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North Carolina FC wins 2023 USL League One Championship

In a nail-biter against the Charlotte Independence, North Carolina FC clinched a win in penalty kicks Sunday, Nov. 5, the first league championship in the club’s 17-year history.

November 6, 2023 • 
Allie Remhof
The NCFC celebrating.

The NCFC won the championship in a 1-1 match against the Charlotte Independence.

Photo provided by @FollowGregSports/North Carolina FC

The North Carolina FC won against the Charlotte Independence Sunday night, clinching its first USL League One Championship title in club history. The match was decided by a 5-4 penalty kick shootout.

This win is a worst-to-first story — with our home team landing last in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, to champions in 2023.

Charlotte and North Carolina FC scored one goal each with NCFC’s coming from midfielder Raheem Somersall — naming him Final MVP — and midfielder Luis Arriaga’s penalty kick won the game.

In 2024, the NCFC will move up and compete in the USL Championship, which is a league above the USL League One and one below the top-level Major Soccer League.

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