Charlotte Independence Athletic Club Boise: USL League One Final

November 10, 2026

Photo: Charlotte Independence / @m12media

Charlotte Independence have an opportunity to win the first USL League One championship in club history, as the Jacks host Athletic Club Boise in the USL League One Final on Saturday at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews, with a chance to cap a record-setting regular season.

Charlotte captured the Players’ Shield for the league’s best regular-season record, the first trophy in the club’s 12-season history, finishing 20-6-6 and setting USL League One single-season records with 20 wins, 66 points and 74 goals, while posting a 14-1-1 home record.

Souaibou Marou led Charlotte Independence this season with 18 goals, becoming the first player in club history to win the Golden Boot. Photo: Courtesy of Charlotte Independence / @m12media

Charlotte clinched the Shield on October 17 with a 3-0 win over rival Greenville Triumph SC — head coach Mike Jeffries’ 65th victory in USL League One, making him the winningest coach in league history. Jeffries has coached the Independence for all but 15 matches in the club’s history, dating back to its inaugural 2015 season.

Souaibou Marou, the 2022 Cameroonian Ballon d’Or winner and a member of Cameroon’s 2022 FIFA World Cup squad, led the attack this season with 18 goals to become the first player in club history to win the Golden Boot. Jon Bakero, a former MAC Hermann Trophy winner at Wake Forest, earned the Golden Playmaker award with a league-record 18 assists while adding eight goals. In the Shield-clinching win over Greenville, he also became the league’s all-time assists leader. Five Independence players earned All-League honors: Marou, Bakero, Levy and Javen Romero on the First Team, and Joey Skinner on the Second Team.

Charlotte opened the playoffs with a 5-1 quarterfinal rout of FC Naples, then beat Forward Madison FC 2-1 in Sunday’s semifinal at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Bakero scored in the ninth minute, and after Madison equalized two minutes later, he set up Séga Coulibaly for the game-winner in the 40th minute. It was Coulibaly’s first goal for the club, and the defender also made a key goal-line clearance in the 58th minute. Levy made seven saves as Charlotte held on for the victory.

“To have a chance to get the championship game in our city, at our home field, means a lot to us,” Jeffries said following Sunday’s semifinal win.

Head coach Mike Jeffries became the winningest coach in USL League One history after leading Charlotte Independence to a 3-0 win over Greenville Triumph SC on October 17. Photo: Courtesy of Charlotte Independence / @m12media

Athletic Club Boise, a first-year club that finished third in the 17-team league, enters the final on a six-game winning streak with three consecutive shutouts.

Boise beat defending champion One Knoxville SC 2-0 in the quarterfinals in front of a league playoff-record crowd of 7,613, then broke that record with 8,003 fans for its semifinal against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. Jesús Barea’s 114th-minute goal gave Boise a 1-0 extra-time win.

The Jacks are seeking their first championship on Saturday against Athletic Club Boise at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews.

Charlotte is seeking its first postseason title three years after reaching its only previous USL League One Final, a 5-4 penalty-shootout loss to North Carolina FC after a 1-1 draw in Cary.

Charlotte Independence take on Athletic Club Boise on Saturday, November 14 (7:30 p.m.) at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews. You can purchase tickets here.