2020 North Carolina FC season
The 2020 North Carolina FC season is the 14th season for North Carolina FC and its second in the USL Championship, the second-tier professional soccer league in the United States.
| 2020 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Stephen Malik | ||
| Head coach | Dave Sarachan | ||
| Stadium | Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park Cary, North Carolina (Capacity: 10,000) | ||
| USL | Group G: 3rd Conference: 10th | ||
| USL Playoffs | Did Not Qualify | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Fortune (6) All: Fortune (6) | ||
| Highest home attendance | League/All: 3,515 (March 7 vs. Louisville) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | League/All: 432 (October 3 vs. Charlotte) (six home games played without crowd because of COVID-19 pandemic) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 1,974 | ||
| Biggest win | NY 0–3 NC (September 30) | ||
| Biggest defeat | NC 0–3 CHS (August 19) | ||
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The season was suspended March 12 after the opening week because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] It restarted July 11 with a restructured format and schedule, with NCFC's first game scheduled for July 17.[2]
The team partnered with rapper J. Cole's Dreamville Festival for kit sponsorship for the season.[3]
Roster
- As of January 26, 2021[4]
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goalkeeper | Alex Tabakis |  Greece |
| 2 | Midfielder | Manny Perez (on loan from Celtic) |  United States |
| 4 | Defender | Alex Comsia | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada |
| 5 | Defender | Sam Brotherton |  New Zealand |
| 7 | Midfielder | Pecka |  Brazil |
| 8 | Midfielder | Dre Fortune |  Trinidad and Tobago |
| 9 | Forward | Marios Lomis |  Netherlands |
| 10 | Midfielder | Nazmi Albadawi |  Palestine |
| 11 | Forward | Robert Kristo |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 15 | Defender | Malick Mbaye |  Senegal |
| 16 | Midfielder | Graham Smith | United States |
| 21 | Forward | Daniele Proch |  Italy |
| 24 | Goalkeeper | Paulo Pita | Brazil |
| 27 | Defender | D.J. Taylor | United States |
| 31 | Midfielder | Steven Miller | United States |
| 33 | Midfielder | Shane De Leon ([A]) | United States |
| 34 | Midfielder | Luke Hille ([A]) | United States |
| 35 | Defender | Collin McCamy ([A]) | United States |
| 36 | Goalkeeper | Trace Alphin ([A]) | United States |
| 37 | Goalkeeper | Nicholas Holliday ([A]) | United States |
- ^ North Carolina FC Youth Academy Contract
Competitions
Source:[5]
Friendlies
| 8 February | North Carolina FC | v | Richmond Kickers | Cary, NC |
| 12:30 PM EST | Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park | |||
| Note: Result not published. | ||||
| 15 February | Charlotte Independence | 1–1 | North Carolina FC | Matthews, NC |
| 2:00 PM EST |  |
Report | Miller 7' |
Stadium: Sportsplex at Matthews |
| 22 February | North Carolina FC | v | Loudoun United FC | Cary, NC |
| 1:00 PM EST | Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park | |||
| Note: Canceled | ||||
| 29 February | North Carolina FC | 1–2 | Greenville Triumph SC | Cary, NC |
| 3:00 PM EST | Albadawi |
Report | Pilato Morrell |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park |
USL Championship
Standings — Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte Independence | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 28 | 1.75 | Advance to USL Championship Playoffs |
| 2 | Birmingham Legion FC | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 29 | 19 | +10 | 25 | 1.56 | |
| 3 | North Carolina FC | 15 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 17 | 21 | −4 | 19 | 1.27 | |
| 4 | Memphis 901 FC | 15 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 24 | 31 | −7 | 16 | 1.07 |
Source: USL
Match results
All games broadcast on ESPN+ as part of the USL Championship's rights agreement with the platform.[6] Home games broadcast locally on WRAL-2.
