Independence Undone by Davis IV's Hattrick
April 18, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charlotte Independence News Release
RICHMOND, VA (April 18, 2015) - It was a poor night for the Charlotte Independence and their fans. A road test against one of USL's most veteran clubs, the Richmond Kickers, ended in a 3-0 defeat for the visitors, as Richmond forward George Davis IV netted a hattrick to sink the Independence.
The match started well enough for Charlotte, though Richmond had most of the possession. After a quick counterattack in the 6th minute, the ball fell to Independence midfielder Alex Martinez. He fired a low shot to the left of the goal, but Richmond's goalkeeper Ryan Taylor lashed out with an instinctive foot-save. It was the first of many impressive saves from the keeper on the night.
Richmond broke the deadlock in the 42nd when Charlotte goalkeeper John Berner was judged to have brought down Davis IV in the box. Davis IV took the spotkick and slotted it away to the right of the net to take a 1-0 lead.
The score remained the same going into halftime.
Coming out of the half the Independence began to click into high gear, but Taylor managed to paw away several close chances and cut out a few key passes.
In the 54th minute Davis IV latched onto a well-placed pass from Richmond midfielder Brian Ownby and made it 2-0. Ownby glided through a gap in the midfield before playing Davis IV through on goal. A well struck shot left Berner with no chance at the save.
The final goal of the night came from another penalty when Davis IV was tripped in the box after a well-timed feint. This time he went left and although Berner dove the right way, the pace of the ball was enough to skip into the net.
Charlotte hammered the ball into the box, desperate to scratch one back, but Taylor and the Richmond defense stood tall. In the 90th minute Alex Martinez found just enough space to pry a shot away on goal, but Taylor's reflexes and strong hands pushed the ball wide of the post. Seconds later, Independence midfielder Jack Metcalf found his way to a deflected pass and finessed a great shot on frame, but Taylor once again swiped the ball away with another impressive save.
The Independence are still searching for their first win this season and will hope to claim it when they host the Harrisburg City Islanders on Friday, April 24th. The match will be played at UNC-Charlotte's Transamericia Field, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30pm.
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