North Carolina FC Travels to San Antonio FC

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USL North Carolina FC

North Carolina FC Travels to San Antonio FC

August 16, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
North Carolina FC News Release


SAN ANTONIO - North Carolina FC is back on the road for Week 24 of the USL Championship regular season to face off against San Antonio FC at Toyota Field on Saturday, August 17, at 9 p.m. ET. The match will stream live on ESPN+.

North Carolina FC enters the weekend in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 29 points from 22 games and a 7-7-8 record, sitting just one point out of a playoff spot. San Antonio FC is currently 11th in the West with a 5-11-6 record and 21 points from 22 games. While NCFC and San Antonio FC have never played one another, NCFC had a 5-7-1 record against the San Antonio Scorpions during the NASL era. The Scorpions shut down operations when San Antonio FC started as a USL expansion side.

With roughly two thirds of the season in the books and just 12 regular season games remaining, every point is crucial as NCFC pushes for a playoff spot in the team's first season back in the USL Championship. NCFC is currently well-within striking range of as high as sixth-place Rhode Island, with just three points separating the team from the expansion side.

The reigning USL League One champions have been in good form in recent weeks, winning the last two games and picking up points in five of the last six.

Oalex Anderson led the way with a brace in the last of those wins, a dominant 4-1 showing against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The goals were Anderson's 29th and 30th in an NCFC shirt, bringing him level with club legend Tiyi Shipalane as the team's all-time leading scorer in league play.

Evan Conway also got on the scoresheet, continuing his personal hot run of form in front of net, while Rodrigo Da Costa put the exclamation mark on the win with his 50th USL Championship regular season goal.

SCOUTING SAN ANTONIO FC

San Antonio is 1-3-1 in its last five matches, with the lone win coming against Phoenix Rising, who despite winning the league last season, currently sit outside of the playoffs in the Western Conference.

While San Antonio is 5-11-6 on the season, the team has been solid at home with a 4-3-4 record at Toyota Field.

Defender Nelson Flores Blanco, who played a key role in NCFC's 2023 USL League One championship, has been solid for San Antonio since being transferred from NCFC earlier this season. The defender has created six chances, won 25 duels and completed 82.2% of his passes in 720 minutes of action for his new team.

Veteran forward Juan Agudelo leads the line for San Antonio, scoring a team-high seven goals this season. With a wealth of experience in the MLS and USL Championship, the former USMNT forward is the most threatening player in the San Antonio attack, which ranks 17th in the league for goals scored.

Jorge Hernández has been one of, if not the, best creator in the league this season with a league-leading eight assists, while the midfielder's chances created tally trails only Charleston's Aaron Molloy. Hernández and Kevon Lambert form a dangerous 1-2 punch in midfield that will be an entertaining matchup to watch as the pair goes up against NCFC's own strong midfield duo of Mikey Maldonado and Collin Martin.

NEXT UP

North Carolina FC is back on the road for yet another Western Conference matchup, this time facing off against Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday, Aug. 24, at 11 p.m. ET in an unofficial USL Super Cup as the reining USL Championship and USL League One champs face off in league play. The two met earlier this year in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, where Phoenix claimed a 2-1 extra time victory.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 16, 2024


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