The Independence entered Saturday night with a three-game losing streak, and would have to face the best team in the Eastern Conference on their own turf. The baseball stadium in Kentucky has not been kind to Charlotte, and it wasn’t again on Saturday, as the Jacks lost 2–1 and continued their downward spiral entering the USL Playoffs.

Saturday night’s was a tough game to watch as a fan of the Charlotte Independence. It seems as though there is a pattern to their play lately: struggling in the final third. With only two goals in their last five games, this team seems like a far cry from the team that beat Louisville City FC handily at the ‘Plex back in August.

As it has been since falling to Charleston 3–0, the first half was a positive start for Charlotte. But again, that start didn’t result in good chances in the final third from the run of play, and they had several dangerous set piece opportunities that they wasted. It felt all too familiar.

When Louisville decided to play soccer instead of seeing how many yellow cards they could collect, they were dangerous: There’s a reason they’ve wrapped up first place in the East. They are excellent defensively and take advantage of defensive errors. They had the better of the chances in the first half, forcing Cody Mizell into two tough saves that kept the Jacks in the game.

In the second half, a mix of defensive disorganization and a few bad bounces allowed the Purples to take a 1–0 lead. A ground ball with eyes (a baseball term appropriate for a soccer game tragically played on a baseball field) somehow found its way through a pair of scrambling Independence defenders who were painfully close to stopping it before George Davis IV could take his shot. That shot looked to be bound for Cody Mizell’s outstretched arms until Joel Johnson’s deflection sent it the opposite direction and into the back of the net. Watch it if you must:

It looked like another 1–0 loss was imminent because to this point, Charlotte’s attack was pretty stale, but then hope arrived in the form of Caleb Calvert’s right foot. Jaime Siaj played a lovely long ball to Calvert in the 18 yard box that he brought down with his chest and then hit a rocket on the half-volley into the top corner. It was, as Ray Hudson would say, “a magisterial goal!”

The joy that Calvert’s goal brought would be wiped away just 11 minutes later when Bryan Ownby’s shot was deflected in by Kyle Smith. This gamewinner was just a wacky goal all around, but I don’t think the defense was ever settled, and when you get the Independence defense unsettled, they become a lot easier to score goals on.

It’s unclear if Ownby’s shot would have gone in because the deflection from Smith happened so quickly, but fortunately for Louisville, Smith was in the right place at just the right time.

Charlotte was able to get two more attempts on target, both coming from Calvert, but they were unable to find an equalizer. In fact, Louisville came closer to adding a third than Charlotte did to tying things up. Another loss in a difficult final month of the season, and now a home playoff game relies on beating the Battery at home next Saturday (and a little help).

Man of the Match

Caleb Calvert

Calvert was a sign of life for the Jacks when he came on in the 63rd minute: He scored Charlotte’s first and only goal three minutes later.

Calvert’s goal wasn’t his only contribution, as his presence helped Enzo Martinez get into the game a little bit more than he had in the first hour. Charlotte looked far more threatening with him on the field. Sweet tea on me, Caleb.

Takeaways

Front four no more

Due to a combination of injuries and suspensions, Charlotte’s most effective front four of Alex Martinez, Jorge Hererra, Enzo Martinez and David Estrada have been unable to get on the same page in months. This combination, which carried the team through June and July have only started together once since August 19th. In that time, the Jacks have crawled their way to a 1–5–2 record. They’ll need to rectify this quickly, and even then it might be too late.

Where have the goals gone?

It’s no secret that Charlotte’s attack is struggling. The Independence scored 18 goals in their eight games during the month of July. In the 2+ months and 12 games since, they have scored only 15. Of course, all of us knew July’s pace was unsustainable, but I certainly didn’t expect the Jacks to drop off as much as they have.

Outside looking in

Unfortunately, the Jacks only chance to guarantee a top 4 finish is if Charlotte beats Charleston by 3+ goals, then they will pass the Battery via the total goals scored tiebreaker.** With a game in hand, the Rochester Rhinos can jump the Independence if they win their last two games regardless of Charlotte’s results. Keep an eye on their game Tuesday night against Bethlehem Steel FC.

Another game to keep an eye on is the Orlando City B vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies game. A win for Orlando keeps their playoff hopes alive and keeps the Rowdies within striking distance for the Jacks; a win for Tampa puts them securely in the top three, and the Charleston-Charlotte season finale decides their final place.

That being said, Charlotte really need to win their final game against the Battery at the ‘Plex next Saturday if they want that home playoff game and a top-four finish. They can still back in to that spot if the Rhinos lose their two games, but a win would certainly help Independence morale.

What’s Next?

The Jacks will wrap up the regular season on Saturday night at home at 7pm against the Battery. This is the final game of the Southern Derby Cup, but more importantly, they’ll likely have to win in order to return to the ‘Plex for the first round of the playoffs. So, anyone who considers themselves a fan of this team needs to get out there and help the boys get three points! Come on you Jacks!

** A previous edition of this article stated that Charlotte could not control its own destiny. Thanks to Jason Bailey for pointing out the scenario where Charlotte can pass Charleston.