Cheat Sheet: Every Pro Soccer Team in North Carolina Won this Weekend; Two Big Cup Ties Await Charlotte Teams
In addition to Charlotte FC's 2-0 win over Atlas, the NC Courage won 4-3 on the road, the Independence notched a 1-0 win in the I-85 Derby, and both Carolina Core & Crown Legacy won.
Charlotte FC (2-0-0, 6 points) won their third Leagues Cup match in a row on Friday, and they enter their Tuesday match against Liga MX side C.F. Pachuca with the wind in their sails. Thanks to a goal differential of +5, Charlotte would advance to the knockout stage of the tournament if the league phase ended today.
Charlotte’s best Leagues Cup run since 2023 is not without its headwinds. As of August 10, 6 MLS squads have all 6 points from their first two league phase matches, but only four teams will advance.
Worth mentioning: Austin FC had an impressive night on August 9th with a 3-0 victory over Puebla featuring a first half hat trick from Myrto Uzuni, launching them above Charlotte in the table due to fair play points; the clubs are tied in points and goal differential.
The reason Austin leads in fair play points? Pep Biel’s surprising, post-match red card on August 7th against Atlas F.C.
The loss of Biel, a designated player, is a major blow to Charlotte’s chances. Soccer Sheet spoke with Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith after the match, and he was as confused as anyone else about the sanction.
The good news for Charlotte FC: should they win against Pachuca — who were eliminated after losing to FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew — three of their five fellow undefeated MLS squads face tough matchups.
Austin will face Club América, the table leader in both the Liga MX Apertura and the Leagues Cup. FC Dallas face Toluca, who are still alive in the tournament and have everything to play for. Chicago Fire will face Cruz Azul, currently 3rd in the Liga MX Leagues Cup table.
With Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati both facing two-loss opponents defeated by Charlotte FC, Charlotte probably need at least a penalty shootout win and a total of 8 points to advance to the knockout round, but if other MLS sides stay strong in the tournament, the Crown may need to win out with a decisive number of goals to advance.
Read More About Charlotte FC’s Leagues Cup Win:
Independence Notch Derby Win; Look Forward to Cup Tie
On the other side of I-277, the Charlotte Independence (12-4-3, 39 points) pulled out a win against Greenville Triumph in the I-85 Derby on Saturday, August 9 — despite a delay due to severe weather. Talismanic striker Souaibou Marou scored his league-leading 10th goal of the season to give the Jacks their third win in a row, solidifying their second-place spot on the USL League One table.
“I think we went into it knowing that even though they’re further down the table than us, they’re a hard team to play against,” said Charlotte Independence captain Clay Dimick after the match. “They’re going to come here with a chip on their shoulders. So for us to attack it with the same mentality we attack a team in the top four or five in the table was a big mentality test, and we did that … The rivalry always feels better when you’re on the winning side of it, and it adds a little extra edge to the game.”
The Independence will host Hartford Athletic on Wednesday, August 12 at 7:00 PM in the quarterfinals of the USL Cup, also known as the Prinx Tires USL Cup for sponsorship reasons.
Because the match is a recent addition to the Independence’s calendar, they will play at the Sportsplex in Matthews. Tickets are $10.
NC Courage Win Three in a Row; Ijeh Is on Fire
It’s been a great couple of weeks for Courage Country.
The North Carolina Courage (9-6-3, 30 points) have clawed their way back into the playoff position this summet, winning 7 of their last 10 matches including the last three against the Orlando Pride, Denver Summit, and second place Washington Spirit, respectively.
The 6th place Courage scored 12 goals in their last 4 matches, and half of them have come from Swedish international Evelyn Ijeh. With those six goals, including a hat trick against Orlando and a brace against the Spirit, Ijeh has not only helped propel her team up the table; she’s also entered the race for the NWSL Golden Boot, and is currently tied for third place with 9 goals, right behind her teammate Ashley Sanchez (11).
For her efforts, Ijeh was named NWSL Player of the Week on August 4th.
The Courage next face 13th place Houston Dash at home on Sunday, August 16 at 7:00 PM. The theme of the match is Black Excellence; it’s appropriate timing given Ijeh’s excellent form. Tickets start at $25.
North Carolina’s MLS NEXT Pro Teams Build Winning Streaks
Crown Legacy FC (12-3-6-4, 46 points) made it a four-match winning streak with their 2-0 victory over Inter Miami CF on Friday, August 7, eliminating Miami from playoff contention in the process.
Of note: Tyger Smalls’ younger brother, Magic Smalls, recorded an assist in the match while Tyger made his two goal contributions against Atlas.
With the win, the Legacy are first in the Eastern Conference, and have the second-best record in all of NEXT Pro after Austin FC II.
Legacy players continue to feature for Charlotte FC; most recently forward Nathan Richmond made his debut for the first team in the Leagues Cup match against Pumas.
13th place Carolina Core FC (5-10-8-3, 26 points) still have a lot of work to do to make the playoffs, but since sacking USMNT legend Eddie Pope, the club’s former chief sporting officer, and head coach Donovan Ricketts as part of a major reorganization in May, the Core have picked up points in 8 of 12 matches.
Now in their third year of existence, the Foxes have five matches left to make a run for the playoffs; last year, they exited in the first round with a 5-1 loss to NY Red Bulls II.
Carolina Ascent Are Back!
In their first year, the Carolina Ascent won the Players’ Shield and the best record in the Inaugural Season of the USL Super League.
In their second year, they made the Super League final and took the lead early thanks to a Mia Corbin goal, but Lexington SC were able to equalize and take the match to extra time, eventually beating the Ascent 3-1.
Now in their third year, the Ascent will play in a 14-match sprint season that starts this Saturday, August 15 with an away match against DC Power. After this short season, the USL Super League will move to a calendar year season similar to the NWSL.
Fans can kick off the season with a watch party at Hopfly Brewing Company.
Gallery: Charlotte FC Continues Solid Leagues Cup Run
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