North Carolina's USL Championship Opener an Example of First Match Jitters
North Carolina FC drew Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 1-1 at home on the USL Championship League’s opening night, Saturday March 8.
When both coaches have the same opinion after a match, you know they’re probably telling the truth - and that was the case with North Carolina FC’s 1-1 home draw against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on the USL Championship League’s opening night, Saturday, March 8 in the Raleigh, North Carolina suburb of Cary.
“It looked like a first game,” Pittsburgh Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley told Soccer Sheet after the match. “Neither team was as sharp as we’d like to be … we left a few chances out there, I think both teams are probably hoping a little bit better next week.”
That was certainly the tale at WakeMed Soccer Park, as both of Saturday Night’s goals came from preventable mistakes as opposed to tactical brilliance.
“You can play six preseason games [but] until you play [a game that counts], I think it’s a little different. Especially on this field in a game that counts and matters,” North Carolina FC head coach John Bradford told Soccer Sheet. “[There] are some encouraging signs and some things we’ll be able to work on and build on.”
The raw, first match play was obvious from the sidelines. Passes were too hard or too soft, touches and traps weren’t as precise as you’d expect on the second tier of the U.S. Soccer pyramid, and momentum shifted to greater extremes throughout the match.
“We’re still getting to know each other a little bit after preseason,” North Carolina FC forward Evan Conway told Soccer Sheet. “Hopefully we did some of that tonight, and next game we’ll be better.”
North Carolina FC v. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
March 8, 2025
WakeMed Soccer Park
Cary, North Carolina
Final Score: 1 - 1
North Carolina FC Goals
Evan Conway 22'
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Goals
Augi Williams 57'
Soccer Sheet’s Man of the Match
Augi Williams
Still, despite the opening jitters, fans saw an exciting match, and dozens of Pittsburgh fans travelled eight hours to attend.
“I gotta come support the boys at the beginning of the season, and I'm really excited to see how our season kicks off and how we can carry that momentum,” said Arianna Lower, President of Pittsburgh’s Steel Army supporters group. “I'm excited to see our new guys, our new players. We got some really groundbreaking, big signings in the off season, so I can’t wait to see them buckle down.”
One of those new guys - Augi Williams - would score his first goal for the Riverhounds.
It was also an exciting moment for the players as a new season presents endless opportunities. NCFC captain Conor Donovan told his teammates before the match to enjoy the moment.
“This my eleventh year professionally and home openers and season openers are exciting,” said Donovan. “It's great to play in the stadium and just to enjoy the moment, we put in all that work in preseason, so [I told the boys] just go and have fun.”
Jorge Garcia got the first touch of the USL season when he kicked off for Pittsburgh, and the Riverhounds spent the next twenty minutes camped out in North Carolina’s final third. A fourth minute corner kick gave Pittsburgh their first shot on target as center back Sean Stuber’s light header floated into NCFC goalkeeper Jake McGuire’s mitts for an easy save.
Pittsburgh dominated until a costly mistake gave North Carolina the first goal. Though the game would go up and down, the Riverhounds would control possession (64% to 36%) and lead in offensive stats (9 shots with 5 on target to 6 shots with 2 on target for NCFC).
“We were pretty direct early on,” said Coach Lilley. “I would have liked to have seen us be a little more consistent playing through the lines.”
Most of the action stayed in North Carolina’s half of the field until the 22nd minute, when NCFC’s Oalex Anderson received an overpowered pass up the left wing from teammate Finn Sundstrom, who was making his first start as a professional player.
Anderson attempted to trap the ball with a high kick, but couldn’t control it. Pittsburgh fullback Luke Biasi got got a handle on it and played it back, but as it rolled towards Pittsburgh center back Beto Ydrach, what should have been an easy defensive play turned into disaster as Ydrach slipped on the pitch. North Carolina’s Louis Perez pounced, got control of the ball before it reached the touchline, and found Conway at the top of the goal box for an easy slot.
“The goal always changes a game,” Conway told Soccer Sheet.
From there, it was North Carolina’s game for most of the rest of the half.
“I thought we'd improved in terms of how we were communicating and doing some things that we could build on [offensively],” said Coach Bradford. “Attack-wise, I don't think we ever really got as much fluidity and as much possession in the attacking half as we wanted to.”
In the second half, the Riverhounds came back with an early contender for USLC Goal of the Month.
In the 57th minute, a long ball from Pittsburgh’s Biasi was intercepted by the young Sundstrom. His header lacked control as it lobbed back towards McGuire, who was outside of the box and had to attempt to trap the ball with a high kick. The goalkeeper lost control and balance as the Riverhounds’ Augie Williams was in the right place at the right time to chase the loose ball, getting it under control on the left corner of the goal box and sending it at the right height and angle through traffic to find the net.
“It was a good finish,” said Lilley. “He not only had to score on the tight angle, the keeper and defender were diving, sliding and I think him lifting it was also what allowed him to score.”
Williams knew from the beginning that the ingredients for a goal were there once McGuire got too far up out of position.
“Obviously, I knew I was supposed to press,” Williams told Soccer Sheet. “They got a flick on [from Sundstrom] and I knew I could press them, [McGuire] was out of his box, and obviously making a mistake. I knew I needed to press more, and I was able to get there before he does. I was able to hit [the ball] as high as I could … fortunately, it went exactly where I wanted it.”
Williams thought the goal put Pittsburgh back in the game - a game that “absolutely” should have been a three point performance for his team.
“It’s not a result we’re happy with, but we’ll take it and keep working,” said Williams.
After the second goal, the Hounds went back to pressing and possessing as they had in the first half, winning multiple corners and free kicks. They kept up the press into stoppage time and were the better team on the night, but in the end, the finishing wasn’t there.
“We had two tight games with them last year, it’s not surprising it was another draw,” said Coach Lilley. “I thought we worked hard, I thought we tried to play on the front foot, we just weren’t good enough in the final third.”
Bradford saw it as a game of two mistakes.
“The goal kind of ignited some energy and we took advantage of a mistake,” said Bradford. “Then we had one of our own mistakes and the second half, so again, it’s first-game-of-the-season-type of stuff.”
Coach Lilley came away from the match with lessons he wants Pittsburgh to focus on in training as the team moves forward.
“Better sequences on the ball,” said Lilley. “More possession.”
Saturday night, North Carolina is back at home hosting Loudoun United FC at 7:00 PM EDT, while the Riverhounds continue their road trip in San Antonio at 8:30 PM.