CARY, N.C. – Lexington Sporting Club fell by a 2-1 final Saturday evening at North Carolina FC in the second USL League One match of the season.
The loss drops Lexington SC to 0-2-0 while North Carolina FC earns its first win to improve to 1-1-0.
Khalid Balogun put Lexington ahead in the fifth minute, converting the first chance of the evening off a cross from Tate Robertson in the fastest goal scored thus far in the USL League One season.
The lead was short-lived, however, as an own goal allowed North Carolina FC to pull level in the 13th minute.
A flurry of opportunities late saw Robertson, Terique Mohammed, Owen Green and Nico Brown each threaten a goal, although the score remained 1-1 at the break. Lexington SC did not allow a single shot on target through the first half.
North Carolina FC moved ahead in the 73rd minute when Rafael Mentzingen tucked away his first goal of the season off an assist from Oalex Anderson.
That proved to be the difference, as the hosts kept Lexington without a shot on target for the remainder of the match.
North Carolina maintained 54% of the possession throughout the match, finishing with a 1.26 to 0.62 advantage in expected goals.
Up next for Lexington SC is the first U.S. Open Cup match in Club history, meeting Louisville City FC Wednesday, April 5, at 7 p.m. inside Lynn Family Stadium.
Lexington SC opens its home schedule next Saturday, April 8, hosting Forward Madison FC. Fans can purchase tickets to that match through this link.
About Lexington Sporting Club
Lexington Sporting Club is a U.S. Soccer professional soccer club competing in USL League One (U.S. Soccer Third Division Men’s Professional Soccer League). Launching its inaugural professional season in 2023, the professional team is the pinnacle of the soccer eco-system in Lexington and features more than 1,400 players within its youth and academy systems, a pre-professional women’s team beginning in 2023 in the USL W League and is in the process of building the club’s formal stadium, performance center and training fields.