The 2026 Men’s World Cup is finally here.

The competition officially kicked off in Mexico yesterday with two matches. El Tri (Mexico) easily handled South Africa 2-0 in a match that started with an opening ceremony and Shakira, and ended with more red cards than goals. Later, in Guadalajara, Korea Republic started strong against Czechia, but had to battle back after the European side scored first.

Today, the other two host nations — Canada and the United States — will begin their competitions. The Canucks will host a Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto, while the United States will host Paraguay in Los Angeles.

While Canada and Bosnia are meeting for the first time, the Stars and Stripes have won five of their nine matches against Paraguay, the most recent being a 2-1 win in a November 2025 friendly.

Throughout this World Cup, Soccer Sheet will be reporting on all the matches - including the ones you’ve missed. Subscribe below to get the Copacetic Cupdate everyday during the tournament.

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Yesterday’s Results

Group A: Mexico 2 - 0 South Africa

In 2010’s World Cup, it was South Africa hosting Mexico in the first match of the tournament, vuvuzelas and all. While that match ended 1-1, this Mexican squad was the superior side.

While El Tri dominated possession and the scoreline, the match was defined by disciplinary chaos, featuring three red cards and a flurry of historical milestones.

Mexico took immediate control, fueled by an electric home atmosphere. Julián Quiñones capitalized on a heavy touch by South Africa’s Sithole in the 9th minute, slotting the ball through Ronwen Williams’ legs. Mexico nearly doubled the lead before the break when Quiñones hit the post in the 42nd minute. South Africa struggled to progress the ball, recording only one shot on target in the first 45 minutes.

The second half saw South Africa’s hopes evaporate through cards rather than goals. Sphephelo Sithole was sent off early (49’) for clipping Gutierrez’s heels on a breakaway. Later, substitute Themba Zwane was dismissed for violent conduct (84’) after a VAR review showed him catching Alvarado in the face. Mexico’s César Montes was also shown a straight red in stoppage time (90+2’) for a tactical foul to stop a rare South African counter-attack.

Group A: Korea Republic 2 - 1 Czechia

The second match of the World Cup, at Estadio Guadalajara, featured the first competitive meeting between Korea Republic and Czechia.

The last time American audiences saw the Korean side, they beat the United States 0-2 in a 2025 friendly that featured a goal and an assist from newly-minted MLS player Son Heung-min.

Korea dominated the first half, with 8 shots to 3 for Czechia. Despite the barrage, Korea could only muster an xG (expected goals) of 0.52 — to 0.29 for Czechia — with 80% of the expected goals coming from Son.

The second half began with "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters playing throughout the stadium, and Korea immediately got to work trying to find the winner, with two shots in the first five minutes.

In the 55th minute Son looked like he may have finally broken through, but yet again Kovár was there to cut the Korean captain’s angle and block the shot. Before leaving the pitch in the

Then, against the run of play, Czechia opened the scoring off of a set piece — and like half of the squad’s World Cup goals since the fall of the Iron Curtain, it was a header.

Vladimír Coufal found the head of jumping Czech captain Ladislav Krejčí, who slotted the ball straight in goal in the 59th minute.

Korea were quick to respond. Continuing to attack the top left corner of the goal box, Hwang In-beom beat two Czech defenders and their keeper, cut to the right, then proceeded to lob the ball into the right corner of the goal in the the 67th minute.

Then, in the 78th minute, it looked as if Czechia would land their 8th header in 15 World Cup goals, but the go-ahead winner from Soucek was called off.

The next big strike, in the 80th minute, would count — for Korea.

Hwang got his second goal contribution of the match, assisting Oh Hyeon-Gyu's sliding strike. Oh’s goal would be decisive.

Today’s Schedule:

3:00 PM - Group B - Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

As a host nation, Canada (along with the U.S. and Mexico) qualified for the competition automatically, their second in a row after Qatar 2022.

Bosnia’s battle was much harder, making it out of stiff UEFA competition. Earlier this year, Soccer Sheet spoke with Bosnian women’s international Emina Ekić about what it meant to see Bosnia and Herzegovina make it to the World Cup:

We’re hoping to see Bosnia’s world-record holding džezva coffee pot make its way to Canada as well.

9:00 PM - Group D - USA vs. Paraguay

If there was any question the fans would show up for the United States, their friendly against Germany in Chicago last week put those fears to rest.

The USMNT enter today’s match on a strong group stage streak: they’ve lost just once in their last nine group-stage outings, 1-0 to Germany in 2014. However, they’re 2-3 against South American opponents in the World Cup, and historically, CONMEBOL (South America) has dominated Concacaf (North America) opponents, going 11-1-1 in their last 13 World Cup meetings.

Paraguay have had strong runs in recent competitions, including a 2010 quarterfinal run. However, their last win in an opener was in 1986, against Iraq.

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The Senegalese men’s national football team are known as the Lions of Teranga. “Teranga” — considered to be the core cultural value of Senegal — is a term that comes from the Wolof language, and roughly translates to “hospitality.”

However, despite large crowds for the Lions, there was no hospitality to be found at Bank of America Stadium from the United States Men’s National Team.

Christian Pulisic contributed an assist and a goal in the first 20 minutes of action, ending his national team goal drought as he powered the Stars and Stripes to an impressive 3-2 win, defeating a 14th-ranked Senegalese squad that had won 8 of their last 10 matches, and ending a two-match losing streak in the process.

In the first ever meeting between the two teams, and in the USMNT’s second game ever at Bank of American Stadium, the United States dominated proceedings for the for the first third of the game, routinely pressing a discombobulated Senegalese side into giveaways deep in their territory, and capitalizing with an opportunistic offensive attack.

“I think we played really well,” United States winger Alejandro Zendejas told Soccer Sheet in a post-match interview. “The team was intense, we played out the back as we should, and I think we created good opportunities that ended up [as goals].”

Pulisic set up Sergiño Dest for the first goal of the game 7 minutes in before opening his own 2026 international account in the 20th minute, scoring his first international goal since November 2024 and ending a 5-month scoring drought overall across club and country play.

In an interview with Soccer Sheet, Pulisic refused to consider the drought a “curse.”

“It’s just a friendly,” said Pulisic. “I’m really happy, [scoring] felt great, but we’ve got some big games ahead.

The U.S. went through their first period of patchy play towards the end of the first half and paid the price, as a sloppy giveaway near midfield from defender Antonee Robinson quickly resulted in a Senegal counter that resulted in a close-range goal for captain Sadio Mané that brought the numerous Senegalese fans to their feet shortly before the teams went to the locker rooms for the halftime break.

U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino opted for massive subs at halftime, replacing everyone in the lineup except for midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who he referred to as a ‘beast’ in the post-match presser. The move appeared to be effective as the U.S. offense continued to heap pressure on their opponents’ defense, with two apparent goals that were nullified in the first quarter hour of the second half, one for offsides and one for a questionable foul call in the box.

In between, disaster struck as a Miles Robinson intended pass back to goalie Chris Brady was deflected before being tipped into the back of the net by Mane from point-blank range in the 53rd minute. Not to be deterred, the U.S. kept their foot on the gas pedal, as forward Folarin Balogun scored from close-range in the 63rd minute to account for the final score.

Playing in his club team’s home stadium, Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream looked comfortable in his 28th match as U.S. captain, masterfully distributing the ball and providing his usual stalwart defensive effort in the back.

Earlier in the week, Ream spoke with Soccer Sheet about what the leadership role meant after he was announced as team captain for the World Cup.

“Obviously it’s an honor,” said Ream. “It’s not something that I ever thought of, or dreamed of, or even envisioned. It’s an honor, it’s a privilege, it’s something that, as I said earlier, don’t take for granted and don’t take lightly. I’m really proud to be sitting here and be given that honor by the coaches.”

When asked by Soccer Sheet what the difference in the match was, Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw pointed to the talent on the U.S. squad, as well as their ability to win 50-50 balls:

“They’re a good team who put us in tough situations,” said Thiaw. “We did not win a lot of 50-50 balls, and also, we are a team who like to have the ball, and in certain moments, we didn’t have it a lot, we didn’t have our feet on the ball. I think their game plan was good. They created problems for us. There were times when we solved them, when we came back to tie the game and things were going better, but we conceded another goal, it wasn’t easy. But like I said, it’s one match. They were good, they won the match, so congratulations to them. As for us, we are going to continue our preparations.”

The U.S. will play one more friendly — this Saturday, June 6th against 10th-ranked Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago — before starting World Cup group play June 12th against Paraguay.

Ream told Soccer Sheet he’s looking forward to the World Cup starting.

“The group’s been working hard. We’ve had four really good training sessions [as of May 30], said Ream. “Intensity’s been high, focus has been really good. The guys are hungry and the guys are ready to go.”

Sam Spencer and Yara Al Bayyari contributed to this story.

Photo Gallery: U.S. and Senegal Fans Bring Color to the Bank

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

Almost 45 years ago, on September 18, 1981, the Carolina Lightnin’ won Charlotte’s first professional sports championship at American Legion Memorial Stadium. After a 1-1 result in regulation, Lightnin' forward Hugh O'Neill scored a golden goal against the New York United in the second extra time period to win the title.

Tonight in Kentucky, history didn’t quite repeat itself, but it rhymed for another soccer team that calls Memorial Stadium home.

Like the ‘81 Lightnin’, Carolina Ascent FC scored first in the final. Last season’s Soccer Sheet Player of the Year for the Ascent, Mia Corbin, put Carolina ahead going into the locker room.

Then, like the Lightnin’, they conceded an equalizer that sent the match into extra time.

However, unlike their professional predecessors, the Ascent couldn’t find a winner, falling to 2026 Players’ Shield winners Lexington SC 3-1 after the home team scored twice in the first period of extra time.

Mia Corbin Puts Ascent Ahead as Supporters Struggle to Make the Match on Time

A sellout crowd of 7,715 fans watched the match at Lexington SC Stadium, but some of Carolina’s die-hards — including the Carolina Reaper — almost missed the match.

The team had chartered a fan bus to Lexington that was supposed to leave with Ascent fans early in the morning. The driver didn’t show, and after a couple hours of waiting the fans put together a makeshift caravan to make the trip to Kentucky on their own.

The Carolina supporters made it in time for the 7:00 PM ET start, but from the get-go they were watching a match dominated by the home side.

Carolina goalkeeper Sydney Martínez was called into action early and often, facing 22 total shots and 8 shots on target over the course of the match. Lexington’s McKenzie Weinert had three early strikes, with one in the 17th minute almost making it through after Lexington dismantled Carolina’s defense, putting Martínez out of position and leaving the net vulnerable.

After a first half that featured constant pressure from the home side, the Ascent were the ones to break through in stoppage time. Carolina’s Mia Corbin got the ball outside of the box on the left side of the goal, struck the ball firmly, and sent it into the right corner of the net past a diving Katherine Asman.

Lexington led the first half with 8 shots to 6 for the Ascent, but it was the Ascent’s lone shot on target - Corbin’s goal - that mattered.

“I just saw space, and I was like, I get this touch right and just take a whack at it low and I’m happy it went in,” Corbin said during a halftime interview. “Another half to play, but it's nice to get that [goal] at the end.”

Lexington Equalizer Equals Extra Time

In the second half, the teams came out ready to play ping-pong style across the pitch. Both sides had significant opportunities in the first 3 minutes of the second half and kept up an urgent, breakneck pace for the first 10 minutes of the half.

In the 52nd minute, Lexington’s Alyssa Bourgeois picked up a yellow card for a hard foul on George at the top of the penalty box. Ascent captain Jill Aguilera took the free kick for the Ascent and got the ball through the wall, forcing a save from Lexington’s Asman.

In the 61st minute, Weinert found a fast break. Carolina’s Jenna Butler put her shoulder into her opponent, sending Weinert to the ground, earning a yellow card, and conceding a set piece to the home side right on the edge of the box. Sarah Griffith sent a rocket towards Martínez, who saved the goal but failed to hold onto the strike, conceding the corner.

Lexington won an additional corner and kept up the pressure into the 64th minute, when Carolina’s defense was finally relieved with a goal kick.

Over the course of the half, the Ascent’s Addisyn Merrick put her body on the line again and again, blocking multiple Lexington shots before they could reach Martínez. Though the Ascent tried to create in transition, Lexington’s pressure was non-stop.

Inevitably, they broke through.

In the 72nd minute, USL Super League Golden Boot winner Catherine Barry sent McKenzie Weinert a perfect pass for an easy goal at point-blank range. Martínez had no chance of stopping the goal as both Weinert and Carolina’s Tyler Lussi barreled towards the Carolina keeper.

Lussi was injured on the play, with her legs landing awkwardly on both the ground and Martínez. Lussi came off on a stretcher to sportsmanlike applause from Lexington’s sellout crowd, but luckily avoided a more severe injury.

Poole responded with three changes, the first substitutions for either side. Taylor Porter came in for Corbin, Emily Morris replaced Lily Nabet, and Audrey Coleman took over for the injured Lussi.

Despite the substitutions, Lexington maintained the pressure. With just over 10 minutes left in the second half, it seemed as if the battered Ascent just wanted to make it to extra time, holding back the ball at midfield for a minute before deciding to strike.

The attack yielded a corner for Aguilera, who just two weeks earlier had scored an Olimpico from a corner. Two successive corners bounced around inside the goal box, with the Ascent yielding possession on the third.

In the 86th minute, Aguilera took another corner from the right side, which led to yet another corner. Both Corbin and Aguilera sent well-struck corners into the area throughout the match, but Carolina was unable to take advantage of the set pieces in front of gaol.

In the seven minutes of stoppage time, Carolina brought more offensive pressure than they had for most of the half. A set piece play ended with Morris, the substitute, earning a yellow card for a rough foul on Amber Nguyen, who had just subbed on for Weinert.

Though Carolina dominated second half stoppage, their poor finishing on final touches — in no doubt due in part to Super League Defensive Player of the Year Allison Pantuso and Lexington’s stalwart defense —

In the 9th minute of stoppage time, Mackenzie George tried to win the game with a last-ditch run, but Lexington blocked her attempt, sending the match to extra time. George was especially frustrated by Lexington’s defense, and had trouble demonstrating her quality in the face of the opposition.

Then came the whistle. The nail-biter was now in overtime.

Lexington Lift the Trophy after Three Unanswered Goals

In the first extra time period, Lexington got to work early, taking the fight inside Carolina’s goal box in the first three minutes.

In the 96th minute, Lexington’s dangerous corners gave the home team an early extra time advantage. Perfect delivery on the corner from Bourgeois and a great header from Regan Steigleder, her first goal of the season, put Lexington ahead for the first time all night.

“My team was joking that it would come at some point, so I’m really happy it came today,” said Steigleder in a post-match interview.

Immediately after, Porter picked up a yellow card for Carolina with a bad tackle from behind, and in the 101st minute Shea Groom made way for Ava Cook — who immediately added energy to the Ascent attack — and Emily Moxley replaced Merrick, Carolina’s defensive shield.

For Lexington, Griffith came off for Nicole Vernis.

Then in the 104th minute, Lexington put the nail in the coffin. Another breakaway play for Lexington saw Hannah White’s pass give Addie McCain an open shot in front of goal. Martínez successfully blocked the attempt, but it bounced back towards McCain, and then off McCain and into the net for the final goal of the match.

“It dinged off both of us, and it happened to work out,” McCain said in a post-match interview.

In the second extra time period, Carolina pressed, creating ample opportunities in the area but never finding the final touch they needed to score.

In the 116th minute, Cook, the substitute, struggled to walk after taking a bad foul that earned Lexington’s Nicole Vernis a yellow card.

Carolina tried again and again to find the goal, including during the two minutes of stoppage time, but Asman and Lexington’s defense proved impenetrable.

Within minutes of the final whistle, Lexington fans started singing along to Queen’s “We Are the Champions” as Lexington SC became the first team to win both the USL Super League Players' Shield and the league’s championship final.

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Tonight at 7:00 PM ET, #1 Lexington SC will host #3 Carolina Ascent FC in the championship final for the United Soccer League (USL) Super League (also known as the Gainbridge Super League for sponsorship purposes). It should be a night of celebration on the eve of an important moment for soccer in the United States: the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

However, the second-ever Super League final is being played in the shadow of a lamentable first for the USL: a Division I women’s professional club closing up shop.

Less than 48 hours after playing their final match of the season, Spokane Zephyr co-owner Ryan Harnetiaux told players the club was suspending operations, and wouldn’t compete in the Super League’s next season. The Super League — which expanded to 9 clubs in its second season with the addition of Sporting Club Jacksonville — was back down to 8.

