High Point, NC (July 25, 2026) - Carolina Core FC dropped a 5-1 decision to Chicago Fire FC II on Saturday night at Truist Point after the visitors built an early three-goal first-half advantage.
An early yellow card for Chicago Fire FC II set the tone for a physical, foul-filled first half. Both sides battled for possession in the opening minutes, but Chicago soon seized control of the match and began creating dangerous attacking opportunities.
Oscar Pineda opened the scoring in the 17th minute, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. Carolina Core FC looked to respond moments later when Nick Kaloukian unleashed a strong effort that forced a save from goalkeeper Jason Nemo Jr., earning the Foxes a corner kick. The tempo remained high as both teams searched for opportunities in the attacking third.
Chicago struck again in the 28th minute to double its advantage. The Foxes answered with pressure of their own as Arnaud Tattevin earned another corner following a powerful shot, but the Core was unable to find a breakthrough against the Fire's organized back line.
Vitaliy Hlyut added Chicago's third goal in the 34th minute, capping a three-goal stretch in just 17 minutes. Carolina Core settled into the match late in the half, controlling more possession and spending extended time in the attacking end. Despite creating a handful of promising moments, the Foxes were unable to cut into the deficit before halftime.
The Core opened the second half with renewed energy, creating a dangerous opportunity in the 47th minute before the sequence was halted by an offside call on David Diaz. Chicago regained control in the 55th minute as Richard Fleming III found the back of the net to extend the visitors' lead to 4-0.
Kaloukian nearly helped the Foxes answer with a perfectly placed sliding cross that found Tattevin at the back post, but the forward's attempt rolled just wide. Chicago continued to threaten on the other end, forcing Carolina Core back onto the defensive.
The Foxes finally found a breakthrough with an impressive passing sequence in the second half. Substitute Antonio Pineda threaded a pass through the Chicago defense to Tattevin, who calmly slotted his finish into the bottom-right corner to get Carolina Core on the scoreboard. The goal sparked momentum for the hosts, but they were unable to find a second despite continued pressure late in the match.
Chicago added one final goal in second-half stoppage time when Tidiane Diawara broke through one-on-one with Nick Holliday and finished at the near post to seal a 5-1 victory for the visitors.
Carolina Core FC hits the road on Friday, July 31, for a matchup against Atlanta United 2, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
MATCH DETAILS
Date: July 25, 2026
Competition:Â MLS NEXT Pro
Venue: Truist Point Stadium | High Point, NC
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Weather: 83º degrees, Cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
FT 1 - 5
CFC - 18' Oscar Pineda
CFC - 29' Damian Nigg
CFC - 34' Vitaliy Hlyut
CFC - 55' Richard Fleming III
CCFC - 80' Arnaud Tattevin
CFC - 90'+1' Tidiane Diawara
LINEUPS
Carolina Core FC: Â Nicholas Holliday; Charles Orbaugh, Tristan Weber, Rashid Tetteh (Nolan Evers), Ricardo Montenegro (Corey Montenegro); Seth Hammond (Antonio Pineda), Thomas Raimbault (David Diaz), Bryce Swinehart (Nelson Martinez); Ryan Baer, Arnaud Tattevin, Nick Kaloukian
Substitutes not used: Trevor Jackson, Khalid Balogun, Dominique Colon, Grayson Rockhill
Chicago Fire FC II: Jason Nemo Jr; Dylan Borso (Milan Napoe), Jack Sandmeyer (James Field), Omar Gonzalez, Damian Nigg; Robert Turdean (Jhoiner Montiel), Richard Fleming III; Oscar Pineda, Dean Boltz (Tidiane Diawara), Vitaliy Hlyut (Harrison Bernhardt); Damyan Villanueva
Substitutes not used:Â Christopher Morales, Emiliano Chavez, Brody Williams, David Molenda
STATS SUMMARY
CCFC / CHI
Shots: 12 / 13
Shots on Goal: 4 / 7
Saves: 0 / 0
Corners: 3 / 3
Possession: 0%/ 0%
Fouls: 16 / 10
Yellow Cards: 3 / 3
Red Cards: 0 / 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CFC - 4' Damian Nigg
CCFC - 55' Ryan Baer
CFC - 78' Oscar Pineda
CFC - 79' Omar Gonzalez
CCFC - 82' C. OrbaughÂ
CCFC - 90' Nelson Martinez
