Matthews, NC (September 4, 2025) – Carolina Core FC scored four times to defeat Crown Legacy in a crucial matchup of the Eastern Conference playoff race and the final North Carolina derby of the season.
Goal-Scoring Plays
Carolina Core FC – Facundo Canete, 7th minute: Following a smooth cross from Jathan Juarez, midfielder Facundo Canete took the ball down first time and laced the ball from outside of the box.
Crown Legacy FC – Own Goal (Aryeh Miller), 9th minute: Following an errant pass, the ball deflected off midfielder Aryeh Miller before going into the back of the net.
Carolina Core FC – Aryeh Miller, 41st minute: After being teed up from outside the box, Aryeh Miller hit a rocket shot from a distance that took a slight deflection before going past the keeper.
Crown Legacy FC – Dylan Sing, 50th minute: A duel leading to a cross into the middle of the box found forward Dylan Sing, who hit the ball into the roof of the net.
Carolina Core FC – Anthony Sumo Jr., 71st minute: A goal kick from Alex Sutton and a mix-up at the back led to Anthony Sumo Jr. latching on to the ball and holding off defenders before putting the ball past the goalkeeper.
Carolina Core FC – Jacob Evans, 75th minute: A cross into the box from Facundo Canete found the feet of Jacob Evans, who took a couple of touches before lifting the ball above the goalkeeper into the roof of the net.
Crown Legacy FC – Thiago, 91st minute: After a Crown Legacy player was brought down in the box, Thiago stepped up and netted a penalty into the bottom left corner.
Postgame Notes
- Man of the Match
- Miller Time
- Sutton Saves Again
- CCFC vs. CLFC | MLSNP Box Score
Man of the Match
After scoring a goal and netting two assists, midfielder Facundo Canete put together a man-of-the-match performance. Canete opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a powerful volley from outside of the box before going on to assist Aryeh Miller (45'+1 minute) to break the deadlock and Jacob Evans (75th minute) to seal the game. In addition to his goal contributions, the Argentine also added three key passes during the game, playing the entire 90 minutes. Canete has been a mainstay for The Foxes this season, playing and starting in all 24 MLS NEXT Pro matches, while registering seven goals and four assists.
Miller Time
Midfielder Aryeh Miller scored his first professional goal on Thursday night against Crown Legacy FC. After beginning the game with an error, Miller bounced back quickly after unleashing a rocket of a shot from well outside the box. The match marked a special night for the 19-year-old during his 25th match for Carolina Core FC, as he scored against his former club that he made his professional debut with. Miller has played in 15 matches during league play this season, including 12 total starts.
Sutton Saves Again
Paramount to Carolina Core FC’s season thus far, goalkeeper Alex Sutton once again had a major role to play in keeping The Foxes alive. Despite conceding three goals, Sutton made three crucial saves at point-blank range to help keep Crown Legacy out of the goal. Sutton has started all 24 games for CCFC this season and has registered five clean sheets, which is tied for the fifth-highest in MLS NEXT Pro. The 25-year-old looks to continue his good form as The Foxes embark on a late-season playoff push.
Lineups
Carolina Core FC — Alex Sutton; Kai Thomas, Juan Pablo Rodriguez, Daniel Chica; Jathan Juarez, Alenga Charles, Aryeh Miller (Jacob Evans – 61’), Paul Leonardi (Ibrahim Covi – 83’); Facundo Canete; Antonio Pineda (Corey Lundeen – 82’), Jesus Ibarra (Anthony Sumo Jr. – 61’).
Substitutes not used — Jonathan Bazaes, Derek Cuevas, Glory Nzingo, Andrew Pannenberg, Zion Scarlett.
Crown Legacy FC —Chituru Odunze; Mikah Thomas, Assane Ouedraogo, Morrison Agyemang, Jack Neeley (Yves Tcheuyap – 83’); Magic Smalls (Emmanuel Uchegbu – 68’), Baye Coulibaly (Simon Tonidandel – 83’), Nikola Petkovic (Adrian Mendoza – 68’), Brian Romero; Dylan Sing, Archie Goodwin (Thiago – 68’).
Substitutes not used — Erik Pena Boardman, Wyatt Holt, Andrej Subotic, Isaac Walker.
Next Game
Carolina Core FC returns home to take on Atlanta United 2 on Saturday, September 13th, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the match are available for purchase here.
2025 MLS NEXT Pro
Carolina Core FC vs Crown Legacy FC
September 4th, 2025 – Mecklenburg County Sportsplex (Matthews, North Carolina)
Carolina Core FC record: 7-9-8 (33 points – 9th in the Eastern Conference)
Crown Legacy FC record: 6-11-8 (29 points – 12th in the Eastern Conference)
Scoring Summary:
CCFC: Facundo Canete (Jathan Juarez) - 7’
CLFC: Aryeh Miller (og) - 9’
CCFC: Aryeh Miller (Facundo Canete) - 41’
CLFC: Dylan Sing (Brian Romero) - 50’
CCFC: Anthony Sumo Jr. - 71’
CCFC: Jacob Evans (Facundo Canete) - 75’
CLFC: Thiago (p) - 90'+1’
Misconduct Summary:
CLFC: Baye Coulibaly (caution) – 15’
CCFC: Aryeh Miller (caution) – 45’+1’
CLFC: Jack Neeley (caution) – 54’
CLFC: Magic Smalls (caution) – 56’
CCFC: Ibrahim Covi (caution) – 88’
CLFC: Adrian Mendoza (caution) – 90’+4’
CCFC: Mikah Thomas (caution) – 90’+7’
Referee: Nicholas Strednak
Assistant Referees: Stephen Milhoan, Art Arustamyan
Fourth Official: Josiah Parke
Weather: Cloudy, 71 degrees.
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
