In a way, Saturday’s match between Carolina and Miami was over after the first five minutes.

Miami midfielder John Pulido’s fifth-minute header gave the Blues a 1-0 lead before the 4,949 fans could settle in their seats at SAS Soccer Park. Carolina entered the night 0-7 when it allowed its opponents to score first. Eighty-five minutes later, the RailHawks made it 8 for 8.

They briefly tied the game in the first half, but Miami scored three unanswered goals to hand Carolina a 4-1 loss, its most lopsided of the season and one that left the first-year club at 0-5-2 in USL-1 play for the month of July.

“We know how important every single game is, and we can’t come through,” said midfielder Kupono Low, who scored the RailHawks’ lone goal. “We need to find a way to win … There’s no excuses for tonight.”

No one offered excuses, but Carolina coach Scott Schweitzer didn’t mince words when it came to explaining the state of his team.

“Not enough people care,” Schweitzer said. “That’s all I can go into. Whoever they are will be found out and you probably won’t see them much on the field and you probably won’t see them here any more.”

Despite the lopsided score, the RailHawks (4-8-7) weren’t run off the field. They outshot Miami (8-10-3) 22-14 and controlled most of the first half.

Miami goalkeeper Pat Hannigan had just as much to do with keeping Carolina off the board as did the RailHawks' poor finishing. Hannigan made eight saves on the night, his best a sprawling stop in the 14th minute on Connally Edozien’s diving header.

“Even if their goalie’s doing well and making saves, we’ve got to find a way to put the ball in the back of the net and keep it out of ours,” said midfielder Joey Worthen, who had two great chances turned away by Hannigan.

Carolina’s scoring difficulties have persisted throughout the year, but a more recent trend is proving more troublesome and vexing. In two straight games, they’ve allowed their opponent to score in the first five minutes.

In Saturday’s fifth minute, Miami’s Pulido redirected a Zinho free kick to the far post. Carolina goalkeeper John O’Hara went to the ground too quickly, and the ball hopped over his outstretched hands and in.

“When we give up a goal, game over,” Schweitzer said. “We don’t score. We can’t score. If we don’t give up a goal, at least we tie.”

As they’ve done only one other time before this year, Carolina came back from the deficit to tie the score. Carolina pulled even in the 34th minute when Low converted a penalty kick. The RailHawks got the spot kick after Edozien tried to center the ball and it deflected off the arm of Miami defender Chris Williams.

Williams made up for that unlucky bounce by scoring in the 45th minute. Eric Vasquez served the ball into the middle of the penalty area on a free kick. Williams was left wide open in front of the goal, and he easily redirected the ball in for a 2-1 Miami lead.

“It’s tough. That’s been an ongoing problem with us, not being able to close out the half or the end of the game,” Worthen said. Miami’s 45th-minute tally was the fourth Carolina allowed this season in the first half’s final five minutes. “It’s frustrating because we know we’re capable of doing more.”

Though they entered the locker room dazed, the RailHawks emerged from intermission and nearly tied the match in the 47th minute.

On a free kick from 30 yards out, Low’s swerving strike drilled the crossbar and was just inches away from going in. The near-miss took the life out of the RailHawks.

“The game’s crazy like that,” Low said. “That could’ve changed the entire game. That would’ve leveled up the score. We would’ve had momentum for 40 minutes. Something like that should be as good as a goal, in terms of getting confidence.”

But it wasn’t. Carolina sunk into a funk for the next 15 minutes.

Carolina nearly tied the match again in the 64th minute. Chris Carrieri lined up a shot from 30 yards out, but he scuffed it. The mishit rolled right to Anthony Maher in the center of the box, and he redirected in on the goal. Maher’s shot caught Hannigan flat-footed, but the ball rolled inches wide of the frame.

A minute later, Miami’s Sean Cameron uncorked a 20-yard strike the other way to give the Blues a 3-1 lead and sink the RailHawks for good.

Luchi Gonzalez, a second-half substitute, scored the game's final goal in the 88th minute.

In addition to the lack of heart, Schweitzer also said his side lacked respect for the Blues, who handed the RailHawks a 2-1 loss in south Florida eight days earlier.

“If you do not respect your opponent, you get beat 4-1,” the Carolina coach said. “Fear no one, respect everyone. There was no respect tonight."