High Point, North Carolina (September 29th, 2024) – Two goals and a clean sheet would see Carolina Core FC take down Huntsville City FC to earn their third consecutive victory.
Goal-Scoring Plays
CCFC – Juan Pablo Rodriguez, 14th minute: Following a Jacob Evans set piece, the ball fell to defender Juan Pablo Rodriguez, who shot the ball through a crowd to find the back of the net.
CCFC – Ibrahim Covi, 56th minute: Following a handball in the box, defender Ibrahim Covi sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score from the penalty spot.
Postgame Notes
- Juampi on Target
- Defense to Offense
- Clean Sheets For Days
- CCFC vs. HNT | MLSNP Box Score
Juampi on Target
In his second consecutive start back with the team, CCFC defender Juan Pablo Rodriguez scored his first career goal on Sunday evening. The Argentinian defender grabbed the goal following a set piece from captain Jacob Evans, which Rodriguez finished stunningly with his right foot on the volley. Rodriguez played 68 minutes, finishing with an 88% pass completion rating, and an impressive overall performance capped by a clean sheet.
Defense to Offense
Two CCFC defenders scored the goals for The Foxes tonight, as J.P. Rodriguez and Ibrahim Covi capitalized off a set piece and a penalty kick. Rodriguez opened the scoring for The Foxes, as he scored a beautiful volley with his right foot following a cross from Jacob Evans. Covi would double the lead in the second half, smashing home a penalty kick into the net. The impressive play from the entire backline and defense would prove a major contributor to CCFC’s success in the match.
Clean Sheets For Days
Carolina Core FC secured their second clean sheet in a row on Sunday night to accompany the 2-0 victory. After keeping a clean sheet on the road in the previous match against Columbus Crew 2, CCFC followed that performance up with another defensive masterclass against Huntsville City FC. The Foxes look to continue this streak of clean sheets and run of good form on October 6th, when they play their final match of the regular season at home against Inter Miami CF II.
Lineups
Carolina Core FC — Alex Sutton; Kai Thomas, Ibrahim Covi, J.P. Rodriguez (Daniel Chica – 68’); Carlos Mario Diaz (Paul Leonardi – 86’), Alenga Charles, Santiago Cambindo (Ozzie Ramos – 90’), Kiki Gregoire (Jathan Juarez – 86’); Jacob Evans, Facundo Canete (Luis Lugo – 46’); David “Pachi” Polanco (Josuha Rodriguez – 68’).
Substitutes not used —Angel Aguas, Derek Cuevas, Andrew Pannenberg.
Huntsville City FC — Ben Martino; Joel Sangwa, Chris Applewhite (Isaiah Jones – 43’), Joey Akpunonu, Will Perkins; Jonathan Perez (Jonny Bolanos – 46’), Ethan O’Brien, Dru Yearwood (Dominic Gasso – 46’), Ollie Wright (Adem Sipic – 85’); Forster Ajago (Tristan Tropeano – 74’), Woobens Pacius (Brennan Creek – 74’).
Substitutes not used — Simon Jillson, Jordan Knight, Makel Rasheed.
Next Game
Carolina Core FC are back at home for the season finale as they face Inter Miami CF II on Sunday, October 6th. The match kicks off at 1:00 PM ET with a live stream available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Tickets are available for purchase here: Carolina Core FC vs. Inter Miami CF II Tickets
2024 MLS NEXT Pro
Carolina Core FC vs Huntsville City FC
Sunday, September 29th 2024 – Truist Point Stadium (High Point, NC)
Carolina Core FC record: 12-11-4 (43 points – 7th in East)
Huntsville City FC record: 7-15-5 (26 points – 14th in East)
Scoring Summary:
CCFC: Juan Pablo Rodriguez – 14’
CCFC: Ibrahim Covi (p) – 56’
Misconduct Summary:
CCFC: Kai Thomas (caution) – 28’
HCFC: Isaiah Jones (caution) – 53’
HCFC: Ethan O’Brien (caution) – 54’
HCFC: Ollie Wright (caution) – 64’
HCFC: Jonny Bolanos (caution) – 74’
Referee: Josiah Parke
Assistant Referees: Josh Lampkins, Patrick Casey
Fourth Official: Joe Surgan
Weather: Sunny, 77 degrees
Attendance: 4,106
CAROLINA CORE FC POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Roy Lassiter
On the win tonight…
“Tonight was a solid win. We are starting to look more like how we train and prepare. All we want to do is make our community proud with our performances, and I feel as if we’ve done that. Now, it’s time to keep working hard and plugging away.”
On the consistency of the side…
“Our lineup has been very consistent. One big part of it is that we don’t have any major injuries. Our physical staff have done a great job of keeping our players healthy. For that to be the case this late in the year is very big for us. We’re going to ride with it, but for now the job is not finished.”
Midfielder Jacob Evans
On the performance tonight…
“It’s good to finally be in the playoff spots. It’s a credit to us being on the run we’ve been on. It’s all in our hands now, so we focus on getting the same result next week.”
On the difference in getting the win…
“It was a bit of an ugly game. We stuck to our plan, and we were really hard to break down defensively. Both goals from J.P. (Rodriguez) and (Ibrahim) Covi were big, so we were just focused on putting our chances away.”
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
