Top Charlotte FC player makes his American pro soccer debut Tuesday on ESPN+
.JPG "Christian Fuchs, pictured here before an English Premier League match in May, will make his American pro soccer debut Tuesday night for the Charlotte Independence.")
Future Charlotte FC defender and former English Premier League player Christian Fuchs is slated to make his debut with the Charlotte Independence on Tuesday against the New York Red Bulls II in the USL Championship league.
The away match will be played at MSU Soccer Park in Montclair, New Jersey, but can be streamed on ESPN+ at 7 p.m.
Fuchs signed with the Independence in late July to join the team ahead of Charlotte FC’s inaugural MLS season in 2022. Two other signed Charlotte FC players, midfielder Brandt Bronico and defender Adam Armour, have already received minutes competing for the Independence on loan this year.
The team’s 2021 record so far is 6-2-7 (W-D-L) and they sit ranked sixth of eight teams in the Eastern Atlantic Conference heading into Tuesday’s match, most recently tying Loudoun United FC 0-0 last week.
The New York Red Bulls II are ranked seventh in the conference standings. Fuchs’ added experience as a longtime Leicester City defender could give the Independence a boost as it looks to improve on last season’s 8-4-4 record, which it achieved during a 2020 USL Championship season marred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Being able to add a player of Christian’s caliber and experience to our roster is a huge win for the Independence,” Charlotte Independence head coach Mike Jeffries said in a statement when Fuchs’ signing was announced.
Fuchs, a former Austria National Team captain, shared the news of his upcoming debut with the Independence on his Instagram story and posted on Twitter last week that he’s been training with the team in recent weeks.
“Another great week of training,” he wrote in the post that included a picture of him in his Independence jersey. “Looking forward to my first game! @Independence”
Local fans will next be able to watch the team in action at the newly renovated American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte at 7 p.m. Aug. 14 against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
The team again plays at home Aug. 21 against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. A full schedule can be found here.
This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 10:55 AM with the headline "Top Charlotte FC player makes his American pro soccer debut Tuesday on ESPN+."