“It’s sad. It’s definitely sad,” Spokane forward Maddi Desiano told Soccer Sheet earlier this week. “I’m from Southern California, and there was no professional women’s soccer team for me to go to, [but] by 2022, there’s teams in LA and San Diego, and so the game has definitely grown. And so when I think of Spokane, they’ve never had that and they finally got this team and organization that they really cared about. So I feel for the little kids because they had inspirational people in their backyard that they could go watch every weekend. So it’s definitely devastating for the community, and I feel for them.”

The Zephyr’s ownership, which also owns the Spokane Velocity in USL League One, a Division III men’s professional league, released a short statement on Wednesday, May 20 announcing the decision, one day after players were informed.

For the past two weeks, Soccer Sheet has investigated what the end of the Zephyr means for the players and staff, the Spokane community, and the USL Super League. Unfortunately for fans, staff, and players, the reality of a club folding is more complicated than putting up the chairs, turning out the lights, and locking the doors. The women of Spokane Zephyr FC are unemployed, and are behind schedule to find new teams before matches start back up after the World Cup.

In conversations with multiple sources close to the Zephyr, including some granted anonymity so they could speak candidly and without fear of retribution, Soccer Sheet discovered that while the end of the club was likely unavoidable, the way the situation was handled has harmed players and potentially undermined the credibility of the USL.

“The USL look like they’re cosplaying with supporting women’s soccer,” said Spokane Soccer Show host Benji Wade on a podcast.

During the course of Soccer Sheet’s investigation, multiple sources alleged that the Zephyr’s ownership, Katie and Ryan Harnetiaux, were in breach of their duty of care to players and staff, with now-former Spokane players being left to pick up the pieces.

Specifically, multiple sources allege the club knew about their decision to suspend operations for at least 6-8 weeks prior to the end of the season, with warning signs evident for the better part of a year. Additionally, multiple sources alleged potential violations of Washington State labor law.

The Harnetiauxs and the club, through a spokesperson, declined to comment for this story, and declined to comment on a follow-up request outlining some of these allegations. Additionally, neither the league nor USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort responded to multiple emails and messages from Soccer Sheet requesting comment on this story, though Vandervort read at least one of the requests based on a read receipt.

Warning Signs for Spokane

The Spokane Zephyr brand was first announced in November 2023 to much fanfare. USL Super League president Amanda Vandervort joined team president Katie Harnetiaux and 2,000 fans for the announcement.

“This is a historic day for Spokane and soccer in America. I’m proud to be from Spokane, invested in Spokane and helping to lead transformation,” said Harnetiaux. “This is about expanding opportunities for women in professional soccer. Our mission is to deliver the highest level of professional soccer plus increase access, elevate diversity and inclusion and bolster economic vitality of the region.”

Vandervort pointed out Harnetiaux’s unique position as a president of both a men’s and women’s professional soccer team.

“Katie is not only one of few women CEOs or Presidents in America to lead a men’s professional team but may be the only one in the world to also lead a women’s professional team,” said Vandervort.

Like the other clubs in the USL Super League, Spokane Zephyr FC first took the pitch in the fall of 2024 in what was a strong debut season for the league. Despite finishing fifth in the league, the team’s prospects for their second season were strong, and Spokane standout Emina Ekić won Super League Player of the Year from both this publication and the league.

However, warning signs began to appear between the team’s first and second seasons. Multiple players, including Ekić, departed for Lexington SC. Multiple sources allege that Spokane’s ownership asked for Lexington to pay all of the transfer fees up front, a possible harbinger of financial problems to come.

After head coach Jo Johnson stepped down after the first season, Spokane did not prioritize finding a replacement, and began the season with interim head coach Josh McCallister wearing multiple hats, including as a recruiter and as a strength coach. They finally added Nicole Lukic as a permanent head coach in October.

Near the end of the second season, players grew suspicious as the club refused to renew contracts, and seemed to ignore calls from player agents to finalize contract details, or allow them to talk to new clubs.

A Spokane paper, The Spokesman-Review, went into more detail about the economics behind the decision, noting that the Harnetiauxes’ ownership group has missed multiple payments to the Spokane Public Facilities District, a municipal corporation that manages sports, entertainment, and stadium facilities in Spokane.

When Missing the Playoffs has a “Silver Lining”

For two years in a row, the Zephyr’s season ended in heartbreak, with the team missing the playoffs by the slimmest of margins on the final day of competition.

Last year, Spokane tied Fort Lauderdale United for 4th place in points — and had a superior goal differential — but lost the final playoff spot due to the league’s head-to-head tiebreaker. This year, Spokane needed Fort Lauderdale to defeat or draw Dallas Trinity in their final match, but a 4-0 Dallas win put the Texan Trinity one point ahead of the Zephyr on the table.

This year, the missed playoffs weren’t the worst thing that would happen. After the Zephyr won their match but lost the playoffs on Saturday, May 16, players were told the next day there would be a team meeting at 9:00 AM on Monday.

At that meeting, Ryan Harnetiaux gave a short, scripted speech to players and staff and informed them that the Zephyr were “pausing participation” in the Super League. Every player was now a free agent, and out of a job.

According to the USL Players Association, which represents Super League players, other statements from Harnetiaux included, “The economics of this type of club just aren’t fitting with this community;” “Ownership has realized that Spokane is a difficult market for D1 women’s soccer;” and “At the end of June, everyone is free to go.”

He ended the three minute speech with “good luck,” declined to take questions, and proceeded to walk over to a catered breakfast for the organization’s men’s squad, the Spokane Velocity, where he informed the Division III team that their jobs weren’t in jeopardy. According to a source, Harnetiaux told the Velocity “we’re fully investing in you guys,” and told the men all of the ownership’s proverbial eggs were in the USL’s upcoming move to a three-tier soccer pyramid with European-style promotion and relegation, as well as a Division I league to compete with Major League Soccer.

“There was no time to ask questions or comments, and anything like that was fielded by [vice president of operations Carrie Taylor],” said Desiano. “For the next hour or so, there was a lot of group discussion, a lot of anger, and sadness, and disappointment, and then we hopped on a call with our [players association], and they talked us through some scenarios.”

The Zephyr players were not fed, nor were they recognized by the ownership for their contributions - adding insult to the injury of missing the playoffs. However, had the Zephyr made the playoffs this year, players could have lost additional weeks to find new employment.

“The whole thing is bittersweet. Before we knew [the club was folding], bitter because we were so close.” Desiano told Soccer Sheet. “But we all have to ask the question, if we would have made [the] playoffs, if we [had gone] all the way, would we have been withheld this information for another two weeks? And that’s another two weeks of players not being able to find teams, talk to agents, all that … the whole thing was just crazy because the sliver lining of it was that we found this information out earlier than maybe we could of. And for a lot of players, they were able to act on it.”

Due to the World Cup, league schedules, and international play, most women’s soccer leagues are on break for most of the next two months, giving Spokane players some time to find new employment.

Sources told us, however, that the players are frustrated at the situation given how long the club knew the team was suspending operations. For contractual reasons, and because they didn’t know about the club’s plans, players were unable to talk to other clubs. Young players on multi-year contracts may have thought they had job security and housing.

According to multiple sources, Zephyr players will be paid through June, receiving their last paycheck from the club on July 10; however, players who were under contract past June 30 will not receive any additional compensation. The USL Players Association stressed in a statement that contractual protections would be stronger if the league had a collective bargaining agreement or CBA.

“What makes this situation especially concerning is that players in the USL Super League do not yet have the protections of a collective bargaining agreement,” read the USLPA statement. “Players who signed multi-year contracts are now facing the reality that those agreements will be cut short without compensation or any protections.”

The CBA is also a priority for players like Desiano.

“I think the biggest thing that we’re all pushing right now is for the CBA to get finalized, so players have more rights,” Desiano told Soccer Sheet. “For me, who was signed for two years, and some of the other players, we don’t get anything from that second [year in the] contract. They’re unilateral contracts. We’re done getting paid at the end of this year’s contract. So I think that’s one thing we’re trying to get people more aware of, and just pushing towards.”

Superlative Spokane Players

Despite the team’s short history, the Spokane Zephyr produced a player of the year during its first season in Emina Ekić, and a two-time goalkeeper of the year in Hope Hisey, who ends her tenure with the Zephyr holding multiple Super League goalkeeping records.

Hisey responded to the end of the Zephyr with a public social media post thanking the fans and combatting the narrative that they had anything to do with the end of women’s soccer in Spokane.

Ekić responded to the post on Instagram, writing, “You’re truly the best ❤️ so happy Spokane brought us together.”

Your Soccer Sheet Cheat Sheet

• TST (The Soccer Tournament) kicks off at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary this week with $3 million in prize money - a record for the competition. Soccer Sheet will be providing coverage here and on social media.

  • In Depth: We caught up with former Carolina Ascent star Vicky Bruce, who will take the pitch for Hope Solo’s Solo FC in both the Women’s and Mixed competitions. Learn more about what she’s been up to below.

  • The full match schedule (with streaming links) is here.

• The Zaha Era is over. Both Wilfried Zaha and Charlotte FC announced Sunday morning that the former Premier League star will be leaving the club after his loan ends during the World Cup break.

  • Per Charlotte FC: “Zaha featured 46 times for the Club across MLS league matches and playoffs. The winger scored 13 goals and added 14 assists during his loan spell leaving him 5th all-time in Charlotte FC history with 27 goal contributions.”

  • Zaha also missed out on making Côte d’Ivoire’s World Cup roster. Interestingly, Zaha was the only Charlotte FC player not to wear a national flag on his kit during Charlotte’s last match.

• With Saturday night’s 0-1 victory over #2 Sporting JAX, #3 Carolina Ascent FC are heading to the USL Super League final for the first time in club history.

  • Mackenzie George, who had three goals for Carolina during the regular season, scored off a give and go play with Riley Parker, who was credited with the assist. Read more about the match here.

  • The Ascent will face #1 Lexington SC in Kentucky at 7:00 PM on Saturday, May 30 for all the marbles.

• The North Carolina Courage (4-3-3, 15 pts) defeated Racing Louisville (2-7-1, 7 pts) 1-2 for both their second away win of the year, and their second win against last place Louisville.

  • Evelyn Ijeh and Ashley Sanchez both scored for the second time in as many matches.

  • The Courage improved to 7th place in the NWSL. They have one last match before the World Cup against Angel City FC on Sunday, May 31 at 7:30 PM ET. Then, the Courage are on break until a July 4 home match against Seattle Reign.

• After a challenging start to the season, Charlotte FC (6-6-3, 21 pts) beat the 4th place New England Revolution (8-4-1, 25 pts) 1-0 on Saturday, May 23 in the Crown’s final MLS fixture before the World Cup break.

  • Idan Toklomati scored early off of an assist from Will Cleary, who was making his first start for Charlotte, replacing an injured Nathan Byrne. Cleary also won Man of the Match honors from the club.

  • The Crown would hold on to their lead for the next 74 minutes despite going down a player. David Schnegg picked up Charlotte’s first (double yellow) red card of the season in the 58th minute, but Charlotte was able to hold on.

• The Charlotte Independence (4-2-2, 14 pts) won their third league match in a row, defeating Forward Madison (3-3-1, 10 pts) 3-1 at home at the Matthews Sportsplex. With the win, the Jacks improve to 6th place in League One.

  • Next week, the Jacks play two away matches - first against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC at 7:00 PM ET on Saturday, May 30; and then against FC Naples at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, June 3.

  • Their next Cup fixture is at home on June 24 against Greenville Triumph SC.

• Crown Legacy FC (7-1-4-2, 27 pts) remained atop MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference with a shootout loss against New England Revolution II (5-2-4-3, 22 pts). The final score was 2-2, (3-4); Ashton Kamdem and Andrew Johnson (assisted by Nathan Richmond) scored for Legacy.

  • Here’s how the Penalty Shootout sorted out:

    • New England (Goalkeeper: Donovan Parisian)

      • ✅ Jacob Shannon

      • ✅ Aarin Prajapati

      • ✅ Javaun Mussenden

      • ✅ Sharod George

      • ❌ Myles Morgan

    • Crown Legacy (Goalkeeper: Isaac Walker)

      • ✅ Erik Peña

      • ✅ Andrew Johnson

      • ✅ Nathan Richmond

      • ❌ Adrian Mendoza

      • ❌ Daniel Longo

  • The Legacy are back home on Friday, June 5 at 7:00 PM, when they’ll host 8th place Philadelphia Union II (5-4-2-1, 18 pts) at the Sportsplex.

• Carolina Core FC (1-6-4-1, 8 pts) fell to 6th place Chattanooga FC (6-4-1-0, 19 pts) with a 1-0 loss on Sunday, May 24. They host 2nd place Red Bull New York II (7-2-2-0, 23 pts) at 6:00 PM on Saturday, May 30 in High Point.

  • Speaking of the Core, the Carolina Core FC academy U15 squad made it to the Round of 16 in the MLS NEXT Cup, but fell to FC Delco 3-1 yesterday.

In Depth: Catching Up With Vicky Bruce

As co-captain for the Carolina Ascent in the team’s inaugural year, Vicky Bruce scored the first goal in USL Super League history and was named to the league’s Team of the Month twice. However, she picked up an injury that kept her on the bench for most of the second half of the season, and decided to step away from professional soccer to focus on her health.

This week, Bruce is back and playing for a total of $2 million at TST (The Soccer Tournament) in Cary, NC. She’ll join Hope Solo’s Solo FC in both the Women’s and Mixed competitions. She’ll take the pitch for the first time in the Women’s competition on Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 PM; all matches will be streamed on TST’s YouTube channel.

• The full match schedule for TST is here.

Audio of our interview with Bruce and a complete transcript are below.

Soccer Sheet’s Interview with Vicky Bruce

The below transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and readability.

Soccer Sheet: Hey, everybody, this is Sam Spencer with Soccer Sheet, and we’re talking today with Vicky Bruce, who will forever be known as the first player to score a goal in the USL Super League, as well as being one of the co-captains last year for the Carolina Ascent. And now, joining Solo FC and former US Women’s National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo at the TST Tournament in Cary this week. Vicky, how are you doing?

Vicky Bruce: Hey Sam, I’m good. Thanks for having me.

SS: Thank you so much for talking with us today. So, first up, how did, how have things been going after taking a break from soccer?

VB: Things have been good. Initially, I had a bit of a stress fracture on my foot, so I was just healing that and spending time with family and friends, and getting back into a good headspace, and I actually proposed to my fiancée, so not some exciting things in the fall, and then I started playing soccer again, because how can you not?

I’m obsessed with it and ever since then, I’ve been doing some part time work, some one on one training, some coaching, and I’ve actually been playing 11v11, every Sunday for a while, and I’ve also been doing 7v7 on 3 different teams, 3 different nights of the week, so staying extra busy, but loving getting to play for fun and not necessarily being a defender anymore. I’m a defender forward just helping out and playing co-ed and making all these new friends in my new home. It’s awesome.

SS: Congratulations on the engagement. Was it a post engagement trip you were on when you got stuck in the Middle East earlier this year?

VB: No, it was not, we went on a post engagement trip to Disney World, and then she ended up proposing to me like a month or so after that, and then it was kind of the holidays, so just hectic, and then in the new year is when I decided to go on a trip to the Middle East to visit my buddy Lindsey Harris, who I played with at Chapel Hill, and she’s actually the goalie on the [US Women] at TST and they’ve won the last two years. She’s one of my best friends and she’s actually how I got connected to get into TST.

SS: So how did how did it come together, you being on Solo FC?

VB: I visited this friend Lindsey. She’s playing in Saudi Arabia professionally, and I figured, when am I ever gonna have a place to stay for free in the Middle East? And she was one of my good friends, so she had a international break coming up in her schedule, and we organized it to where I could go visit, and we could see a couple countries while you’re there, because it’s such a far trip. You wanna explore and do as much as you can. And she’s now been there for a few years, so she knows the ins and outs of what’s good to see, what’s good to visit. The tourist stuff.

So we plan this whole trip and I got there and had a blast and the whole time, as we’re sightseeing, I was picking her brain about how to get included in TST and some things just ended up working out great. She had a friend that she connected me to, and that person knew Hope. So it’s all through friends or friends. And then someone else had actually reached out wanting me to be on their mixed team. So it’s kind of like, you have nothing and you’re hoping all these months, it was my dream to get in the tournament and then all of a sudden I had like multiple potential avenues and it was freaking amazing. I was like, “Oh my god!” … but then of course I got stuck in Dubai.

