D.C. United (2-6-2) will face the United Soccer League’s North Carolina FC (3-2-4) in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup at the Maryland SoccerPlex this Tuesday, June 5. Click here for tickets. A live stream of the match will also be available beginning at 7 PM ET on dcunited.com
Tuesday will be the first time that the two clubs have ever met in competition. NCFC joined the USL at the beginning of the 2018 season following a seven-season stint with the North American Soccer League.
United, who have won the U.S. Open Cup three times (1996, 2008, 2013), will be looking to sustain their recent momentum after coming off of a crucial tie on the road against the newest MLS expansion team, Los Angeles Football Club. Continuing his impressive streak of performances as of late, Paul Arriola had one assist and was named to the MLS Team of the Week thanks to his energetic presence and knack for creating opportunities on the attack. The Black-and-Red’s turning point against LA came when Darren Mattocks scored the equalizer in the final moments of the match to send United home with four points from their California stint in San Jose and LA.
While head coach Ben Olsen’s go-to starters have shown signs of elevating their play in recent weeks, Tuesday’s Open Cup game will be an important opportunity for other players to pick up match minutes and show the Black-and-Red coaching staff what they’re capable of contributing.
“I want this game to be an opportunity for players who have not seen much time to prove that they belong on the field during weekend games,” Olsen said following training last week.
United have never faced North Carolina before, but there will be familiar faces on the opponent’s bench come Tuesday night. NCFC midfielder Austin da Luz is a former member of the Black-and-Red, and made 14 appearances for D.C. in 2011. Da Luz has made more appearances for NCFC than any other rostered player—he’s one of only six NCFC players to have reached the 10,000 minute mark. This season, the midfielder has totaled nine starts, 747 minutes played, and one goal.
Da Luz is not the only member of NCFC with MLS experience. Former FC Dallas manager Colin Clarke is the current head coach of the North Carolina side. The Irishman is known for his strong leadership abilities, which have helped guide NCFC to deep Open Cup runs in years past and pushed the squad to a 4-1 win over the Ocean City Nor’easters in the third round of this year’s competition.
Prior to their June 2 loss to Bethlehem Steel FC, NCFC had won four straight games at home, with the 4-0 victory over Atlanta United 2 being the sweetest. Utilizing their aggressive attack, NCFC were able to torment Atlanta with their high press, allowing three of their strikers—Donovan Ewolo, Daniel Rios, and Marios Lomis—to each score in the dominant win. However, this past weekend NCFC had their limits tested by Bethlehem. Both teams took a significant amount of time to adjust to the weather conditions following a rain delay, but NCFC struck first to gain a 1-0 advantage.The Steel’s midfield pressure ramped up and successfully started forcing numerous turnovers, though, troubling NCFC’s system of play and ultimately handing Colin Clarke’s side the 2-1 home loss.
They’ve remained strong in their own house, but NCFC will not have the luxury of home field advantage during Tuesday’s meeting. With North Carolina pushing for another deep tournament run and the Black-and-Red looking to continue building momentum in a rare local matchup ahead of Audi Field, this fourth round Open Cup game will pit together two teams determined to advance. Click here to secure your Open Cup tickets, or tune in at 7 PM ET on dcunited.com to watch the sides' first-ever matchup unfold.
