The following press release comes to us from the Charlotte Independence of the USL, and concerns their match on Friday against the Richmond Kickers. Weather in the Charlotte area played havoc with the match and forced it to be ended prematurely for the safety of players, officials and fans. Here is the release:
Richmond-Charlotte Ends in 0-0 Draw After 45 Minutes
Severe thunderstorms force match to be called at conclusion of first half
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 26, 2015) — The Charlotte Independence hosted the Richmond Kickers to a 0-0 draw on a stormy Friday night. The match was cut short at halftime due to inclement weather.
Neither side could really settle into the game before the match was called. Possession was in favor of Charlotte, but Richmond had begun to show life on the counter attack. Almost immediately after the first-half whistle, a severe thunderstorm coupled with gusting winds rolled over Ramblewood Soccer Complex.
The only threatening chance came in the 37th minute, when Independence midfielder Carlos Alvarez dinked one off the crossbar. The play started when defender Ben Newnam and midfielder Jorge Herrera combined deep in the Charlotte half before springing the ball forward to Alvarez at the top of the box. A quick cut inside from the tricky loanee gave way to a finessed shot that rattled the top of the bar before being cleared away by the Kickers defense.
With the result, Charlotte moves to 4-4-4 on the season with 16 points. The Independence are now three games unbeaten in USL play and four games unbeaten in all competitions. The club will try to continue this streak on Tuesday when they travel to Toyota Park to take on MLS side Chicago Fire in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Charlotte then returns to Ramblewood Soccer Complex to host Saint Louis FC on Saturday, July 4.
