Fresh off what may well be the greatest statistical game in USL League One history, Jon Bakero and the Charlotte Independence host the Portland Hearts of Pine tonight in a duel that looks like a mismatch.
Portland (5-8-10) hasn’t won a league match since July 3rd and is currently mired in an eight-game winless streak, plummeting the Hearts into 14th place in the 17-team USL1.
On the other side, Bakero scored two goals and assisted on three others in Charlotte’s 5-0 victory Friday over AV Alta FC. He is the first player in league history to total five goal contributions in a match. Meanwhile, Charlotte (14-4-4) hasn’t lost in the league since July 22, going 5-1-0 during that stretch, propelling the surging Independence into first place.
Charlotte leads the league in goals by a wide margin with 52 in total and Forward Madison FC the closest at 43. The Independence, which boasts a league-leading goal differential at plus-23, is tied in total points with Union Omaha but has two games in hand. The two USL1 powerhouses meet in Omaha on Saturday in a match that could decide the Players’ Shield.
For their part, Portland goalkeeper Hunter Morse said the players are looking forward to competing against a formidable opponent on the road.
“It will be fun to go down there and try and get three points,” Morse said. “We will give our best effort.”
Bakero, a former top five draft pick by the MLS’ Chicago Fire, has been the talk of the league over the past week. He was just chosen as the USL1 Player of the Week while his first tally from last week’s explosive scoring effort is a candidate for league Goal of the Week.
The 29-year-old attacking midfielder hails from Spain and is the son of Jose Mari Bakero, a longtime FC Barcelona and Spanish national team midfielder.
Despite all of the accolades, Bakero has only been a cog in the offensive machine. Striker Souaibou Marou leads the team (and the league!) with 12 goals in 21 games, followed closely behind by Luis Alvarez with nine in 15 games.
Traditionally, Charlotte has played more conservatively but has found a way this season to be more aggressive when attacking the opponent’s goal.
As John Morrissey noted for USL Tactics earlier this season, “Charlotte isn’t leaning into the ‘defend in a back four, attack in a back three’ quite as heavily as they have in the past, to their benefit. Clay Dimick still has deeper moments, but he’s allowed to push from right back – hence why he assisted against Naples and received on the switch to find the winner against the Red Wolves. Still, there is a sense of designed imbalance that emanates from the left wing. In both of the recent wins, manager Mike Jeffries started Jon Bakero off the flank but let him roam, thus giving Joey Skinner room to overlap from left back.”
Charlotte has some vulnerabilities defensively as it’s ranked sixth in the league in goals conceded. But its strong offense has covered up any deficiencies.
Portland coach Bobby Murphy indicated he’s ready to see what some players on the bench can do as the Hearts’ playoff chances are fading.
“There’s enough guys in that locker room who haven’t maybe had as much of a chance as they think and look around and think, ‘Why not me?’” Murphy said. “At this point, why not them? We will mix it up and see who wants to compete and see who wants to go.”
The game is set for 7:30 p.m. at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews and can be seen on ESPN+.