WINDSOR, Colo. — The month of July will end for Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC as it began, with a matchup against the Charlotte Independence.
Hailstorm won the matchup at the beginning of July, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 on the Fourth of July at Future Legends Field.
“Charlotte are going to want to come out and make amends for that game,” Hailstorm FC head coach Éamon Zayed said.
Northern Colorado will also be looking to make amends after Wednesday’s 2-0 loss to North Carolina FC, just the team’s second league defeat of the season.
“It’s a quick turnaround,” Hailstorm midfielder Arthur Rogers said. “It’ll take a big defensive performance away from home, but we’re planning to leave with three points.”
The loss to NCFC snapped a 12-match unbeaten run for Hailstorm, a run that vaulted them to the top of the USL League One table, but they know they are in for a tough test against a Charlotte team that is 6-2-2 on its home turf.
“They have the most points at home of any team in the league, so it’s a really difficult game,” Zayed said.
USL League One Golden Boot leader Trevor Amann scored a brace to help Hailstorm come back against Charlotte earlier this month, and is just four goals shy of the league’s single season record with 14 goals in 17 matches this season. He and the Hailstorm attack will have a tough test in Charlotte goalkeeper Austin Pack, who leads the league with 17 saves.
Hailstorm and Charlotte are set to face off at 5 p.m. Mountain time Saturday at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
—
The home of Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, 118-acre Future Legends Complex, will feature 6,500-seat TicketSmarter Stadium, 2,500-seat Future Legends Field, multiple baseball diamonds, multi-purpose fields, an indoor sports arena, lodging, and retail; and will host guests for major sports leagues, tournaments, events and more.
More information is available at HailstormFC.com and FutureLegendsComplex.com.