Queens, NY (June 17, 2026) - Carolina Core FC mounted a late comeback with two goals in the closing stages, but the Foxes ultimately fell 3-2 to New York City FC II on the road Wednesday evening.
The opening minutes were evenly contested, with both sides creating opportunities but struggling to generate clear-cut chances on goal. Frequent turnovers dirupted the rythymm of the match, preventing either team from establishing sustained pressure early on.
New York City FC II broke through in the 22nd minute when Cooper Flax struck from outside the penalty area to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
The Foxes responded with increased attacking pressure following the goal, controlling more possession and creating multiple promising opportunities. Despite their efforts, Carolina Core entered halftime trailing by one.
The Core came out of the break on the front foot, applying pressure to New York City's back line and forcing multiple turnovers in dangerous areas. As the half progressed, however, New York was able to absorb the pressure and spend extended stretches in the attacking half.
Carolina Core nearly found an equalizer when Ricardo Montenegro found space in front of goal, but his attempt sailed just over the crossbar. Minutes later, Arnaud Tattevin also came close, finding himself in a dangerous position inside the box before sending his effort narrowly over the goal.
After weathering Carolina's pressure, New York City FC II capitalized on a counterattack as Lucas De Pinho would find the back of the net to double the lead. The hosts extended their advantage to 3-0 in the 78th minute when Cooper Flax converted from the penalty spot for his second goal of the match.
The Foxes continued to battle and found a breakthrough in the closing stages. Andrew Czech scored his first goal in a Carolina Core FC jersey to cut the deficit and spark the comeback effort.
Carolina Core added another in the final minutes when David Diaz finished off a ricochet from an Anthony Sumo Jr. attempt, bringing the Foxes within one. The visitors continued to push forward and apply pressure until the final whistle, but the comeback ultimately fell short in a 3-2 defeat.
The Foxes will look to return to the win column when they travel to Fort Lauderdale to face Inter Miami CF II on Saturday, June 20, at 4 p.m. ET.
MATCH DETAILS
Date: June 17, 2026
Competition: MLS NEXT Pro
Venue: Belson Stadium | Queens, NY
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Weather: 70* degrees, Cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
FT 2 - 3
NYCFC - 21' Cooper Flax
NYCFC - 73' Lucas De Pinho
NYCFC - 78' Cooper Flax
CCFC - 82' Andrew Czech
CCFC - 90'+2 David Diaz
LINEUPS
Carolina Core FC: Nick Holliday; Charles Orbaugh, Nolan Evers, Nelson Martinez (26' Seth Hammond), Jair Caiza; Ricardo Montenegro, Tim Zeegers (46' Ryan Baer), Thomas Raimbault (46' Corey Lundeen); Andrew Czech, Antonio Pineda (79' David Diaz), Arnaud Tattevin (73' Anthony Sumo Jr.)
Substitutes not used: Trevor Jackson, Robinson Aguirre, Dominique Colon, Grayson Rockhill
NYCFC II: Brennan Klein; Kamran Acito, Joao Loiola, Drew Kerr, Adonis Campos (67' Jonathan Lopez); Cooper Flax, Joseph Suchecki; David Duque (90' Eoin Martin), Juan Ponce (67' Lucas De Pinho), Elhadji Samb; James Bilden (56' Henrik Hvatum)
Substitutes not used: Rami Daoud
STATS SUMMARY
CCFC / NYCFC II
Shots: 13 / 7
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Saves: 2 / 2
Corners: 4 / 7
Possession: 0%/ 0%
Fouls: 18 / 16
Yellow Cards: 2 / 2
Red Cards: 0 / 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
NYCFC - 23' Elhadji Samb (Yellow)
CCFC - 59' Arnaud Tattevin (Yellow)
NYCFC - 85' Lucas De Pinho (Yellow)
CCFC - 87' Nolan Evers (Yellow)
