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Early Goal Helps NCFC Past ATL UTD 2

By CHRIS HOCKMAN - chris.hockman@uslsoccer.com, 05/25/18, 9:00PM EDT

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Ewolo goal sets tone as hosts take 4-0 victory to rebound strongly


Photo courtesy Rob Kinnan / North Carolina FC

CARY, N.C. — An early goal set the tone for what would be a comprehensive North Carolina FC display as it took a 4-0 victory against ATL UTD 2 at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park on Friday night. Patience in the penalty area gave NCFC the opening goal in the seventh minute as Donovan Ewolo got a header to play it forward for strike partner Daniel Rios, who rounded Atlanta goalkeeper Alec Kann but couldn’t get a shot away and instead sent it back to Ewolo who took three touches to get the right angle and shot along the ground, nutmegging Kann for his first USL goal. The host's lead was doubled in the 21st minute after a perfect cross from Kyle Bekker found Steven Miller, who chested it down and squared to try and find Rios, only for Atlanta defender Will Crain to put the ball past Kann and into his own net. Some loose passing from NCFC let the visitors back into the match with U.S. U20 international Lagos Kunga looking especially dangerous as he nearly set up forward Brandon Vazquez in first-half stoppage time, but North Carolina goalkeeper Alex Tambakis got just enough on the ball to make the save. Just seven minutes after the break North Carolina put the game to bed when Bekker’s shot from the edge of the penalty area came off the crossbar, allowing Rios to run onto the rebound and control to finish across the face of goal. U.S. U20 international Andrew Carleton almost responded with a dipping shot from the edge of the penalty area that had Tambakis stranded but came back off the crossbar, but that would be as good as it would get for the visitors as NCFC notched a fourth with one minute to play as Rios' deflected cross fell to substitute Marios Lomis, who scored for the fourth consecutive match in all competitions with a header that had just enough on it to hit the back of the net.

Scoring
7’ – NC – Donovan Ewolo (Daniel Rios)
21’ – NC – Will Crain (Own Goal)
52’ – NC – Daniel Rios
89’ – NC – Marios Lomis

Three Things That Matter:

  • 1. ATL UTD 2 has never won when conceding the first goal of the match, but when Donovan Ewolo scored so early there seemed to be hope of that changing. Atlanta took charge of possession, but mistakes, including an own goal from Will Crain meant that trend would continue, making it the sixth match the club had lost after giving up the opening goal.

  • 2. North Carolina has not lost a USL game when it has found the net multiple times, and when the club's second goal of the night went in on Friday the host's confidence began to flow. NCFC put six shots on target from a total 14 which helped them to the win. 

  • 3. With just five goals scored on the road for Atlanta, its poor record away from Georgia continued with another away match where it failed to score in part due to a lack of accuracy as it finished with only four shots on target from 13 shots overall. With another road game coming next week, against a Tampa Bay Rowdies side with a strong home record ATL UTD 2 will need to figure out how to take its home scoring form, where the club has recorded 10 goals in five games so far this season, on the road.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:

Daniel Rios, North Carolina FC – Rios may not have been credited with the assist on the fourth goal but he certainly created the opportunity, scoring a goal of his own and providing the assist on the opener, the forward was key to the win.

Upcoming Games:
North Carolina FC 
vs. Bethlehem Steel FC – June 2, 7p.m. ET, Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
ATL UTD 2 vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies – June 2, 7:30p.m. ET, Al Lang Stadium

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