Matthews, NC (September 12, 2026) - Carolina Core FC erased a two-goal halftime deficit and battled back to earn a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Crown Legacy FC following a 2-2 draw in regulation Saturday night at Sportsplex at Matthews.
Carolina Core FC and Crown Legacy FC opened the match trading possession and looking to establish control in the attacking third. Both sides pushed forward in the early stages, creating opportunities and testing the opposing defenses as the match settled into a back-and-forth rhythm.
The Foxes continued to work the ball into dangerous areas while Crown Legacy looked to create chances in transition. Both teams generated multiple shots as they searched for the opening goal, with neither side able to separate itself through the opening portion of the half.
Crown Legacy eventually found the breakthrough in the 28th minute when Brian Romero finished an opportunity to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage. The home side added to its lead four minutes later as Magic Smalls capitalized on a deflection in front of goal to make it 2-0 in the 32nd minute.
Carolina Core continued to push forward following the two goals, applying pressure to the Crown Legacy back line and searching for a response before the break. The Foxes remained aggressive in the attacking third but were unable to find the finishing touch, sending Carolina Core into halftime trailing 2-0.
The Foxes came out of halftime on the front foot, immediately looking to cut into the two-goal deficit. Carolina Core FC found its breakthrough in the 47th minute when Tristan Weber connected with Thomas Raimbault in the center of the field. Raimbault finished the opportunity to pull The Core within one at 2-1 and give the Foxes early momentum in the second half.
Carolina Core continued to push forward, applying sustained pressure to the Crown Legacy back line and creating several opportunities in search of the equalizer. The breakthrough finally came in the 88th minute when Seth Hammond delivered a ball into the box for Jay Stewart, who finished the chance for his first professional goal in his professional debut, bringing the match level at 2-2.
With neither side able to find a winner before the end of regulation, the match headed to a penalty shootout. The Foxes remained composed from the spot and came away with a 4-3 shootout victory, completing the second-half comeback and securing two points on the road. After entering halftime trailing by two goals, Carolina Core responded with a resilient performance over the final 45 minutes to earn a result away from home.
Carolina Core FC returns to action Sunday, September 20, as the Foxes travel to Historic Crew Stadium to take on Columbus Crew 2. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
MATCH DETAILS
Date: September 12, 2026
Competition:Â MLS NEXT Pro
Venue: Sportsplex at Matthews | Matthews, NC
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Weather: 90º degrees, Cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
FT 2 (4) - 2 (3)
CLFC - 28' Brian Romero
CLFC - 32' Magic Smalls
CCFC - 47' Thomas Raimbault
CCFC - 88' Jay Stewart
LINEUPS
Carolina Core FC: Nolan Anderson; Nolan Evers (45' Charles Orbaugh), Bodie Ford, Rashid Tetteh; Ricardo Montenegro (62' Corey Lundeen), Seth Hammond, Ryan Baer, Tristan Weber (82' Valentino Ontiveros), Andrew Czech; Nicholas Kaloukian (45' Thomas Raimbault), Graham Ford (79' Jay Stewart)
Substitutes not used: Trevor Jackson
Crown Legacy FC: Jahiem Wickham; Mikah Thomas, Andrew Thomas, Wyatt Holt, Gavin Smith; Daniel Longo (90'+4' Carlos Gonzalez), Andrej Subotic (62' Ty Barnett), Adrian Mendoza; Hugo Mbongue, Magic Smalls (90'+3' Barzee Blama), Brian Romero (67' Sebastian Ventura)
Substitutes not used: Jonathan Paul Philpot, Michael Ayovi, Leo Rivas, Amil Hodzic, Bryce Goodwin
STATS SUMMARY
CCFC / CLFC
Shots: 10 / 23
Shots on Goal: 5 / 6
Saves: 4 / 2
Corners: 2 / 12
Possession: 40% / 60%
Fouls: 12 / 16
Yellow Cards: 3 / 1
Red Cards: 0 / 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CLFC - 56' Andrej Subotić (Yellow)
CCFC - 74' Thomas Raimbault (Yellow)
CCFC - 77' Ryan Baer (Yellow)
CCFC - 84' Charles Orbaugh (Yellow)
