North Carolina FC to host USL League One Final after 3-1 win against Hailstorm FC
Posted October 29, 2023 12:57 a.m. EDT
A pair of goals from David Garcia helped to lift North Carolina FC to its second-ever league final, beating Hailstorm FC 3-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday night. NCFC will host Charlotte Independence on Sunday, November 5 at 8:30 p.m. for the USL League One Final. Charlotte beat Union Omaha in a penalty shootout earlier in the day.
NCFC started off fast and aggressive with plenty of shots. Garcia was the first to find the back of the net in the 31st minute. A Rafa Mentzingen ball into the box bounced out to Raheem Somersall, who took a shot before Garcia redirected it.
NCFC had a 1-0 lead at half, but Garcia quickly doubled it with another goal in the 49th minute, coming from a Mentzingen corner kick.
Just for good measure, NCFC added one more goal in the 87th minute. Mentzingen picked up his second assist of the night on a ball that Louis Perez zipped in off of his left foot from just outside the box.
Hailstorm FC added a late goal during stoppage time, final score 3-1.
"Overall, it was a dominant performance and it's been two week of really positive training," head coach John Bradford said after the match.
"We've just been working on that delivery all week long and it really paid off in the second half," Mentzingen said of the set piece execution.
Last season, NCFC finished with a 8-16-6 record. Now at 20-7-6, North Carolina FC has a chance to make the worst-to-first transition a reality if they can take down Charlotte Independence on November 5. Defender Nelson Flores Blanco, who first joined NCFC back in 2017, said the club's success matter so much to him.
"Just to repay them and take them to a final with my team, means everything for me and not only for me, but for the fans that have been struggling with us for the last two years and also for the coaching staff, because they're an amazing coaching staff and I know they deserve it as well."
The last time the team went to a league final was in 2010 as the Railhawks in the USSF Division II Professional League, losing to the Puerto Rican Islanders.
"The whole idea throughout the season was to try and host a championship," Bradford said.
"Throw in Charlotte and that means a little bit more for the rivalry and everything from that standpoint so we'll enjoy this for tonight and then we'll get prepared."
The USL League One Final will be played on Sunday, November 5 at 8:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park. The match will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. Tickets will be available at NorthCarolinaFC.com/tickets. The two in-state rivals played each other three times this season, resulting in a win for each club and a draw.
