North Carolina FC fought out a tough 0-0 draw against the Greenville Triumph on Saturday, July 10. The road match was characterized by two starkly different halves, with the first 45 minutes containing a lot of sloppy play and the latter 45 showcasing a fair few instances of quality soccer.
Although both squads seemed to be out of sync for the duration of the first half, there were still a few good chances to be had. After entering the game in the 24th minute, forward Cole Frame found himself with a scoring opportunity. However, his chip was saved by Greenville goalkeeper Paul Christensen, the first of five saves the keeper would make in his season debut.
It was the Triumph that generated the majority of the offense though, including a 29th minute chance for Greenville midfielder Andrew Booth, who quickly received a cross to the top of the box but ultimately sent the shot skyward for a goal kick.
In addition to the generally sloppy play, the coarse tone of the match was also established in the first half as two of the match’s five yellow cards were issued prior to halftime. The first of these was dealt to North Carolina defender Nelson Martinez, who made a tactical foul in midfield to stifle a Greenville counterattack. The second booking came at the tail end of the first half when North Carolina midfielder Peter Pearson made a clumsy tackle in midfield.
North Carolina FC head coach John Bradford must have lit a fire under his team at halftime, as his squad came out of the locker room much more organized and precise than in the first half. This change was immediately obvious as midfielder Jay Tee Kamara hit a curling shot across the face of goal that would have found the net if not for a great save by Christensen in the 46th minute.
NCFC continued to exert lots of pressure on the ball in the second half, but Greenville eventually adjusted to the change and the game’s dynamic became more similar to that in the first 45. Save for a foul by Greenville forward Mario Lomis in the 58th minute, the Triumph collected itself and dug in for another gritty stretch of play.
In an effort to make a run for the full three points, Bradford made a double substitution in the 74th minute, bringing on forwards Josh Coan and Robert Kristo for midfielder Selmir Miscic and forward Thorn Simpson. Miscic and Simpson were essentially non-factors in the NCFC attack as they combined for just one total shot, a missed header by Simpson in the 48th minute.
Bradford’s team would not get the offense it was looking for, however, as Greenville settled in for the next 10 or so minutes to create chance after chance. Goalkeeper Jake McGuire and the North Carolina defense held firm though, weathering the storm until McGuire vacuumed up a shot on goal from outside the box by Greenville midfielder Aaron Walker.
From that point forward, the two teams seemed to accept the fate of a draw, cooking up mostly half-baked chances for the rest of the match. The main exception to this closing trend came just before the final whistle though, as Kristo found himself on the end of a clearance by midfielder Nazmi Albadawi, setting up a breakaway chance. Kristo was unable to capitalize on this opportunity though as he sent his shot over the crossbar, prompting the referee to blow the final whistle.
North Carolina FC will return home on Sunday, July 18 to take on Toronto FC II. Kickoff will be at 6 p.m. in WakeMed Soccer Park.
