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Four Goal Thriller Sees Carolina Core FC Defeat Atlanta United 2 for Third Consecutive Win 

High Point, North Carolina (August 28, 2024) – A first-half brace from Facundo Canete helped Carolina Core FC defeat Atlanta United 2 by a 4-1 margin to earn their third consecutive victory.

Goal-Scoring Plays

CCFC – Facundo Canete, 2nd minute: A cross from Jacob Evans on a corner kick found the head of Facundo Canete, who directed the ball into the net past Atlanta goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert.

ATL2 – Ethan Dudley, 38th minute: A corner kick from Matias Gallardo found the foot of defender Ethan Dudley, who volleyed the ball into the corner of the net.

CCFC – David “Pachi” Polanco, 45th minute: Following a CCFC counter attack, David “Pachi” Polanco would pick up the ball in the box and hit the ball into the roof of the net with an assist from Jathan Juarez.

CCFC – Facundo Canete, 57th minute: Midfielder Facundo Canete headed the ball into the left corner of the net following a cross from captain Jacob Evans.

CCFC – Jacob Evans, 90th minute: A solo run from Derek Cuevas found the feet of captain Jacob Evans, who took a few touches before firing a left-footed shot into the goal.

Postgame Notes

Facundo On Fire

Midfielder Facundo Canete bagged two goals in Wednesday night’s match, which now makes back-to-back games in which he’s scored two goals. The Argentinian opened the scoring for The Foxes with a bullet header in the second minute of the match following a cross from captain Jacob Evans. Canete would earn his brace in the 57th minute with another header from an Evans cross. Canete now leads the team in goals, bringing his total up to seven on the season.

Captain Evans Shines

Midfielder and team captain Jacob Evans had another great performance against Atlanta United 2, grabbing himself a goal and two assists on the night. The Englishman got his first assist early in the match following a corner kick that met the head of Facundo Canete. Evans would pick up another assist in the 57th minute after his left-footed cross found the head of Canete once again. The captain would end the night for CCFC with a goal of his own, as he launched a left-footed shot through the Atlanta United 2 goalkeeper’s legs. Evans now has six goals on the season, to go along with a team-high six assists.

Three In A Row

Another dominant home display against Atlanta United 2 earned Carolina Core FC their third win in a row. This victory comes on the back of wins against New England Revolution II and Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati 2. The Foxes look to extend their impressive winning streak to four games in a row this Sunday as they face the New York Red Bulls 2 at 7:30 PM at Truist Point Stadium.

Lineups

Carolina Core FC — Alex Sutton; Ibrahim Covi, Daniel Chica, Kai Thomas; Jathan Juarez (Derek Cuevas – 72’), Alenga Charles (Ozzie Ramos – 72’), Santiago Cambindo, Cristian Gregoire (Carlos Mario Diaz – 22’); Jacob Evans, Facundo Canete (Luis Lugo – 72’) ; David “Pachi” Polanco (Josuha Rodriguez – 77’) .

Substitutes not used — Aryeh Miller, Andrew Pannenberg, J.P. Rodriguez, Yekeson Subah.

Atlanta United 2 — Jayden Hibbert; Jacob Williams (Dominik Chong Qui – 63’), Ethan Dudley, Efraín Morales, Adyn Torres (Ashton Gordon – 72’); Noble Okello, Javier Armas, Matias Gallardo, Nick Firmino (Karim Tmimi – 72’), Alan Carleton (Ramzi Qawasmy – 77’); Rodrigo Neri (Stephen Hurlock – 63’).

Substitutes not used — Jonathan Ransom, Kaiden Moore.

Next Game

Carolina Core FC host New York Red Bulls II on Sunday, September 1st. 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: Carolina Core FC vs. New York Red Bulls II Tickets

2024 MLS NEXT Pro

Carolina Core FC vs Atlanta United 2

Wednesday, August 28th 2024 – Truist Point Stadium (High Point, NC)

Carolina Core FC record: 8-10-4 (31 points – 11th in East)

Atlanta United 2 record: 6-11-5 (26 points – 12th in East)

Scoring Summary:

CCFC: Facundo Canete (Jacob Evans) – 2’

ATL2: Ethan Dudley (Matias Gallardo) – 38’

CCFC: David “Pachi” Polanco (Jathan Juarez) – 45’

CCFC: Facundo Canete (Jacob Evans) – 57’

CCFC: Jacob Evans (Derek Cuevas) – 90’

Misconduct Summary:

CCFC: Facundo Canete (caution) – 7’

CCFC: Carlos Mario Diaz (caution) – 24’

ATL2: Efraín Morales (caution) – 29’

CCFC: Alenga Charles (caution) – 40’

ATL2: Efraín Morales (ejection) – 45’+3

ATL2: Jayden Hibbert (caution) – 45’+4

CCFC: Ozzie Ramos (caution) – 79’

ATL2: Karim Tmimi (caution) – 82’

Referee: Danielle Chesky

Assistant Referees: Kevin Huet, Bryan Conetta

Fourth Official: John Matto

Weather: Sunny, 87 degrees

Attendance: 2,522

Head Coach Roy Lassiter

On tonight’s performance…

"We started strong, getting an early opportunity because we were on the front foot. We need to be better at marking in the box, as they scored off that. We let Atlanta back in, but managed to score again just before the half, which, along with the red card, really hurt them. We came out fast in the second half, pressing hard because we didn’t want to sit back, even though they were a player down. Our goal was to make them open up and create gaps we could exploit."

On managing the game and looking ahead…

"That third goal was crucial, allowing us to bring on fresh legs. With some players already on yellow cards, we had to be cautious and save energy for Sunday. I wasn’t happy about the set piece goal they scored, but we finished the game strong, and that’s what mattered."

Midfielder Jacob Evans

On the win tonight…

“It was a very important win. It was a six pointer in terms of the table standings, so it was a must win game. This gives us more momentum now going forward. We had a gameplan, and we stuck to it. We were patient, found the open spaces, and took our chances.”

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial