Photo courtesy of Owen DeCorte

Real Central New Jersey is well on their way through the Summer 2026 campaign, competing in both USL League 2 and The League for Clubs. Through May, RCNJ sat 3rd in USL2 and 4th in TLFC in each of their respective conferences. Games are coming thick and fast, with home games being played at Mercer County Community College in Mercer, New Jersey.

USL League Two

June 3rd: 1-0 loss at Ocean City Nor’Easters

RCNJ entered their fourth USL2 game of the summer in Ocean City, NJ, on June 3rd, fresh off a loss after two wins to open their campaign. Gabriel Faust scored the lone goal of the game for the Nor’Easters as they shut out RCNJ. Charlie Kitch and Daniel Verdel were dealt the only yellows for the visitors, while Stelios Starakis was the lone Nor’Easter to be cautioned. This loss dropped RCNJ to 2-2-0 on the year in USL League Two play, with 6 points and 1.5 points per match.

June 7th: 3-1 win at Eagle FC

The third win of the USL2 season for RCNJ came in only their 5th match behind a strong three-goal performance. Luke Pompliano got on the board in the 15th minute with a penalty, a lead they carried into halftime. Nathan Brown took only 5 minutes to score in the second half, doubling the lead, and Matthew Lynch scored just 15 minutes later to go up 3-0. Tommy Clark got one back for the visitors in the 90th minute, but the 3-1 scoreline held for the RCNJ win. The only yellow card of the game went to Eagle FC’s Henrick Boahen in the 41st minute.

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June 13th: 4-1 win vs Philly Lone Star

Things got started quickly in this match as Philly Lone Star went ahead in the 3rd minute. Abu Kamara netted the goal off a corner, his first of the year. 7 minutes later, Cole Sotack found Luke Pampliano in the box, who scored to level the game. Midfielder Kaelan Debbage came off with a hamstring injury in the 17th minute; Nathan Brown entered in his place. Brown had a near instant impact, assisting Pompliano for his second goal of the game in the 22nd minute. Both sides went back and forth competitively, but the half ended 2-1 with RCNJ leading. Tempers flared in the second half as a pair of Philly Lone Star coaches were dismissed from the action. Subs came and went, but the main star was Pampliano, who confirmed his hat-trick in the 67th minute. Daniil Kaban grabbed a 4th for his side as time expired, securing the win.

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“We stuck to our game plan despite being down, and the guys really followed through with everything we’ve worked on,” Said head coach Jake Nerwinski after the win. “Keep your heads. We have guys that are very serious about this, but they need to be smart, and tonight they were.”

June 16th: 2-2 draw at Reading United AC

The Kitch brothers had a masterclass for RCNJ in this midweek fixture, as Andrew Kitch opened the game with a goal in the 11th minute. Nicolas Papadopoulos equalized six minutes later, but Charlie Kitch put Real Central back ahead in the 36th minute; The 2-1 RCNJ lead held into halftime. Isaac Stanley came out of the break hot for Reading, scoring in the 47th minute to tie the game. 5 yellow cards were dished out in the second half, but another goal didn’t come as the game finished as a 2-2 draw, each team’s first of the campaign. Real Central wound up 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic division after this, with 13 points in 7 games (1.86 points per match), while RUAC is only a point per match after 7 games.

June 18th: 4-1 loss vs Ocean City Nor’Easters

Real Central New Jersey had one of its worst displays of the season in this one, conceding 4 goals and earning a red card at home. Jacques Mason got the scoring started early for Ocean City, giving his side the lead 8 minutes in. Gabriel Faust doubled the lead just before halftime, with RCNJ unable to create. Luke Pampliano, RCNJ’s USL2 superstar, scored in the 54th minute to make it a close game, but goals from Adrian Jogerst and Noah Fernandes put the game out of reach in the dying moments. Tensions boiled over in the end as RCNJ head coach Jake Nerwinski and Nor’Easters sporting director Kevin Nuss were both sent to the showers by the referee. A first loss in three for RCNJ, and their second of the month.

June 20th: 2-2 draw at PA Classics

This match extended RCNJ’s winless run to three matches, and it could have easily been a loss after PA Classics went ahead after five minutes courtesy of Dominic Wilson. That lead carried into halftime, but it was Real Central who fought harder out of the gates in the second half. Ayoub Fask tucked one home in the 52nd minute, and Nathan Brown gave his side the lead just nine minutes later. The game stayed close, though, and PA Classics eventually got their equalizer. Camden Marquette, who came on for Wilson at halftime, scored in the 86th to tie the game up. That was the last meaningful action, as the game finished 2-2. RCNJ moved to 14pts from 9 matches after this one, while PA sat on just 9pts from 10 matches.

June 24th: 2-1 loss vs LVU Rush

Real Central New Jersey entered this match on a three-game winless streak, which was extended to four following this 2-1 loss. Luke Pompliano put RCNJ ahead in the 11th minute, but that was pretty much all that went right for the hosts. Lehigh Valley didn’t score in the first half as RCNJ battled to hold the lead, but Shane Velez’s 52nd-minute goal tied the match just after the break. Saleem Diakite scored to give LVU the lead in the 70th-minute, a lead they did not give up. Real Central’s Charlie Kitch was dealt the only yellow card of the match in the 59th minute.

June 27th: 5-1 loss at Delaware FC

Real Central New Jersey ended the month with a 5-1 loss away to Delaware FC, extending their winless streak to 5 games. All five of Delaware’s goals came before the lone RCNJ goal, from Roan Harrington in the 90th minute. Caden Stafford opened the match with a hat-trick in the first 33 minutes, then Adrian Buri put the match to bed in the 54th minute before Jake Ross got the 5th in the 80th minute. Real Central plays three matches in July before the USL2 playoffs start, but they currently sit outside of a playoff position.

Stat Leaders:

Goals:

Luke Pompliano – 7
Daniil Kaban, Ayoub Fask, Andrew Kitch – 2
Roan Harrington, Nathan Brown, Matthew Lynch, Elias Betancourt, Charlie Kitch – 1

Assists:

Kaelan Debbage – 2
Matthew Lynch, Evan Skinner, Elias Betancourt, Christopher Hines, Andrew Kitch – 1

Saves:

Josh Snyder – 21
Tyler Sloan – 8
Eric Wnorowski – 1

Standings: Mid-Atlantic Division, sorted by Points Per Match (PPM)

1. Ocean City Nor’Easters – 12 games played, 12-0-0, 36pts
2. LVU Rush – 12 games played, 10-2-0, 30pts
3. West Chester United SC – 10 games played, 4-5-1, 13pts
4. Reading United AC – 10 games played, 4-5-2, 14pts
5. Real Central NJ – 11 games played, 4-5-3, 15pts
6. Dealware FC – 11 games played, 4-6-2, 14pts
7. Philadelphia Lone Star FC – 12 games played, 4-7-1, 13pts
8. PA Classics – 12 games played, 3-6-3, 12pts
9. Eagle FC – 10 games played, 0-9-2, 2pts

The League for Clubs

June 3rd: 2-1 loss at Atlantic City FC

It took a while for the action to come in this match, with the first big moment coming in stoppage time of the first half. An RCNJ defender tripped up one of the attackers in the box, and a penalty was called, but Alex Lawrence’s penalty was saved to keep the match level. The second half started slowly, but a careless giveaway from Real Central in the 62nd minute put Lawrence in behind, who didn’t make a mistake the second time around. A second penalty allowed ACFC to double its advantage just three minutes later, which held until Nicholas Grippa capitalized on a mistake from the goalie and made it 2-1 in the 80th minute. Real Central got other chances but couldn’t capitalize, dropping their third straight TLFC match.

June 10th: 2-1 win vs Kensington SC

This match, RCNJ’s third game of TLFC play, carried a 0-0 scoreline into the 73rd minute, where the hosts went ahead. A ball played sharply from the touchline on the right side was deflected by a Kensington player and past the goalie, putting Real Central NJ on the board. Kensington equalized not long after, setting up a closely contested last 10 minutes with the game knotted at 1-1. A ball played through over the top presented a chance, which striker Daniil Kaban took, putting RCNJ up 2-1 in the 89th minute. The score stayed the same, and the hosts got the win.

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“For the last couple of games we’ve been getting closer and closer, and here we felt that we deserved 3 points for the first time this season,” said head coach Chris Coridon after the win.

June 14th: 1-1 draw vs FC Monmouth

Eric Wnorowski made a fine save, and Daniil Kaban had a shot blocked for RCNJ in the first half, but it was Patrick Shaw who put FC Monmouth ahead in first-half stoppage time. Kaban had another chance to give Real Central a goal, but was once again denied midway through the second half. Shaw played in teammate Nicholas Turturro, but Turturro squandered the chance, and the game remained level. The clock ticked into the 80th minute with FC Monmouth still leading as the hosts continued to fight. It took nearly 84 full minutes, but something finally broke as Roan Harrington’s side-volley knotted the game at 1-1. A few minutes later, Shaw got yet another chance, this time at the penalty spot, but was denied by Wnorowski. That stop kept the game level, which it stayed until the final whistle.

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June 17th: 1-0 win vs Atlantic City FC

These two sides met for the second time in June after ACFC beat Real Central 2-1 in Atlantic City on June 3rd. There wasn’t a ton of action in this game, and the lone goal came early as Roan Harrington grabbed his side’s only goal for the second straight match. A giveaway in midfield for Atlantic City sparked an RCNJ breakaway in the 29th minute as Harrington was played in behind. He picked the ball up on the right side of the box and made no mistake, beating the keeper to the far side. The goal, which came against the run of play, was the difference as Real Central earned their third straight positive result after starting with a pair of losses. Atlantic City, meanwhile, was handed its first loss.

June 20th: 6-2 win at Kensington SC

It was goals galore for RCNJ in this one, as they scored 6 times, their highest total in either competition this summer. Kensington came into this one with 6 losses in as many games, including a 2-1 loss to Real Central earlier this month. This win moves RCNJ into a tie for 2nd in the Northeast Conference South Division with FC Monmouth. Kensington scored both of its goals before RCNJ got on the board, with a corner in the 6th minute and a quick attack in the 15th, resulting in goals. Real Central converted a penalty in the 19th minute to get one back, and the goals kept coming, as RCNJ put 5 more unanswered goals in en route to the 6-2 road demolition.

June 26th: 3-0 loss at First State FC

First State FC opened the scoring early in this one with a strike from outside the box in the 17th minute. That lead held until the 57th minute, when FSFC doubled the advantage after a blocked RCNJ shot sparked a counterattack. The third came only 8 minutes later, as this match got out of hand for Real Central with plenty of time still on the clock. After a 2-1 loss at home to First State earlier in the year, RCNJ dropped the second meeting between the two sides and their second straight match.

June 28th: 7-1 loss at Met Oval

June ended poorly for RCNJ, as they endured a heavy 7-1 defeat at the hands of Metropolitan Oval. Real Central got on the board first with a Sean Milelli penalty inside of 3 minutes, but Met Oval Academy grabbed the next 7 goals unanswered. Met Oval made it 3-1 before halftime, and tacked on another four in the second half of this shellacking.

Standings: Northeast Conference – South Division

1. First State FC – 6 games played, 5-1-0, 15pts
2. Atlantic City FC – 5 games played, 4-1-0, 12pts
3. FC Monmouth – 7 games played, 3-3-1, 10pts (+10 GD)
4. Real Central NJ – 7 games played, 3-3-1, 10pts (+1 GD)
5. Kensington SC – 7 games played, 0-0-7, 0pts

Honors:

TLFC Northeast Conference Team of the Week – June 5-11: Daniil Kaban, Santiago Lopez

TLFC National Team of the Week: June 5-11: Daniil Kaban (Honorable Mention – Nick Matese)

TLFC National Team of the Week: June 19-25: Enrique Porras Jr (Honorable Mentions – Ibrahim Faye, Sean Milelli) – All were selected to the Northeast Conf. Team of the Week as well.