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USL North Carolina FC

NCFC Travels to Hartford for Crucial Match

October 11, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
North Carolina FC News Release


HARTFORD, Conn. - North Carolina FC is headed up to New England for a crucial matchup in the USL Championship Eastern Conference playoff race at Hartford Athletic on Saturday, October 12, at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will stream live on ESPN+.

Following a pair of massive wins over Birmingham Legion and FC Tulsa, NCFC jumped back above the playoff line with three games to go in the regular season. Following the wins, NCFC sits in seventh in the conference with an 11-11-9 record and 42 points, but just five points separate them from 11th place Hartford as five teams battle for the final two playoff positions.

Rodrigo Da Costa and Evan Conway led the way in the midweek win over FC Tulsa, with Da Costa getting his 10th goal contribution of the season to open the scoring in the first half and Conway sealing the win from the penalty spot for his 10th goal of the season.

The showdown with Hartford will be NCFC's third game in seven days, but down the home stretch when every point matters there are no excuses to be made.

"This match and the match before, the last couple of weeks as a whole, we know the situation we are in. It is win or go home at this point. Each game matters and we are here to fight. Whatever it takes," said Lamar Batista following the team's win over Tulsa.

Hartford is 2-1-2 in their last five matches, falling to fellow playoff battler Loudoun United in Week 31. NCFC won the first match between the two this season, 2-1, at WakeMed Soccer Park back in March thanks to goals from Louis Perez and Da Costa.

Mamadou Dieng and Michee Ngalina are Athletic's main attacking threats with a combined 17 goals on the season. Dieng in particular has come alive in the back half of the season, with all nine of his goals coming since July 13.

Hartford's 29 goals on the season ranks as the fourth worst tally in the USL Championship, but good goalkeeping from Renan Ribeiro has kept the team in games.

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