| 7 March 1 | North Carolina FC | 0–1 | Louisville City FC | Cary, NC |
| 2:30 PM EST | Kristo  88' Taylor 90+3' |
Report | Lancaster 63' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 3,515 Referee: Adam Kilpatrick |
| 17 July 2 | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 2–2 | North Carolina FC | St. Petersburg, FL |
| 6:45 PM EDT | Guenzatti 7' Fernandes 22' Mkosana 40' |
Report | Fortune 56' Kristo 83' |
Stadium: Al Lang Stadium Attendance: 141 Referee: Gabriele Giusti |
| 29 July | Charlotte Independence | v | North Carolina FC | Matthews, NC |
| TBA PM EDT | Stadium: Sportsplex at Matthews | |||
| Note: Postponed until August 26 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8] | ||||
| 1 August 3 | North Carolina FC | 1–0 | Birmingham Legion FC | Cary, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Donovan 29' Fortune 51', 90+2' Kristo 87' |
Report | Akinyode  33' Brett 45' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
| Note: Played in empty stadium because of COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 8 August 4 | Memphis 901 FC | 0–1 | North Carolina FC | Memphis, TN |
| 5:00 PM EDT | Paul 65' |
Report | Ward 15', 38' Fortune 21' |
Stadium: AutoZone Park Attendance: 901 Referee: Matthew Thompson |
| 15 August 5 | North Carolina FC | 0–2 | Birmingham Legion FC | Cary, NC |
| 8:30 PM EDT | Donovan 48' |
Report | Servania 18' Brett 21' (pen.)A. Crognale 42'Akinyode 46'Van Oekel 59'Lopez 60' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 0 Referee: Matthew Franz |
| Note: Played in empty stadium because of COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 19 August 6 | North Carolina FC | 0–3 | Charleston Battery | Cary, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Pecka 73' Donovan 90' Fortune 90+6' |
Report | Kelly-Rosales 29' Piggott 56' Daley 69' Zarokostas 81' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 0 Referee: John Griggs |
| Note: Played in empty stadium because of COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 26 August 7 | Charlotte Independence | 1–0 | North Carolina FC | Matthews, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Ortiz 59' |
Report | Ward 42' Pecka 68' |
Stadium: Sportsplex at Matthews Attendance: 0 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
| Note: Played in empty stadium because of COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 29 August | North Carolina FC | v | Memphis 901 FC | Cary, NC |
| TBA PM EDT | Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park | |||
| Note: Postponed as part of the protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake.[9][10] Rescheduled for September 10.[11] | ||||
| 2 September 8 | Birmingham Legion FC | 1–2 | North Carolina FC | Birmingham, AL |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Kobayashi 45+1' Kasim 59' Brett  90' |
Report | Albadawi 24' Fortune 62' (pen.) |
Stadium: BBVA Field Referee: Lukasz Szpala |
| 5 September 9 | Charlotte Independence | 3–1 | North Carolina FC | Matthews, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Kelly 10', 20', 43', 79' Lacroix 18' Martínez 51' |
Report | Smith 35' Taylor 60' Fortune 90+1' |
Stadium: Sportsplex at Matthews Referee: Jonathan Bilinski |
| Note: Played in empty stadium because of COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 10 September 10 | North Carolina FC | 2–3 | Memphis 901 FC | Cary, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Pecka 45+1' Fortune 64' Kristo 86' Taylor 90+1', 90+7' |
Report | Mentzingen 30' Baxter 36' Paul 55' Hundley 75', 90+8' Jennings 89' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Referee: John Matto |
| Note: Played in empty stadium because of COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 13 September 11 | North Carolina FC | 3–2 | Memphis 901 FC | Cary, NC |
| 6:00 PM EDT | Barry 29', 58' Donovan 55' Ward 65' Albadawi 89' |
Report | Jennings 24', 35' Carroll 45+1' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Referee: John Griggs |
| Note: Originally scheduled for September 12. Rescheduled to accommodate for rescheduling of previous game.[11] Played in empty stadium because of COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||
| 19 September 12 | North Carolina FC | 0–1 | Charlotte Independence | Cary, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Albadawi 45+1'  67' Taylor 50' Donovan 69' Fortune 73' |
Report | Kelly 44' Miller 45+1' Martínez 45+1' Maund 51' Lacroix 66' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Referee: Matthew Franz |
| 23 September | Memphis 901 FC | Canceled | North Carolina FC | Memphis, TN |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Stadium: AutoZone Park | |||
| Note: Postponed after a member of the Memphis 901 FC organization tested positive for COVID-19.[12] Game was not rescheduled after both teams were eliminated from playoff contention. | ||||
| 26 September 13 | Birmingham Legion FC | 1–2 | North Carolina FC | Birmingham, AL |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Cromwell 23' Servania 67' Williams 87' |
Report | Perez 7', 37' Fortune 26' (pen.) Kristo 90+6' |
Stadium: BBVA Field Referee: Jonathan Bilinski |
| 30 September 14 | New York Red Bulls II | 0–3 | North Carolina FC | Richmond, VA |
| 5:00 PM EDT | Cummins 44' Hot 88' Toure 90+3' |
Report | Fortune 12' (pen.), 28' Speas 26' Tolkin 45+3' (o.g.) |
Stadium: City Stadium Referee: Matthew Franz |
| Note: Neutral site game scheduled after both teams had upcoming games against Loudoun United FC canceled because of COVID-19 outbreak.[13] | ||||
| 3 October 15 | North Carolina FC | 0–1 | Charlotte Independence | Cary, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Report | Haakenson 45+1' Kelly 88' Gebhard 90+1' Sabella 90+4', 90+5' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 432 Referee: John Griggs | |
| Note: Rescheduled from September 30 to accommodate for newly scheduled match against New York Red Bulls II.[13] | ||||
| 4 October | Loudoun United FC | Canceled | North Carolina FC | Leesburg, VA |
| 11:00 AM EDT | Stadium: Segra Field | |||
| Note: Match cancelled due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests in Loudoun United FC organization and a lack of rescheduling windows.[14] | ||||
U.S. Open Cup
