Columbus, OH (September 20, 2026) -Â
Carolina Core FC closed out its 2026 season with a competitive performance against Columbus Crew 2, earning a point after the two sides finished level at 1-1 through regulation before the Foxes fell 5-4 in the ensuing penalty shootout.
The Foxes and Capybaras opened the match battling for control in the midfield as both sides looked to establish possession and create the first dangerous opportunity of the afternoon. Carolina Core remained patient in possession while looking for opportunities to break forward and put pressure on the Columbus back line.
The breakthrough eventually came for the Foxes when Seth Hammond helped spark the attack with a pass into the path of Ricardo Montenegro. Finding space through the center of the field on the break, Montenegro drove forward before firing his shot into the back of the net to give Carolina Core a 1-0 advantage.
With the lead secured, the Foxes continued to stay organized defensively as Columbus pushed numbers forward in search of an equalizer. The Capybaras looked for openings in the attacking third, but Carolina Core's back line remained disciplined and limited the visitors' opportunities.
The Foxes continued to absorb pressure while looking for chances to counter, carrying their one-goal advantage into the halftime break.
Carolina Core came out of halftime looking to build on its opening-half performance, with the Foxes' back line continuing to keep the Columbus attack under control during the early stages of the second half.
The Capybaras eventually found their breakthrough in the 53rd minute. Chase Adams picked out Johann Chirinos in the center of the box, where Chirinos sent his effort into the bottom-left corner of the goal to bring the match level at 1-1.
With the score tied, both sides continued to push for the goal that could decide the season finale. The complexion of the match changed in the 63rd minute when Columbus' Zach Lloyd was shown a red card, leaving the Capybaras with 10 men for the remainder of regulation.
Carolina Core looked to make the numerical advantage count, applying pressure and searching for the go-ahead goal as the match moved into its final stages. Columbus remained compact defensively, however, and neither side was able to find the decisive breakthrough before the final whistle.
With the match level at 1-1 after regulation, the two sides headed to a penalty shootout to determine the additional point.
The shootout remained tightly contested throughout, with both teams converting from the spot before Columbus ultimately edged Carolina Core 5-4.
Despite falling in the shootout, the Foxes secured one point from their final match of the 2026 season, bringing the campaign to a close after another hard-fought performance on the road.
MATCH DETAILS
Date: September 20, 2026
Competition:Â MLS NEXT Pro
Venue: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field | Columbus, OH
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. ET
Weather: 90º degrees, Cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
FT 1 (4) - 1 (5)
CCFC - 25' Ricardo Montenegro
COL - 53' Johann Chirinos
LINEUPS
Carolina Core FC: Trevor Jackson; Charles Orbaugh, Andrew Czech (81' Robinson Aguirre), Rashid Tetteh; Ricardo Montenegro (89' Dominique Colon), Graham Ford, Ryan Baer, Tristan Weber (54' David Diaz), Bodie Ford; Seth Hammond (81' Jay Stewart), Thomas Raimbault (54' Corey Lundeen)
Substitutes not used: Nelson Martinez, Nolan Anderson
Columbus Crew 2: Luke Pruter; Nico Rincon, Isaac Heffess (70' Gianmarco Di Noto), Brent Adu-Gyamfi, Chase Adams (85'Jamil Danjaji); Johann Chirinos (70' Tristan Brown), Zach Lloyd, Jorge Salmeron (70'Gio De Libera); Rui Aoki, Prince Forfor, Kevin Gbamble
Substitutes not used: Moses Nyeman, Alan Torres, Stanislav Lapkes, Immanuel Ewing, Oneal Taylor
STATS SUMMARY
CCFC / COL
Shots: 11 / 14
Shots on Goal: 4 / 3
Saves: 2 / 3
Corners: 1 / 7
Possession: 0% / 0%
Fouls: 4 / 9
Yellow Cards: 0 / 1
Red Cards: 0 / 1
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
COL - 16' Rui Akoi (Yellow)
COL - 63' Zach Lloyd (Red)
