CARY, NC (JUNE 1, 2016) – The Carolina RailHawks defeated the Charlotte Independence 5-0 on Wednesday night in extra time in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. After 90 scoreless minutes, the RailHawks netted five goals in the added 30 minutes of overtime. With the win, the RailHawks host the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer on June 15 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
"Overall I’m very pleased," said RailHawks head coach Colin Clarke. "It’s been a tough run of games for us and the Open Cup is a little break from the league but it’s very very important. We knew what the reward was before the game started, to get another home game against an MLS team. So a game we wanted to win, needed to win, wanted to score some goals and (we) got those things out of the way."
Both teams came fast out of the gate and remained competitive throughout the first half. The game was tightly contested until Charlotte's Jun Marques Davidson received a red card in the 29th minute after a dangerous studs-up challenge. Charlotte played the remainder of the match with 10 men after Davidson's ejection. Despite dominating possesion for a majority of the second half, the RailHawks were unable to convert multiple chances thanks to stellar play by Independence goalkeeper Cody Mizell.
It was not until the second minute of extra time that Billy Schuler was able to break the deadlock after an assist from Jonathon Orlando opening the floodgates of what was to come.
In the 96th, Nazmi Albadawi weaved behind Charlotte's defense to net the ball past Mizell extending Carolina's lead to 2-0. Three minutes later, Albadawi back-heeled an assist to Brian Shriver for the third goal of the match. Carolina's fourth goal came in the second half of extra time as Orlando shook off a Charlotte defender inside the box to find the back of the net.
"I’m speechless," Orlando said on his first professional goal. "I’ve come a long way, this is my first pro contract. I want to thank God first and foremost just for the opportunity to be here."
The final goal was Schuler's second of the night off an assist from Shriver in the 115th minute fixing the score at 5-0
Carolina now advances to the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup and will host the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer on June 15 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Tickets for the match are on sale now. Purchase yours here.
"It’ll be great for our crowd to see someone different than the Galaxy," Clarke continued. "Its another team with great players and some internationals on the team, so it’ll be a tough game. It’s nice to be in the hat, as they say at home for the FA Cup, and advance to the next round."
HAWK HITS
- Jonathon Orlando scored his first goal for the RailHawks in the 109th minute
- Jeremy Kelly made his first competitive appearance for Carolina in the 108th minute
- Billy Schuler netted his first two goals as a RailHawk including the game-winner two minutes into extra time
- Davidson's return to WakeMed was short lived after he received a red card in the 29th minute
- The RailHawks return to the pitch this Saturday June 4, as they host the Jacksonville Armada in the second-to-last game of the NASL Spring Season
BOXSCORE:
CAR 5
CLT 0 (AET)
LINEUPS:
CAR: Fitzgerald, Black, Tobin, Mensing, Beckie, da Luz (Schuler 83), Watson, Pérez (Orlando 83), Shipalane (Kelly 108), Albadawi (c), Shriver
Subs not used: Sylvestre, Hassan, Moses
CLT: Mizell, Duckett, Slogic, Johnson (Pfeffer 99), Kalungi, Davidson, Ekra, Estrada (Hilton 46), E. Martinez (Herrera 82), Calvert, Brown
Subs not used: Berner, Metcalf, Bartlett, Hellmann
GOALS:
CAR: Schuler-92, 115; Albadawi- 96; Shriver-99; Orlando, 109
CLT: —
CAUTIONS:
CAR: —
CLT: Slogic- 76; Herrera- 114
EJECTIONS:
CAR: —
CLT: Davidson- 29
CARY, NC (JUNE 1, 2016) – The Carolina RailHawks defeated the Charlotte Independence 5-0 on Wednesday night in extra time in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. After 90 scoreless minutes, the RailHawks netted five goals in the added 30 minutes of overtime. With the win, the RailHawks host the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer on June 15 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
“Overall I’m very pleased,” said RailHawks head coach Colin Clarke. “It’s been a tough run of games for us and the Open Cup is a little break from the league but it’s very very important. We knew what the reward was before the game started, to get another home game against an MLS team. So a game we wanted to win, needed to win, wanted to score some goals and (we) got those things out of the way.”
Both teams came fast out of the gate and remained competitive throughout the first half. The game was tightly contested until Charlotte’s Jun Marques Davidson received a red card in the 29th minute after a dangerous studs-up challenge. Charlotte played the remainder of the match with 10 men after Davidson’s ejection. Despite dominating possesion for a majority of the second half, the RailHawks were unable to convert multiple chances thanks to stellar play by Independence goalkeeper Cody Mizell.
It was not until the second minute of extra time that Billy Schuler was able to break the deadlock after an assist from Jonathon Orlando opening the floodgates of what was to come.
In the 96th, Nazmi Albadawi weaved behind Charlotte’s defense to net the ball past Mizell extending Carolina’s lead to 2-0. Three minutes later, Albadawi back-heeled an assist to Brian Shriver for the third goal of the match. Carolina’s fourth goal came in the second half of extra time as Orlando shook off a Charlotte defender inside the box to find the back of the net.
“I’m speechless,” Orlando said on his first professional goal. “I’ve come a long way, this is my first pro contract. I want to thank God first and foremost just for the opportunity to be here.”
The final goal was Schuler’s second of the night off an assist from Shriver in the 115th minute fixing the score at 5-0
Carolina now advances to the Fourth Round of the US Open Cup and will host the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer on June 15 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Tickets for the match are on sale now. Purchase yours here.
“It’ll be great for our crowd to see someone different than the Galaxy,” Clarke continued. “Its another team with great players and some internationals on the team, so it’ll be a tough game. It’s nice to be in the hat, as they say at home for the FA Cup, and advance to the next round.”
HAWK HITS
- Jonathon Orlando scored his first goal for the RailHawks in the 109th minute
- Jeremy Kelly made his first competitive appearance for Carolina in the 108th minute
- Billy Schuler netted his first two goals as a RailHawk including the game-winner two minutes into extra time
- Davidson’s return to WakeMed was short lived after he received a red card in the 29th minute
- The RailHawks return to the pitch this Saturday June 4, as they host the Jacksonville Armada in the second-to-last game of the NASL Spring Season
BOXSCORE:
CAR 5
CLT 0 (AET)
LINEUPS:
CAR: Fitzgerald, Black, Tobin, Mensing, Beckie, da Luz (Schuler 83), Watson, Pérez (Orlando 83), Shipalane (Kelly 108), Albadawi (c), Shriver
Subs not used: Sylvestre, Hassan, Moses
CLT: Mizell, Duckett, Slogic, Johnson (Pfeffer 99), Kalungi, Davidson, Ekra, Estrada (Hilton 46), E. Martinez (Herrera 82), Calvert, Brown
Subs not used: Berner, Metcalf, Bartlett, Hellmann
GOALS:
CAR: Schuler-92, 115; Albadawi- 96; Shriver-99; Orlando, 109
CLT: —
CAUTIONS:
CAR: —
CLT: Slogic- 76; Herrera- 114
EJECTIONS:
CAR: —
CLT: Davidson- 29