The war broke out the day I was trying to leave to get back home, so that was not ideal. But when eventually I did get home, several weeks later, I got the call from Hope and she said she’s heard about me and and would love to have me join the team and I was honored to speak to her and then I ended up actually joining both her women’s team and her mixed team. So very excited.

SS: Hope is also calling North Carolina home now.

VB: Yeah. I don’t know where she lives exactly, but I think she’s been here for a while and and hopefully she loves it as much as I do.

SS: So when you were stuck in the Middle East, how did you make do? Were you scared at all? What was going on in your head?

VB: Yeah, it was it was definitely more mentally confusing and frustrating than it was necessarily physically. So out of the three countries I went to — I went to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and spent some time in Dubai — and Dubai of those three places was actually really, really safe.

The UAE has very good missile protections and they take care of their citizens really well and they weren’t necessarily actively exercising Ramadan, which the other countries were. So it was on top of that, during Ramadan, you can’t really eat in public, and you’re supposed to be more covered up. So it was nice that by the time this happened, I was in Dubai, so I was able to go out, grab food, do more normal stuff.

But yeah, it was definitely … disheartening, I would say is the word. Cause every single day I got my hopes up of, “maybe I can get out,” and then I was staying right at the airport with my, my friend. She was trying to get back to Saudi Arabia. She ended up getting back a few days before I did, but luckily we had each other. We didn’t really feel super unsafe in the sense of, you know, we weren’t worried like our building was gonna get bombed, but it was definitely alarming to wake up to sounds in the middle of the night. You know, your alarm going off on your phone saying take cover, seek shelter, and it’s like a piercing scream that kind of makes your heart race for a while, and every day we’d wake up and look at the airport, and we’d see ambulance cars — like 30 or 40 of them — wondering what’s going on.

And we have to rely on the news to get our information and then the local news was telling us different stuff than the US news and social media. So it was so confusing, and you didn’t really know what to believe. Some people are saying, “oh, it’s just a few hours. The airlines are going to open up tomorrow,” this or that. So every day you’re waiting and then you’re just let down again. Then the US, they were showing places getting bombed all the time, and while that did happen, it wasn’t necessarily near where I was. So, ultimately, I really struggled. My buddy was okay because she’d been there for a while and was like, “look, I trust them. They’re safe and don’t worry too much.” And I just didn’t know. I didn’t like the unknown and I didn’t know when I was going to get back to my family and friends, and I had trips planned and all these things to look forward to.

So I was a little bit more scared and the only way I stayed sane was working out just like a ton. I didn’t really want to leave the hotel much, so I just went to the gym upstairs a lot.

SS: I’m glad you made it home in one piece because that definitely sounds like a harrowing experience, but now you get to play soccer again. So what are you looking forward to at TST?

VB: I’m looking forward to everything. I mean, obviously the $1 million prize would be amazing if we could come away with that, but also just to be in that professional environment again. I’ve been playing for fun now for quite a while, and I love it, and I love the friends I’ve made, but you know, it’s gonna be a little bit different when you’re fighting for something super important, as well as with all these people that are other professionals, very good college players. It’s just gonna be such intense high tempo soccer again, and really looking forward to putting on a jersey again that says my name, and little things like that, my little pregame routines, stuff that I haven’t really gotten to do in the last year or so.

And connections and making new friends. I mean soccer just brings everyone together.

SS: Are there any superstitions in those pregame routines, like anything you’re willing to share?

VB: Well, I used to have a ton of superstitions, but the thing is, now that these are 7v7 games, they’re a little bit shorter, and I’m gonna have so many in a day, it’s gonna be more of like, how to just find that perfect balance. My prep is crazy.

I brought my Normatecs [for compression therapy]. I brought my massage gun. I bought a bunch of recovery drinks, protein shakes, anything you could think of. My fiancée actually made me a crumb cake, my aunt’s homemade crumb cake, because that is what she made for me the night before the first USL Super League game, and obviously I had the best night of my life in that game. So we are hoping it’s gonna bring me good luck. So I’m gonna have a piece of that every single night before the next morning as my superstition. Other than that, I’m pretty much just gonna stay hydrated and take care of my body as good as I possibly can.

SS: I know you and your family are still very connected to the Ascent. The Ascent are, of course, in the USL Super League final for the first time. What’s the feeling there? Have you have you gotten to talk to any of your old teammates? Are they excited?

VB: Yeah, they’re definitely very excited, I believe they ended in third, and obviously, that’s still very good, but I think they want more out of it, so they’re really excited to have this second chance to win the tournament, and to show that they really have been dominating.

SS: With TST going to a women’s league and a mixed league, and with the Ascent regularly getting some of some of the highest soccer attendances in the state, what do you think of the state of women’s soccer in the United States and across the world right now?

VB: Oh, it’s incredible. I’m also dabbling, some of my part-time work is commentating, and it’s been so great when I’ve done a few women’s games, a Super League or NWSL to just see the fans, and how much support women’s sports are getting all together, basketball, lacrosse, like any any sport, but especially soccer, they’ve really stepped up. There’s expansion sides all around, and it’s just so nice that we’re finally getting the attention that we deserve and respect.

SS: Anything else fans should know is they look forward to seeing you play at TST?

VB: Just to cheer us on and tell them that they’re free to send me messages or words of encouragement. I’ll do my best to reply because at this point I’m just so nervous and excited. It’ll be good to just know that even if it’s one person cheering me on, it’ll really help me get through.

SS: And for our fellow Davidson alums out there, you’ve got to send those messages, support a fellow Wildcat. Come on!

VB: Oh yeah, come on Wildcats, it’s a great day to be Wildcat all the time and my ten year reunion actually is this summer, right when I get back. It’s the week I get back, so hopefully, some of the Wildcats will get together and and cheer on a fellow Davidsonian.

SS: Oh God, my 20th is next year. Don’t remind me.

VB: I know I was like 10. Oh my God, how old am I?

SS: Vicky, thank you so much for the time today, wishing you the best of luck at TST and hope to see you and Hope bring home some gold and maybe a million dollars.

VB: Thank you so much. I hope so too.

This story was last updated at 10:00 PM ET with post-match responses from Ascent head coach Philip Poole to questions from Soccer Sheet.

The Carolina Ascent are going to their first-ever USL Super League Finals.

Just now, #3 Carolina Ascent FC (15-7-6, 51 pts) upset #2 Sporting Club Jacksonville (16-7-5, 53 pts) 0-1 to secure their spot in the final in Lexington.

“We’ve had ups and downs, we’ve found different ways to win and grinded through a lot of really really tough games, and this was one of them,” Ascent captain Jill Aguilera said in a post-match interview. “One more win to go.”

Ascent head coach Philip Poole had nothing but respect for his vanquished opponent, referencing a controversial call that helped Lexington SC overtake Jacksonville on the final day of the regular season.

“The last 2 weekends we played against Jacksonville and [they are a] great team, well coached, great organization, and we managed to come out on top,” said Poole in response to questions from Soccer Sheet. “I feel for Jacksonville. [With] the penalty that was awarded to Lexington last week, Jacksonville should be the Players’ Shield champions and should have some silverware. So I feel for them and I feel for the organization.”

The Ascent went into the match in front of 3,854 fans at Hodges Stadium knowing the winner would travel to face #1 Lexington SC in the final on Saturday, May 30. Lexington defeated #4 Dallas Trinity FC 2-0 in the first semifinal match on May 23.

Poole is ready for the challenge.

“You know, there’s a narrative of Worst to First,” said Poole. “It’s a completely different team. I think Lexington built a really great team this year, so it’s not the same team as last year, we all know that. Good club, well-coached, great coach, great players. It’s going to be another tough test.”

As the only squad to make the Super League playoffs in both years, and as last year’s Players’ Shield winner (for the best record in the league), the Ascent have solidified their standing as the cornerstone of the Super League, despite losing to Fort Lauderdale United FC at home in last year’s semifinals.

But first, the Ascent had to conquer Jacksonville.

Last week, Carolina dashed Sporting JAX’s regular season championship hopes at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Despite Jacksonville’s Abby Boyan scoring early, the Ascent prevailed with a 3-1 win that took them into the playoffs on an 11-match unbeaten streak (10 wins, 1 draw), ensuring they would face #2 Jacksonville in the playoff semifinal.

Sporting JAX 0, Carolina Ascent 1

Despite missing their top scorer - the injured Rylee Baisden - the Ascent prevailed in a hard-fought match against the team that led the league for most of the season.

The attack started in the second minute with a Mia Corbin corner kick and a dangerous attack in the box that forced an save from Jacksonville goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks.

The Ascent wouldn’t have to wait long for another chance, and broke through with some great teamwork to overwhelm Jacksonville’s defense.

Mackenzie George, who had three goals for Carolina during the regular season, made a run towards the box on the right side, with lots of space and Jacksonville center back Georgie Brown defending. George made a give-and-go pass to Riley Parker, who passed it back quickly, and took her shot from 6 yards out. The ball made it through traffic to find the net, and Carolina went ahead early just as Jacksonville had the week before.

“I had [Riley Parker] on the side, so I was like, ‘Go!’ And she was going, and she’s fast as heck, man,” said George during a halftime interview. “So I was like, ‘Oh, it’s us against the world.’ And then she did exactly what we planned, and the rest was a goal.”

Jacksonville responded with pressure. Minutes later, 19-year-old Jacksonville star Ashlyn Puerta forced the first save of the match from Carolina goalkeeper Sydney Martinez. Over the course of the half, Jacksonville would take 8 shots (4 on target) to 4 total shots (1 on target) for Carolina.

Between the 24th and 26th minute, Carolina kept up the pressure with a pair of corner kicks from Corbin, forcing another save from Jacksonville’s Parks.

In the 45th minute, Corbin picked up the first yellow card of the game when she committed a professional foul at midfield to keep Puerta from advancing in the final seconds of the half.

George made it clear at the half how much the game meant to her side.

“We want it,” said George. “We want it a lot, we have a lot of grit, and we didn't get the chance to fight for the Shield. So we want this bad and we want it more than anyone.”

Their opponents, however, still wanted it as well.

In the second half, Jacksonville came out hot, with three shots in the first three minutes.

In the 48th minute, forward Baylee DeSmit had a point-blank opportunity. DeSmit took a late tackle but was able to get off the shot, sending the ball over the goal.

After 62 minutes, Poole made his first substitutes, with Audrey Coleman replacing Riley Parker and Taylor Porter replacing Mia Corbin, shifting Carolina into a more defensive stance.

“It’s a hot day. It’s a stuffy, humid climate,” Poole told Soccer Sheet when asked about the substitutes. “Corbin on a yellow card, and I trust her, but we don’t want to let the referee dictate the game. We want to make sure that we look after that yellow card.”

The tempo of the match went back and forth during the second half, with Jacksonville creating multiple opportunities between the 70th and 80th minutes. In one sequence, Jacksonville’s Grace Phillpotts found her captain, Sophie Jones, with a lot of room on the left side, creating a dangerous situation and forcing the Ascent’s Jenna Butler to concede a corner.

In the 88th minute, Coleman launched a wide open shot into Parks’ goal in an attempt to double Carolina’s lead and add some insurance, but Parks

As the game approached stoppage time, Martinez was forced to punch another shot out of the box, but despite 17 shots with 7 on target - including 13 shots inside the box - Jacksonville were unable to break through.

George’s goal was all the Ascent needed.

“It was great to see a really quick attacking transition, and a great cross and a great goal for Mackenzie,” said Poole. “But I thought, you know, we hit the bar twice in the first half; [goalkeeper Kaitlyn] Parks for Jacksonville made a great save from a set piece, and we went back and forth. We had a lot of great chances.”

The Ascent will travel to Kentucky to face Lexington SC in the final at 7:00 PM on Saturday May 30. The game will be streamed live on Peacock.

Your Soccer Sheet Cheat Sheet

• With Saturday night’s 3-1 victory over Sporting JAX, Carolina Ascent FC end the regular season undefeated in 11 matches (winning 10). #3 Carolina will head to #2 Jacksonville on Sunday, May 24 at 5:00 PM for the USL Super League Playoff Semifinal.

  • More on what this means for the Ascent in our In Depth feature below.

• The North Carolina Courage (3-3-3, 12 pts) found goals from four different players to defeat the Chicago Stars (2-8-0, 6 pts) 4-0 in front of a sellout crowd of 10,023 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Evelyn Ijeh and Ashley Sanchez both scored, assisting one another’s goals.

  • The Courage are now above the playoff line in 8th place with a game in hand, and take on 15th place Racing Louisville FC (2-6-1, 7 pts) in Kentucky on Saturday, May 23.

• Charlotte FC (5-6-3, 18 pts) defeat Toronto FC (3-5-5, 14 pts) 3-1 for their first MLS home win since Easter. Charlotte, now 7th place in the East, will host the 3rd place New England Revolution (8-4-1, 25 pts) on Saturday, May 23 for the Crown’s final MLS fixture before the World Cup break.

  • Charlotte FC center back Morrison Agyemang was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his contributions; with his first MLS goal, Charlotte’s David Schnegg made the Team of the Matchday bench.

• The Charlotte Independence made moves in the USL Cup, upsetting USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 1-1, (4-2) in a penalty shootout on Friday, May 15 at Memorial Stadium. The Independence converted all of their penalty kicks, and goalkeeper Matt Levy had two huge saves.

  • The Independence are now in 2nd place in Group 6 with 5 points, 1 point behind Charleston Battery. Their next Cup fixture is at home on June 24 against Greenville Triumph SC.

• Carolina Core FC (1-5-4-1, 8 pts) got their first regulation win of the season at home, defeating Chicago Fire II 2-1. The Foxes travel to Tennessee to take on 7th place Chattanooga FC (5-4-1-0, 16 pts) on Sunday, May 24

• Due to scheduling conflicts, Crown Legacy FC (7-1-3-2, 26 pts) ended up playing last place Inter Miami CF II (0-7-3-1, 4 pts) on Monday, May 18 in Florida. Charlotte FC rookie Rodolfo Aloko had a first half brace less than 48 hours after playing against 25 minutes against Toronto FC in Charlotte.

In Depth: Ascent’s Win against Sporting JAX Means Déjà Vu all over Again

Carolina Ascent FC (15-7-6, 51 pts) won their final match of the regular season 3-1 on Saturday night, and in the process denied Sporting Club Jacksonville (16-7-5, 53 pts) the USL Super League Players’ Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular season record.

Sporting JAX came into the final weekend of Super League play atop the table, but an insurgent Lexington SC (14-3-11, 53 pts) defeated Tampa Bay Sun 1-0 and tied Jacksonville on points right before the Ascent and Jacksonville took the pitch at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

A win or draw would have been enough to earn Jacksonville the title, and the visitors got off to an early 0-1 lead, but the Ascent came to play despite being assured a 3rd place finish thanks to Lexington’s win. Carolina scored three goals — including a Jill Aguilera Olimpico — and stunned a team that was expecting to go home with their first trophy.

When asked about the Olimpico — an unassisted goal made from corner kick — Aguilera told reporters that a goal is a goal.

“We work a lot on set pieces, and we’re very good at them. Other teams know they have to account for our dangerous players in the box, and if we can create confusion or distract defenders, we’ll take advantage of that. I didn’t necessarily mean to score directly from it, but a goal’s a goal and I’ll take it.”

Other goal scorers for the Ascent included Tyler Lussi with her fourth goal of the season and Shea Groom with her first for the Ascent.

After tying on points, Lexington would be crowned regular season champions thanks to their superior goal difference, 26 to Jacksonville’s 22. In the playoff semifinals, Lexington will host 4th place Dallas Trinity, while #2 Jacksonville will host #3 Carolina.

“We gave them a lot of chances and they capitalized on them,” said Jacksonville head coach Stacey Balaam. “For the next one, we need to tighten up in the back and limit their ability to get through the line. I think that’s how we can make the next game different.”

The “next one” will be on Sunday, May 24 at 5:00 PM in Jacksonville. Should the Ascent win their second match against Sporting JAX in 8 days, they’ll either travel to Lexington or host Dallas the next weekend for the playoff final.

Soccer Sheet asked Groom about turning around and facing Jacksonville again this weekend.

“I think we match up well with them,” said Groom. “Honestly, I still don’t think we’ve played our best soccer yet, which is exciting because there’s still room to improve. There were moments tonight where we could’ve been cleaner, and we’ll look to sharpen those up before the next match.”

