Charlotte pro soccer teams at home for 3 games on Saturday 

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Charlotte FC attacker Idan Toklomati's participation with the Israeli national team makes him unavailable to the Crown for Saturday's home match against Chicago Fire. Charlotte FC teammate Liel Abada is also on international duty with the Israelis.

One of the most famous and timeless comedy routines is Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on first; What’s on second; I don’t know is on third?” If you haven’t heard it, find it online.

On a top level, it also describes what is truly a Soccer Saturday in Charlotte, where three of the city’s four professional soccer teams have home matches and all are critical in league standings.

Who’s on first?

That would be the Charlotte Independence, who kick off at 2 p.m. at the Matthews Sportsplex stadium against Fort Wayne. 

With five games remaining in the regular season, the Jacks (17-5-5, 56 points) are two points out of first place in USL League One behind Union Omaha (18-6-4, 58). But they do have a game in hand over the leaders, so Saturday’s match has consequences as they must also ward off third-place Forward Madison (15-6-6, 51), who are five points behind.

The Independence have been blistering the nets with a league-leading 63 goals, 13 clear of both Omaha and Madison in second. Their conversion rate of 21% also leads. But they’ve also conceded 39 goals, tied for eighth most in USL1. 

Form has been particularly good with eight wins and two draws against two losses in the last 12 matches.

Mike Jeffries became the first manager to record 150 wins with one club in the United Soccer League’s modern era in a 5-4 victory two weeks ago against Westchester SC. The match exemplified the dramatic and relentless personality of this team, which has come back time and again to claim points and wins.

After going down 2-0 in the first 27 minutes, Charlotte scored four goals in 14 minutes to set a new record for the fastest ever sequence of four goals in a half in League One. They are flat-out fun to watch.

Their resilience showed again in a fightback to earn a 1-1 draw away to AC Boise and defend a 2-1 win at Richmond in their last two matches. 

Jon Bakero continues to pad his already record-setting total of assists, which now stands at 14. The previous single-season record was 11. Souaibou Marou leads the league in shots with 66 but has dropped to second with 12 goals.

What’s on second?

The Carolina Ascent, who are first in the Gainbridge Super League (5-1-0, 15 points), kick off at 7 p.m. at American Legion Memorial Stadium against Sporting Jacksonville, who are third (3-2-1, 10). 

This will be the seventh match for the Ascent in the GSL’s 14-game sprint season that bridges the league’s switch to a spring-to-fall season that matches the NWSL. Saturday’s game will be the first of the remaining four home matches, with four more on the road.

CAROLINA ASCENT

Carolina Ascent minority owner Martina Navratilova and the Dallas Sting, the first U.S. women's team to win a FIFA-sanctioned international tournament will be in attendance at Saturday's match against Sporting Jacksonville.

After a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay in the home opener, Carolina has won three straight without conceding a goal and scoring five. Overall, in six matches they’ve outscored the opposition 9-3. Goalkeeper Sydney Martinez and her defense, which is essentially and emphatically the other ten players, have claimed shutouts in four of those matches. 

In five matches since Jacksonville joined the GSL last season, each team has won twice with one draw.

Scoring has been balanced with Mia Corbin and Audrey Coleman leading with two goals apiece. Jill Aguilera, Rylee Baisden, Jenna Butler, Shea Groom, and Reese Tappan each have one.

Midfielder B Hylton, 19, has returned from international duty with England – eligible through her father, Andy, who played for the Charlotte Eagles – in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Hylton became the youngest goal scorer in club history at 17 years, 22 days against Brooklyn on Apr. 12, 2025. Limited to one appearance so far this season, coach Philip Poole says that she will press for time on the pitch.

Ascent minority owner Martina Navratilova and three members of the Dallas Sting, the first U.S. women’s team to play in and win a FIFA-sanctioned international tournament, will be in attendance Saturday.

I don’t know’s on third

Actually, we do know, and that would be Charlotte FC hosting the Chicago Fire amid an international break that will see both teams depleted of prime starters.

The Crown will attack without center forward Idan Toklomati and winger Liel Abada. The Israeli attackers have combined for 14 goals and 8 assists in MLS matches.    

Toklomati, 22, has started 23 of his 26 matches and scored in three of the last five. Abada has been especially in form over the seven games since the Leagues Cup, scoring four goals with two assists and creating many more chances.

Toklomati’s absence will give the start to Archie Goodwin, the affable Australian. The 21-year-old has three goals in 23 appearances with 3 starts. 

Also on international duty for his home country, Benin, is 19-year-old Rodolfo Aloko, who has started five of the 16 MLS games he’s played in since getting promoted to the first team in April. He scored his first MLS goal against Toronto in August and has two assists. With the addition of Allan Saint-Maximin, Aloko is now coming off the bench, keeping the level and energy high in the latter minutes.

Key players missing for the Fire include striker Robert Lewandowski, whose brace was the difference between the two teams in a 2-1 Chicago win on August 1. He’s captaining Poland in UEFA Nations League competition. Robin Lod will be with Finland for the same. 

Goalkeeper Chris Brady is with the U.S. team for friendlies, and defender Noah Allen is with Greece’s U-21 team. Puso Dithejane will be with South Africa for AFCON qualifiers.

This match is critical in the Crown’s battle to maintain and improve on a top four finish in the MLS East. In fourth (12-7-7, 43 points), Charlotte are four points ahead of Chicago (11-8-6, 39), who will still have a game in hand.

Charlotte are only three points behind New England and Miami (46 each). The Revolution are at Real Salt Lake on Saturday and Miami are on the road in Columbus on Sunday.

Dean Smith’s team is unbeaten (five wins, three draws) since the Leagues Cup with eight games to play, half of them at home, including Saturday. The regular season ends in Miami on Decision Day, Nov. 7.

Free kicks

Tim Ream will be honored by U.S. Soccer ahead of the United States’ match against Chile on Sept. 29 in his hometown of St. Louis. He has appeared in 86 matches for the national team since 2010, wearing the captain’s armband in 26 of them, and has scored a goal and recorded four assists. Ream started all four matches for the U.S. in the 2022 World Cup and captained the team in the 2026 World Cup, appearing in four of five matches.

Another CLTFC player called up for his national team is Andrew Johnson by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for the CONCACAF Nations League. Saint Vincent is in League B in Group D of the competition with French Guiana, Belize, and Saint Maarten. Winning Group D will also put the tiny Caribbean nation into the Gold Cup for the second time ever, the first time was in 1996.
Crown Legacy goalkeeper Jahiem Wickham received a call-up for Trinidad and Tobago, also competing in the CONCACAF Nations League. They play in Group A with Costa Rica, Haiti, Curaçao, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Julia Joseph, the daughter of CLTFC assistant coach Miles Joseph, is the starter at right back for Rutgers University, where she’s in her sophomore season.

The starting goalkeeper for the fourth-ranked Duke women’s team is sophomore Molly Vapensky. Before heading to Durham, the Illinois native was an academy contract player for the Carolina Ascent during the 2024-25 season.

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