NCFC Hosts League-Leading Louisville City FC
August 30, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
North Carolina FC News Release
CARY, N.C. - North Carolina FC is back at WakeMed Soccer Park for Week 26 of the USL Championship regular season, hosting Eastern Conference leaders Louisville City FC on Saturday, August 31. At 7:30 p.m. The match will stream live on ESPN+ and be available locally on COZI-TV.
The match will be NCFC's BBQ, Bourbon and Beer Night as well as the final match of the Kids Come Free summer promotion, where children under 12 can attend the match for free. Information on that promotion can be found here. Single-match tickets are available here.
Louisville enters the Week 26 matchup at the top of the Eastern Conference table with a 17-5-2 record and a league-best 53-point haul through 24 games. North Carolina FC is currently four points back of the final playoff spot with 10 games remaining, entering the weekend in 10th place with a 7-8-9 record and 30 points from 24 games, but with one game in hand on eighth-place Rhode Island FC and two games in hand on ninth-place Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
North Carolina FC earned a point on the road in Week 25, drawing Phoenix Rising FC, 0-0, in a rematch of May's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 matchup and battle of the USL's reigning champs.
Jake McGuire came up with four big saves in the draw to earn his eighth clean sheet of the season. The veteran goalkeeper's next save will be his 250th in USL Championship regular season play. Saturday's match will also be a reunion between McGuire and Louisville City goalkeeper Damian Las, who spent part of the 2021 season on loan with NCFC.
In another multi-faceted homecoming, LouCity announced the return of former NCFC player, NCFC Youth standout and NC State Wolfpack defender Manny Perez on Wednesday. Perez had spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Louisville but transferred to Danish club AC Horsens in the offseason before making his return stateside. Perez spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons on loan with NCFC from Celtic.
LouCity fell, 2-1, on the road at 11th place Hartford Athletic at Trinity Health Stadium on Saturday. Despite a 29' Adrien Perez red card, the league leaders took an 0-1 lead into the halftime break before a second-half Mamadou Dieng brace gave Hartford all three points. Head Coach Danny Cruz was also given his marching orders just after the hour mark, picking up a second yellow card on the sideline for dissent.
While losing Adrien Perez, who leads the team in assists with six, for the match at WakeMed Soccer Park is a big blow, Louisville still boasts the most dangerous attacking line in the league with a USL Championship-leading 61 goals this season. Wilson Harris is a consistent scorer and his 14 goals trail only Charleston Battery's high-flying Nick Markanich's 24 in the Golden Boot race. Louisville also broke the intra-USL Championship transfer record earlier this month to bring in Phillip Goodrum from FC Tulsa, who has 38 goals in the last three seasons.
NCFC's success this season has been built on a stout defense that has conceded the fifth fewest goals and allowed the fewest shots on target in the league this season, so limiting scoring opportunities for Harris and Goodrum will be crucial on Saturday.
On the offensive end, Oalex Anderson continues to chase team history with his brace against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC bringing his career tally in an NCFC jersey to 30, tying him with Tiyi Shipalane for the team scoring record in league play. Brian Shriver currently holds the all-competitions scoring record at 35 goals.
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