CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (May 9, 2026) – Corpus Christi FC (CCFC) fell 3-1 to Charlotte Independence on Saturday night at Cabaniss Soccer Field despite a historic first-half goal from captain, Patrick Langlois.
Charlotte opened the scoring in the 15th minute after applying early pressure and capitalizing on a chance inside the box, taking a 1-0 lead after a difficult opening stretch for Corpus Christi in possession.
The Sharks responded in the 35th minute with a historic moment. From a Blake Bowen corner kick, Christian Chaney helped create the opportunity as Patrick Langlois finished to level the match 1-1 and record the first home goal in club history.
The Independence regained control before halftime, scoring again in the 40th minute, sending Charlotte into halftime with a 2-1 advantage.
Corpus Christi pushed for an equalizer throughout the second half, generating attacking opportunities through Christian Chaney, Blake Bowen and substitute Alex Cerritos while continuing to pressure Charlotte on multiple corner kicks. Charlotte extended its lead in the second half with a third goal that ultimately put the match out of reach. Goalkeeper Mason McCreedy delivered a late save in stoppage time to prevent further damage as the visitors closed out the win.
The match featured several physical moments, including yellow cards issued to Nacho Abeal and Chaney, while Head Coach Eamon Zayed was also shown a yellow card during the second half. Dietrich was shown a red card from the bench in the 70th minute.
Defender Sam Roscoe pointed to defensive mistakes as the difference in the match.
“I think we probably shot ourselves in the foot with the two goals we conceded in the first half,” Roscoe said. “We get back into the game in the second half, we kind of huff and puff, but once they get the third goal, that’s probably the game done then. We’ll have to look at ourselves in the mirror and bounce back for the Cup game next weekend.”
Assistant coach Manuel Iwabuchi said the performance did not match the standard the team expected after strong outings in previous matches.
“Overall, just not the performance that we were expecting,” Martinez said. “We came off the back of two good performances, and we wanted to make sure that we were being consistent and continuing that, but we fell flat today. It happens in this game. At the end of the day, we have one choice, and that’s to react and figure out how to be better for next week. Hopefully next week we can make the fans a little more proud.”
Corpus Christi now turns its attention to a quick turnaround as it prepares for USL Cup action next weekend.
Langlois, who scored the club’s first home goal, said the group now shifts focus quickly.
“Yeah, disappointing night. I think it’s a tough loss to take,” Langlois said. “We’ve got a lot to work on, and we’ll have to turn around and get right for the USL Cup this weekend.”
CCFC will return home next Saturday to take on FC Tulsa in the USL Cup.
About Corpus Christi FC
CCFC was established in 2017 by Dr. Kingsley Okonkwo. The club previously played in USL League Two, the nation’s leading pre-professional league, and won their first Lone Star Division title in 2024. That same year, Corpus Christi was awarded a USL League One franchise and will kick off its first professional season in 2026. CCFC is building a new home at the Corpus Christi Multi-Sport Complex currently being constructed at 5102 Old Brownsville Road. Phase One of the $28.3 million complex was completed in summer 2025 and a 5,000-seat stadium, which will serve as home for all of the Sharks’ USL League One home games, is currently under construction.
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