The Charlotte Independence is quietly making their case for MLS expansion in the future. The rookie franchise in USL has already put itself squarely in the national media attention by knocking off the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup, advancing to the round of 16. Even though this is their first season, the foundation is being laid to make a bid for MLS expansion by 2020.
There have been initial questions that any new franchise has to endure. What will be our name? What colors should we inherit? Where will we play? Some of those questions were answered pretty quickly. The “Independence” refers to the strong roots Charlotte maintains from the initial start of the United States of America. The color scheme is closely tied to the Major League Lacrosse team, the Charlotte Hounds, as the ownership for the Hounds is the same as the Independence. The last major question was, “Where do we play?” Memorial Stadium was the answer, but that does not have a large enough field to accommodate a professional soccer team. So renovations were put into play, but legal hurdles have slowed that process down tremendously.
As expected, there have been some hiccups along the way. The team is still playing in a temporary venue after a short tour around the city of Charlotte, and just over the border into South Carolina, due to the renovations at their home stadium being delayed until at least 2016. Hiring of a GM with ties to the former USL team left some fans wondering if this team was serious about winning and promoting a different culture within the Charlotte soccer scene. The partnership with Colorado and their initial presence within the team had everyone in Charlotte worried this could end up being the Rapids 2.0 in Charlotte instead of their own team with light ties to the larger club.
The team is now nearly half way through the USL season, and some of those initial issues have subsided. The Independence is not only surviving, some would say they are thriving. With supporters groups in tow, most notably “Jack’s Militia” and “QC Royals,” the Independence have started a grassroots following that is continuously growing. This type of commitment from fans and the city is what MLS looks for when selecting the expansion team locations.
This will not be an easy trail to blaze for the Independence; in fact, it will be quite the opposite. Big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago have no issues being awarded a professional franchise. It is almost expected that each one of those cities will have at least one, if not two, professional teams in every sport. The key for Charlotte will be to grow the fan base over time, much like Orlando City and Minnesota, to make it the most viable option for long term growth of the league. Smart marketing will drive fans to the gates, winning will keep them around, and the game day experience will make them invite others.
As of today, with a record of 4-3-4, the Charlotte Independence sits 18th overall and 8th inside the Eastern Conference. Not bad for a franchise trying to make a name for themselves, and start the process of growing into the discussion for MLS to make its mark in the City of Charlotte down the road. Will the ownership group of the USL franchise reach their goal of being the ownership group of the MLS franchise by 2020? Time will tell, but Charlotte is making a case for MLS.
