High Point, NC (July 12, 2026) - Carolina Core FC fell in a penalty shooutout 4-2 to Chattanooga FC following a 1-1 draw through a two-hour weather delay on Sunday night.
The opening half featured a competitive battle for possession as both sides looked to establish an early rhythm. While Carolina Core FC worked to generate chances in the attacking third, Chattanooga FC controlled much of the possession during the opening stages of the match.
Despite Chattanooga's pressure, the Core's back line turned in a disciplined defensive performance throughout the first half, limiting quality scoring opportunities. Goalkeeper Nick Holliday anchored the defense with several key interventions, helping keep the visitors off the scoresheet for much of the half.
Chattanooga eventually broke through in first-half stoppage time when Alexander Krehl found the back of the net in the 45th minute. Moments later, severe weather forced a delay that lasted more than two hours.
When play resumed, Carolina Core FC came out on the front foot, pushing numbers forward and creating multiple attacking opportunities deep inside Chattanooga's half. The Foxes nearly found an equalizer when Bryce Swinehart rose to meet a cross with a well-placed header, but Chattanooga goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović made the save to preserve the lead.
Chattanooga's Damien Barker John made a strong drive toward the Carolina goal, but his shot was saved by the sliding reach of Holliday to keep it a one-goal game.
The Foxes quickly turned the momentum around as Andrew Czech got fouled in the penalty area to set The Core up for a penalty kick in the 61st minute. Arnaud Tattevin sent the ball through the lower-right corner of the goal to tie the match 1-1. His goal was his team-leading eighth score of the season.Â
The Carolina defense sent the match to a penalty shootout despite defending a consistent attack from Chattanooga. Holliday saved two of four shots in the final 10 minutes of regulation.
Chattanooga jumped ahead in the first set of penalties with a Corey Lundeen miss. Both squads connected on their next two shots to make it a 4-2 Chattanooga advantage. Jair Caiza missed his shot wide left to secure the shootout victory for Chattanooga.
Carolina Core FC returns home to Truist Point on Wednesday, July 22, for a matchup against Inter Miami CF II, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
5MATCH DETAILS
Date: July 12, 2026
Competition:Â MLS NEXT Pro
Venue: Truist Point Stadium | High Point, NC
Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. ET
Weather: 83º degrees, Cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
FT 1 (2) - 1 (4)
CFC - 45' Alexander Krehl
CCFC - 61' Arnaud Tattevin
LINEUPS
Carolina Core FC: Â Nicholas Holliday; Charles Orbaugh, Nolan Evers (62' Tristan Weber), Bryce Swinehart; Ricardo Montenegro (73' Dominique Colon), Corey Lundeen, Ryan Baer, Seth Hammond (62' Jair Caiza); Thomas Raimbault, Arnaud Tattevin, Andrew Czech (62' David Diaz) (79' Rashid Tetteh)
Substitutes not used: Trevor Jackson, Khalid Balogun, Robinson Aguirre, Nolan Anderson
Chattanooga FC: Eldin Jakupović; Yves Tcheuyap, Mattias Hanchard, Farid Sar-Sar Cairo, Antony Sorenson; Tate Robertson, Steeve Louis Jean (46' Isaiah Jones), Alex McGrath (90'+1' Luke Husakiwsky); Daniel Mangarov (69' Anthony GarcÃa), Alexander Krehl (78' Yuval Cohen), Damien Barker John
Substitutes not used: Nathan Koehler, Darwin Ortiz Lopez, Ashton Gordon, Alexis Arrua, Griffin Huff
STATS SUMMARY
CCFC / CFC
Shots: 6 / 17
Shots on Goal: 5 / 7
Saves: 6 / 4
Corners: 3 / 7
Possession: 0%/ 0%
Fouls: 15 / 19
Yellow Cards: 2 / 1
Red Cards: 0 / 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CCFC - 27' Ricardo Montenegro (Yellow)
CFC - 45'+4' Steeve Louis Jean (Yellow)
CCFC - 90'+4' Corey Lundeen (Yellow)
