Coronavirus concerns move Charlotte Independence vs. North Carolina FC match to August
An abundance of caution over the coronavirus pandemic has forced the Charlotte Independence to postpone a USL Championship game that was to be its home opener from July 29 to Aug. 26.
Independence president Jim McPhilliamy said Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, which operates the Sportsplex at Matthews, wasn’t comfortable with the team playing its first home game there against North Carolina FC so soon.
The state of North Carolina is under Phase 2 of its coronavirus reopening plan, which allows large venues, arenas and stadiums to be open but with restrictions. McPhilliamy said the Charlotte-NCFC game was scheduled to be played with no spectators and to be televised on ESPN+.
“The county originally said we couldn’t play games under the governor’s orders, but there was an exception to be made for games without fans that are on TV,” McPhilliamy said. “The county said that it was too short of a time period to turn it all around.
“So they just asked us to postpone it to be cautious. They’ve done a good job of managing things in Charlotte, so we’re not fighting it or hoping for a pass. We can do it in August.”
The Independence is scheduled to play its first home game Aug. 8 against the Charleston Battery.
The 35-team USL Championship, the second tier of pro soccer in the United States below Major League Soccer, had its season delayed due to the virus. It tweaked its schedule, splitting into eight regionalized divisions with each team playing 16 regular-season games.
The Independence (1-0-0), which won its season opener 2-1 against Sporting Kansas City II in March, is in a division with Cary-based NCFC, Birmingham and Memphis. Charlotte continues its season Saturday at Memphis.
McPhilliamy said the Independence and USL are following all federal, state and local coronavirus protocols. No Independence players, coaches or staff members have tested positive for the virus, he added.
This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 5:48 PM.