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USL1 Charlotte Independence

Jacks Shut out Chattanooga Red Wolves, 0-2, on the Road

July 17, 2024 - United Soccer League One (USL1)
Charlotte Independence News Release


CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Charlotte Independence recorded its second consecutive road victory on Tuesday evening, defeating Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, 0-2, in USL League One play. The Jacks return home to American Legion Memorial Stadium on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m. against South Georgia Tormenta FC in the USL Jägermeister Cup. Tickets can be purchased at charlotteindependence.com/tickets.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

While Charlotte had much of the offensive possession to open the match, it was #1 Austin Pack who made the first save of the match, deflecting a close-range shot in the seventh minute.

A deflected shot by #6 Omar Ciss landed at the feet of #56 Gabriel Obertan who only had the goalkeeper to beat, but his shot was saved, keeping the game scoreless in the 13th minute.

Neither team had many dangerous chances on goal in the first half, but the Independence kept the pressure on the hosts. A corner kick in the 37th minute led to the opening goal scored by #8 Joel Johnson as his shot from the top of the penalty area somehow found its way into the back of the net with five Red Wolves defenders in the mix.

Pack made another impressive save, closing down space in front of a Chattanooga attacker on a corner kick in the 41st minute, to clear the ball away from the goal line.

Halftime: Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 0, Charlotte Independence 1.

Charlotte's lead was doubled in the 55th minute as a cross from #9 Kharlton Belmar created chaos in the Chattanooga penalty area. The ball deflected off of multiple defenders and was fumbled by the goalkeeper over the line for a goal.

A moment of chaos in the 71st minute resulted in the Independence going down to 10 players for the remainder of the match as #4 Nick Spielman was sent off. #7 Rayan Djedje was penalized for committing a foul in the penalty area, but Pack saved the penalty kick.

The Jacks were resilient on defense for the remainder of the match to secure the road victory and a clean sheet.

Fulltime: Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 0, Charlotte Independence 2.

IN THE NUMBERS:

#56 Gabriel Obertan, who leads the team in USL League One assists this season, recorded his fourth assist of the year.

#8 Joel Johnson scored his fourth goal in all competitions this season.

The Jacks have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in eight of the 11 league games this season.

The Independence recorded back-to-back road wins in USL League One for the first time since the beginning of the 2023 season (March 25 at South Georgia Tormenta FC, April 1 at Richmond Kickers).

#1 Austin Pack recorded his second penalty kick save in the run of play this season. He finished the match with eight total saves.

QUOTES:

Head Coach Mike Jeffries

On the offensive performance

"It was nice to get a goal off a set piece. We felt like we could move the ball against them and create some chances, and we did a fair amount of that in the first half. We just weren't very clinical with the last pass or decision to shoot or pass."

On holding steady on defense

"Other than a few moments in transition where they were really effective, we managed the game defensively very well. We had a few giveaways where they were able to counter and get half chances. Austin came up big a couple times early for us which was key."

On how the team battled to finish out the game

"Everybody was really solid but especially the back four and then Anton when he came in. Those guys were really solid blocking shots, getting in the way of plays and so forth. We dealt with, for the first time this year, the man-down situation. While not easy, we had moments where we held possession and slowed the game down pretty well. That was a great penalty save from Austin, and in some ways, it kept them from having a huge momentum boost with 15 minutes left."

#1 Austin Pack

On the importance of the result

"It was a good win for us again on the road and big for us to maintain our position in the table. With less league games this season, every point is more valuable."

#13 Anton Sorenson

On returning from injury in a crucial moment for the team

"It felt amazing being back on the pitch after being out with an injury. Coming in with 10 men is always difficult. We just had to stay composed and compact to hang in and hold on to the win. It was a hard-fought win for the boys!"

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE:

The Charlotte Independence host South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, July 20 at 7 p.m. at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at charlotteindependence.com/tickets.

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