Tim Van Horn chats with Charlotte Independence star Enzo Martinez.
Follow a productive 2019 season featuring 7 goals and 9 assists, Martinez and the Independence entered 2020 with high hopes. They even had a promising start, beating Sporting Kansas City 2 in their opening match. Then the world came to what felt like a screeching halt.
The Uruguayan attacker talks about how he got news of the shutdown.
The USL Championship (and virtually every other league) suspended play due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Martinez explains what his initial thoughts were and how he coped with life without match days.
As the shutdown continued, it became apparent that training would have to be done away from the pitch. Enzo told Tim how training became an individual responsibility. He credits Head Coach Mike Jeffries and staff for maintaining a team camaraderie, focused on both physical and mental well-being.
The former Colorado Rapid and UNC Tar Heel is not only talented on the pitch, but he's got DIY skills, too! Enzo clues Tim in on what he learned to do with some of his down time.
Teams are back to training. The USL Championship is expected to return July 11th with a unique eight group format. Each club will have 16 regular season matches, with the top two clubs in each group heading to the playoffs. Charlotte with play in Group G with Birmingham Legion, North Carolina FC, and Memphis 901 FC. They are scheduled to open play outside of the group against Miami FC on July 22nd. Martinez explains how this restart is different than the original preseason in February.
Follow the interview Brodee Scott joins Tim for world soccer news. Top stories...
In addition to breaking news of Nashville SC dropping out due to several coronavirus positives, one other MLS club has backed out of this week's #MLSIsBack tourney start in Orlando, Florida as well. On the other side of the country, one club is dominating the NWSL Challenge Cup.
The USL Championship returns to play this week! While Enzo Martinez and the Charlotte Independence aren't slated for opening weekend action, there's plenty of action to enjoy. Tim & Brodee review the format for the quest for 2020 glory.
While Liverpool are Premier League champions, they are not the hottest club in the league. What has Christian Pulisic done now? A look at the American superstar is included in the league roundup.
There's daylight between the top two clubs in Spain. In Italy, does Lazio have enough momentum to overcome Juventus?
Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga again, but how the US forward Josh Sargent fare with his club's relegation playoff battle?
Thank you to Charlotte Independence star Enzo Martinez for joining us ahead of the 2020 restart!
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