Saturday night was likely Carolina Ascent FC’s final home match this season, so the club’s matchday staff put on a show for the 6,566 fans in attendance. Mascots from across the Carolinas came to celebrate the Ascent’s newest addition — Sassy the Sasquatch — as multiple “Carolina Reapers” joined her at halftime. The Ascent’s T-Shirt cannon launched volleys into the stands, and fireworks ended the night.

Still, none of the spectacle was as exciting as the match on the field. This was one of the most exciting Ascent matches to date, as Carolina came back from an early deficit to play a showcase match for their talent.

“I’m really proud of the organization tonight because, even though I don’t get involved much with what goes on before the game or at halftime, I could feel the energy in the stadium,” said Carolina Ascent head coach Philip Poole. “There was excitement, noise, and a really fun atmosphere. It was a strong finish to the season, and we ended with more points than we had last year when we won it.”

Over the course of the season, Ascent captain Jill Aguilera scored 4 goals, had 3 assists, and was second overall in the league in chances created with 50. Soccer Sheet asked Aguilera what it meant to lead the team over the course of the campaign.

“I may be wearing the [captain’s] armband, but everyone out there is a leader,” said Aguilera. “I guess my job is to be the main person to hold the ref accountable … I truly don’t think my job and role as a leader has changed much throughout this season.”

Soccer Sheet’s Post-Match Conversation with Carolina Ascent Head Coach Philip Poole:

Soccer Sheet’s Post-Match Conversation with Carolina Ascent Captain Jill Aguilera and Forward Shea Groom:

We’ll have more on Charlotte FC’s 2-2 draw against FC Cincinnati in our next newsletter, but here’s the good news for the Crown: after four straight losses against MLS opponents, Charlotte FC (4-5-3, 15 pts) played one of the best halves we’ve seen from them all year on Saturday to salvage a draw after going down 0-2 at halftime.

However, the Crown will be without their captain when they host New York City FC on Wednesday, May 13. Ashley Westwood picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against Cincinnati, and will serve a one game suspension.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Independence (3-2-2, 11 pts) and the Carolina Ascent (14-7-6, 48 pts) both scored 3 away goals to bring home big wins on Saturday night.

On Friday, the NC Courage (2-3-3, 9 pts) fell to the Orlando Pride 1-0 in Florida thanks to a late goal from Barbra Banda, who currently leads the Golden Boot race with 8 goals.

Finally, both of North Carolina’s MLS NEXT Pro sides lost this week. Crown Legacy FC (6-1-3-2, 23 pts) suffered their first regulation loss of the season in Chicago, falling 3-2, while Carolina Core FC (0-5-4-1, 5 pts) fell 3-0 in Huntsville on Thursday, May 7, and are yet to find their first regulation win.

The Enzo Show Continues in Texas

In USL League One, the Jacks prevailed 1-3 against Corpus Christi FC (0-4-3, 3 pts), a team playing their first professional season after 8 years in USL League Two. Enzo Martinez, the Independence’s all-time leader in both goals and assists, continued to make a difference after rejoining the club this year. With his 15th minute goal, he now has 5 goals across all competitions this season.

Though Corpus Christi were able to equalize later in the first half thanks to Patrick Langlois’ tap-in goal off of an assist from former Charlotte player Christian Chaney, the Jacks went into the locker room up 1-2 after Independence academy product Jefferson Amaya exploited a bad clearance from the Sharks and found the net from 50 yards out.

“When I saw the ball coming to me, there was only one thing in my mind, shooting the ball as I knew the keeper was out,” said Amaya. “Thanks to God it went in. It feels awesome to score, but most importantly to close out a huge week with the team.”

Courtesy USL League One

Another player who recently rejoined the Jacks - Luis Alvarez - converted a penalty in the second half for the final Charlotte goal. With the win, the Independence improve to 5th place in USL League One.

Ascent Extend Unbeaten Streak to 10

In Fort Lauderdale, the Ascent won 0-3 against the team that ended their playoff run last year, extending their unbeaten streak to 10 matches. Despite Carolina’s playoff loss at home in last year’s semifinals, the Ascent are still pushing to host at least one postseason match in 2026; however, they’ll probably need to win their final match on May 16 at home against Sporting JAX, and they’ll need Lexington SC to drop points in their final two matches.

Soccer Sheet spoke with Ascent head coach Philip Poole about the importance of a home playoff match after the team clinched a playoff berth last month.

“I don’t want to look too far down the line, but I look at potential home playoff games as a great reward for Dan [DiMicco] and the support and the resources he gives this team; for him and Jim [McPhilliamy] and the ownership group,” said Poole. “But also for our fans, right? You’d love to get a home game at American Legion Memorial Stadium, and you’d love to be in front of those fans … last year is gone, but you’d like to be able to put that right and fill that stadium up in a playoff game, and I think we would.”

While the Ascent struggled to break through in the first half thanks to bad luck as much as anything else, the team was on fire in the second half, starting with a corner from Mia Corbin in the 63rd minute that found the head of Mackenzie George at point blank range for the forward’s first goal since October.

“[Mackenzie] deserves it. There’s no easy way to say it. She’s a tireless worker and a great teammate,” said Poole. “If you step back and look at her body of work over the course of the season, I can’t believe she hasn’t gotten more. She deserves that goal.”

Not to be outdone, Corbin added a goal to her assist in the 77th minute in another set piece situation. After Fort Lauderdale sent her first attempt out of bounds, Captain Jill Aguilera’s second corner from the right side of the goal went into the area, bounced out to the top of the goal box, and found Corbin on the run. Corbin launched a rocket that bounced off the goalkeeper and into the net.

“Staying consistent with our press and our principles as a team allowed us to have the freedom to exploit them and just have some fun tonight,” said Corbin.

Five minutes later, Tyler Lussi was good for another insurance goal.

“I’m really proud of the fight and mentality we showed tonight,” said Lussi. “It was important for us to keep our foot on the gas and stay focused because we always want to get a result. For us, it’s about staying locked in and mentally prepared for every game, taking things one match at a time, and continuing to show resilience as a team.”

Editor’s Note: All of us at Soccer Sheet are sending our best to Patrick Agyemang as he recovers from an lower leg injury he picked up in Derby County’s win over Stoke City today.

After the match, Derby County manager manager John Eustace said there wasn’t an update on Agyemang’s condition after the U.S. striker left the pitch in a stretcher.

"He's gone off for a scan, so we'll wait and see the results of that ... We don’t want to lose any players, and we certainly don’t want to see any players coming off in a stretcher. Hopefully it's not as bad as what it might be, but until we get the scan results, we'll have to wait and see."

Agyemang has 6 goals in 14 appearances for the USMNT since receiving his first call up in January of last year.

Opinion: What I Didn’t Find in Atlanta

On a recent trip to Atlanta to cover the United States Men’s National Team for Soccer Sheet, I witnessed a sub-par performance for the Stars and Stripes.

What I didn’t see, however, was evidence of a looming disaster at the World Cup.

Let’s get the important stuff out of the way: the USMNT are not dominant in international competitions like the USWNT are; the Men still have trouble with top-tier European opponents; and a goal differential of -5 over two friendlies this close to the World Cup is cause for concern.

Additionally, head coach Mauricio Pochettino isn’t the best at explaining why he makes certain decisions — beyond the usual coyness you’d expect from a manager — and some of his comments during post-match press availabilities in Atlanta were not what fans wanted to hear.

However, after reading numerous articles this week, I have little choice but to conclude that some of the commentary related to the USMNT exaggerates the threat of the Stars and Stripes getting grouped at the World Cup.

Let’s dive in to some of the questions that have come up in the wake of the defeats in Atlanta.

“Can [the] USMNT Trust Pulisic?” Yes.

Christian Pulisic is a divisive figure in U.S. Soccer, and never more so than last year, when he skipped the Gold Cup after playing a 50-match season with A.C. Milan. Former USMNT star Landon Donovan was vocally critical of the decision, and at one point it seemed like Donovan was getting more press than the squad on the pitch.

In the wake of the losses to Belgium (2-5) and Portugal (0-2) — with Weston McKinnie and Patrick Agyemang scoring the only goals for the U.S. — the Captain America criticism has ramped up again with one podcast asking, “Can [the] USMNT Trust Pulisic?”

In this reporter’s opinion, the answer is yes.

The case against Pulisic is that he hasn’t scored for the national team in over a year (Nov. 19, 2024 vs. Jamaica), he hasn’t scored in Serie A in the last 15 matches, and he skipped the Gold Cup to focus on his health when he should have cared about the badge.

On the other hand, the Pulisic I saw play in Atlanta is someone who — at his best — is still the most talented player in national team history. Seeing him play on Tuesday night, I kept thinking back to that line Carrie-Ann Moss tells Keanu Reeves in The Matrix: “You move like they do.”

I’m by no means a Captain America Stan, but it’s undeniable that Pulisic moves, thinks, passes, and plays like one of the greats.

Unlike Donovan, I can’t fault someone for thinking about their physical and/or mental health after a 50-match season. He played 3,650 total minutes across all of AC Milan’s competitions in 24-25, and that doesn’t include 508 additional minutes for the USMNT. Donovan never played anywhere near as many minutes during his seasons in Europe, and I don’t think I’m making waves by saying the MLS of Donovan’s era doesn’t hold a candle to Serie A.

While finishing has been a problem for Pulisic — and his perturbation is visible every time he makes a great play that doesn’t result in a goal — he’s still the guy you want leading your team, even if Pochettino had him playing out of his natural position against Portugal. The Stars and Stripes just have to hope the finishing is a result of bad luck or a statistical drought.

“Will the USA get out their World Cup group?” Likely.

In World Cup Group D, the 14th-ranked United States face 25th-ranked Turkey, 26th-ranked Australia, and 39th-ranked Paraguay, with Turkey earning their place last week as the UEFA second round Path C winner over Kosovo.

The last time Turkey made the cut, in 2002, they finished third.

Group D is one of the toughest groups in the tournament; it has the second highest average FIFA ranking at 26.25. It’s the only group where the top and bottom squads are separated by 30 places or fewer, and it’s also the only group in which every squad is ranked 40th or better.

Every team has a shot. The USMNT won their most recent friendlies against Paraguay (2-1 on Nov. 15) and Australia (2-1 on Oct. 14), while dropping a June match to Turkey 1-2 despite a first minute strike from Jack McGlynn.

Even before the matches start, the format of this World Cup means the odds are heavily in the USMNT’s favor to advance. In addition to all of the first and second place teams in each group, eight of the 12 third place teams will advance. After total points the tiebreakers are goal difference; goals scored; team conduct score; and latest FIFA ranking, a tiebreaker that will strongly favor the U.S. if it comes to that.

Don’t fret: it probably won’t come to third place tiebreakers, either. If this were an old school World Cup with only two teams making it out of the group, the USMNT would still be favored. They play Paraguay and Australia first, and may advance to the knockout stage before even taking the pitch against Turkey. They’re the best team out of the four despite the friendly loss to Turkey (without Pulisic in the lineup, by the way).

So despite some pundits asking if the USA will fail to get out their World Cup group, the math makes it unlikely. for the US to get grouped, it would require a failure of unimaginable proportions.

Why is the USMNT not playing the best XI they have? Valid Question.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino has received criticism from on many fronts since taking the job in September of 2024, including his answers in interviews, roster choices, and more. The criticism comes with the job, and it’s almost always going to be more intense than what is deserved.

However, one recent point of criticism stands out to me: despite the rapidly-approaching World Cup, Poch still seemed to be experimenting with the roster last week instead of giving his best players the chance to play together, or playing them in the position he expects them to play during the World Cup.

Pulisic playing as a false 9 and coming off at halftime during the match against Portugal immediately comes to mind, as does Matt Turner’s rough shift in goal against Belgium when it’s clear the #1 shirt is going to NYCFC standout Matt Freese. The United States played a back four against Belgium after finding success last year playing a back three, then came back to a back three for Portugal.

Pochettino was still optimistic after the losses.

“I am more positive now than before, because seeing the team compete, we are not far away,” he told reporters after the Portugal match.

Another interesting soundbite: “The results are negative, but they’re not official games.”

Pochettino also said that Portugal and Belgium had many players in the top 100 in the world, while he believed the US had none.

It’s true that the U.S. doesn’t have a Vitinha in the midfield or a Courtois in goal, but a good team is greater than the sum of its parts. Pulisic at his best is a top 100 player, Freese continues to impress in goal, and many others demonstrated their quality last week despite the results.

It remains a valid question, though, why Pochettino didn’t send out a World Cup squad to face two talented European opponents. He’s been on the job for 18 months, he should know what he has to work with, and one would think the focus this late in the preparations would be on putting the pieces together, not measuring or evaluating them.

Instead, he told reporters that there are 35-40 players still in contention for roster slots.

One underreported quote from Pochettino’s post-match press conference did catch our attention: he told reporters that he didn’t speak to his squad after the match, eschewing his last opportunity to speak to all of his players together before the World Cup roster is announced.

Soccer Sheet confirmed after the press conference that we heard Pochettinio correctly. When we reported the quote, one of the first replies we got on social media reflected where some in the U.S. fan base seem to be on Pochettino at this point:

“Hire a Spurs manager. Get Spurs results.”

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In 2023, Charlotte FC’s first-ever postseason run ran into a Red Bull brick wall, falling 5-2 in a play-in match that most fans of the Crown would rather forget.

What a difference two seasons makes.

Charlotte’s 6-1 win on Saturday, March 21 over RB New York seemed like revenge that was a long time coming, a statement victory that demonstrated how high the ceiling for Charlotte FC could be this season (Charlotte FC was off this week for the FIFA international break).

“We got a good show from the players,” Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith told Soccer Sheet after the match, citing the “attitude and the application of the players.”

After the first two goals, it seemed like the team Charlotte FC fans are accustomed to seeing during the Dean Smith era was back at the Bank. Then Idan Toklomati won a free kick and drew a red card foul for denial of a goal scoring opportunity, New York went down a player, and Pep Biel knocked the proverbial roof off the house with a set piece goal.

“Very good day at the office,” said Smith. “Good performance, got the goals that we deserved.”

From there, it was all downhill for the visiting team.

The Lineup

There were two changes to the starting lineup from last week. Despite Brandt Bronico earning his 150th appearance for the Crown with his start against Inter Miami, Smith opted for Djibril Diani in the midfield instead. Charlotte’s coaching staff also continued to make the left wing a coin flip, opting for Kerwin Vargas over the last week’s starter, Liel Abada.

The Strategy

New York’s defense focused on shutting down Wilfried Zaha with a counter-press against Charlotte’s left side. Former Charlotte FC player Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, now a right back for New York, effectively denied Zaha opportunities in the first half.

However, as Smith noted after the match, it created a lot of space for Charlotte on the right wing that Kerwin Vargas, Toklomati, and others were eager to exploit.

“We created some good chances, certainly on the breakaway, just with how they defend,” said Smith. “We thought that if we got a couple of passes and switched play early, we could get chances, and we created chances.”

One interesting note about New York’s formation was how far forward goalkeeper Ethan Horvath chose to play. Charlotte almost took advantage of Horvath’s positioning a couple of times, with him having to use his head and feet quite a bit to play balls outside the box. Most of the Crown’s goals, however, came from normal range.

The Match

In the 4th minute, the Energy Drinks had the first real chance of the match as a ball from New York winger Cade Cowell traversed the goal box in front of Kahlina and reached Julian Hall to the right of the goal, but Hall put the ball in the wrong side of the net.

Early on, Charlotte’s touches were heavy, and crosses imprecise. Wilfried Zaha seemed to struggle against former teammate Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who had Zaha’s number for the first third of the match.

That all changed in the 12th minute, when Kerwin Vargas was able to bring down a long ball, to the right of the box, 10 yards north of the goal line. New York’s Matthew Dos Santos put a high kick into Vargas’ chest, not quite earning the yellow, but giving Pep Biel a set piece opportunity.

When he finally launched the kick in the 14th minute, Biel’s kick found Toklomati’s head in traffic, and the close-range strike easily went past Horvath for Toklomati’s second goal of the season, and Biel’s fourth goal contribution.

Charlotte continued to threaten, and when necessary, Kahlina continued to demonstrate his elite goalkeeping chops. On at least two occasions throughout the match, the woodwork pitched in for Charlotte as well, denying New York a less embarrassing result.

