Misconduct Summary:
ORL- Sam Fairhurst – Yellow (Unsporting Behavior) 39

Scoring Summary:
ORL- Nicolas Russo (unassisted) 24’
CAR- Donnie Smith (Daniel Lovitz) 34’
CAR- Susan Sloan (Daniel Lovitz) 43’

Lineups:

Orlando City – Brendan Moore, Joseph Toby (Johan Bergfeld 84), Will Fransden, Sean Reynolds, Oumar Diakhite, Alexander Macdonald (Gonzalo DeMujica 76), Samuel Fairhurst (Moses Aduny 72), Nicolas Russo (Ryan Griffin 80), Jonathan Mendoza, Verneri Valimaa (Anthony Arico 45), Andrew Helm

Substitutes not used: Charles Sanders

Carolina Dynamo –Daniel Lovitz, David Reittinger, Shawn Sloan, Dannie W Smith, Austin Dunker, Sebastien Ibeagha, Shane Andre Malcolm (Nyepon Mamadee 72), Fejiro Okimah, Aaron Reifschneider, Hakan Ilhan (Charles Howard 87), Peyton H Ford

Substitutes not used: Christian A Morfaw, Freddy Gomez, Charles (Chipper) Root, Nick Hensely

Match Facts:
Time of Game – 7:07 p.m.
Weather- Clear

Orlando, Fla. – In the 2012 PDL National Semifinals, the Orlando City U23s fell 2-1 to the Carolina Dynamo at Macpherson Stadium in Greensboro, N.C. Saturday night. Despite an early lead, the U23s were unable to respond to a two-goal swing late in the first half by the Dynamo, ending their run to the 2012 PDL Championship.

An early goal scored by the Orlando side got the U23s off to a hot start. Nicolas Russo, who scored the first goal in Orlando’s 2-1 victory over Laredo Heat in the first round of the Southern Conference Championships, connected on the second ball after a deflected cross found the midfielder with space in front. Russo put the shot home, giving Orlando the 1-0 advantage in the 24th minute.

Carolina got on the scoreboard soon after, with Daniel Lovitz finding Donnie Smith for the Dynamo’s first score of the night in the 34th minute. The Eastern Conference Champions maintained the momentum, notching one more goal scored by Shawn Sloan before the halftime whistle blew to go up 2-1.

The second half was a back and forth affair, with chances for Orlando being stifled by the Carolina defense. The Dynamo were able to hold off the Lions advances, ending the match in the same 2-1 score.

With the win, Carolina advances to their first PDL Championship Game and their first trip to a USL championship contest since 1997.

The 2012 PDL Championship presented by Umbro will be hosted by the Carolina Dynamo at Macpherson Stadium Saturday night at 7 p.m. Eastern Conference Champion Carolina will square off against Central Conference Champion FC London, who also fought back despite an early deficit to earn their first entry into the Championship Game in the club’s young four-year history.