As a USL Championship club, North Carolina FC was scheduled to enter the competition in the second round, which was to be played April 7–9.[15] Pairings for that round were announced on January 29.[16] The first three rounds of the tournament were postponed on March 13, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] On August 17, the tournament was canceled.[18]
| 7 April 2nd Round | North Carolina FC  | v | North Carolina Fusion U23 or SC United Bantams | Cary, NC |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park | |||
| Note: Canceled because of COVID-19 pandemic[17] | ||||
Squad statistics
Source: Match reports
Appearances and goals
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | USL Championship Regular Season | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | |
Alex Tambakis | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 2 | MF | |
Manny Perez | 14 | 1 | 11+3 | 1 |
| 3 | DF | |
Caleb Duvernay | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | |
Alex Comsia | 11 | 0 | 9+2 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | |
Sam Brotherton | 11 | 0 | 10+1 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | |
Pecka | 14 | 0 | 13+1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | |
Dre Fortune | 14 | 6 | 11+3 | 6 |
| 9 | MF | |
Marios Lomis | 12 | 0 | 8+4 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | |
Nazmi Albadawi | 12 | 2 | 8+4 | 2 |
| 11 | FW | |
Robert Kristo | 15 | 2 | 6+9 | 2 |
| 15 | DF | |
Malick Mbaye | 1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | |
Graham Smith | 14 | 0 | 7+7 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | |
Ben Speas | 14 | 1 | 8+6 | 1 |
| 20 | DF | |
Conor Donovan | 14 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| 21 | FW | |
Daniele Proch | 11 | 0 | 1+10 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | |
Paulo Pita | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | |
D.J. Taylor | 15 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| 30 | DF | |
Akeem Ward | 11 | 1 | 10+1 | 1 |
| 31 | MF | |
Steven Miller | 11 | 0 | 6+5 | 0 |
| 92 | FW |  |
Hadji Barry | 15 | 1 | 11+4 | 1 |
Goal scorers
| Place | Position | Nation | Number | Name | USL Championship Regular Season | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MF | |
8 | Dre Fortune | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | FW | |
11 | Robert Kristo | 2 | 2 |
| MF | |
10 | Nazmi Albadawi | 2 | 2 | |
| 4 | MF | |
2 | Manny Perez | 1 | 1 |
| MF | |
17 | Ben Speas | 1 | 1 | |
| DF | |
20 | Conor Donovan | 1 | 1 | |
| DF | |
27 | D. J. Taylor | 1 | 1 | |
| DF | |
30 | Akeem Ward | 1 | 1 | |
| FW | |
92 | Hadji Barry | 1 | 1 | |
| Own goals by opponent | 1 | 1 | ||||
| TOTALS | 17 | 17 | ||||
Disciplinary record
| Number | Nation | Position | Name | USL Championship Regular Season | Total | ||
|
|
|
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | | MF | Dre Fortune | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 20 | | DF | Conor Donovan | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | | DF | D.J. Taylor | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | | MF | Pecka | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | | FW | Robert Kristo | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 30 | | DF | Akeem Ward | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | | MF | Nazmi Albadawi | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | | MF | Manny Perez | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | | MF | Graham Smith | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 92 | | FW | Hadji Barry | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 26 | 1 | 26 | 1 | |||
References
- "USL Championship Temporarily Suspends Play". uslchampionship.com. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- "North Carolina FC Set to Return to Play with Schedule Announcement". North Carolina FC. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
- "North Carolina Football Club Announces Dreamville Festival as NCFC Front-of-Jersey Partner". North Carolina FC. February 27, 2020.
- "North Carolina FC 2020 Roster". North Carolina FC. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- "North Carolina FC Announces Preseason Schedule". North Carolina FC. January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
- "USL Reaches New Rights Agreement with ESPN, ESPN+". USLSoccer.com. August 27, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
- Birkedal, Morgan (July 24, 2020). "North Carolina FC Match Against Charlotte Independence Postponed Until August 26". NorthCarolinaFC.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- Scott, David (July 24, 2020). "Coronavirus concerns move Charlotte Independence vs. North Carolina FC match to August". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- "Memphis 901 FC considering skipping Saturday's game vs. North Carolina FC". WREG.com. WREG. August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- "Saturday's NCFC home match with Memphis 901 postponed". WRALSportsFan.com. WRAL. August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- "North Carolina FC Sets New Dates for Matches Against Memphis 901 FC". NorthCarolinaFC.com. September 2, 2020.
- "North Carolina FC Match Against Memphis 901 FC Postponed". NorthCarolinaFC.com. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2020.
- "NCFC to Play New York Red Bulls II on Wednesday, Match Against Charlotte Rescheduled for Saturday". NorthCarolinaFC.com. September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
- "Remaining Loudoun United FC Games Cancelled". USLChampionship.com. September 25, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
- "Restructured Competition Format For 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Provides Opportunity For More "David vs. Goliath" Matchups In 107th Edition Of U.S. Soccer's National Championship". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- "2020 U.S. Open Cup Second Round Pairings and Host Scenarios" (Press release). U.S. Soccer. January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- "U.S. Soccer Temporarily Suspends 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Due To COVID-19 Outbreak" (Press release). U.S. Soccer. March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
- "2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Cancelled Due to COVID-19" (Press release). United States Soccer Federation. August 17, 2020.
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