Charlotte Independence vs. Greenville Triumph SC
Wednesday, May 3, 7:00 pm EST
American Legion Memorial Stadium
The Jacks will play host to Greenville Triumph on a Wednesday night matchup. This will be Charlotte’s fifth match in 14 days, including US Open Cup action.
Charlotte remains undefeated in league play. However, they come in to this match having only scored one goal in three league matches, and possibly without star playmaker Gabriel Obertan. The French forward/midfielder missed the US Open Cup match on the 25th and the match against Forward Madison on the 29th. He leads the team with chances created at 11.
Charlotte was also without captain Clay Dimick on Saturday, who’s impact on both offense and defense cannot be understated. No word on whether either will be in the roster ahead of this match.
However, Charlotte’s forward attack runs deep, and includes USL Championship all-time leading goal scorer Dane Kelly, shored up with Khori Bennett and Tresor Mbuyu, both of whom led the team in goals last season with 11 a piece. Omar Ciss and Miguel Ibarra provide support from the midfield, and this level of talent is a huge reason why they have yet to lose. The club’s six goals have come from six different players, from all three lines.
Charlotte is backstopped by Austin Pack, currently making his case for league goaltender of the year. He leads the league in saves and clean sheets.
Greenville has seen some major ups and downs this season, starting with a three-match losing streak before winning two and then losing their last match at home to North Carolina FC.
They’ve suffered through some injuries, although the injury list seems to be getting smaller. Brandon Fricke and Nate Schultz returned to the roster on Saturday but Shultz did not appear in the match. Daniel Wu and Hassan Gabo also returned and appeared, with the former scoring the lone goal off the bench and the latter starting at right-back. However, Tevin Shaw missed the match and has a “questionable” status for this match, bringing fresh worries for the club.
On the bright side, several players have stepped up to provide some hope, including Noah Pilato, Lucas Coutinho and Jonah Biggar. It feels like a matter of time before this John Harkes lead squad regroups.
Greenville Triumph Absent / Questionable: Leo Castro (probable), Noah Franke (injury, out), Allen Gavilanes (probable), Ben Hale (injury, out), Tevin Shaw (injury, questionable), Jamie Smith (injury, out)
Charlotte Independence Absent / Questionable: Clay Dimick, Bachir Ndiaye (injury), Gabriel Obertan
One Knoxville SC vs. Forward Madison FC
Wednesday, May 3, 7:00 pm EST
Regal Soccer Stadium, Knoxville, TN
After escaping Fresno with a somewhat ugly win over Fuego FC, One Knox returns home to host Forward Madison, who drew second place Charlotte Independence.
One Knox remains on the precipice between becoming an impact club in their first year and suffering the expansion blues. The club’s two wins come at the expense of the clubs at the bottom of the table, fellow expansion side Lexington SC and a struggling Fuego FC. And the win over the latter last weekend wasn’t exactly anything great, as One Knox struggled to convert any chances until near the end of stoppage time, even while playing a man up since the 9th minute. But a win is a win.
One Knox is led by veteran forward Jake Keegan. One Knox scooped up Keegan quickly after Greenville decided to move on from his services in the off-season. It’s still early, but the 32-year-old seems to be having a career renaissance, and has already matched his 2022 goals total of two in only five matches.
Frank Ross, who last played in the Belgian top flight, has also provided a stable veteran presence for One Knox, assisting on two of the club’s five goals this season. However, Ross missed the Fuego match, and his absence was noticeable. The club also missed the services of veteran defender Angelo Kelly-Rosales, who served a red card suspension. The former remains questionable for this week, but the latter should resume his role in either the back line or the defensive midfield. Center midfielder/winger Jimmie Villalobos also remains questionable having exited the Fuego match in the 77th minute with an apparent injury.
Forward Madison is led by marquee off-season signing Christian Chaney, who provides a constant threat up front. The forward has two goals on 14 shots this season. He’s often assisted by fellow newcomer Jayden Onen, who will be returning to the roster after serving a red card suspension last match.
Isidro Martinez has emerged as a dominant playmaking force in the midfield, having earned league team of the week honors for his performance against Charlotte Independence. He currently leads the league with 14 chances created. One gets the impression that this squad is due for another explosion of goals, much like we saw when they faced Greenville earlier this season.
Forward Madison appears to have a 100% healthy roster right now, which could play to their advantage against a One Knox side possibly facing several key injuries.
One Knoxville SC Absent / Questionable: Frank Ross, James Thomas (injury), Jimmie Villalobos
Forward Madison Absent / Questionable: n/a