Greenville downs Charlotte in front of sellout crowd to book fourth straight playoff appearance
Greenville, SC (October 8, 2022) – The Greenville Triumph Soccer Club had much to celebrate after a 1-0 victory against the Charlotte Independence on Saturday night, as the skid-snapping win in front of a sellout crowd clinched a playoff berth and a home match for the three-time League One Finalists. With the result, Greenville can finish no worse than fourth with just one week left in the regular season.
Triumph SC entered Saturday night looking to snap a six-match winless streak dating back to late August. Both clubs entered the match in hopes of clinching a playoff spot, with Greenville a single point away. The match started slowly, with both teams hoping to avoid a damaging loss to their postseason hopes. Neither goalkeeper was tested in the opening moments of the match, with tepid possessions as the clubs searched for an opening. The half was highlighted by a stellar save in traffic from Greenville’s Paul Christensen in the 25th minute to keep the match scoreless. Greenville and Charlotte combined for 10 shots in the first frame, but few on target.
The second half wore on, with Greenville seemingly destined for a fourth straight draw. Though a draw would’ve clinched a playoff spot, the Triumph knew a win and three points would guarantee a home playoff match. The attack kicked in to gear with the substitution of attackers Venton Evans and Jacob Labovitz. Twisting and turning to find an angle in the box in the 75th minute, Evans found Jesus Ibarra, who whipped in front of goal that found the head of leading-scorer Jacob Labovitz, who notched it past Charlotte’s keeper to take the lead. Learning from mistakes of weeks past, Greenville was able to stay locked in through the full 90 minutes and hold the advantage to preserve the victory.
“We talked this week about having the right energy and the right approach to the game,” said head coach John Harkes. “It’s okay to be patient if the goal doesn’t come early, but at the same time we’ve always had big impacts from subs that have come off the bench. Overall, I’m just proud of the group, but it’s not done yet and we still have another big game ahead of us next week in Richmond.”
Greenville closes out the regular season next Saturday, October 15th, as the club travels to Virginia to face the league-leading Richmond Kickers at City Stadium at 6:30 PM. Depending on results around the league, Greenville could still clinch a first-round bye. Playoff ticking information will be available in the coming days once the playoff date is determined.
