Charlotte, North Carolina: Charlotte Independence Place Five Players on USL League One All-League Teams, Most of Any Club

USL League One announced on Tuesday that five Charlotte Independence players have earned All-League honors for the 2026 season, the most selections of any club in the league. Goalkeeper Matt Levy, defender Javen Romero, midfielder Jon Bakero and forward Souaibou Marou made the All-League First Team, and defender Joey Skinner made the Second Team.

The honors close out a regular season in Charlotte that ended with the club's first Players Shield. The Independence set league records with 20 wins, 66 points and 74 goals, then beat FC Naples 5-1 at home on Sunday in the playoff quarterfinals.

Bakero and Marou lead the attack

Bakero, a midfielder from Spain, broke the league single season assist record with 18 and moved to the top of the league all time assist chart with 27, the club said. He also scored eight goals, won the Golden Playmaker award, and was named to the league Team of the Week 11 times. In August he won Player of the Month, a run that included two goals and three assists in a 5-0 win over AV Alta on August 29, a league single match record for goal contributions.

Marou, a forward from Cameroon in his second season in Charlotte, won the Golden Boot with a league leading 18 goals, breaking the club single season scoring record. He capped the regular season with a hat trick against Greenville Triumph that helped the Independence secure the Players Shield, and he earned Team of the Week honors five times.

Levy, Romero and Skinner

Levy, in his fourth season with the club, played a career high 31 league matches and posted seven clean sheets. He made 101 saves, becoming the fifth goalkeeper in league history to reach at least 100 saves in a regular season, and he saved four penalties in league play. The league named his stops Save of the Week nine times.

Romero, a 20-year-old defender in his second season, led Charlotte in clearances, blocks and aerial duels won, and was named to the Team of the Week seven times. He scored his first professional goal in the home opener against Spokane Velocity in March and finished with four goal contributions.

Skinner, a former Charlotte academy player back for a first season with the senior team, made the Second Team from outside back. The league credited him with seven goals and a club leading 43 tackles won, attacking numbers from defense.

Head coach Mike Jeffries said he could not speak highly enough about the work rate, grit and energy the five players put into the season. The team was selected by a vote of technical staffs across the league, Fort Wayne FC said in its own announcement of the teams.

What comes next

Charlotte's season is not finished. The Independence host Forward Madison in the playoff semifinals on November 8, two wins from a league title that would complete a Shield and championship double. The All-League vote gives that run a marker: the best goalkeeper season, the best playmaker and the best scorer in League One this year all play in Charlotte.