Carolina Core shared the spoils with New England II in a MLS Next Pro Group Stage clash that stretched into extra time, the visitors eventually prevailing on penalties after a 2:2 draw. The match at Truist Point played out in fits and starts, with neither side able to establish control for long. By then the scoreline told only half the story of what had transpired.
Carolina struck first when B. Swinehart found the net in the seventy-first minute, a moment that seemed to settle the hosts' nerves. New England responded through M. Zambrano eighty-three minutes in, though the visitors needed a late goal in the eighty-seventh to level proceedings. The second half was where the game found its rhythm, and here's the thing — both sides attacked with purpose once the break arrived.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the interval, with New England bringing on G. Ford and A. Tattevin almost immediately. Carolina made changes too, introducing D. McIntosh and later A. Czech as they searched for an edge. The game opened up completely by then, and goals followed in quick succession rather than the tactical chess match many expected.
Carolina Core's attacking output was notable despite the result, registering 116 attacks alongside six shots off target. New England matched those numbers with their own 116 attacks and five shots on target, accuracy sitting just above a third for both sides. Possession favoured the visitors at 0.54, though such figures meant little when both teams were trading blows.
The penalty shootout proved decisive, with Carolina missing twice through M. Zambrano and J. Shannon while New England converted all their attempts. R. Baer, D. Diaz, N. Kaloukian and J. Mussenden all found the back of the net for the visitors. Carolina's efforts were hampered by two missed spots, and that proved costly.
The result leaves Carolina Core seventh on eight points from twenty-five games, a position that reflects their recent struggles. New England II move closer to the top four on forty-two points, though they remain eleven games behind the leaders. We had tipped the visitors for victory, but the match refused to follow that script — and goals in the final ten minutes of normal time changed everything.
