— There were several questions ready facing Louisville City FC manager James O’Connor following his team’s 2-2 draw with North Carolina FC. It was the first visit to WakeMed Soccer Park for Louisville City, the defending USL champions.

Louisville City came into Saturday’s match in Cary sitting second place in the USL Eastern Conference table, facing a NCFC side that was mired in fourteenth position. Eight of Louisville City’s starting XI Saturday also started the team’s U.S. Open Cup match last Wednesday, in which Louisville advanced to the quarterfinals round with a win over Nashville SC.

However, O’Connor refused to speak with reporters following the match, citing a lack of time after he spent nearly 20 minutes in the locker room, loudly addressing his squad. So, only the home team could weigh in on how and why Louisville City arrived at Saturday’s result.

“I thought it was a good game of soccer,” said NCFC manager Colin Clarke. “Two very good teams passed, moved, back and forward. For a neutral, it was probably a great game to watch.”

Louisville City’s already-heavy legs combined with 90-plus degree kickoff temperatures to lend North Carolina FC an apparent early advantage. In the 11th minute, NCFC midfielder Kyle Bekker’s cross off the left wing found Daniel Rios in the goalmouth. Rios won his header over defender Paco Craig and nodded the service into the back netting for a 1-0 lead.

“[Marios] Lomis had the ball and played back to Bekker,” Rios said. “I made movement to the back and then in front of the defender. It was a header to the middle, and I scored the goal.”

As the first half wound on, Louisville City seemed to find its fitness and footing. The visitors equalized in the 39th minute when Craig redeemed himself by connecting a glancing header onto an Oscar Jimenez corner kick. With Louisville pushing forward, only multiple saves by NCFC goalkeeper Alex Tambakis kept the match tied 1-1 at intermission.

“We stopped passing the ball towards the end of the first half” Clarke said. “I thought we were very good for the first 30-35 minutes, then we just gave a few sloppy ones away. Tiredness sort of set in, and [Louisville City] got the bit between the teeth.”

Louisville City wrested away the lead in the 59th minute. A blocked shot by LCFC’s Niall McCabe fell to forward Ilija Ilić, who maneuvered to his right around defender Connor Tobin and fired across the face of Tambakis into the far netting.

In regards to hearing Ilić’s account of his goal, forget it: Louisville City also refused to make him available to media post-match.

Just when another loss appeared inevitable for the Dead Whales, the home side found some semblance of late-match salvation in the 87th minute. Cutting off the right wing, second-half substitute Tiyi Shipalane stepped over and crossed the ball far post to a waiting Rios, who redirected into goal to secure a 2-2 draw and Rios’ team-leading eighth goal this season.

“I was on top of the box, and Tiyi had the ball and was dribbling,” Rios said. “I was taking my time to get inside the box, and then he crossed it. I was alone with no defense around, and just … I don’t know the name of this part,” slapping his thigh to indicate what he used to finish his goal.

North Carolina FC adopted a bit of a hybrid formation that Clarke said was meant to combat Louisville City’s box midfield.

“Pretty much when we were attacking we were a 4-4-2,” Clarke said, “And when we were defending we were more of a 4-1-4-1 where either [Rios] or Lomis would drop in and become that fourth midfielder. It worked out being more Lomis, and then when we did win the ball, it put him in a good spot to pick balls up in good pockets of space and start the play.”

It was Rios’ first brace since joining North Carolina FC on loan from Chivas Guadalajara. Rios said his goal this season is to score 15 goals, and beyond this year to land a spot in Major League Soccer.

“It was a difficult result,” Rios said. “It’s good because we were losing. It’s at home, so we expect to win. But, it’s not a bad result.”

North Carolina FC (4-3-7, 15 pts.) pushes just ahead of an idle Ottawa Fury into twelfth place in the USL Eastern Conference standings. Carolina hits the road for two straight games, at Richmond on Saturday, June 30 and Pittsburgh on Wednesday, July 4. The Dead Whales return home on Saturday, July 7 to host the Charleston Battery.

LINEUPS

NC: Tambakis, Taylor (Kandziora, 89’), Tobin, Harrington, Guillen, G. Smith (Shipalane, 74’), Bekker, da Luz, Miller, Rios, Lomis (Ewolo, 70’)

LOU: Ranjitsingh, K. Smith, Totsch (McMahon, 83’), Craig, Souahy, DelPiccolo, Jimenez, Williams, McCabe, Ownby (Francis, 57’), Ilić (Lancaster, 71’)

GOALS

NC: Rios, 11’ (Bekker); Rios, 87’ (Shipalane)

LOU: Craig, 39’ (Jimenez); Ilić, 59’

CAUTIONS

NC: Rios, 47’; Kandziora, 90 +1’

LOU: McCabe, 77’

EJECTIONS

NC: ---

LOU: ---

ATTENDANCE: 3,554