Giveaway:
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Kicking Off … 9 Points for Charlotte Squads
It was a stormy and rainy night in the Queen City, but the leftovers from Hurricane Isaias couldn’t stop Charlotte FC and the Charlotte Independence from scoring three goals apiece on their way to wins over FC Dallas and the New York Cosmos.
Right before the ndependence (19-5-6, 63 Points) kicked off, Fort Wayne defeated Union Omaha (19-7-4, 61 Points). The loss was the first at home for Omaha in over a year, and it gave the Jacks the opportunity to take first place in the USL League One table with a win. They scored all the goals they needed in the first half on the way to a 3-0 win.
With the 3 points, the first place Independence will not finish lower than second; they will finish their season on the road, then come back home on November 1 at 7:00 PM ET to host a quarterfinal playoff match at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
At Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte FC (13-9-7, 46 Points) went down 0-2 to the high-seeded Dallas squad in the first-ever MLS match between the two teams (in 2023, Charlotte beat FC Dallas in a Leagues Cup match). Then, thanks to a momentum-shifting round of substitutions from head coach Dean Smith, Charlotte came roaring back, with three goal contributions from Idan Toklomati in a performance where he may or may not have scored a hat trick (ask Harry Toffolo if Toklomati’s header actually hit his head).
Meanwhile, in Tampa Bay, Carolina Ascent FC (6-1-1, 19 Points) continued their dominant short season with a 0-3 win. That win puts Carolina 8 points north of second place DC Power FC (3-2-2, 11 Points) as the Ascent look forward to hosting the Power tonight at 7:30 PM, during a special Superwomen of the Carolinas Night at Memorial Stadium.
As a friend of Soccer Sheet and our Superwomen nominee Rebekah Whilden, you can purchase discounted tickets here.
As we’ve mentioned before, the benchmark we’re comparing the Ascent to this year is Manchester City’s points per game average of 2.632 during their record-setting 2017–18 campaign; should they win out, Carolina would surpass that mark.
Watch: Tampa Bay vs. Carolina Highlights
Lineups: What You Need to Know
Unfortunately, Charlotte FC couldn’t keep up the momentum in Columbus Wednesday night as the Crown saw a 0-1 lead turn into a 3-1 loss.
Head Coach Dean Smith made no excuses after the match.
“For 60 minutes we were woeful,” said Smith.
Despite an early goal from Idan Toklomati — his 12th of the season, tying Pep Biel — Charlotte and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina faced a steady barrage of shots from the Crew.
“We simply weren’t good enough tonight,” said Charlotte FC captain Ashley Westwood. “It’s probably the first time where we’ve really been outworked by another team … they fully deserve the win.”
With the loss, Charlotte remain in 5th place in the Eastern Conference as they travel to Pennsylvania this Saturday to face Philadelphia Union and a red-hot Cavan Sullivan fresh off his USMNT debut.
WoSo: Yesterday, U.S. Soccer announced the Arthur M. Blank Crest Cup, a U.S. Open Cup-style tournament that will include both the USL Super League and the NWSL.
Details:
The competition will be a single-elimination knockout format with a record-setting prize of $1.1 million.
The winner will qualify for the Concacaf W Champions Cup, providing a clear path for the USL Super League for the first time.
The competition is expected to debut in 2028.
Arthur Blank is a major donor to U.S. Soccer, the owner of Atlanta United, and made his fortune as a co-founder of The Home Depot.
“Outstanding news!!!” Carolina Ascent majority owner Dan DiMicco told Soccer Sheet when asked about the competition. “Can’t wait to see our ladies compete with the NWSL teams … that is going to be really amazing and it’s going to be fun! The exposure is going to be great for the club players AND the [USL Super League].”
USWNT: Ashley Sanchez scored the first of two goals for the USWNT during their two-match international window.
Sanchez came off the bench as a substitute in the team’s 0-2 loss against top-ranked Spain on October 10 in Washington, D.C.
Sanchez started on Tuesday, October 13 in the second match against Spain in Chester, Pa. After going down 0-2 again, Sanchez scored early in the second half.
Mallory Swanson scored a late equalizer for the U.S., and the second friendly ended in a 2-2 draw.
Hayes selected Ashley Sanchez to start because of "her experience and maturity and her ability to transfer knowledge."
NWSL: Speaking of Sanchez, the 8th place NC Courage (13-11-3, 42 Points) host the second place San Diego Wave (16-8-3, 51 Points) tomorrow at 7:00 PM at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
Sanchez is one goal away from setting the all-time NWSL scoring record.
MLS NEXT Pro: The quarterfinals of the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs start this weekend. Locally, top-seeded Crown Legacy FC will host Red Bull New York II at 7:00 PM on Sunday, October 18 at the Sportsplex in Matthews.
First Half: The Latest Stories from Soccer Sheet
Ream Honored in St. Louis, Announces Retirement from International Play
The U.S. Men’s National Team beat Chile 4-2 at Energizer Park in St. Louis on Tuesday, but the evening was about much more than the scoreline.
Halftime: Soccer Fact of the Week
Second Half: Social Media Shares
Postgame: Candid Comments
“We simply weren’t good enough tonight … It’s probably the first time where we’ve really been outworked by another team … they fully deserve the win.”
- Charlotte FC Captain Ashley Westwood on the 3-1 Loss to Columbus