In the closing minutes of the half, New York played like they had a Celsius — the official energy drink of MLS — but weren’t quite able to break through. In the 43rd minute, Charlotte fans gasped as some pinball in the goal box almost sent the equalizer in the net, and then yet another strike on the right corner of the woodwork shook the goal.

In extra time, Zaha had the opportunity to score off of a great cross from Toklomati, but Horvath effectively blocked Zaha’s angle, resulting in a corner for Charlotte, but without enough time for the Crown to do something with it.

While the first half was evenly matched, the second half was a blowout — and it took less than a minute for Charlotte to find the back of the net. Starting from the back with excellent ball movement, the Crown confidently got the ball to Biel at midfield, who found Diani on a run down the left side. Diani crossed the ball into the area, and New York defender Omar Valencia misplayed it just seconds after coming on for Dos Santos. Vargas took up the ball in the goal box, ran past Valencia and Horvath, and slotted it in goal for Charlotte’s second.

Things got worse for New York before they got worse.

Shortly thereafter, Zaha created a strong chance for Toklomati, who was fouled by New York’s Gustav Berggren at the top of the penalty box. Berggren saw red for denial of a goal scoring opportunity, and Biel added insult to penalty as his left foot sent the free kick into the left side of the net, through well-timed movements in Charlotte’s wall and past Horvath.

Up three goals and a man, Charlotte continued to play what was perhaps the best match in club history. In the 68th minute, after some substitutions for Charlotte, Biel again created the play, finding Zaha at the top left corner of the penalty box. Zaha finally got the best of Marshall-Rutty, cutting to his right, shooting from his right foot, and finding the bottom right corner to get the fourth ball of the night past Horvath.

The goal was Zaha’s first of the season, and his third goal contribution of the campaign. By that point, Biel had secured his MLS Team of the Matchday performance with three goal contributions; Brandt Bronico would replace him in the 85th minute.

Charlotte still had one more set piece goal in their tank, and both the goal and assist would come from players who entered from the bench just two minutes earlier. In the 77th minute, Westwood took a free kick after Zaha was fouled by Ronald Donkor on the left side at the top of the final third. Westwood sent the ball forward to an unguarded David Schnegg, making only his second appearance of the year after coming on for Harry Toffolo, and Schnegg sent the ball to Archie Goodwin — in for Toklomati — who sent a header in the back of the net for his first Charlotte FC goal.

“As a nine, all you want to do is score goals,” Goodwin told reporters after the match. “So to get the first one at home couldn’t have been better.”

Don’t quote us on this, but three set piece goals for the Crown has to be a record.

“Excellent set pieces, excellent quality [Pep Biel's] got,” said Smith. “As well as the set pieces, just a really good performance from him.”

New York eventually got one back as Julian Hall scored off a corner, but even in injury time, Charlotte would not be denied. Liel Abada - in for Vargas - would assist Goodwin on his second strike three minutes into stoppage for his first MLS brace.

“The qualities are there for you to see with the goals and the finishes that [Archie] had today,” said Smith. “Works extremely hard in training. Been waiting for the chance and he got his chance today and took it.”

Goodwin is looking forward to more chances to show his quality, including the U.S. Open Cup and midweek games later in the season.

“I’m working hard in training, just staying ready for when my opportunities come,” said Goodwin. “And I think with the midweek games, there’ll be a bit of rotation in the squad. So I’m just staying ready and, yeah, looking forward to it.”

March 14 is Pi Day, so it’s fitting a soccer match ended with two round numbers, O-O, as the final score at Bank of America Stadium.

In front of a sellout crowd of 34,780, Charlotte FC (1-1-2, 5 Points) battled defending champions Inter Miami CF (2-1-1, 7 Points) to a physical draw Saturday night in a match defined by goalkeeping rather than goals, including the most memorable play of the night, belonging to Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina.

In the 34th minute, some good ball movement for Miami caused danger in the area. Sergio Reguilón, in his MLS debut, launched a cross into the goal box to defender Ian Fray, who headed the ball at point blank range. Kahlina saved the header in the air with his left hand, the ball bounced on the ground as Kahlina also fell to the pitch, and as it trickled dangerously towards the goal line the 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year kept the ball out with his right hand, mid flight.

The dramatic sequence sparked chants of his name throughout the lower bowl. He would go on to have three saves on the night.

Soccer Sheet asked Kahlina about the juggling save after the match, and he compared the play to something he would face from Jordi Alba, the Inter Miami player who retired after last season.

“Yeah, it was a really difficult save, I think. Really, really good save. It was completely reaction from me that even I didn’t expect,” Kahlina said. “[Reguilón makes] a really good cross and I was moving all in that time even to the second post, middle goal, second post, and [Fray shoots] in front of me and it was like, ‘fast hands,’ I saved it. What is really important is [it was for the team], and yeah, it was a nice save for me.”

The Lineups

The lack of scoring could be chalked up to the conspicuous absence of the most famous footballer in the world. Many fans arrived expecting to see Lionel Messi chase a career milestone of 900 goals, but Soccer Sheet learned early Saturday that Lionel Messi had not travelled with Inter Miami on Friday, with his status up in the air until shortly before lineups were announced.

Instead, Miami elected to keep the superlative scorer in Florida as the club manages a crowded schedule that includes a CONCACAF Champions Cup coming up later this week.

Messi wasn’t the only notable absence. Midfielder Rodrigo De Paul — who won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina and Messi — also stayed home, leaving Miami to rely on a rotated lineup that still featured veteran striker Luis Suárez wearing the captain’s armband, as well as academy products making their debut for the Herons.

On Charlotte’s side, USMNT star Luca de la Torre was out after observing concussion protocol earlier in the week, and center back Henry Kessler — who is yet to make his debut with Charlotte — continues to recover from a lower body injury.

Despite an unfortunate miscommunication with Kahlina that led to an own goal in last week’s match against Austin FC, Morrison Agyemang still got the start at center back over Andrew Privett.

Kahlina told reporters after the match about how he was adjusting to the new faces on the back line, and helping Morrison integrate into the squad.

“What happened in the previous game, [I told him], ‘don’t play something like I think you are there.’ If something goes to the goal, we can be really punished,” said Kahlina. “But overall, he trained really well. And I think maybe in the start he lost a few balls, but overall, in the end, he played very well.”

After not starting in the first two matches, Brandt Bronico got his second consecutive start at home. It would be Bronico’s 150th appearance for the club.

Soccer Sheet asked him how he was working to stay in the lineup with more competition in the midfield this year.

“[It’s] the same work I’ve always been doing: just giving my best, pushing guys,” said Bronico. “Like I said, competition is good, it’s healthy in a team, and ultimately it breeds excellence. So I think we have a really good midfield group that pushes each other every single day, and we’ll continue to do that, making each other better.”

The Match

The match started with an early scare.

Charlotte defender Nathan Byrne and Miami forward Mateo Silvetti collided in the 4th minute, forcing both players into concussion protocol before they returned to the field.

The physical tone continued throughout the half, with fouls and yellow cards piling up. Toklomati was on the receiving end of much of Inter Miami’s physicality, even getting jumped on by Miami’s back line.

One of Charlotte’s best chances to score came from a Liel Abada breakaway in the 22nd minute. Ashley Westwood volleyed the ball to Toklomati, who quickly headed it to Abada on the run. With an open shot, Abada sent it wide, to the right of the goal, immediately grabbing his head in frustration.

As tempers continued to flare, designated player Wilfried Zaha saw his fourth yellow card in as many matches at the 32 minute mark, yet again for dissent. His next yellow will result in an automatic one match suspension.

Charlotte’s Westwood and Harry Toffolo also saw yellow cards, the latter for a bad foul in the 77th minute.

Soccer Sheet asked Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith if he had talked to Zaha about the infractions, and he pointed to what he perceives as a disparity between how the former Premier League star is treated relative to others players in MLS.

“I'm probably the wrong person you should be asking about it, to be honest,” said Smith. “The officials should maybe be in front of you explaining why some of them are cautions. Then you see similar situations happen with other players and not similar results.”

Smith also defended how Zaha shows up in tense moments.

“Listen, Wilf knows the league, he knows the officials. He’s been here 14 months now, so he’s understanding of that,” said Smith. “Yeah, we want to see emotion on the pitch, but we also want to see consistency from officials with how it's managed.”

Zaha came closest for The Crown in the 63rd minute, firing a shot from the center of the box that forced a sharp save from Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo.

Then, Kahlina was seriously challenged for the final time, saving a Germán Berterame header from the center of the box in the 79th minute.

Charlotte nearly earned a opportunity to steal the match in the 89th minute when Kerwin Vargas went down in the penalty area after a challenge. Officials waved play on, awarding a corner instead in a decision that frustrated Smith.

“Kerwin's come on straight away and had a big chance. He should have had a penalty at the end, there's no doubt in my mind,” said Smith, “There's a tangle of legs. The one thing it can't be is a corner. It's either a goal kick or a penalty because the lad hasn't touched the ball at all. And VAR, in my opinion, has made a mistake there by not sending the referee to the monitor. So he comes on and makes an impact straight away. He probably should have hit the target with his chance, but creates some opportunities.”

Smith also tried to change the game with fresh legs off the bench from Archie Goodwin, Tyger Smalls, and Djibril Diani,

The crowd at Bank of America Stadium was the loudest with cheers when Miami head coach Javier Mascherano was shown a red card in stoppage time after protesting a foul call and was sent off.

Shortly after, the match ended in a draw. Kahlina was the clear choice for Man of the Match.

While Smith later described Charlotte’s overall performance as “average,” the result still carries weight. The Crown held the defending MLS Cup champions scoreless, and extended their unbeaten run at home this season.

Soccer Sheet asked Smith if he thought any performances stood out.

“I thought Ashley Westwood was excellent. I thought Pep Biel worked his socks off today,” said Smith. “And [Kahlina] made one outstanding save. Other than that, as I say, it was a bit of a stalemate of a game.”

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Personal Note: Seth Avett (of the Avett Brothers) band was coronated at the match, and it was a thrill to see one of NC’s greatest current musicians celebrated. It doesn’t hurt that he he’s married to Dexter star Jennifer Carpenter, who joined him for the festivities.

In Brief …

Here’s the breakdown:

• Carolina Ascent FC won at home 1-0 against the reigning Super League champion Tampa Bay Sun thanks to a goal from new addition Tyler Lussi, who most recently played for the NC Courage of the NWSL.

• The Charlotte Independence drew Westchester SC 1-1 in their first match of the year, with 17-year-old Viggo Ortiz tying the game in the 97th minute in his first-ever appearance for the Jacks. The Independence are home (at Matthews Sportsplex, not Memorial Stadium) this week for the first round of the U.S. Open Cup on Thursday.

• Crown Legacy FC, Charlotte FC’s reserve team, leads the MLS NEXT Pro standings with an undefeated record, three straight wins, and Legacy’s Rodolfo Aloko leads the league in goals with 5.

Yara Al Bayyari, Gabriel Seth Koch, and Sam Spencer contributed to this report.

VAR giveth, and VAR taketh away.

Indeed, Charlotte FC had reasons to both celebrate and lament Major League Soccer’s video review — commonly known as VAR — during Saturday night’s 3-1 win over Austin FC.

While an official review of a yellow card ended up helping Charlotte — Austin’s Guilherme Biro was sent off instead after the referee checked the monitor — it also denied a goal to Pep Biel when the official saw the arm of Charlotte’s Brandt Bronico brush the ball on its way to the back of the net.

Biel was undeterred, however, and found the net two more times, earning him Man of the Match honors and a place on the MLS Team of the Matchday.

After the match, Soccer Sheet’s Jorge Torres asked Biel about the team’s progression so far this season, with Biel telling us he already has a connection with Westwood, and wants the play in the midfield to evolve to the point where it is fácil.

“The truth is that after every game you feel more rhythm, better, and happier with it,” Biel responded in Spanish.

Now, the Crown’s attention turns to Inter Miami CF and Leo Messi.

Fun Fact: Miami has never scored at Bank of America Stadium with Messi in the lineup. In 2023, a potential goal was ruled offside in a 1-0 nailbiter that sent Charlotte to the postseason for the first time, and last year, Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina saved a Messi penalty kick — how many people can say that? — after the talismanic #10 attempted to put a cheeky chip past the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

Thanks to an Idan Toklomati hat trick, Charlotte prevailed 3-0.

However, Soccer Sheet confirmed rumors that Lionel Messi did not travel with Inter Miami CF yesterday. More on that below.

Charlotte FC 3, Austin FC 1

After a weak start to the season, Charlotte FC (1-1-1, 4 Points, 6th in the Eastern Conference) showed signs of life against Austin FC (1-1-1, 4 Points, 10th in the Western Conference) with a 3 goal result that almost gave Charlotte fans a Pep Biel hat trick.

The Lineup

Smith loves a debut, so it was no surprise that Aron John – one of the standouts from Crown Legacy FC, Charlotte FC’s second team – was announced as a short-term player for Charlotte FC. The Charlotte native started on the bench but came in in the closing minutes to earn the MLS Debut patch.

“He’s such a good guy, but on top of that, he’s a really good footballer as well,” Smith told Soccer Sheet’s Rebekah Whilden after the match. “He’s got a really good brain. He’s got a really good engine. The future’s bright for him.”

Soccer Sheet asked John after the match about his resilience coming back from injuries during the 2025 season that may have prevented an earlier debut, and he told us his faith played an outsized role in his recovery.

“I was out for five months, coming back, getting injured, coming back, getting injured,” said John. “But I worked out a lot of things in my personal life to discover who I really was, and I think that’s a big thing because once you are out here with all these professionals, ultimately you have to be who you are, be who you were created to be to the fullest. So I think that’s definitely helped a lot, and I learned that through that.”

The Crown started with their third different lineup in as many matches, starting Morrison Agyemang — no relation to Charlotte’s previous striker — at center back with Tim Ream; Brandt Bronico at midfield with captain Ashley Westwood and designated player Pep Biel, and designated players Wilfried Zaha and Liel Abada with striker Idan Toklomati up front. For Agyemang and Bronico, it was their first start of the season.

The Match

The Crown came out the gate looking more dangerous than they had in their first two matches of the year: a sleepy, 1-1 draw in St. Louis, and a disheartening 3-0 loss in Los Angeles against the LA Galaxy. For the first 10 minutes, Los Verdes did not look like a match for Charlotte as the home side consistently reached Austin’s final third.

Abada forced Austin’s first save of the night in the 15th minute, when a dangerous sequence ended with a header from the Israeli international. Austin responded by taking the match into Charlotte’s final third for the next four minutes, but not even a Zaha yellow card – for dissent after a soft foul – stopped Charlotte’s advance.

In the 23rd minute, after another sequence ended with an Toklomati breakaway chance, Austin fullback Guilherme Biro committed an egregious foul by stepping on Toklomati with his spikes after taking down the striker. After the official initially awarded a yellow, Biro saw red. Austin adjusted by taking midfielder Jayden Nelson off the pitch in favor of defender Jonathan Bell.

Toklomati continued to be a difference-maker, tapping in a deflected cross from Zaha for the first goal of the night, his first of the season and the second assist for Zaha.

Then, in an inexplicable error, Agyemang leveled the score for Austin. Austin’s Ilie Sánchez played a long ball down route one, with it going to Charlotte’s new center back. Agyemang tried to head the ball back to goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, who wasn’t prepared. The ball went in the back of the net, a much-needed equalizer for the short-handed visitors.

Soccer Sheet spoke with Agyemang after the match about how he was integrating into the Crown’s backline despite the error.

“Yeah, with the help of teams, I'm able to settle, and then, I play both in a preseason with everyone, and it was good.” said Agyemang. “So coming into the game, I had to believe we can have a stable defense and then fight until the end.”

The goal rejuvenated Austin, despite falling a man down. By the end of the half, they had successfully defended 3 of Charlotte’s 4 shots on target – despite not being able to force a save from Kristijan Kahlina in 5 shot attempts.

In the second half Charlotte came out strong, and in the 55th minute they thought they had a goal. Ashley Westwood won a foul to the left of the goal, and set up a set piece that looked like a shorter corner kick. He found Pep Biel who slotted it in from near the penalty spot, but Austin immediately petitioned the official for redress.

After video review, the official called a hand ball on Bronico and disallowed the goal.

Charlotte kept up the attack, with Zaha busting through Austin’s defense in the 63rd minute to earn a clear shot at goal that went wide.

Shortly after, Abada took a chance off a Harry Toffolo cross that he missed to the left. Undeterred, Abada kept pressing and Toffolo sent another cross into Abada. This time, he made a short cross over to Biel, who slotted it in for the go-ahead goal. It was Biel’s second goal of the season, and Abada’s first goal contribution.

