CHARLOTTE, NC – A marquee matchup kicks off the weekend for the Prinx Tires USL Cup, as the Charlotte Independence host USL Championship winners Pittsburgh Riverhounds Friday night. Here is all you need to know beforehand.
Match Details
- Date: Friday, May 15
- Time: 7:30 PM
- Who: Pittsburgh Riverhounds
- Where: American Legion Memorial Stadium
- What We’re Wearing: The Independence will be in their red Homage Kit.
Thanks to the Independence grabbing seven points last week, tickets for this match are available for $7 for three days only.
As part of Salute to Sacrifice Night:
First 500 fans in attendance will receive an exclusive commemorative challenge coin
Post-game fireworks, weather permitting.
League Standing
- Charlotte Independence: 3-2-2 (8th Place, 5 points – USL League One)
- Last Time Out: 3-1 win at Corpus Christi FC
- Pittsburgh Riverhounds: 4-4-1 (5th Place, 13 points – USL Championship)
- Last Time Out: 2-0 win at Louisville City FC
A Battle in the USL Prinx Tires Cup
Friday night marks the second round of games in the USL Prinx Tires Cup. Pittsburgh, Charlotte, and Charleston Battery all sit with three points at the top of Group 6. The seven group winners of the competition and one wild card will advance to the knockout stage, with the wild card to be awarded to the second-placed team with the most points in group play, followed by the first tiebreaker of most goals scored.
Thanks to his performance against the Kickers last time out, Enzo Martinez was named Player of the Round for the Independence.
Last Time Out
- The Jacks picked up their first in-league victory Saturday night, defeating Corpus Christi 3-1. In their second straight win, goals from Martinez, Jefferson Amaya, and Luis Alvarez powered the Jacks to a second straight win, while Matt Levy turned aside four shots in goal to move back above the playoff line. The Independence grabbed all three points in their USL Cup opener at Richmond on April 25 thanks to a Martinez brace.
- Pittsburgh knocked off Lousiville City 2-0 on the road Saturday night to get back in the win column. Trevor Amann and Samuel Bassett both scored for the Riverhounds, who now sit fifth in the USL Championship table. On the same night Charlotte beat Richmond, Pittsburgh defeated League One’s Greenville Triumph 3-0 in their USL Cup opener at F.N.B. Stadium behind a brace from Amann.
Players to Watch
- Martinez is on a heater for the Independence, scoring in each of the last three matches he has appeared in and scoring his 100th career professional goal at Corpus Christi FC.
- Levy has been excellent in goal for the Jacks, sitting second in saves in USL League One (25) and making stops like this one:
- Picking up on where he finished last season, Jon Bakero now has three assists in league play, which is good for second-most in USL League One.
- It’s been a two-headed monster in attack for the Riverhounds between Amann and Albert Dikwa. The pair have combined for nine goals in all competitions this season.
