MATTHEWS, N.C. (April 16, 2019) – Bethlehem Steel saw their three-match unbeaten streak snapped in a 2-1 loss to Charlotte Independence Tuesday night. Steel FC midfielder Chavany Willis notched his first USL Championship goal in the loss.
Charlotte Independence started the match on the front foot, pressuring Steel FC from the first whistle. Independence midfielder Mark Hill took a free kick in the 29th minute that clanged off the crossbar and fell to the feet of defender Andrew Gutman who knocked it home for Charlotte’s first goal of the match. The Independence increased their lead with a 72nd-minute goal when midfielder Alex Martínez found forward Jorge Herrera on a cross. Herrera got to it in the air and headed it over an outstretched Carlos Miguel Coronel.
The Steel were able to get one back and put the pressure on at the end of the match, when midfielder Chavany Willis scored his first-career goal for the club in the 80th minute. Willis collected a cross from Michee Ngalina that bounced off a Charlotte defender and powered it off the back of a Charlotte man and into the net for the Steel’s first and only goal in the match. Midfielder and Steel veteran James Chambers hit a late half-volley that troubled the Independence’s goalkeeper and forced a diving save, but the Charlotte man did well and kept the shot out. The final whistle blew with the score at 2-1 in favor of the home side.
Philadelphia Union midfielder Derrick Jones earned his first start of 2019 for Steel FC in the match, joining fellow Union players Carlos Miguel Coronel, Anthony Fontana, Olivier Mbaizo and Matt Real in the lineup. Coronel made two saves in the match, while Mbaizo and Real caused trouble down the wings towards the end of the match from their outside back positions, giving the Steel chances to equalize late.
Bethlehem Steel FC next hosts Indy Eleven at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday, April 20 (4:00 p.m. ET | Talen Energy Stadium | Chester, Pa. | ESPN+) as part of a double-header with Philadelphia Union.
RECAP:
Bethlehem Steel FC 1 – Charlotte Independence 2
Sportsplex at Matthews (Matthews, N.C.)
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
TODAY’S MATCH INFO:
Venue: Sportsplex at Matthews (Matthews, N.C.)
Referee: Elvis Osmanovic
Assistant Referees: CJ Morgante, Benjamin Wooten
Fourth Official: Eric Barnes
Weather: 72 degrees and clear
Attendance: 1,387
GOALS/ASSISTS
CLT – Andrew Gutman (Unassisted) 29’
CLT – Jorge Herrera (Alex Martínez) 72’
BST – Chavany Willis (Unassisted) 80’
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
BST – Cole Turner (caution) 57’
CLT – Andrew Gutman (caution) 66’
BST – Matt Real (caution) 84’
BST – Ben Ofeimu (caution) 85’
LINEUP
Bethlehem Steel FC: Carlos Miguel Coronel; Matt Real ©, Ben Ofeimu, Olivier Mbaizo, Issa Rayyan (Cole Turner 46’); Derrick Jones, Chavany Willis; Anthony Fontana (James Chambers 64’), Jack de Vries (Zach Zandi 57’); Faris, Michee Ngalina
Substitutes not used:Kris Shakes; Shanyder Borgelin, Walter Cortés, Saed Díaz
Charlotte Independence: Curtis Anderson; Andrew Gutman, Steven Thicot, Hugh Roberts, Joel Johnson; Jake Areman, Mark Hill (Abdoulie Mansally 85’), Afrim Taku, Alex Martínez; Jorge Herrera ©, Niki Jackson
Substitutes not used: Brandon Miller; Kevan George, Cabwey Mereves Kivutuka, Enzo Martínez, Dominic Oduro
TEAM NOTES
Steel FC midfielder Chavany Willis scored his first-career goal for Steel FC in the 80th minute of tonight’s match. Willis was able to pick up a cross that ricocheted off a Charlotte defender and finish for his first goal.
Five Philadelphia Union players started in the match tonight for Bethlehem Steel FC, including midfielder Derrick Jones who made his first start of 2019 for the club. Defender Matt Real made his return to the lineup after serving his one-match suspension and joined fellow defender Olivier Mbaizo on the back line of the Steel. Carlos Miguel Coronel and Anthony Fontana were also included in the Steel starting XI.
Philadelphia Union defender Matt Real served as team captain in this match for Steel FC, playing 90 minutes, making one tackle and earning three fouls. Real also ended the night with a passing accuracy of 86.1%, the highest of any Steel FC starter in tonight’s match.
Goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel, on loan from Philadelphia Union, made his second-straight start for Steel FC and added two more saves to his 2019 USL Championship total.
Steel FC plays next on Saturday, April 20 when they host Indy Eleven at Talen Energy Stadium (4:00 p.m. ET | Chester, Pa. | ESPN+).
