Louisville City vs. Charlotte Independence. Saturday night in Matthews. You’re going to want to be there for this one. The Jacks’ last loss, all the way back in the first week of June? Against Louisville City.

These two teams don’t find themselves in the race for first in the USL Eastern Conference by accident. Both of these teams have some impressive strengths that are equally difficult to beat.

Defense Into Offense

Louisville City FC has one of the toughest defenses to score on. They are currently only conceding an average of 0.9 goals per game. That mark is tied with Tampa Bay and Rochester for the lowest average in the Eastern Conference.

While their defense is indeed stout that doesn’t mean they simply bunker down constantly. Louisville is one of the quickest teams to shoot in the entire conference. They currently are taking the most shots on a per game basis with 15.5 shots. That distinction is somewhat cloudy. The offense for Louisville is only converting 14.2% of their shots into goals. That distinction leaves them a part of a six-way tie for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

No Striker, No Problem

The Independence’s offense isn’t exactly what you’d call traditional either. Veteran Jorge Herrera has been our typical starter at forward this season. The 36-year-old wily veteran stands just 5 ft 9, 150 pounds and has turned back the clock this year.

I could talk about Jorge’s impact on this team and the city of Charlotte endlessly (you should read this, if you haven’t already). He has truly made our offense a force to fear.

For this section though, I’ll focus on stats as a team for Charlotte. The 37 goals the Independence have scored this year is fourth in the entire USL and second in the Eastern Conference. When you take into account the USL’s unbalanced schedule, Charlotte’s offense looks even more deadly. They are currently averaging 1.95 goals per game, which is best in the Eastern Conference and 3rd in the entire USL.

While the Independence may not be taking shots in droves, they are taking advantage of their limited opportunities. They are currently second in the entire league with 21% of their shots turning into goals.

Things have changed

In the previous matchup, the Independence started an experimental lineup. This was due to the sheer volume of games: the previous game marked their fourth game in 12 days. Two of the players we started that Wednesday night aren’t even on our roster anymore. Donnie Smith and Dennis Castillo, our starting full backs for that game, were both loaned to us by different clubs. Since that game, they’ve returned to MLS.

Yeah, not our normal back in June.

Only three of the remaining nine players that started that game could be considered regular starters. The starting 11 that has propelled our 10 game unbeaten streak since the loss that night will more than likely be the one we see Saturday. One player that we know won’t be available is going to be Joel Johnson; he typically lines up as Charlotte’s right back.

Battle of the Beards

Two players that are key for both teams happen to have impressive beards. Both bearded midfielders have pivotal roles of their respective teams.

The first would be Brian Ownby who plays for Louisville. Bearded Brian is the only player on City’s roster that has appeared in all 18 games this season. He leads the team with 33 total shots 18 of which have been on target. While he only has four goals, two left footed goals and two right footed goals, Ownby’s impact on offense doesn’t end there. He is second on the team with 29 chances created.

While Enzo is new to the burly beard game, he’s no stranger to bewildering opposing defenses .Enzo Martinez, let me count the ways that Charlotteans love you. Enzo is third in total shots in the entire USL with 50. He has converted that hefty amount of shots into nine goals this season. Last week, he showed his ability to spread the ball. In the 4–0 victory against Bethlehem he assisted on two of those goals. He is tied for second on the team with his brother Alex Martinez with four assists.

Last season was a statement season for Enzo being among the finalists for MVP and being named to the All-League First Team. This season, he has been even better statistically. He has already passed his goals scored from last year and has as many assists as he had all last year.

Super Sub

Louisville coach James O’Conner has a not-so-hidden talent he likes to reserve for late game heroics. While Luke Spencer might only have started five games, don’t let that fool you. He is currently tied with fellow forward Cameron Lancaster as the team’s leading scorer with five goals.

If there was a soccer equivalent to a pinch hitter, Spencer is just that: he has relished his role of super sub on Louisville’s roster. Last week, Louisville found themselves tied late in their match against NYRBII. In the 70th minute Coach O’Conner called upon Spencer to do what he does best. He was up to the task and scored immediately off a corner kick. If we see number 12 come off the bench late in the game, watch out… he’ll be looking to score quickly.

Recent Form

Charlotte: W | W | D | D | W

Louisville: W | D | L | W | W

Game Details

What: Charlotte Independence vs. Louisville City (USL season)

Where: Matthews Sportsplex, Charlotte

When: 7:00pm ET

Prediction Time

In the first meeting between the teams, the game ended in a 1–0 scoreline in favor of Louisville. These two teams have met five times in their history, and only once have both teams scored more than one goal: the only time it wasn’t a one goal game it was a 1–1 draw.

It would be easy to predict that outcome, but I don’t see that transpiring considering what is on the line. There is no doubt that neither of these teams want to drop any points in this important meeting. I think we can throw out Louisville’s first victory against Charlotte due to a couple factors. Due to our change in roster and recent form, I think Charlotte will avenge their June 7th loss.

I’m predicting a 2–1 scoreline in favor of the Charlotte Independence. Those who score for the Jacks will be David Estrada and Jorge Herrera.