Goals by Obertan (6’) and Johnson (37’)
CHARLOTTE, NC (June 29, 2024) – The Charlotte Independence tied the Richmond Kickers, 2-2, on Saturday evening at American Legion Memorial Stadium in the USL Jägermeister Cup. The Jacks are on the road against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Saturday, July 6 at 9:00 p.m. (ET). The match can be streamed on ESPN+.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Jacks took an early lead in the sixth minute after quick back-and-forth passing between #8 Joel Johnson and #56 Gabriel Obertan at the top of the penalty area. Obertan found an opening in the Richmond defense and sent a shot into the back of the net.
A strike from outside the penalty area by #10 Nil Vinyals tied the score for Richmond in the 22nd minute.
The same pairing that combined for the first Independence goal connected again for the second in the 37th minute. Obertan crossed the ball to Johnson who headed it into the back of the net.
Mimicking what happened earlier, the Kickers evened the score with a goal by Vinyals from outside the penalty area at the beginning of first-half stoppage time.
Halftime: Charlotte Independence 2, Richmond Kickers 2.
Obertan continued to create in the second half with a volleyed pass to #29 J.C. Obregón Jr., but his shot was tipped over the bar by the Richmond goalkeeper.
Charlotte kept battling in what became a very physical contest. The Jacks subbed on #10 Miguel Ibarra and #11 Tresor Mbuyu looking for a spark on offense.
The Independence nearly had a third goal in second-half stoppage time as Obregón Jr.’s shot from an unmarked position went a few inches wide of the right post.
End of Regulation: Charlotte Independence 2, Richmond Kickers 2.
Per the USL Jägermeister Cup rules, the match entered a penalty shootout to determine the winner of an extra point in the group standings. Richmond won the shootout, 4-5.
IN THE NUMBERS:
- #56 Gabriel Obertan and #8 Joel Johnson each recorded one goal and one assist in the game.
QUOTES:
Head Coach Mike Jeffries
On the different lineup fielded today
“The group that was on the field played very solidly throughout the day. I’m very disappointed that we got the lead twice and couldn’t hold onto it and that we didn’t close down two shots from distance. We managed the game in the second half fairly well but couldn’t find a winner. I was pleased. I thought a lot of guys stepped up whether it was on the field or into a new position.”
On the defensive performance
“The back group managed crosses really well all night, credit to them, because we knew that was going to be an issue with Richmond. I thought we did a good job of keeping the game in front of us, we just missed a couple chances.”
On Gabriel Obertan and Joel Johnson’s performances
“Gabi was fantastic. He scored a wonderful goal and basically did all the work on the second goal and played a beautiful ball to Joel. It was a great run by Joel. It’s nice to see him find his way into the box and be in a spot that’s dangerous. He was a little more aggressive in attack than he’s been in other games.”
#4 Nick Spielman
On how the team adjusted to the different lineup
“We adjusted fine. In practice, we rotate a lot, so we were able to translate that from practice to the game.”
On the defensive performance
“We could have stepped a bit harder when the ball went backwards, but overall we were solid and limited them to chances outside the box and not really inside the box.”
#8 Joel Johnson
On the offensive performance
“It was great. Unfortunately we conceded soon after scoring, so we had to build again. The team played really well, but sometimes it goes like this, and we have to keep working.”
NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE: The Charlotte Independence are on the road against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC on Saturday, July 6 at 9:00 p.m. (ET). The match can be streamed on ESPN+.