Charlotte dominated for the rest of the match, ending up with 11 shots on target to none for Austin, and the vast majority of the possession. It was no surprise, then that in the closing minutes Biel found the net again on a set piece play. Biel secured the brace with a left footed shot from the centre of the box, assisted by Luca de la Torre off the bench for the latter’s first goal contribution of the year.

The Tactics

For the first 20 minutes, Kahlina and others tried to find a route one connection in transition with striker Idan Toklomati, but Charlotte had more success with buildups that created chances inside the box - especially in the second half.

With Biel back to full health, the Spaniard took the corners from right of the goal, with captain Ashley Westwood continuing to be Charlotte’s kicker from the left. Though the goal was disallowed, Westwood and Biel’s short corner kick set piece play worked.

After going a man down and facing multiple dangerous shots from Charlotte - including the overturned goal - El Tree started to filibuster the match, trying the Crown’s patience by delaying the match. Of course, they couldn’t take that approach once Charlotte scored the go-ahead.

For Charlotte’s second goal, they made a much better effort at moving the ball around Austin’s final third, truly taking advantage of Austin’s red card for the first time. Seeing how effective that approach was, Charlotte continued to increase their pass rate after getting some fresh legs on the pitch, dominating possession for the next five minutes and giving substitute Luca De La Torre a chance to showcase his skills.

The final goal came off a set piece, which is encouraging for the squad — as is the news that Smith is going to hire a set piece coach.

Whilden asked Smith after the match about the increased visibility of his assistant staff:

“[Assistant Coach] Gary [Dicker] stepped up. Gary’s really good. [Associate head coach] Miles [Joseph] is good. We’ve got a really good staff with me as well,” said Smith. “They all play a major part in the team going out there and making decisions. What I ask them to do is challenge me and make me think a little bit differently at times because I’ve been doing this a long time and sometimes I might not see something that they see. So I welcome them to keep challenging me and pushing me.”

Tonight, Tonight

Soccer Sheet confirmed rumors that Lionel Messi did not travel with Inter Miami CF yesterday, and it is unclear when he will arrive today, and if he will start.

Additionally, Charlotte had the following players reporting out in the latest MLS injury report:

• OUT: Luca de la Torre (head)

• OUT: Henry Kessler (lower body)

Luca de la Torre had been following concussion protocol earlier in the week.

The match starts at 7:30 PM tonight at Bank of America Stadium, and will be broadcast on Apple TV. MLS Season Pass is no longer required.

Pre-Match Interviews

Soccer Sheet’s Jorge Torres spoke with Charlotte FC designated player Wilfried Zaha and head coach Dean Smith in advance of tonight’s match.

Photo of the Week: Crown Legacy Undefeated, Leads East after 7-2 Win over Huntsville City

Dean Smith on VAR: “That’s Not What Football’s About”

When Soccer Sheet’s Seth Koch asked Dean Smith about VAR in the wake of Charlotte’s match against Austin (as well as the FA Cup tie between Wrexham and Chelsea), Smith was clear: “that’s not what football’s about.”

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Jake Sokol, Seth Koch, and Yara Al Bayyari contributed to this story.

Thanks to a late goal from a healthy Pep Biel and a career-high 10 saves from Kristijan Kahlina, Charlotte FC (0-0-1, 1 Point) came back to share the points after a 1-1 result against St. Louis CITY SC (0-0-1, 1 Point) in the Crown’s first match of the 2026 MLS season.

“The spoils shared is the right result,” Charlotte head coach Dean Smith told reporters after the match. “We knew the way they would play, we knew they would be man-for-man an awful lot, and we turned that ball over a little bit too much.”

The starting lineup had a new face: USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre, taking over where fans might be used to seeing Brandt Bronico, who went unused for the first time since May 17 of last year.

Additionally, Austrian international David Schnegg made his first appearance for the Crown as a substitute, and Tyler Miller was on the bench as Charlotte’s new backup goalkeeper.

The first half was balanced, if uninspiring for Charlotte. Center back Andrew Privett picked up Charlotte’s first caution of the season seven minutes in.

The sides traded chances, and while St. Louis controlled more of the possession Charlotte stayed organized defensively and looked to break forward when opportunities appeared.

St. Louis forced three saves from Kristijan Kahlina, while Liel Abada was the only Charlotte player to get a shot on target in the first half. At the 40 minute mark, fellow Israeli international Idan Toklomati found Abada, whose right footed shot from outside the 18’ was saved by Roman Bürki. Abada, whose role in the squad was uncertain after a disappointing 2025, had an impressive half, though neither side created a clear breakthrough before halftime.

While Abada’s performance was strong, Smith thought Toklomati had “a quiet game.” The match went into the locker room scoreless, but the tone shifted after the break as a besieged Crown would call upon Kahlina’s heroics yet again.

Charlotte’s midfield struggled to maintain possession, and the back line faced repeated waves of attacks. Kahlina would go on to save 10 of the 11 shots on target during the match with a performance that earned him the first MLS Goalkeeper of the Matchday honors of the year, the eighth time in five seasons Kahlina has earned the honor.

However, one shot would get by Charlotte’s brick wall. In the 60th minute, German international Marcel Hartel found space outside the box off of a pass from Simon Becher, and finished cleanly to give St. Louis a 1–0 lead.

Kahlina told Soccer Sheet after the match that regardless of the number of shots he had to save, the game remains a team effort.

“I’m fully confident in them, and I think overall they played a good game, because it’s not just about defense, how many [shots I save] during the game.” said Kahlina. “It’s about all of us, all 11 of us, and I think we can shift better and control the [game better], especially the last 20-25 minutes.”

At that point, Charlotte appeared reactive rather than proactive. Passing sequences were short-lived and clearances often came without follow-up support. Instead of building through the midfield, the team relied on direct balls that were quickly recovered by St. Louis.

Charlotte did find an equalizer in the 73rd minute. Wilfried Zaha slipped a pass through the defense to Pep Biel, who finished to level the match at 1–1. It was one of the few moments in the second half where Charlotte connected cleanly in the attacking third, and Schnegg — who subbed in for Harry Toffolo in the 69th minute — earned the hockey assist to Zaha.

However, the goal did not fully change the momentum.

St. Louis continued to control the tempo and generate chances. Kahlina saved four shots on goal late in the match. The closing stretch featured more defending than attacking for Charlotte, and there was little sustained possession to relieve pressure.

Statistically and visually, the second half leaned heavily in St. Louis’ favor. Charlotte struggled to win second balls, failed to maintain shape in midfield, and spent extended stretches inside its own defensive third. While the defensive unit held firm enough to avoid a loss, the overall performance lacked rhythm and control.

There are positives to take from the result. Earning a point away from home to start the season matters in a long MLS campaign. The connection between Zaha and Biel is encouraging, and the team showed resilience in responding to an early second-half goal.

Most important, Kahlina is still in the Goalkeeper of the Year form that has sent Charlotte to the playoffs every year of Smith’s leadership.

Still, the second half will need to be the focus of training this week. Charlotte will have to improve its ability to keep possession under pressure and limit extended defensive stretches. Against stronger finishing, the outcome could have been different.

“I felt it was an average game, an average performance, and we still came away with points,” said Smith. “I know that players will get better through having the minutes from today … First game, you're never quite sure what to expect. The intensity is always higher for that first game, and I would expect our players to be, you know, better next week.”

A draw is a decent starting point, but if Charlotte FC hopes to contend this season, the standard in the second half will need to rise.

Video: Dean Smith and Kristijan Kahlina Speak with Soccer Sheet after Matchday 1

Soccer Sheet’s 2026 Charlotte FC Predictions

Before Matchday 1, we polled the Soccer Sheet staff and asked how they thought Charlotte FC was going to finish, who would be player of the year, etc. Here’s how our team thinks Charlotte will make out in the Eastern Conference, and who will be the top goalscorer for the team:

USL Super League & League One News

Ascent Back in Playoff Position Thanks to the Sydneys

Carolina Ascent FC (6-7-5, 23 points) finally snapped their winless streak with a confident 2-0 win over Dallas Trinity FC (7-6-3, 24 points) thanks to a Sydney Studer brace and a Sydney Martinez clean sheet.

The Ascent had been struggling to start the year off right, losing their first three matches in 2026 and falling to fifth place in the table after their loss to Spokane. Despite adding three new players with significant NWSL experience, Carolina struggled to become a cohesive unit, and gave up some questionable goals during the five match drought.

“It was a matter of time that we felt like we were going to unload on somebody,” said Jill Aguilera. “A 2-0 win at home right before an international break is a really good result for us to build our momentum onto for when we come back in March.”

Things finally went the right way for coach Philip Poole’s squad after two major changes on Saturday: Aguilera donned the captain’s armband after putting in some ferocious shifts to start the year, and Martinez took over in goal after a run of disappointing matches for #1 goalkeeper Meagan McClelland.

“I heard a quote this week that I thought was really interesting as we’re integrating four new players,” Poole told reporters after the match. “And the quote was ‘you’d rather have growing pains than dying pains’. We’ve all seen flashes of what we can be, and today we put it together.”

The fourth player Poole is talking about is Tyler Lussi, most recently of the NC Courage, who the Ascent signed last week. Her NWSL experience is as extensive as the other new additions: nine professional seasons with Portland Thorns FC, Angel City FC, and the Courage. Across 153 career appearances, the forward has recorded 19 goals and was part of Portland’s 2017 NWSL Championship-winning squad as a rookie.

Due to the international break, the Ascent’s next match is Friday, March 13 at home against Tampa Bay Sun at 7:00 PM. Bring the family, and leave the triskaidekaphobia at home.

South Georgia Tormenta FC Exit USL League One (for now)

Another USL club is in trouble.

After North Carolina FC’s surprising decision to suspend operations for two years, and Texoma FC’s decision to leave USL League One for League Two after a lackluster first season, South Georgia Tormenta FC is the latest casualty of the challenging economic landscape for soccer.

USL League One released a curt statement after Alex Ashton of Beyond the 90 initially broke the story:

“South Georgia Tormenta FC will not compete in the USL League One season in 2026. Tormenta FC has been part of USL League One since its inaugural season and has played an important role in the league’s growth, including winning the League One title in 2022.”

South Georgia was scheduled to play the Charlotte Independence on April 12 at American Legion Memorial Stadium, with the Independence making the trip down to Georgia on June 20; it is still unclear how, if at all, the league will adjust the schedule.

For more about how the the loss is affecting South Georgia’s soccer community, read this great piece from Luke Martin at Stormwatch912:

In the off chance you haven’t heard the news, South Georgia Tormenta and the USL announced the team is suspending operations just two weeks before the 2026 season was to kick off. I’ve got a full story on that over at the Statesboro Herald and would obviously appreciate if you went over there and read it.

Clearly the plan was to play in 2026.

You don’t go out and sign back-to-back goalkeeper of the year Sean Lewis if you don’t plan on playing in 2026. You don’t bring back Yaniv Bazini and his double-digit goals with Tormenta in 2025 if you’re not planning to play and compete.

But despite the plans to field a team, it just didn’t happen.

Kaylor Hodges of The USL Show told me the 2026 team may have been the most talented team Tormenta ever put together, and that includes the 2022 title winning team.

Now those players will all be free agents and three months severance pay.

And let me make sure I’m very clear here. As much as this sucks for the fans, it doesn’t compare to how much it sucks for the players. Those guys have a limited time to play the game they love professionally and with just two weeks before the season was to start, they’re now without a club to play for and presumably limited options as team budgets and rosters may have already been set.

Just as they did when North Carolina FC made the surprise decision to withdraw from the USL Championship for this season, the USL Players Association had strong words for the folks responsible for a decision that impacted Tormenta’s players:

Players who have already endured weeks of financial uncertainty are now left scrambling for employment, housing stability, and, in some cases, immigration security.

This is not simply the collapse of one club.

It is a governance failure

The economics of soccer continue to be challenging, but something needs to change to ensure the financial security of soccer players and club staff.

Three Ascent Players Called up for International Duty

The Puerto Rico Women’s National Team has called up Carolina Ascent FC defender Jill Aguilera, goalkeeper Sydney Martinez, and forward Maria Tapia for the nation’s upcoming CONCACAF qualifying matches.

Puerto Rico will take on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on February 27 before facing the U.S. Virgin Islands on March 5.

All three players were also selected for Puerto Rico’s previous qualifier in December, a 7–0 victory over St. Lucia. Aguilera delivered a standout performance with four goals, while Tapia recorded an assist.

Carolina Fall to Spokane 0-2, Fall to 5th

It seemed like nothing could go right for Carolina Ascent FC (5-5-7, 20 points) on Valentine’s Day.

Shots wouldn’t go in for the home team, but Spokane Zephyr FC (5-7-7, 22 points) converted all of their on-target shots. Both the offsides flag and a questionable foul took goals back from the Ascent, and Carolina’s players became visibly frustrated when the officials wouldn’t call fouls after physical plays.

Then, at halftime, the club’s new t-shirt cannon broke down.

Luckily, the live Valentine’s Day wedding at halftime went off without a hitch — no small feat with 2,064 attendees — but after 45 minutes, the damage on the pitch had already been done. The Ascent were unable to recover from Spokane’s two first half goals, and fell 0-2 for the team’s third straight loss as Carolina fell to fifth in the table, one spot below the playoff line.

Ascent head coach Philip Poole was frustrated at how many chances hadn’t gone his team’s way in 2026.

“I don’t think we’ve played great in any of the three games we’ve played so far in the spring, yet we’ve had the chances to win at Jacksonville and to beat Lexington,” said Poole. “And again, we had enough chances in this second half today to make a game of it. If we’re going to put up zeros, it would be nice if someone came and absolutely battered us. That’s the most frustrating thing.”

Soccer Sheet asked Poole if he thought the calls influenced the game, but for him, it came back to an uncharacteristic run of form.

“Nah, I don’t think the calls impacted [Spokane’s two goals],” said Poole. “That was poor from us, a bit fortunate for Spokane.”

Carolina’s struggles shouldn’t minimize Spokane goalkeeper Hope Hisey’s Player of the Match performance; Hisey had 5 saves on the day and added her 6th clean sheet of the season, becoming the first goalkeeper in league history to record 15 clean sheets in all appearances.

Listen: Ascent Coach Philip Poole’s Post-Match Remarks

An off-target cross, or an amazing Golazo?

Neither of Spokane’s two goals were of the kind a team wants to give up … that is, unless, Spokane’s 27th minute goal by Ginger Fontenot was an intentional shot instead of a cross that found its way to the goal.

If it was an intentional shot, it’s immediately in the running for the USL Super League goal of the year, but Fontenot remained coy when asked about the blast during halftime.

“We were able to catch them in transition … they [left] a lot of space in front of me to keep driving to goal, and I saw an opportunity and just went for it,” said Fontenot “I just knew I had to get it back post. It went in, so I think it’s a good result overall.”

The Zephyr’s second goal came from a defensive breakdown. Spokane’s Lena Silano made a shot following a fast break that Carolina center back Jenna Butler misplayed. Butler was not able to trap a long ball from Spokane’s third and Silano pounced, besting McClelland to slot in an easy goal in the 33rd minute.

“I think it’s frustrating because we know how talented this group is,” Ascent forward Mackenzie George told reporters after the match. “Right now it’s about putting the pieces together — building chemistry, figuring out which combinations work best on the field — and we haven’t quite found that recipe yet. But we will.”

When does “uncharacteristic” become characteristic?

There were bright spots for the Ascent: defender Jill Aguilera gave a box-to-box performance, with important defensive stops and offensive shots on target. New addition Shea Groom lifted a chip over Hisey and into the net early in the match, but the referee called a foul on the play — much to the surprise of the match commentators.

“Carolina is really good on the ball, and they’re a great possession team.” said Fontenot. “We knew that if we wanted to get chances, we had to be organized defensively.”

Despite the defensive breakdowns, Carolina had a stronger attack, with 16 shots to 4 for Spokane, and 5 shots on target to 2. The Ascent forced 35 clearances, while the home defense only had to get rid of the ball 15 times.

The team is now below the playoff line despite having what was arguably the best midseason transfer window in the league’s history. Incoming transfers Groom, midfielder Lily Nabet, and forward Ava Cook have a combined 180 appearances in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top-ranked women’s league in the world.

Poole called the current run of form “uncharacteristic,” including Butler’s error that led to the second goal.

