison roster, Fernandes has asserted his role as a consistent center back throughout the course of his first season with NCFC. The Babylon, NY native has registered 19 appearances for a total of 1,565 minutes this year, and ranks eighth overall in USL League One for number of passes completed with 1,042. As NCFC travels to face Forward Madison on Wednesday, Fernandes will look to bolster the backline alongside captain Jordan Skelton and limit Madison’s goal-scoring opportunities, while also leading in distribution out of the back.
Forward Madison FC – #9 Jeremiah Streng
Streng collected a pair of goals in Madison’s last contest against Northern Colorado Hailstorm, bringing his total on the season to six. The Finnish forward has maintained a 46.9% shooting accuracy rate through 21 appearances, averaging 177.3 minutes per goal and contributing 15 shots on target. As the Flamingoes look to add their second consecutive win, Streng will aim to lead the charge offensively and prove a significant threat to the NCFC backline.
Up Next: North Carolina FC will return to their home stadium to face FC Tucson on Saturday, August 27 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets are available here, and the match will be available to stream on ESPN+.
