— The bucolic environs of MacPherson Stadium in Browns Summit was the setting for a midweek U.S. Open Cup tie between the visiting North Carolina FC of the NASL and the Carolina Dynamo of the USL PDL. Three first-half goals by NCFC were a mere prelude to an eventual 6-1 trouncing by NCFC in the second round of the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

North Carolina FC ran out a starting XI equally divided between first-team regulars and usual substitutes. Meanwhile, the Dynamo amateurs, primarily of collection of college players on summer training, were playing only their second match this year.

After a meandering start to the match, the visitors struck first in the 27th minute. A methodical buildup initiated by Tiyi Shipalane eventually led to the feet of Matt Fondy, who laid off to Brian Shriver for a one-touch blast inside the area.

North Carolina FC doubled their advantage in the 37th minute when Matt Fondy got behind the Dynamo back line to collect a ball over the top from Jon Orlando. Fondy readied and fired past Dynamo goalkeeper Ryan Cretens for a 2-0 lead.

NCFC made it three for the first half in the 40th minute when Fondy drove end line before crossing to Shipalane, who buried the sitter for the 3-0 margin at intermission.

A bus carrying North Carolina FC supporters rolled into Bryan Park during halftime. NCFC obliged their odyssey two minutes into the second half, when halftime substitute Billy Schuler buried the rebound of a Cretens save to extend the score to 4-0.

“I didn’t really do much,” Schuler said. “Tiyi kind of dribbled through and somehow got a shot off. I peeled to the back post and [the ball] came right to me, and I had a tap-in.”

Orlando got in on the act in the 57th minute when he accepted a Shipalane service, twirled around a chorus of Dynamo defenders, and booted into nylon for a 5-0 lead.

The Dynamo got a goal back—a small measure of redemption—in the 74th minute when Danny Elliott drove end line off the left flank before crossing to Justen Shear for the running putaway. But NCFC regained their five-goal cushion in the 87th minute when Schuler caught up to a Shriver through ball and slotted past Cretens for his second-half brace.

“Shriver pulled back and had the ball in space,” Schuler said. “I peeled off the defender and he played me through with a great ball over the top. I was able to get the touch past the defender and beat the keeper.”

It was a handy victory for NCFC over a game, but overmatched Dynamo squad.

“These are never easy games, as you can see from some of the [Open Cup] results tonight around the league,” said North Carolina FC manager Colin Clarke. “I thought we came in and did a very professional job. The first goal is always going to be important, and once that happened [the game] started to open up for us even more.”

North Carolina FC advances to the third round of the 2017 U.S. Open Cup and will host the Charlotte Independence on May 31 at WakeMed Soccer Park. NCFC returns to regular season play this Saturday with a visit to Puerto Rico FC.

BOX SCORE

LINEUPS

NCFC: Robinson, Kandoziora, Tobin (Marcelin, 46’), Ibeagha (Albadawi, 79’), Moses, Fortune, Akinyode, Orlando, Shipalane, Shriver, Fondy (Schuler, 46’)

CAR: Cretens, Fulwood, Tetteh, Masten, Orisatoki, Hill, Wells, Mecham (Cyocca, 65’), Kudolo, Elliott, Adamczyk

GOALS

NCFC: Shriver, 27’ (Fondy); Fondy, 37’ (Orlando); Shipalane, 40’ (Fondy); Schuler, 47’; Orlando, 57’ (Shipalane); Schuler, 85’ (Shriver)

CAR: Shear, 74’ (Elliott)

CAUTIONS

NCFC: Fortune, 45’

CAR: ---

EJECTIONS

​NCFC: ---

CAR: ---