High Point, North Carolina (July 17, 2024) – Carolina Core FC earned their third consecutive victory after defeating fellow independent club Chattanooga FC 2-1 at home.
Goal-Scoring Plays
CCFC – Ibrahim Covi, 36th minute: Following a foul from a direct free kick, CCFC was awarded a penalty kick. Defender Ibrahim Covi stepped up to the spot, and fired the ball into the bottom left corner of the net, giving the Frenchman his second goal of the season.
CCFC – Jacob Evans, 65th minute: CCFC’s high press won them possession of the ball in Chattanooga's attacking third, where Derek Cuevas found captain Jacob Evans in the box. Evans would slide the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom right corner.
CFC – Alex McGrath, 88th minute: Midfielder Alex McGrath found the bottom left corner of the net after a transition break.
Postgame Notes
- Three Wins On the Spin
- Captain Evans Strikes Again
- Aryeh Miller Earns Second Start
- CCFC vs. CFC | MLSNP Box Score
Three Wins On the Spin
After winning back-to-back games for the first time in Carolina Core FC history, CCFC extended its hot streak to three as they defeated Chattanooga FC 2-1 in the third matchup of the “Battle of the Independents.” The Foxes would open the scoring in the 38th minute of the match with a penalty kick from defender Ibrahim Covi. The Foxes would double their lead in the 65th minute of the match thanks to a left-footed shot from captain Jacob Evans. Chattanooga FC would get a goal back late in the match, but it would not prove to be enough as CCFC ended the match with all three points.
Captain Evans Strikes Again
Midfielder Jacob Evans bagged his fourth goal of the season on Wednesday evening as he fired The Core into a 2-0 lead during the second half of the match. Following a defensive sequence, the ball fell to Derek Cuevas, who found space and played Evans into the penalty area. The Englishman took a touch and slid a left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net. The goal is Evans’ fourth goal of the MLS NEXT Pro campaign, with the captain scoring for the first time since May in a matchup against Inter Miami CF II.
Aryeh Miller Earns Second Start
Primarily serving as a substitute early in the season, defender Aryeh Miller earned his second consecutive start and second victory on Wednesday night. The U-20 Liberian international has become a vital part of a surging CCFC team at the midway point of the season. In his past two starts, Miller has completed 87% of his passes, in addition to allowing only two goals. The young defender also played a key role in CCFC’s 2-1 victory over Orlando City B earlier this month, playing the entire second half.
Lineups
Carolina Core FC — Alex Sutton; Aryeh Miller, Ibrahim Covi, Kai Thomas; Carlos Mario Diaz (Jonathan Bazaes – 80’), Alenga Charles, Santiago Cambindo, Jathan Juarez (Jesus Orejuela – 87’); Jacob Evans (Luis Lugo – 90+4’), Derek Cuevas; Josuha Rodriguez (David “Pachi” Polanco – 80’).
Substitutes not used — Robert Bailey, Drake Hadeed, Papa Ndoye, Federico Stachuk, Yekeson Subah.
Chattanooga FC — Jon Burke; Farid Sar-Sar, Anatolie Prepelita, Duvan Viafara (Joseph Perez – 67’); Callum Watson (Milo Garvanian – 74’), Jude Arthur, Andres Jimenez, Alex McGrath; Min-Jae Kwak (Luis Garcia Sosa – 51’), Mehdi Ouamri (Jalen James – 74’), Taylor Gray.
Substitutes not used — Michael Barrueta, Logan Brown, Ethan Koren.
Next Game
Carolina Core FC hosts New York City FC II on Saturday, July 27th at Trust Point Stadium. The match kicks off at 7:30 PM ET with a live stream available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Tickets are available for purchase here: https://bit.ly/buyccfctickets
2024 MLS NEXT Pro
Carolina Core FC vs Chattanooga FC
Wednesday, July 17th 2024 – Truist Point Stadium (High Point, North Carolina)
Carolina Core FC record: 5-7-4 (22 points – 11th in East)
Chattanooga FC record: 6-6-6 (28 points – 4th in East)
Scoring Summary:
CCFC: Ibrahim Covi (p) – 36’
CCFC: Jacob Evans (Derek Cuevas) – 65’
CFC: Alex McGrath (Taylor Gray) – 86'
Misconduct Summary:
CCFC: Santiago Cambindo (caution) – 15’
CFC: Min-Jae Kwak (caution) – 33’
CFC: Callum Watson (caution) – 55’
CFC: Andres Jimenez (caution) – 62’
Referee: Marie Durr
Assistant Referees: Colin Ashley, Marcus Moss
Fourth Official: Joe Surgan
Weather: Sunny, 92 degrees
Attendance: 3,152
CAROLINA CORE FC POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Roy Lassiter
On the performance tonight…
“I thought we played two very solid halves. Tonight we played a very good Chattanooga team, who are very seasoned, experienced, and good on the ball. Chattanooga is very comfortable in possession, and they’re well coached by Rod (Underwood), so I knew it was going to be a difficult game. With them (Chattanooga FC) coming off a couple of losses, I knew that could put us in danger because it’s a vulnerable team. Once we tried to exploit their weaknesses, playing the ball out wide, trying to get our attackers into the action, and just playing faster overall, tonight we tried to play urgently, like we were down, and take control of the important moments. We had a lot of chances in the first half to score more, but the only negative was the goal against us. That is probably why I don’t seem as excited as I should be right now, because I didn’t want to concede.”
On creating goal scoring chances…
“We just have to keep moving the ball. When we move the ball fast and play fast, we are able to switch the ball and rotate quickly to really get at the opponent. We have wingers that are very quick and fast. They like to go 1v1 against players, so anytime they can do that, it’s really hard to stop us because we become very dynamic. We can go inside, we can go outside, and we can get the crosses off. When we got in the box, I wanted us to be hungry to score, and I wanted all three points tonight.”
Midfielder Jacob Evans
On the team's recent form…
“The boys are just gelling together right now. At the start of the season, we were just figuring out our best starting lineup, how to play, which guys to get on the ball, and different things like that. At this point in the season, we're all clicking together, and it was inevitable. I’m glad that it’s happening right now, because we didn’t want to peak too early in the season. This is one of those things that takes time to figure out.”
On the team scoring the next goal…
“Being up 1-0 at halftime is not a safe scoreline, and we knew that we needed to get the next goal if we wanted to win this game. Chattanooga is a good team, and they can always score at any point. Getting the second goal was the killer, and once we got that second one, it felt like we had the game handled.”
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
