Charlotte Independence Advance to Inaugural USL Cup Semifinals
Charlotte Independence Advance to Inaugural USL Cup Semifinals
Red and Yellow Cards fly in Greenville as the Jacks edge out rivals Greenville Triumph 0-1 in South Carolina to advance to the semifinals of the 2024 USL Jägermeister Cup.
The Charlotte Independence were already having a good week.
The team sits atop the USL League One table. Their sister organization, Carolina Ascent FC, leads the young USL Super League. With only seven league matches left to play before the League One playoffs, six of their final matches of the season are at home and/or against the bottom half of the league.
Now, with tonight’s 0-1 win over Greenville Triumph SC in the final group stage match of the USL Jägermeister Cup, the Jacks have advanced to the semifinals of the tournament. They will play Forward Madison in Wisconsin on September 11, and if they advance, they will play the winner of the other semifinal match between Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC and Union Omaha on September 28 or 29.
The Jacks have a real opportunity to add up to three pieces of hardware to their trophy case this fall: the Jägermeister Cup, the League One Player’s Shield (awarded to the team with the best regular season record), and the USL League One playoff championship trophy.
Any one of the three titles would be the first for the ten-year-old club.
“It’s an opportunity to win,” said Independence head coach Mike Jefferies after the match. “The guys are motivated by the opportunity to win a trophy, and that’s what it’s about. Credit to the guys for fighting through it and managing it. We’ve had some hard games in the USL Jägermeister Cup, and it’s nice to advance and give ourselves a chance to compete for a trophy.”
A Good Year for Cup Matches
The Independence started their cup dreams this season with an impressive run in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating Vereinigung Erzgebirge, South Carolina United Heat, and USL Championship side Rhode Island FC to advance to the Round of 32 in the knockout tournament, where they lost to MLS side Atlanta United FC.
Then, in April, the United Soccer League debuted the inaugural USL Cup tournament, the 2024 USL Jägermeister Cup, an in-season tournament with an eight-match group stage and a four team knockout tournament. The rules for the tournament were similar to MLS NEXT Pro matches, in which a draw in regulation leads to a penalty shootout worth an extra point.
The 12 USL League One teams were sorted into three groups: Central, East and West, with each group stage winner advancing to the semifinals alongside a wildcard team, the remaining team that scored the most goals in group play. Charlotte competed in the East Group, which included Greenville, the Richmond Kickers, and South Georgia Tormenta FC. Of the eight matches, six were round robin style against other members of the group, and two additional matches were against opponents from other groups.
In Charlotte’s first six group stage fixtures, they lost only one match in regulation, falling 1-2 to Forward Madison, the eventual winner of the Central Group. However, they would come into their final two matches - both against Greenville - four points behind the Triumph. Advancing in the tournament would require Charlotte to get at least a win and a draw against the Triumph.
Corea Becomes Greenville’s Kryptonite
On August 10, Charlotte hosted the first of the two Greenville fixtures at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
The match got off to a quick start, with Luis Álvarez scoring off of a Juan Carlos Obregón, Jr. assist in the 8th minute. Álvarez’s goal would bring him even with Obregón, with both players scoring three apiece for the Independence during the group stage. However, Greenville would respond immediately with a goal from Lyam MacKinnon, brining him to four goals over the course of the tournament.
At the one hour mark, Charlotte would bring on one of their summer signings, Dustin Corea, changing the course of the match. Corea would score his first goal for the Jacks in the 75th minute, giving the Independence the win and three points going into the final match of the Cup.
“It’s exciting to finally get back on the score sheet,” said Corea after the match. “I’m happy to help the team pick up an important win.”
“[Dustin Corea is] great. He’s shown the quality that we believed in him,” said Jeffries after the match. “It’s just about getting him fit and getting him more minutes each time, but he’s capable of making those kinds of plays. You could see some of his quality on the ball tonight.”
Tonight, in Greenville, S.C., Charlotte needed an outright win or a penalty win to advance. Their chances looked good from the start, with former Premier League talent Gabriel Obertan powering the offense and launching an early shot off the goalpost.
Then, the Independence got a gift from Greenville player Rodrigo Robles in the 34th minute. After being shown a yellow card for a foul earlier in the half, Robles was sent off for a second yellow, putting the Independence a man up.
The disadvantage didn’t diminish Greenville’s attack, however, and Independence goalkeeper Austin Pack’s heroics were called upon once again.
“The team was very disciplined throughout the whole game, and we were able to limit chances,” said Pack after the match. “It was an interesting game to navigate, but we did well to stay organized.”
The Jacks, meanwhile, were shown three yellows in the first half, with Rayan Djedje, Anthony Sorenson, and Obertan going into the book.
Though the first half ended tied, the man advantage buoyed Charlotte going into the second half, until Sorenson received a second yellow shortly after kickoff. With each squad reduced to ten men, the teams struggled to break through, and Pack continued to be dominant for Charlotte in goal.
Finally, in the 76th minute, the Independence broke through. Obregón made his third assist of the Cup competition, passing the ball to Corea through traffic. Corea made a sliding shot and sent the ball into the back of the net, scoring his second winner against Greenville in as many matches.
The Jacks would hold on to the lead, winning their first-ever road match against Greenville, adding a 10th game to their undefeated streak, and securing their spot in the USL Cup semifinals.
“Tonight was a crazy night. You don’t get too many games with two sendoffs and the momentum going back and forth,” said Jeffries after the match. “I was pleased with the character of the guys for sticking with the game through a hard night, finding a way to get a result and managing the game when it was 1-0 and holding on to a lead.”
After playing a league match in Knoxville next Saturday, Charlotte and Corea will make their way to Madison, Wis. on September 11th for the team’s first-ever cup semifinal.