The Red Wolves travelled to Cary, North Carolina Tuesday night for a match against North Carolina FC. The squad would have been hoping to erase an incredulous streak and get back to winning ways against basement-dwellers North Carolina.
Obleda’s side came firing out of the locker room in the first half, dictating the match with huge energy and pace. The brilliant start was rewarded in the 13th minute when Marky Hernandez received an inch perfect backheel from Ricky Ruiz, firing it past the keeper to make it 1-0. Then, Ruiz would once again make his name known in the 21st minute, playing a fantastic ball to Dietrich who made no mistake, making it 2-0 to the Red Wolves. Several scares later, marked by some resilient defending, the away side went into halftime nursing a 2-0 lead and a renewed sense of attacking prowess.
The second half started at a slower pace than the first half, with both sides attempting to get a feel of the game. Manager Jimmy Obleda called on his bench in the 64th minute, bringing on super-sub Juan Galindrez in an attempt to add a new dynamic to the attack. His faith was rewarded in the 70th minute, when a corner into the box was scrambled around and fired home by Galigol. It was his seventh goal of the season, an assist to Rafa, and the Red Wolves were cruising at 3-0 up.
However, not comfortable at 3-0, the away side kept pushing and were rewarded once again in the 76th minute. The sensational Ricky Ruiz bagged his 3rd assist of the match playing a beautiful ball to hometown hero Jonathan Ricketts who slammed it into the back of the net to put the Red Wolves 4-0 up on the night. North Carolina added a late consolation from Cole Frame, but the match would end 4-1 to the away side.
The Cardiac Red Wolves needed no late game heroics Tuesday night, in completing what may well be one of the most comprehensive performances of the season. The win moved Obleda’s men to the top of the USL League One table for the first time in the 2021 campaign, where they will hope to stay.
The Red Wolves next match is at CHI Memorial Stadium at 7 PM EST Tuesday, August 18, welcoming North Texas to Chattanooga. Fans are welcome to join the first ever Taco Tuesday featuring $2 beer and game-exclusive bang bang shrimp tacos.
