FC Cincinnati 2 will host Carolina Core FC for the first time on Friday, August 16, at 6 p.m. ET at Scudamore Field at NKU Soccer Stadium. The Orange and Blue defeated Carolina in their first-ever meeting back in June at Truist Point, a 3-1 win for Cincinnati.
Tickets for the match are available and can be redeemed with a SeatGeek account through the FC Cincinnati App. Instructions on how to claim tickets for Friday’s match can be found here. The match will also air live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
FC CINCINNATI 2 vs CAROLINA CORE FC – FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2024 – 6 P.M. ET – SCUDAMORE FIELD AT NKU SOCCER STADIUM
Keep up with all things FC Cincinnati 2 @FCCincinnati2 on X, Instagram and Facebook.
FC CINCINNATI 2 NOTES
DOMINANT D – FC Cincinnati 2 enter Friday’s contest against Carolina on the back of three consecutive shutout performances. Only St. Louis CITY2 have strung together as many clean sheet results in a row this season, and a shutout against Carolina would give the Orange and Blue the longest such run of the campaign.
The Orange and Blue hold a 1.19 goal against average, the third lowest in MLS NEXT Pro. The Town FC (1.05) and North Texas SC (1.0) are the only two clubs with lower totals. FC Cincinnati 2 are one of four teams to concede 25 goals or fewer on the season.
THE LAST TIME AT HOME… – The Orange and Blue return home to Scudamore Field after playing four of their last five on the road. The last time FC Cincinnati 2 played a home match was a 5-0 drubbing of Chicago Fire FC II.
The Orange and Blue have been strong at Scudamore Field this season where they hold a 6-2-2 record and are unbeaten over their last four.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY – Despite being held scoreless last time out against New England Revolution II, the Orange and Blue have been one of the most consistent attacking sides in the league. FCC 2 have scored in nine of their last 10 matches and have been held scoreless just three times this season.
RAISING THE BAR – Jesus Castellano tallied his fifth assist of the year against Philadelphia Union II on August 2, setting a new single-season high for the playmaking winger. Castellano picked up his team leading fifth helper of the year on a goal from Ben Stitz, which took home Goal of the Matchweek honors.
Stitz, who is now just one goal shy of his 2023 total with seven matches to play, moved into a tie for a team lead in the category alongside Stefan Chirila with six goals.
TAKE 2 – FCC 2 picked up their first shootout win of the season last week against New England, ousting Revs II at home in kicks from the spot by a score of 6-5. An extra point has only been up for grabs in three of the Orange and Blue’s 21 matches this year, tied for the third fewest draws in MLSNP.
SCOUTING CAROLINA CORE FC (5-10-4, 22 PTS., 13TH IN EASTERN CONFERENCE)
Carolina Core FC are still working out life in their first season in MLS NEXT Pro. The Core currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with 22 points through 19 matches and enter Matchweek 23 having lost three-consecutive games. Friday’s match will be the first road match since July 7 for the Core, a match in which they won 2-1 against Orlando City B. The Core bring a 3-5-4 away record to Scudamore Field.
Joshua Rodriguez leads the Carolina attack with five goals on the year. Rodriguez propelled Carolina to a 3-1-1 run beginning in mid-June, where the forward scored in five-consecutive matches. Rodriguez has failed to find the back of the net in his last four MLSNP appearances and will look to snap the goalless drought against Cincinnati.
Facundo Canete and Jacob Evans are the playmakers out of midfield for The Core as the duo have combined for seven goals and seven assists through 19 games. Evans has appeared and started in every match for The Core and leads the team in shots (38) and key passes (53).
But scoring has been an issue for Carolina in their first MLSNP season as they rank last in goals for with 22. The Core have managed to score just two goals over their last three matches and have failed to score more than two goals in any single match this season. Carolina are the only team in MLSNP who have failed to hit the three goal mark.
Former FC Cincinnati 2 and academy product Kai Thomas continues to play an important role for the Core in their inaugural season. Thomas has played 18 matches for Carolina, starting in 17, and ranks first on the team in clearances with 29. Thomas has played the fourth most minutes for The Core this year and has now gone over the 1,500-minute mark in his third MLSNP season.