“We have to be mature,” said Poole. “All of us, from me down, we have to be mature, and it’s hard trying to integrate a couple of new players that are coming in off NWSL preseason, so trying to get them fit is important. The team is mature enough, but also we have no choice, right?”

The Ascent’s next match is this Saturday, February 21 at home against Dallas Trinity FC at 2:00 PM.

Charlotte FC Ends Preseason Play on a High Note

Charlotte FC’s squad is back in the Queen City after concluding their 2026 preseason with a 2-1 victory over Minnesota in the Coachella Valley Invitational.

Idan Toklomati had two goals in the match, both assisted by designated player and fellow Israeli international Liel Abada. Toklomati started the scoring by getting a shot past Minnesota United goalkeeper Drake Callendar, who was recently added from Charlotte FC’s 2025 roster.

Charlotte gave away the lead minutes later as a through ball got past Charlotte’s backline and the Loons’ Bongokuhle Hlongwane beat Kristijan Kahlina for the equalizer. Early in the second half, Toklomati headed in the game-winning goal off of a chip from Abada.

Watch: Soccer Sheet’s Jorge Torres speaks with Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith

“They've had a tough pre-season. We've worked them hard,” Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith told reporters after the match against Minnesota United. “The numbers are bigger than they were last year, so I expect them to be fitter, and we'll be fresh for next week to be ready and there's things that we can keep coaching to make them better and we'll continue to do that. We've had some good chances that we didn't take but we've also give away some opportunities to the opposition as well. So on both sides with and without the ball, there's still work to be done but it's definitely a work-in-progress towards doing what we want which is to achieve something this season.”

Center back Andrew Privett, who saw his playing time decline in 2025, had the opportunity to wear the captain’s armband and play a large part in Charlotte’s preseason.

“I came in personally with the mentality to grow and to show myself as a veteran, a guy who's had enough games for experience, and to take another step forward,” said Privett. “And then starting off with preseason as a group, we have a good mix of veteran guys who have tons of experience here in the league and overseas. And we also have a good mix of younger guys for the second team coming in and making an impact. So seeing those guys grow each day, each week, it's been really good to see. So I think it's good getting them integrated in the group. And overall, we have a really good squad going forward.”

Smith told reporters today that the squad is in good health; the only player missing is center back Henry Kessler (hamstring), who was signed from free agency after two seasons with St. Louis. Kerwin Vargas is following a concussion protocol, which is why he was seen training off to the side earlier today, but is expected to be ready for Saturday’s season opener.

“We’ve done more distance, more high-speed running, and more sprinting than we did last preseason,” Smith said. “That should hold us in good stead. We’re in a good place fitness-wise. There’s still room to grow, but tactically we’re in a better place.”

Smith will speak with the media again on Thursday ahead of Charlotte’s season opener at St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday, February 21 at 2:30 PM ET/1:30 PM CT. After a 10:30 PM ET kickoff away against the Los Angeles Galaxy on February 28, Charlotte’s first home match will be on Saturday, March 7 as the Crown hosts Austin FC at 7:30 PM ET.

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Maybe the groundhog was right.

After two weeks of snow storms and school closures, the winds of winter were still blowing at American Legion Memorial Stadium on Saturday, February 7 as Carolina Ascent FC (5-6-5, 20 points) hosted undefeated USL Super League leaders Lexington SC (7-0-9, 30 points).

Unfortunately for the Carolina Ascent, their cold streak continued as well. Despite scoring the first goal of the match, the Ascent extended their winless streak to 4 matches with the 1-2 loss to Lexington SC in their first home match of the spring season.

Over the course of the match, temperatures remained in the 40s, the wind chill factor dipped into the thirties, and both the players and the 1,703 soccer fans in attendance experienced wind gusts as strong as 31 mph.

While the weather was an issue for both sides, Lexington may have accidentally given themselves a leg up; expecting warmer weather in North Carolina, the club arrived in Charlotte earlier in the week, but instead got to practice in the cold and snowy conditions. By match day, the snow and ice had been moved to the edges of the pitch but it still played a role in the contest. Players would have to navigate the obstacle while making runs to the goal line, and the home team’s ball girls occasionally had to dig the balls out of the mounds.

“I think it was a massively disjointed performance from us,” Ascent head coach Philip Poole said during the post-match press conference. “We never really got anything going. It was a pass or a shot or something here and there, but we could not sustain anything.”

The loss came on the heels of a heartbreaker in Jacksonville the week before; the Ascent dropped all three points in Florida due to a 85th minute winner from the home side.

“We created a lot of chances and I felt we were unlucky to not go into halftime 1-0,” said Poole after the loss in Jacksonville. “It ultimately comes down to if you create a lot of chances, you got to put them in the back of the net. I have a lot of positives to take, but disappointed to not get anything out of the game.”

Corbin’s Return to the Starting Lineup Pays Dividends

After a slow start against Lexington, the Ascent found an opening in the 35th minute as Mia Corbin - starting for the first time in 2026 - created a great opportunity for Riley Parker. Corbin dispossessed Lexington’s Alyssa Bourgeois at midfield near the sideline, took the ball forward and then sent a pass into the middle of the field as both Parker and Mackenzie George ran towards the ball. George, running right, let Parker, running left, take the ball down into the goal box, and get her shot between Lexington keeper Kat Asman and the left post.

Soccer Sheet asked Poole why the Ascent’s top scorer from last season had been in and out of the lineup in recent matches.

“I think it’s trying to find that formula again,” Poole said. “Mia Corbin’s a known quantity, and again, if you look at the past few games, we’ve not been scoring goals. So I think we’ve got, without ripping the piece pf paper and starting again, I think we’ve got to just look for combinations, look for the right formula, look for the right parings.”

Despite losing the battle with Corbin, Bourgeois would have the last laugh of the half, however, as a disorganized Ascent defense gave Lexington the chance to equalize right before halftime. Sydney Studer took a knock on the leg, so the Ascent were down to 10 players on the field.

Carolina had been struggling to get the ball out of their third for five minutes, and Lexington finally took advantage. The play started with Emina Ekić, who took advantage of a bad clearance and dispossessed Parker as she was trying to settle the ball. Lexington moved the ball around, first to Taylor Aylmer, then to Allison Pantuso, and finally to Bourgeois on the right side, approximately 40 yards out from the goal line.

Bourgeois launched the ball into the area into the area, and instead of trying to play the ball, Lexington’s Catherine Barry screened Carolina keeper Meagan McClelland, who along with defender Taylor Porter misjudged the ball and it’s bounce as it slowly, but inevitably, made its way into the net. It would be the first professional goal for Bourgeois.

“The first goal we conceded was horrendous. There’s no other word for it,” Poole remarked. “At a crucial time, it’s just a terrible goal to concede.”

Both teams left the half with one goal and one shot on target, with 8 shots for Lexington to 6 for the Ascent. After the break, it didn’t take long for Lexington to find their second goal. In the 52nd minute, Aylmer won a challenge against Corbin, and Lexington quickly moved up the field on the break. The ball found Barry, who made a terrific pass to McKenzie Weinert on the run; Weinert stayed onside, with enough speed to beat Studer and ensure a one-on-one against McClelland, and launched the ball into the goal from above the penalty spot.

McClelland had no shot at saving the ball, and Lexington claimed what would be the decisive goal.

“You can’t atone for two misplayed passes and a missed tackle, right? You can’t plan for that,” Poole told Soccer Sheet when we asked him about the second goal. “Just two bad goals to give away.”

There were bright spots for the Ascent, who kept up the press while effectively shutting down Ekić, the reigning USL Player of the Year. Despite numerous breakaway opportunities, the Ascent were able to match Ekić’s speed and prevent her from scoring; Ekić told Soccer Sheet she felt like she was double- or triple-teamed the entire match.

Looking Forward to Valentine’s Day

Parker left the match on an optimistic note after her first goal of the season.

“We’ve been creating so many chances all season and we just need to start putting them away,” said Parker. “It would have been much nicer to be walking away with the 3 points. It is funny because this morning I woke up and felt like I was gonna score, so to actually do it felt really good.”

The Ascent’s next match is back at Memorial Stadium on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14 at 2:00 PM. Carolina will host Spokane Zephyr FC (4-6-7, 19 points), who are only one place and one point below the Ascent in the table.

Ascent Make Changes in the New Year

Though the snow temporarily closed the Ascent’s “Beach Club” behind the northwest goal, there were more permanent changes around the stadium.

The Ascent’s supporters’ section, the Base Camp, moved behind the southeast net. In addition, the club debuted a giant T-Shirt gun during halftime. Finally, new sponsors Tryon Medical Group and OrthoCarolina were on display, taking over from Novant Health to be the official healthcare sponsors of the team (OrthoCarolina had previously been the kit sponsor of the Ascent’s sibling club, the Independence).

Today, U.S. Soccer announced the first round fixtures for the 2026 edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup — and while fewer Carolinas teams than expected will compete this year, all of North Carolina’s lower-league clubs will host a first-round tie.

On Wednesday, March 18, at 6:30 PM ET, Asheville City SC of USL League Two will host Greenville Triumph SC of USL League One at Greenwood Field on the campus of UNC Asheville in a rematch of last year’s nail-biter, which went to penalty kicks after a scoreless draw in regulation and added time. Also at 6:30 PM ET, Charleston Battery of the USL Championship will host Badgers FC of the United Premier Soccer League.

Then, on Thursday, March 19, Carolina Core FC of MLS NEXT Pro will host National Premier Soccer League side Virginia Dream FC at 6:00 PM ET at Truist Point in High Point, N.C.

Kicking off 30 minutes later at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews is the team that knocked the Core out of the Open Cup last year: the Charlotte Independence. They’ll take on Ristozi FC of the NPSL.

Charlotte FC of MLS will enter later in the tournament.

The Amateur teams participating in the 2026 First Round include the 16 survivors from last fall’s Open Cup Qualifying Rounds, reigning 2025 USASA National Amateur Champion West Chester United SC of Pennsylvania, the UPSL Spring Champion Tennessee Tempo FC and Northern California legends El Farolito, winners of the John Motta Trophy given to the amateur team who reaches farthest in the previous year’s Open Cup. There are also nine teams from USL League Two who qualified via last year’s league results and four more from the NPSL.

Of note for North Carolina soccer fans: Cruizers FC of the NPSL will replace Hickory FC due to the 2025 NPSL champions changing leagues. Based on US Soccer’s own announcements, Soccer Sheet had previously reported Hickory FC would compete despite the rule.

Additionally, due to the club’s hiatus from USL play, North Carolina FC will not compete in the 2026 edition of the Open Cup.

The 2026 U.S. Open Cup format will feature seven rounds – one fewer than recent editions – to avoid overlap with the FIFA Men’s World Cup calendar.

The 32 winners from the First Round will face off in a Second-Round matchup on March 31 or April 1. Each of the 16 teams that advance from the Second Round will face one of the 16 Division I professional teams from Major League Soccer who enter in the Round of 32 on April 14 or 15, including Charlotte FC, which is eligible to host based on the team’s 2025 Supporters’ Shield standings.

The final 32 teams will play down to a field of four semifinalists in May before the competition breaks until the semifinals on September 15 or 16. The Final match is slated for Wednesday, October 21.

The complete starting field of 80 teams for the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is competing for a $1 million purse, with a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup also up for grabs.

No North Carolina team has ever qualified for the Open Cup final; will this be the year?

The Magic of the Cup

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The 2026 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. Nashville SC of MLS is the defending U.S. Open Cup Champion. The 110th edition of the tournament concluded on October 1, 2025, with NSC defeating Austin FC to claim the Tennessee club’s first piece of major silverware.

After last year’s match in Asheville, Soccer Sheet spoke with fans, players, and club officials from the Triumph and Asheville City about the match and the magic that can only happen in the Open Cup.

“The environment here in Asheville was awesome, you know, this is one of the things we love about the Open Cup,” said Doug Erwin, vice chairman and chief brand officer for the Triumph. “You get an atmosphere like this, where it’s packed in, you get something that we don’t always get in League One, which is a close driving distance to bring a lot of away fans. I think that’s one of the great things about the Cup, and when you play one of these pre-pro teams [like Asheville City] that has to get their roster last second, you never know what kind of team you’re gonna have to face, but you know they’re gonna be fighting.”

Veteran Asheville City midfielder Izaiah Vignali was one of those last-second players who kept the game close.

“We got a quality team that came in very short notice and we had a couple days to get together, and everyone bonded super quickly, and you could see in training that we were ready to go for a game day,” said Vignali. “I think today we showed it on the field that we can clearly compete. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get the result that we wanted, but it was good to take them all the way, though, to the penalties.”

The 2026 edition of the Cup kicks off Tuesday, March 17; the full first round schedule is available here.

Carolina Ascent Switch Healthcare Sponsors

Yesterday, OrthoCarolina and Tryon Medical Partners announced both organizations will serve as the "Official Healthcare Providers” of the Carolina Ascent FC, Charlotte’s professional women’s soccer team. OrthoCarolina physicians will provide the orthopedic care for Carolina Ascent players, while Tryon Medical Partners will provide them with comprehensive primary care and women’s healthcare.

Novant Health was formerly the back of shirt sponsor for the Ascent; a club spokesperson told Soccer Sheet that Novant’s status as front-of-kit sponsor for the Ascent’s sibling club, the Charlotte Independence, is unchanged; OrthoCarolina was previously a front-of-kit sponsor for the Independence.

Philip Poole, head coach of Carolina Ascent FC, agrees. “We are delighted to partner with OrthoCarolina and Tryon Medical Partners to give our players best-in-class healthcare. We strive to ensure that our care is at the most professional level available. OrthoCarolina and Tryon Medical Partners have blown us away with their quality, attention to detail, and undoubted ability to correctly manage a professional team. I am delighted to call both true partners in every sense of the word.”

"Tryon is excited to partner with fellow independent practice, OrthoCarolina, to bring the same patient-focused care to the Ascent players that our current patients enjoy," said Robert Brownlee, MD, president of Tryon Medical Partners. “In addition to award-winning primary care, Ascent players now have access to the Tryon Women’s Center for specialized gynecology and sexual healthcare, as well as the other specialties within Tryon that will help address the whole health of the player and optimize their performance.”

Malanda’s Boro is currently second in the Championship table, and is a serious candidate for promotion to the Premier League this May. Tomorrow, they’ll take on Derby County and former Charlotte FC teammate Patrick Agyemang. Derby currently sits in the middle of the pack, but Agyemang has impressed with 6 goals in 20 matches.

We asked Malanda if he ever dreamed he’d be knocking on the door of the top league in the world.

Yeah, if I’ve got to be honest, that was my goal. That was my goal, and I knew the MLS was in a league where you could progress and improve, and then yeah I think from there I knew already that’s what I wanted to do.

You can watch our entire interview with Malanda at SoccerSheet.com.

It looks Charlotte FC’s 2025 campaign was good enough for business as usual to continue in the eyes of club owner David Tepper.

Zoran Krneta, Dean Smith, and most of the players you’d expect are here to stay, as the club announced a new, multi-year contract for Krneta, and announced that they’ve picked up the options for goalkeeper Drake Callender, midfielder Djibril Diani, and forward Tyger Smalls.

“Zoran has been an integral part of Charlotte FC’s progression and success since the team was launched,” said Tepper in a statement. “We look forward to having the Club’s sporting operations continue under his leadership and vision as the league enters a pivotal period of growth.”

Krneta joined Charlotte FC on December 31, 2019 and will enter his seventh year in the league. Discussions over the new contract started in July.

“My job is not finished here,” Krneta told reporters, adding that he thought his job would be done when Charlotte wins an MLS Cup or Supporters Shield. “I would love to win Supporters Shield … I’ll be happy with 61 [points next year] … and less losses.”

Though Charlotte’s playoff journey yet again hit a first round ceiling, 2025 brought multiple single-season records for the club, including points (59), wins (19), home wins (13) and goals scored (55). The Crown also matched the MLS record for consecutive wins in a season with nine during a stretch from July through mid-September.

“I genuinely believe this year we would have gone a bit further [in the playoffs],” Krneta told reporters in a press conference today.

Both Old and New Players Depart Charlotte FC

While Callender, Diani, and Smalls are here to stay, the club declined options on Jahlane Forbes, Nick Scardina, and Bill Tuiloma.

“We want to give [Tiger Smalls] another year to see what he can do,” said Krneta, who also voiced his confidence in Diani, who has markedly improved since joining the club.

