CHARLOTTE, NC (June 24, 2026) – Reudd Manin scored his first professional goal in the 76th minute, lifting the Charlotte Independence to a 1-0 victory over Greenville Triumph in the Prinx Tires USL Cup Wednesday night.
It was a center back connection for the match winner, as Javen Romero’s corner found Manin’s head to claim all three points in the first-ever meeting between Charlotte head coach Mike Jeffries and former assistant Dave Dixon. The victory moves the Jacks to 11 games unbeaten in all competitions and level on points with Charleston Battery atop Group 6 with only that fixture remaining.
The first chance of the match fell to Enzo Martinez in the 13th minute. The Uruguayan midfielder pounced on a loose ball at the top of the box and curled an effort toward the far post, but former Charlotte goalkeeper Amal Knight was equal to it.
Martinez was involved again eight minutes later. Luis Alvarez, looking to pick up where he left off before the week off, drove a low effort on target that forced Knight into a diving save. The rebound fell kindly to Martinez, but the midfielder couldn’t steer his header on frame.
Charlotte began to find its footing as the first half wore on, pinning Greenville deep in its own end. The pressure nearly paid off three minutes before the break.
Martinez threaded a pass down the flank for Prince Saydee, who delivered a dangerous ball across the face of goal for the charging Souaibou Marou. His first-time effort from six yards was brilliantly denied by Knight, who threw his body in front of the shot. The rebound fell to Alvarez, but Marou inadvertently blocked his teammate’s attempt, sending it wide.
Moments before halftime, Charlotte suffered a significant blow when Alvarez pulled up with a leg injury after the whistle. USL League One’s leading scorer was unable to continue and did not return for the second half.
Even without their talisman, the Independence continued to press. In the 70th minute, substitute Viggo Ortiz slipped Christopher Jaime into space on the overlap. Jaime’s low cross found Saydee in front of goal, but Knight produced another outstanding reflex save to keep the match scoreless.
The Jacks came agonizingly close again five minutes later. Romero slipped Joey Skinner through on goal, and the defender delicately lifted his finish over the advancing Knight. With the ball destined for the net, Greenville defender Evan Lee raced back to clear it off the goal line.
Charlotte’s breakthrough finally arrived just a minute later. Romero whipped in a corner kick, and Manin met it to power home his first professional goal, giving the Independence a massive lead for USL Cup group purposes.
Although rarely tested throughout the evening, Matt Levy delivered when called upon in the 82nd minute. Jason Bouregy weaved through the Charlotte defense before sending a dangerous cross into the six-yard box. Anthony Patti got a touch on it, but Levy reacted brilliantly, diving across his line to preserve the lead with a sensational save.
Greenville continued to buzz until the final whistle, but the Independence held on to take all three points and stamp themselves alongside Charleston atop the group table.
POST-GAME QUOTES
Head Coach Mike Jeffries on capitalizing late:
“It was nice, in a way, to go into halftime at 0-0 and have to manage a tight game. Our recent matches have been pretty wide open, so this was a different challenge. Going into the game, we felt set pieces were going to be a big factor for them, so for us to score directly from a corner was huge.”
Jeffries on Manin’s first pro goal:
“I’m so happy for him because he’s worked incredibly hard. He’s embraced the role, worked to get better every day, and cleaned up the little things we’ve talked about. Credit to him because he came into a group where we felt we already had a really solid back line, and he earned his spot.”
Javen Romero on keeping the victories going:
“We’ve been on a good run at home, and having the week off really helped. It gave us a chance to recover, and that made a big difference. The group stays focused at all times, and we just kept pushing hard for each other. That’s how we were able to get the result.”
Reudd Manin on his goal:
“It’s a special moment. But the most important thing is that we won tonight and kept a clean sheet. It was another great group effort, and we’re just going to keep going like that. I’m happy I could help the team – not only defensively, but by scoring tonight as well.”
