A win Saturday could mean more than a positive step forward now into the second half of the season for Louisville City FC or the Charlotte Independence.
Both clubs — which are set to meet at 7 p.m. at the Sportsplex at Matthews — are also within three points of USL Eastern Conference leader Charleston, with the possibility there to take over first place with a victory.
“It’s an important game for sure — certainly from our standpoint and from theirs,” said LouCity coach James O’Connor. “Both teams will be desperate to go and try to win the game.”
LouCity was the last club to beat Charlotte, and that’s been 10 games and nearly two months since a 1-0 result back on June 7 at Slugger Field. The boys in purple enter the weekend in solid form as well having posted back-to-back wins, most recently a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls II.
Charlotte’s quick climb has the Independence at 10-3-6 on the season, good for 36 points. LouCity’s at 10-3-5 with 35 points — but one fewer game played. The Charleston Battery’s 37 points top the Eastern Conference.
Interestingly, LouCity plays at both Charlotte and Charleston twice this season, setting up one of the league’s toughest schedules.
“That’s part of the competition,” O’Connor said.
So, too, is adjusting to Charlotte’s new stadium. The Independence moved to Matthews, N.C., midseason, and have yet to lose in their new home., which O’Connor says favors the host club’s style.
“They like to be expansive. They like to play,” the coach said. “The move to the new stadium in Charlotte has definitely, definitely helped them.”
More from Coach O’Connor’s Monday press conference…
On how his team handled New York’s second half aggression to finish strong: “We were really pleased. The fight was very, very good. Our play could’ve been a little bit better. Could’ve been a bit sharper. Could’ve been a bit smarter. But again, the reaction I thought was very, very good.
On a crowd of 10,017 last Saturday at Slugger Field: “Fantastic to see so many people here. The crowd played a big part into that as well. Really encouraged the players to keep going. It was great from that aspect too.”
On how the players handle O’Connor’s lineup selections: “The guys have been brilliant, to be honest. As I said, there was the five on Saturday — four starters obviously didn’t like getting dropped off the bench. You have difficult conversations with people. The guys do a really good job of encouraging each other and respecting the decisions that are made. From a player’s standpoint, it’s not always easy because you obviously feel as if you can play every week. I get it from their standpoint.”
