Ortiz Stuns Former Team, Send Jacks to Third Round of U.S. Open Cup
USL1 Charlotte Independence

Ortiz Stuns Former Team, Send Jacks to Third Round of U.S. Open Cup

Published on March 31, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Charlotte Independence News Release


CHARLOTTE, NC - Viggo Ortiz delivered a dramatic 118th-minute winner to send the Charlotte Independence into the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round, defeating the Charleston Battery 3-2 after extra time.

It was a storybook finish for Ortiz, who joined the Independence this offseason from Charleston. Souaibou Marou and Luis Alvarez also found the scoresheet as Charlotte built a two-goal lead before the Battery stormed back to force extra time.

Charleston came out on the front foot and nearly struck early. Laurent Kissiedou fired just wide of George Tasouris' post in the 7th minute.

After a nervy opening stretch, the Jacks settled into the match. Mathis Guffroy sparked the attack with direct runs at defenders, while Christopher Jaime tested goalkeeper John Berner in the 15th minute, forcing a clearance inside the box.

Charlotte broke through in the 37th minute on a clinical counterattack. Javen Romero stepped in to win possession, and Alvarez surged forward nearly 50 yards before slipping a pass to Marou, who cut inside onto his left foot and buried his effort past Berner.

Backed by a disciplined defensive performance-anchored by Romero-the Independence carried their lead into halftime.

The Jacks doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. Following a quick switch of play, Alvarez found space 30 yards from goal and curled a composed finish beyond Berner to ignite the Sportsplex crowd.

Charleston responded with urgency. Tasouris came up big in the 65th minute, diving to deny Maalique Foster's low strike. The visitors pulled one back five minutes later when Houssou Landry finished at the near post after being picked out on the switch.

The pressure continued to mount. Tasouris produced another key stop in the 76th minute, denying Jeremy Kelly at the back post, but the equalizer came moments later as Foster slipped in behind and finished into an empty net.

Deep into stoppage time, the match took another turn. Kelly was shown his second yellow card, leaving Charleston down a man heading into extra time.

With both sides battling fatigue, the decisive moment arrived late. In the 118th minute, Ortiz took matters into his own hands-beating his defender down the flank, cutting inside, and curling a right-footed strike into the corner to seal the victory in stunning fashion.

The win sends the Independence into the Third Round, where they will face an MLS opponent to be determined. The draw is scheduled for Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

QUOTES

Mike Jeffries on the performance:

"I'm so happy for the guys. I mean, we put so much into it. I thought, obviously, we came out and weathered the storm at the beginning as we thought we'd have to. It was great to get the first goal, and then the second goal - both with two really good counterattack type plays. ‚¬©When it went to 2-2, I give the guys credit. A lot of teams would have just folded, and you could see the momentum was going against us. We hung in and battled through it, and got back into the game."

Jeffries on Ortiz:

"To win an Open Cup match with two minutes before the end of the secind overtime against your oold team is a huge plus. He's come in, he's done his work. I think he was maybe disappointed not to have started the game tonight, but he came into it with a good mentality, and we always knew he was capable of making a play."

Viggo Ortiz on the game-winner:

"It means a lot. This game meant so much to me, and to be able to beat my former team and show them what I could do is a blessing."

George Tasouris on the resiliency of the group:

"It's known and it's felt by everybody in the locker room that we have a special team - not just ability-wise, but also our chemistry, and how we treat and respect each other. There's not one man in that locker room that thinks he's above anybody else. We're all together, and that's what you saw today on the field."

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