Independence Claims 1-0 Victory over Triumph in I-85 Derby
Updated: Aug 17
It was a 1-0 win Saturday night in Charlotte as the Independence claimed the first meeting of the I-85 Derby over the visiting Greenville Triumph. A 45-minute weather delay, a second-half goal for the hosts, and a Triumph red card all stacked up against the Triumph in this USL League One defeat.
Greenville had the first look of the match in the 10th minute with a long-range effort seeking to catch the Charlotte keeper well off his line. Charlotte would respond with their best early chance with a hopeful bicycle kick from the top of the box in the 13th minute as the match opened slowly.
Both teams had quality chances just minutes later as Greenville fired a cross into the near post area only to see the resulting shot run wide of the target in the 15th minute before Charlotte forced a save from Greenville’s Amal Knight in the 16th minute. Knight played for the Independence in 2025 and made a strong, left-handed save on a close-range effort to turn the hosts away and keep things scoreless.
Both teams traded half-chances and long-range shots the rest of the half before a 45-minute weather delay paused the game just before the half.
After the delay and the adjusted halftime break, Charlotte ran a short corner in the 49th minute from the left corner that ultimately rattled off the far post inside the very crowded Triumph goalmouth. Greenville created an excellent scoring chance in the 52nd minute after a long throw in was flicked on for a shot that whistled wide of the goal.
The breakthrough for Charlotte would come in the 62nd minute after a long, surging dribble ran the ball from the midfield circle all the way to the top of the Greenville box. A quick pass was then slipped across the top of the box from right to left and into the feet of Souaibou Marou. Mouru’s first shot was blocked by Knight in the Greenville nets but the USL League One Golden Boot Leader Marou was quickly back to his feet where he blasted the rebound into the roof of the net for the 1-0 lead.
Greenville almost had an immediate answer just a minute later as a cross from the right flank was header back central only to be shot off the bar in what would have been a spectacular answer for the visitors.
Knight, who made four spectacular saves for Greenville, was called into action again 1v1 in the 72nd minute as Marou was in on goal all alone with the ball at his feet. There were shouts for offside in the buildup play and both teams except Marou and Knight seemed to pause for a split second setting up this latest 1v1 duel. Knight was quick to recover his angle and smothered the low shot out of bounds for a Charlotte corner kick.
Hopes of a Greenville comeback took a major downturn as a sliding challenge produced a red card reducing the visitors to 10 men down the final stretch. Knight made one final save in the 82nd minute to keep it close but Greenville just didn’t find the equalizer in the 0-1 defeat.
Charlotte remains in second place in USL League One on 39 points while Greenville sits in fourteenth place with 18 points. Charlotte has a huge Prinx Tires USL Cup match at home versus Hartford Athletic on August 12.
Greenville is 10 points out of a playoff spot and has a trip to Forward Madison on August 12 and a home match versus One Knoxville on August 15 next on the schedule.
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