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USL North Carolina FC

North Carolina FC Readying for Home Return against Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday

September 27, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
North Carolina FC News Release


CARY, N.C. - North Carolina FC returns to Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park at 7:00 p.m. ET Saturday night to host Ottawa Fury FC, the first of three home matches in a four-game span to end the USL Championship regular season.

NCFC (13W-9L-8D, 47 points) is hoping to bounce back from a 2-1 loss at the Charleston Battery. Head coach Dave Sarachan's team could clinch a playoff should the Charleston Battery lose to New York Red Bulls II Friday night and NCFC win Saturday. 30 games into the season, NCFC holds seventh place in the Eastern Conference, where the top 10 sides qualify for the postseason.

After playing a pair of road matches, NCFC will try to take advantage of its upcoming string of home games, starting Saturday against Ottawa. On the season, NCFC is an impressive 8W-1L-5D at home and has scored a combined 12 goals in its last three home matches.

Ottawa (12W-8L-9D, 45 points) comes into Saturday's match in good form, having won its two most-recent contests to reach eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Last time out, Ottawa earned a comprehensive 4-1 home victory over Hartford Athletic, as forward Hadji Barry recorded a hat trick. Coached by Nikola Popovic, Ottawa is closing in on a second straight playoff appearance. The Fury rank in the top half of the Eastern Conference in both goals scored (44) and conceded (35). Midfielder Wal Fall leads with nine goals, while goalkeeper Callum Erving has recorded seven clean sheets.

For NCFC, midfielder Steven Miller is the top man in both goals (nine) and assists (six) for an attack whose 51 goals are the third-most in the Eastern Conference. Forward Donovan Ewolo and midfielder Dre Fortune - seven goals apiece - are also among the five NCFC players with six-plus goals.

Last Time Out

Despite a second-half goal from midfielder Nazmi Albadawi, NCFC fell 2-1 at the Charleston Battery last weekend.

Even after creating multiple opportunities throughout the first half, NCFC found itself trailing 1-0 at halftime following a goal by Charleston's Tah Anunga in the 44th minute.

Reenergized after the restart, NCFC was on the front foot to start the second half and made Charleston pay with a goal by Albadawi in the 49th minute. The beneficiary of a precise, centered ball from right back DJ Taylor, Albadawi one-timed his shot into the back of the net for his second goal of the year. With the score, Albadawi moved into a tie with teammate Austin da Luz for the fourth-most goals in NCFC history (23).

From that point on, NCFC remained active in searching for a second goal, but ultimately saw the hosts grab a 2-1 lead three minutes into stoppage time via Nicholas Rittmeyer.

Players to Watch

North Carolina FC - #10 Ben Speas

The first-year NCFC midfielder returned to action this past Sunday against Charleston after missing the previous six matches due to injury. By playing the full 90, Speas showed that he's already back in game shape and his presence was clearly felt in the midfield, where he calmly helped build up the NCFC attack.

Ottawa Fury FC - #92 Hadji Barry

Before joining Ottawa in July from Israeli club Ironi Kiryat Shmona, the 26-year-old Guinean forward already had USL experience from past stops at Swope Park Rangers and Orlando City B. Since returning to the league, Barry has impressed, scoring five goals in just nine matches. He's in good form at the moment, and the NCFC backline will certainly have to keep an eye on him.

Looking Ahead

NCFC is back at home next Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7:00 p.m. ET as it hosts New York Red Bulls II. Fans are encouraged to participate in NCFC's food drive, held in conjunction with Aetna and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. The first 300 fans to donate five canned food items will receive a free ticket to the match. At halftime, NCFC will honor club legends Tiyi Shipalane and Kupono Low. For tickets and information please visit www.NorthCarolinaFC.com or call the Coastal Credit Union Box Office at 919-459-8144.

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