CHESTER, Pa. (September 6, 2019) – Bethlehem Steel FC (7-13-5, 12th place in East) comes off a strong win at home and heads to Cary, N.C. for a matchup with North Carolina FC (13-7-7, 6th place in East) at WakeMed Soccer Park this Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET. The match could be a turning point for the Steel and a chance to pick up momentum down the stretch, despite being shorthanded to suspensions and international duty.
The Steel put in a shift last weekend to pick up all three points against Swope Park Rangers at Talen Energy Stadium. Although sloppy at times, the team was solid on defense and creative in the attack, posting its fifth clean sheet of the year and burying two in the back of the Swope Park net. Steel FC saw Philadelphia Union Academy forward Patrick Bohui become the youngest player to start for the Steel at 15 years, eight months and 29 days old. The Pennsylvania club will likely use him again in some capacity this weekend in North Carolina, as Faris continues to serve a suspension for a red-card offense.
The result didn’t go the way of the Steel last time these two sides squared off, with North Carolina FC picking up the 1-0 win in Chester. With a few more matches under their belt this time around, Brendan Burke’s squad will look to break through the North Carolina defense and pick up a vital three points on the road. North Carolina FC hit a few bumps in their last few matches, but that could make them even more dangerous against Steel FC as the hosts look to defend their fortress. Midfielder Ben Speas is listed as questionable with a head injury for North Carolina, so they very well may be missing one of their key contributors, but defender Steven Miller (team leader in goals and assists) is expected to take part.
The Boys in Blue take on North Carolina FC at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on Saturday, September 7 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+.
MATCH INFORMATION
2019 USL Championship Regular Season
Date: September 7, 2019
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.
Referee: J.J. Bilinski
Assistant Referees: Brooke Mayo; Benjamin Wooten
Fourth Official: Tom Chupkowski
Bethlehem Steel FC: 7-13-5, 12th place
North Carolina FC: 13-7-7, 6th place
Match Day Twitter: @BSteelFC
Game Day Hashtag: #NCvBST
Match Center: https://bit.ly/2lFOrmk
Watch: ESPN+
