CHARLOTTE, NC (June 10, 2026) – The Charlotte Independence took down league leaders Union Omaha 2-0 for their sixth straight win Wednesday night.
Souaibou Marou opened the scoring in the first half and Luis Alvarez added a second in the final 45 minutes with a moment of brilliance. Matt Levy stole the show in the second half, coming up huge with a penalty save to keep the lead at two and grab his third clean sheet.
The sixth straight league win is the longest Independence winning streak in their USL League One history.
Levy was called into action early, passing his first test in the 7th minute. Pato Botello Faz slipped Allen Gavilanes in behind, and the winger unleashed a powerful effort from a tight angle. Levy stood firm, parrying the shot away with strong hands to keep the match scoreless.
Union Omaha showed exactly why they sit atop the league table during the opening 10 minutes. Their relentless high press disrupted Charlotte’s buildup play, forcing several turnovers deep in the Independence’s own half and making it difficult for the Jacks to settle into a rhythm.
After Jon Bakero curled a free kick narrowly over the crossbar in the 17th minute, Omaha came within inches of opening the scoring four minutes later. Gabriel Cabral connected cleanly with a half-volley from 25 yards, sending a stunning strike crashing off the crossbar.
The Independence responded with a slick attacking sequence in the 27th minute. Prince Saydee found Enzo Martinez in space near the penalty spot, but Samuel Owusu recovered brilliantly to throw himself in front of the shot and divert it behind for a corner.
Charlotte’s breakthrough arrived in the 34th minute through another excellent team move. Saydee and Bakero combined with a clever give-and-go at the top of the box, freeing Saydee down the flank. The winger then squared across goal for Marou, who calmly tapped home his third goal in as many matches to give the Jacks a 1-0 lead.
Charlotte generated a flurry of chances in first-half stoppage time. The in-form Alvarez came closest to breaking the deadlock, combining with Martinez on a quick one-two before rifling a first-time effort off the crossbar. Moments later, the pressure continued as Saydee met a loose ball with a one-time strike that flashed just wide of Rashid Nuhu’s near post.
It was a strong finish to the opening half for the Jacks after weathering Omaha’s early pressure. While the visitors enjoyed more of the possession, Charlotte created the more dangerous opportunities and consistently looked the greater threat in front of goal.
The Independence doubled their lead with another work of art from Alvarez. After winning the ball back, the Honduran bowled over a man, strutted into the area, and bent a curling effort into the side netting for his sixth goal in six games and the solo lead in the Golden Boot race.
The Independence refused to sit back and attacked for a third. Christopher Jaime’s edge of the box volley fell a whisker wide of Nuhu’s post in the 59th minute, almost giving Charlotte proper insurance. Three minutes later, Marou’s header from eight yards was pawed away by Nuhu.
Omaha was gifted a penalty in the 69th minute. Breaking in transition, Sergio Ors was taken down by Javen Romero and after waiting some time, head referee Stefan Perri pointed to the spot. Ors stepped up to take, but Levy made his second regulation penalty stop of the season, diving to his right.
Ors couldn’t find the back of the net again in the 79th minute. He sat down Romero and had Levy rooted to his spot, but his left-footed strike struck the outside of the net.
Levy once again stepped up in the 83rd minute. Sprung in behind the Charlotte defense, Diego Gutierrez saw himself one-on-one with the Charlotte goalkeeper, but Levy attacked the shooter well and refused to be beaten en route to his third clean sheet of the campaign.
A 2-0 win moves Charlotte into second place in the table and just five points back in their chase of Omaha. The Jacks will be back in action quickly, taking on FC Naples at American Legion Memorial Stadium Saturday night. Tickets are available here.
POST-GAME QUOTES
Head Coach Mike Jeffries on the clean sheet:
“Matt came through with some huge plays. Not just the penalty save, which was massive, but he made some big stops in the run of play early. He made a save that kept it scoreless, and then later had another good stop on a breakaway. Those are huge moments from him. That’s his clean sheet because we gave up a lot of chances. At the same time, we created a lot of chances ourselves tonight.”
Jeffries on absorbing early pressure before finding their rhythm:
“The first 20 minutes were a struggle. I don’t think we adjusted well initially, but after about 20 minutes we settled in. From there, I thought we managed the game fairly well. Honestly, we were disappointed not to go into halftime with more than a one-goal lead. We were fortunate not to be behind early in the game, but once the tide started to turn in the first half, I thought we were unfortunate not to be up by more.”
Levy on his save and keeping the momentum in his team’s favor:
“I felt like it was something the team really needed, especially after the last game. We conceded with a couple minutes left when it was 5-0, and it felt like a clean sheet was pretty much secured. Then tonight the penalty happens, and obviously we were contesting it. We didn’t think it should have been a penalty, but that’s how it went. I just had confidence going into it. This year I’ve done well on penalties, so I relied on those past performances and experiences to carry me into that moment.”
Reudd Manin on the team’s run and clean sheet tonight:
“It’s a group effort. We’ve been building something together, and I think we’re starting to see the results of that work.This is just the beginning for us. There are still a lot of games left in the season, and we have to keep moving forward the same way.”
