Sports stats



USL Charlotte Independence

Charlotte Independence v North Carolina FC: Match Preview

September 4, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charlotte Independence News Release


CHARLOTTE - The Charlotte Independence will continue USL Championship Group G play on Saturday, September 5 when it takes on North Carolina FC at the Sportsplex at Matthews (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+). The Independence has posted a 4-3-3 record so far in 2020 with all but three of those games coming against Group G opponents.

"Tomorrow is an even bigger game now that we are competing directly with North Carolina FC in the standings," said Independence head coach Mike Jeffries. "We will have to put in the same defensive performance that we had against them ten days ago if we want to get a result."

"They are always really good in possession, which means we will have to find a good balance of when we can press them and when we just need to keep our balance defensively."

In their last match, the Independence earned their three points on the road for the second time this season in a 2-0 win against Memphis 901 FC. The Jacks utilized an own goal and a strike from Luke Haakenson to record its fourth victory of the USL 2020 Championship campaign.

Dave Sarachan's side pulled off a victory on Wednesday night over Group G leader, Birmingham Legion FC. Nazmi Albadawi and Dre Fortune each scored in the 2-1 win as North Carolina FC reached ten points in the Group G table.

"We need to be a little more dynamic with the ball than we have been," added Jeffries. "This game, we will be focusing on being better in possession and figuring out ways we can be more successful at penetrating their backline."

LAST TIME OUT: The Independence utilized an own goal and a strike from Luke Haakenson to defeat Memphis 901 FC 2-0 at AutoZone Park on Wednesday.

A 32nd minute corner kick from Jake Areman bounced off a Memphis 901 FC defender at the penalty spot and went beyond the reach of Memphis netminder Tim Howard for the opening goal.

Just before halftime, the Jacks doubled its lead as Aaron Maund found Haakenson on the counter who tucked in the game's second goal to give the Independence a 2-0 advantage heading into the break. The goal marked Haakenson's third tally of the season and Maund's second assist. That score would stand up for the final result as the Independence celebrated its second victory on the road this season.

LAST TIME THEY MET: Charlotte and North Carolina FC most recently met last week on Wednesday, August 26 at the Sportsplex at Matthews in Matthews, N.C. The Independence used a 59th minute volley from Rey Ortiz to defeat North Carolina FC, 1-0, for the first time in USL Championship history.

STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT:

CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE

Leading Scorer(s): Dane Kelly (5)

Assist Leader(s): Aaron Maund, Joel Johnson (2)

Goals Per Game: 1.5

Saves Per Game: 4.7

Goals Against Average: 1.7

Shots on Target Per Game: 4.4

NORTH CAROLINA FC

Leading Scorer(s): Andre Fortune (3)

Assist Leader(s): D.J. Taylor (2)

Goals Per Game: 0.75

Saves Per Game: 2.87

Goals Against Average: 1.3

Shots on Target Per Game: 3.5

2020 CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE USL CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS: Lucas Hatsios, Brandon Miller, Austin Pack

DEFENDERS: Owen Barber, Clay Dimick, Shalom Dutey, Duke Lacroix, Aaron Maund, Dylan Mitchiner, Joel Johnson, Hugh Roberts, Joey Skinner

MIDFIELDERS: Jake Areman, Junior Etou, Derek Gebhard, Kevan George, Luke Haakenson, Rey Ortiz, Valentin Sabella, Oscar Ramsay

FORWARDS: Christian Chaney, Enzo Martinez, Tresor Mbuyu, Dane Kelly, Guido Valada

2020 NORTH CAROLINA FC USL CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS: Alex Tambakis, Paulo Pita, Trace Alphin, Nicholas Holliday

DEFENDERS: Alex Comsia, Sam Brotherton, Malick Mbaye, Conor Donovan, D.J. Taylor, Akeem Ward, Steven Miller, Collin McCamy

MIDFIELDERS: Manny Perez, Pecka, Andre Fortune, Nazmi Albadawi, Graham Smith, Shane De Leon, Luke Hille

FORWARDS: Marios Lomis, Robert Kristo, Ben Speas, Daniele Proch, Hadji Barry

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

- Seven players have scored for the Independence in the 2020 USL Championship: Dane Kelly (5), Luke Haakenson (3), Enzo Martinez (2), Jake Areman, Derek Gebhard, Rey Ortiz, Valentin Sabella (1)

- Seven players have recorded at least one assist for the Independence this year: Aaron Maund, Joel Johnson (2), Areman, Haakenson, Kelly, Martinez, Sabella, Aaron Maund, (1)

- Five players have recorded a goal and an assist for the Jacks this season: Areman, Haakenson, Martinez, Kelly, Sabella

- With an appearance against Memphis 901 FC on Wednesday night, Independence forward Dane Kelly reached 200 career USL appearances.

- Kelly became the first player in USL Championship history to score 80 career league goals. Kelly, who scored his 80th USL goal in a 1-1 draw against Legion FC, leads the Jacks in goals this season with four.

- Independence goalkeeper Brandon Miller's 47 saves is ranked first in the USL Championship Eastern Conference this season.

- Against The Miami FC, Miller became only the second goalkeeper to post two outings this season with 8+ saves. Miller recorded eight saves against Miami having previously recorded nine saves against Sporting Kansas City II on March 8 to start the season.

- Independence defender Hugh Roberts reached 12,500 regular-season minutes in Wednesday's match against Memphis 901 FC.

- Martinez, Miller, Roberts, and Duke Lacroix are the only players to play all 810 minutes for the Jacks this season thus far.

Check out the Charlotte Independence Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 4, 2020


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Charlotte Independence Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central