CHARLOTTE, NC – The Charlotte Independence will look to advance to their second Prinx Tires USL Cup Semifinal Wednesday night as they host defending champions Hartford Athletic at the Sportsplex at Matthews. Here is all you need to know.
MATCH DETAILS
- Date: Wednesday, August 12
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Who: Hartford Athletic
- Where: Mecklenburg Country Sportsplex at Matthews (Charlotte, NC)
- What We’re Wearing: The Independence will be dressed in their Homage Kit.
- Watch: ESPN+
SEASON STANDING
- Charlotte Independence
- USL League One: 12-4-3 (2nd Place – 39 points)
- Last Time Out: 1-0 win vs Greenville on Aug. 8
- Hartford Athletic
- USL Championship: 4-5-9 (9th Place in the Eastern Conference – 18 points)
- Last Time Out: 1-1 draw vs. Indy 11 on Aug. 9
USL CUP SEMIFINALS ON THE LINE
The Independence will look to advance to the cup semifinals for the second time in club history on Wednesday night. Charlotte last reached the penultimate round in 2024, falling to Forward Madison when the competition featured only USL League One clubs.
Hartford, meanwhile, has already found success in the tournament, lifting the trophy in 2025 in its first appearance in the competition.
The Independence came out of Group 6 as the lone undefeated team, knocking off USL Championship sides Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Charleston Battery in penalty kicks to advance. Matt Levy showed up big, making critical penalty saves in both fixtures to secure the extra points.
Hartford coasted through Group 5, taking care of League One sides NY Cosmos and Westchester SC along the way.
A FIRST MEETING SINCE 2021
Charlotte and Hartford have met six times in the two clubs’ histories, with the Jacks dominating the series with five victories. Wednesday night will mark their first meeting since the 2021 USL Championship season, when the Independence earned a 2-1 victory over Hartford in Connecticut. Current Charlotte assistant coach Gabriel Obertan found the back of the net that night.
MAROU TOPS GOLDEN BOOT RACE
With his fifth goal in his last five USL League One matches, Souaibou Marou became the first player to reach double-digits this season and grab the solo lead in the Golden Boot Race. Marou eclipsed his previous personal Charlotte record of nine goals with a 62nd minute winner against Greenville to make it three straight wins for the Jacks.
SCOUTING HARTFORD
Hartford Athletic has been a difficult team to beat in USL Championship play this season, with draws defining much of its 2026 campaign. The club entered August with a 4-4-8 league record and has continued to pick up points, most recently earning a 1-1 road draw against Indy Eleven on Sunday. Hartford’s strength has largely come on the defensive end, highlighted by goalkeeper Antony Siaha, who had already recorded eight clean sheets by late July.
Going forward, Hartford features plenty of USL Championship experience, including Michee Ngalina, who recently became the youngest player in league history to reach 40 career goals and 30 assists.
