Photo Credit: Victoria Klum
North Carolina FC 1-Charleston Battery 1
North Carolina FC and the Charleston Battery began a new chapter in their old rivalry on Saturday night in Cary, NC. It was the first meeting between the two sides since June 22, 2010, when the Battery defeated the then-Carolina RailHawks in the Lamar Hunt Open Cup.
Although a lot can change in eight years (the Carolina RailHawks became North Carolina FC, for one thing), the rivalry did not appear to cool off. Both teams came out charging from the opening whistle. Despite the tight turnaround after their Wednesday night loss in Pittsburgh (which included a weather delay of nearly three hours), NCFC was on the front foot for much of the first half against a well-rested Charleston side.
Austin da Luz nearly opened the scoring for the home team in the 12th minute when he saw Joe Kuzminsky off of his line and rifled a shot from 40 yards out. Kuzminsky was able to tip the ball over the crossbar to keep the game scoreless. That was the best look that either side got at the goal in the first half and they went into the locker rooms tied 0-0.
Da Luz would leave the game in the 55’ after he got under Skylar Thomas’ header and took the worst of the collision. Colin Clarke was forced to make NCFC’s first substitution of the match, bringing Tiyi Shipalane on for da Luz, who underwent concussion protocol.
Shipalane immediately created a scoring chance but he took a heavy touch after getting the pass from Marios Lomis and Kuzminsky was able to smother the ball.
But it was Charleston who got the first goal of the match in the 63’ when defender Connor Tobin’s errant pass out of the back appeared to deflect to Tah Anunga just outside of the penalty area. Anunga slid the ball over to Ataulla Guerra who took a touch to open some space before beating former Battery goalkeeper Alex Tambakis to the bottom left corner of the net.
Going down a goal seemed to give NCFC renewed energy and they swarmed Charleston for much of the second half. Nelson Blanco came on for Dre Fortune in the 76’ and moments later sent the ball toward the Battery goal. Daniel Rios deflected the ball past Kuzminsky to even the game 1-1 in the 81’. Although there were some hard challenges from players on both teams, the game didn’t get chippy as it descended into chaos in front of the Battery’s goal at the end of 90+7.
As stoppage time wound down, Shipalane drove the ball out of the NCFC end of the field and sent a pass to Rios, who was streaking down the right side. Rios appeared to have a good look at the goal but took an extra touch before crossing the ball to Donovan Ewolo who had run into the middle of the 18’. Ewolo and Kuzminsky collided and the loose ball bounced to the foot of Shipalane whose one-timer was kicked off of the goal line by a Battery defender. The ball came to Kyle Bekker on the edge of the six-yard box: he took a touch and appeared to attempt a tap across the box but the ball was deflected back to Shipalane who took another one-timer but it hit the post. The ball bounced around through a virtual Celtic knot of Battery and NCFC players in the six-yard box before getting cleared out.
When the final whistle blew seconds later players from both sides dropped to the turf in exhaustion, leaving the pitch looking like a battlefield. It was a riveting close to the new chapter in the story of this rivalry.
Final notes:
- The story of NCFC’s season so far could be condensed into the last 30 seconds of this match. They’ve had many good looks at the goal but have struggled to finish their chances. Persistence may start to pay off, however; Daniel Rios has found the back of the net five times in the last three home games.
- NCFC have put together a three-game unbeaten streak at Sahlen’s Stadium and are only six points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Division.
- It was Wizard Night at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Park, which featured house scarf giveaways and a Quidditch match during halftime.
Lineups
NCFC: A. Tambakis, DJ Taylor, A. Guillen, C. Tobin ©, S. Miller, D. Fortune (N. Blanco 76’), G. Smith, A. da Luz (T. Shipalane 55’), K. Bekker, D. Rios, M. Lomis (D. Ewolo 90’)
Charleston: J. Kuzminsky, S. Thomas (L. Archer, 61’), T. Mueller © , N. Hackshaw; O. Woodbine (J. Bolt, 74), A. Kelly, T. Anunga, J. van Schaik, N. Rittmeyer (G. Wild 89’) K. Higashi, A. Guerra
Scoring
CHS: A. Guerra (T. Anunga) 63’
NCFC: D. Rios (N. Blanco) 81’
Discipline
CHS: O. Woodbine (YC 69’)
NCFC: A. Guillen (YC 90+’)
North Carolina FC
USL