Adilson Malanda already said goodbye to the club, and popular loanee Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty will return to Montreal CF. Additionally, David Bingham and Eryk Williamson are out of contract and eligible to become free agents. Neither got much playing time over the past year, especially in the closing months of the season.

Hometown hero Brandt Bronico was expected to face a contract decision, with his contract expiring this year with an option for 2026, but he recently inked a new contract through 2027 with an option for 2028.

Here’s where Charlotte FC’s roster currently stands:

The following players are under contract for the 2026 MLS Season:

Goalkeepers (4): Drake Callender, Nick Holliday, Kristijan Kahlina, Chituru Odunze

Defenders (6): Nathan Byrne, Jack Neeley, Andrew Privett, Tim Ream, Mikah Thomas, Harry Toffolo

Midfielders (7): Pep Biel, Brandt Bronico, Baye Coulibaly, Djibril Diani, Nikola Petkovic, Brian Romero, Ashley Westwood

Forwards (7): Nimfasha Berchimas, Liel Abada, Archie Goodwin, Tyger Smalls, Idan Toklomati, Kerwin Vargas, Wilfried Zaha

Despite speculation that designated player Liel Abada has played his last match for the Crown, he is still under contract through 2026, with an option through 2027. If the club decides to part ways, they’ll need to find a new home for the Israeli winger.

One player whose future is still in the air is Brandon Cambridge. Soccer Sheet asked Krneta about where negotiations are with Cambridge, and the club told Soccer Sheet they expect a decision next week.

The sticking point seems to be that while the club likes the player, Cambridge may not get the first team playing time he needs if he stays around.

“We are talking to his representatives right now to find the best solution for Brandon. He’s another [player] who needs to play games.” Krneta told Soccer Sheet. “We also have to be fair and discuss the future with the player.”

What Did the Fox Say?

Charlotte FC’s inaugural-captain-turned-assistant-coach Christian Fuchs has left the building, moving to the English League Two in a move that surprised even club insiders.

Fuchs will take the helm at Newport County AFC, his first head coaching role. Newport is currently in last place in League Two, and had sacked previous manager David Hughes — who had taken the pitch against Dean Smith in his playing days — on November 15.

“I was surprised at the name of the club,” Krneta told Soccer Sheet, though he was not surprised that Fuchs was ready to move on. The Austrian’s assistant coach contract at Charlotte FC was set to expire at the end of the year, and while the Crown had offered Fuchs a new contract, Krneta told Soccer Sheet the club was happy to release him from his contract early so he could pursue the new role.

County Chairman Huw Jenkins, who secured Fuchs after an intensive managerial search over the last five days, said, “We see Christian as the sort of man to lead our club forward. I believe he matches our ambition and goals for Newport County FC.

“I do feel we can now look forward with a great deal of optimism. We’ll look to improve our current situation in League Two and take things from there,” said Jenkins in a press release. “Christian is ambitious and wants, one day, to manage in the Premier League, we believe he shares our strong belief in what Newport County can eventually become.”

Video: Soccer Sheet’s Conversation with GM Zoran Krneta

You can watch our conversation during today’s press conference below, or on YouTube.

It was the worst week imaginable for North Carolina soccer fans — seasons ending, teams potentially shutting down, playoff battles lost — and it all started on November 2.

Of course, the day prior was a really good day for North Carolina’s football faithful. Isn’t it ironic?

That Saturday, Charlotte FC defied the odds and beat New York City FC in penalty kicks at Yankee Stadium 0-0, (6-7), bringing their playoff series back home for a decisive a Game 3.

Later in the night, North Carolina FC won their first round playoff match at home against Loudoun United FC 1-0. It was the first time both Charlotte FC and one of the state’s other professional teams won a playoff match in the same weekend.

Then came Sunday.

One Knoxville SC 2-1 Charlotte Independence

First up on November 2 were the Charlotte Independence, a team that struggled in the second half of 2025 in more ways than one.

After spending the first half of the year at or near the top of the USL League One table, the team started falling off in the summer months. They eventually snuck into the playoffs in 8th - the last spot - despite a decision day loss.

The Jacks also had trouble finding an audience this year. Average attendance cratered to 773 this year, the second lowest in all of USL (including the Championship and the Super League). The club reached a nadir on August 2, when only 454 fans attended a match against Texoma at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

Unfortunately for Independence fans, the season came to an end in Knoxville, with the Jacks falling 2-1 to One Knoxville SC in the USL League One quarterfinals.

Despite being the underdog, Charlotte came to challenge for the cup. Not long after the 4:00 PM kickoff at Covenant Health Park, Charlotte striker Christian Chaney hit the woodwork, and shortly thereafter the Jacks’ Souaibou Marou forced a save from One Knox Goalkeeper Sean Lewis with a header.

However, One Knox struck first, with a Sivert Haugli setpiece header in the 17th minute, and Stavros Zarokostas would add a second goal for the #1 seed in the second half.

“I was proud of the way the team approached the game and came out on the front foot,” said Independence captain Clay Dimick. “We had chances to place our stake in the game early. Despite giving up two frustrating goals, we never stopped fighting and put everything we had into this game.”

The Jacks went down fighting, recording 17 shots to One Knox’s 11, and 6 shots on goal to 4 for the home squad. Chaney continued to come close, until he finally got a goal in the 77th minute off of an Anthony Sorenson cross. It was enough to give Charlotte hope, but not enough to extend their season.

“We’re gutted,” said Chaney after the match. “We thought going into the game and even at the start of the game after I hit the post, we had them and I think that we took the game to them. I think it’s one of our better performances that we’ve had of the year honestly. If we put our chances away, things are different, but that’s part of the game. I’m really proud of what we accomplished, all the ups and downs that we had this year. We stayed together as a group and we stuck together to our game plan.”

NC Courage End Campaign on a High Note

First, the good news: on Sunday, November 2, the NC Courage won their final match of the season 3-2 against Gotham FC, in front of a sell-out crowd of 11,170 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park. The impressive showing - a new record for women’s pro soccer in North Carolina - brought the team’s total attendance to a record 107,931 fans over the course of the year.

The bad news, of course, is that the Courage also needed Racing Louisville FC to lose on the last day of the season in order to secure the 8th and final NWSL playoff spot. Instead, Louisville beat Bay FC 1-0, and in the process boxed out the Courage, who finished the season in 9th place.

Despite missing out on the playoffs, the Courage had another silver lining: Courage midfielder Manaka Matsukubo was named NWSL Player of the Month, the first Courage player to win the honor since Brazilian international Debinha in 2022. Manaka finished the season with 11 goals (3rd in the NWSL) and 15 goal contributions (2nd in the NWSL).

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Mint Hill FC Fall in Third Round of 2026 U.S. Open Cup Qualifying

On October 11, Soccer Sheet saw semi-professional side Mint Hill FC host South Carolina United Heat in the Second Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifiers.

The Heat are a good club; last year, they took the Charlotte Independence to penalties in the second round of the 2024 edition of the Open Cup. So when Mint Hill prevailed over the Heat in a raucous 3-2 match that saw one player on each side sent off for violent conduct, we thought Mecklenburg County’s local UPSL side might have a shot at joining the likes of Charlotte FC and Carolina Core FC in next year’s Open Cup.

After the match, goalkeeper Ali Jaafar told us it would mean “everything” for Mint Hill to qualify for the Open Cup.

“If we’re able to qualify, I know for me and all the guys who’ve stuck around, it would be huge,” said Jaafar. “It’d be a testament to all of the good and bad times we’ve had over the past four years.”

This year, however, it was not meant to be.

Mint Hill FC travelled to Snellville, Georgia to face Kalonji Pro-Profile in the third of four qualifying rounds for the Open Cup, eventually falling 4-0 after a late, 7:00 PM kickoff on November 2.

Kalonji are one of the best UPSL sides in Georgia, and their top scorer in 2024 - Anthony Sumo - now plays with Carolina Core in MLS NEXT Pro. They opened up the scoring in the 19th minute against Mint Hill and never looked back, adding two more before halftime.

Mint Hill was the last of three North Carolina sides left in the qualifiers, but the state will still be represented in the 2026 Open Cup by Carolina Core FC, the Charlotte Independence, Charlotte FC, Asheville City SC, and Hickory FC.

Until Tuesday, November 4, North Carolina FC was expected to compete as well.

North Carolina FC Suspends Play for 2026 and 2027 Seasons, Lose Playoff Match to Rhode Island

According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, the USL Players Association held a call with North Carolina FC players on Monday, November 3 and informed them that the team was suspending operations at the end of the season.

Days before their next playoff match, every NCFC player was now a free agent.

The club confirmed the news to the players the next morning, including the terms of a settlement deal that includes two months of severance for players who would have been under contract next season, per the USL’s collective bargaining agreement.

“North Carolina FC will not compete in the USL Championship after the 2025 season, when the team’s franchise agreement ends, and will focus on positioning the club for Division One,” read a November 4 statement from the club. “Raleigh has strong potential as a future top-tier market if it meets the league’s professional standards that require a minimum 15,000-seat purpose-built soccer stadium.”

Per the club’s announcement and statements from NCFC chairman Steve Malik, the team will suspend play in 2026 and 2027, and then return for the first USL Division One season in 2028. The United Soccer League is marketing the proposed Division One as a top-tier American soccer league that will also feature European-style promotion and relegation within the USL pyramid.

“This is a deeply difficult decision, one that comes after extensive thought and consideration of the future of professional soccer in our community, which has proven itself a major league sports market,” said Malik in a statement. “I love North Carolina FC and have been incredibly proud to see this club succeed on the field and serve our community. I am as invested in this team emotionally as I am financially.

“Right now, it’s essential that we focus our immediate resources and energy on strengthening the foundation for professional soccer in Raleigh by continuing to invest in the Courage and resetting our men’s strategy for the future. With the right infrastructure in place, Raleigh can become a world-class home for the sport for years to come.”

Sources within the North Carolina FC organization told Soccer Sheet the club informed players as soon as possible to do right by the players and give them the best possible chance to find a new club for the 2026 season.

Club sources also emphasized that North Carolina FC was meeting the obligations of the USL collective bargaining agreement. However, the USL Players Association, the collective bargaining agent for all USL Championship players, says that the CBA doesn’t provide enough protections for players.

“Under the current collective bargaining agreement, NCFC players with contracts for the upcoming season are left with pink slips and just two months’ salary.

There are no other protections,” read a statement from the USL Players Association. “This systemic failure has happened again and again in the USL Championship. Over the past decade, twelve clubs have shuttered. Before the 2021 CBA, players received nothing after being told their clubs were folding; proving that players are treated as disposable while the league continues to protect owners over workers every time.”

According to multiple current and former members of the North Carolina FC organization who spoke with Soccer Sheet on the condition of anonymity, the announcement took the team by surprise. Additionally, many former members of the organization Soccer Sheet spoke with believe, contrary to the official statement, that the team is in fact folding.

“I don’t want my name associated with it but surely people see past this [BS]!” a former employee of the club told Soccer Sheet.

When asked to respond to claims that the club was folding, a spokesperson for North Carolina FC declined to comment.

Later in the week, #3 seed NCFC would host Rhode Island FC in front of 2,287 fans at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary for what would be the team’s final playoff match in the USL Championship. The #7 Rhode Island, which had a Cinderella run to the 2024 USL Championship final in the team’s first year, defeated NCFC 0-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday.

While the match was competitive for the first 80 minutes, with numerous chances early on for North Carolina, Albert Dikwa’s header provided the go-ahead goal in the 81st minute.

Then, after NCFC pulled goalkeeper Oliver Semmle for a set piece during stoppage time, Dikwa struck again with an open net goal from midfield that felt like watching a bowling ball head towards the pins in slow motion.

The entire stadium watched in agony, unable to stop the inevitable second goal that would end this chapter in North Carolina FC’s history.

Charlotte FC Fall in Game 3 in the First Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, as a Team Legend Departs

New York City FC defeated the Crown two-games-to-one in the best-of-three series, winning the final match at Bank of America Stadium 1-3.

It was a heartfelt final goodbye for center back Adilson Malanda, who will move to Middlesbrough F.C. in the EFL Championship and join another Adi – ​​interim manager Adi Viveash – for the second half of Boro’s season.

Malanda was visibly emotional after the loss as he took a final lap around the stadium to thank his fans.

“You can’t change it now. It’s too late,” Malanda said in reference to leaving the club on a loss. “Obviously I’m really disappointed about that, but really proud and really happy [about] being able to play for the Charlotte fans for the Charlotte Football Club, who were unbelievable. I’ll miss that, to be honest.”

Malanda is expected to join Boro around December 1.

When Soccer Sheet asked Malanda about his status as a club legend, he let the assessment roll off with his characteristic modesty, and said the club was going to continue to bring in more, better players.

“I appreciate [being seen as a legend],” said Malanda. “It’s great to hear. I think this club is just starting [to grow].”

During the offseason, Charlotte will have to find a replacement for Malanda, as well as more strength on the wings. Pep Biel will be back as a designated player, but DP Wilfried Zaha’s loan is up on June 30, and DP Liel Abada – who underperformed, playing vastly fewer minutes this season – is probably out the door.

Additionally, the club will have to figure out how to adapt head coach Dean Smith’s low-scoring, defense-first style of play to cup competitions. Under Smith, Charlotte hasn’t made it past the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs, scoring only 2 goals in 6 matches. In the U.S. Open Cup, Smith is yet to defeat an MLS team, and in Leagues Cup, the Crown has only 1 win in regulation in 5 matches.

“Sometimes sport is cruel,” Smith told reporters after the match. “We didn’t get the result that we deserved tonight.”

Perhaps it was Malanda who summed up the end to Charlotte’s season the best.

“Just really disappointed about it,” said Malanda. “You know, it’s just football. It’s just football.”

For the second year in a row, Charlotte FC’s season ended in the first round of the playoffs. After losing the first game and winning the second of the series against New York City FC, New York defeated the Crown two-games-to-one in the best-of-three series, winning the final match at Bank of America Stadium 1-3.

Despite a raucous, sell-out crowd of 34,473 fans Crown couldn’t convert a fierce first half attack and a barrage of shots into a season-extending win on Friday night. Instead, New York City FC’s Nicolás Fernández and Alonso Martínez took advantage of the Crown’s disorganization in transition with breakaway goals in both first half stoppage time and the 50th minute of play.

While Charlotte striker Idan Toklomati was able to get one goal back in the second half, it wasn’t enough to send the match to penalty kicks — and that was before a stoppage time goal from New York made the final scoreline 1-3.

First Half Fight Turns into Folly

The Crown came out the gate ready to fight, but couldn’t finish, with none of their seven first-half shots on target. Charlotte consistently applied pressure, but shots from

Shortly after the fourth official announced three minutes of stoppage time, things started to go wrong for Charlotte.

​​A failed set piece caused Charlotte trouble in transition, and Fernández barrelled down the right side of the pitch towards Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. He couldn’t have asked for a better shot, sailing from the right side of the six yard box past Kahlina on the right post and into the top left corner following a fast break.

Second Half Starts Haphazardly

Wilfried Zaha came out of the locker room ready to attack, sending two shots towards New York Goalkeeper Matt Freese in the first five minutes. Unfortunately for Charlotte, Zaha’s second of the two shots was blocked, and while still positioned for a setpiece Martínez exploited Charlotte’s position in transition, beating fullback Nathan Byrne to the ball and slotting it past Kahlina in the 50th minute.

After going down 0-2 early in the second half, Charlotte FC needed a miracle to save their 2025 season. In the 61st minute, Smith brought on Australian international Archie Goodwin – a natural striker –- in place of Bronico, who missed one of Charlotte’s best first half opportunities.

In the 78th minute, Smith again tried something else, subbing in Liel Abada – who didn’t see playing time in Charlotte’s win at Yankee Stadium – for winger Kerwin Vargas.

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Injury Strikes New York’s Perea

In the 71st minute, both Charlotte defender Adilson Malanda and New York midfielder Andrés Perea went up for an aerial challenge. Perea landed the wrong way on his foot, taking him out of the match.

The injury would bring the number of stoppage time minutes to 12.

In the 81st minute, the Crown found the first half of their miracle, as fullback Harry Toffolo found Goodwin in the middle of the box. Goodwin made a spectacular pass behind his back to Toklomati at point-blank range.

However, Charlotte could not get anything else past Freese, and a second goal from Fernández in the 11th minute of stoppage time sealed Charlotte’s fate.

Charlotte falls to 2-5 in postseason contests with the season-ending loss. New York will travel to Philadelphia in two weeks to meet Philadelphia Union in the Eastern conference Semifinals.