Charlotte FC: May Review / June Preview
A month of clean sheets made the difference, but questions remain heading into the heat of summer!
Coming off poor results in the prior month, a strong May could prove crucial to Charlotte FC’s season. Although it ended on a disappointing note with 3 goals conceded in 10 minutes after a lengthy lightning delay (the first of Dean Smith’s career), it was a very good month for The Crown! They were able to grab 11 points from 6 games and registered 5 clean sheets in the process.
The defensive efforts were strong enough to get Charlotte back above the playoff line and earn the respect of opposing attacks around the league. Unfortunately, the questions fans and pundits have asked the last few months remain unanswered - mainly, where will goals come from? The dog days of summer are upon us and Charlotte FC has an opportunity to continue climbing the table in June. Let’s get into it!
Monthly Summary (results, table, stats)
Results:
2-0 win vs. Portland, goals - Petkovic, Copetti
1-0 win vs. Nashville, goal - Agyemang
1-0 win vs. Chicago, goal - Westwood
0-0 draw vs. LA Galaxy
0-0 draw vs. Philadelphia
1-3 loss vs. New York Red Bulls, goal - Bender
Player Stats:
Goals: Agyemang - 3, Vargas & Westwood - 2
Assists: 7 players tied at 1
FotMob Rating: top 5 players - Westwood (7.2), Diani (7.1), Kahlina (7.1), Uronen (7.0), Vargas (7.0)
Team Stats:
Expected goals (xG) = 18.2 (25th in MLS)
Goals per match = 0.9 (28th in MLS)
Goals conceded per match = 1.0 (2nd in MLS)
Clean sheets = 7 (1st in MLS)
Average possession = 46.3% (25th in MLS)
Takeaways
Charlotte FC fans should not get bored of clean sheets
Before giving up those 3 goals to NYRB, The Crown went 5.5 games (over 500 minutes) without conceding a goal. That is an incredible feat - especially given some of the stars that Charlotte faced in that stretch of games. After the back-to-back 0-0 draws to LA and Philly, fans were understandably frustrated at the lack of attacking production…but there needs to be some perspective.
In 2022, Charlotte had 8 clean sheets and in 2023, they only had 7. Less than halfway through this season, The Crown already has 7! This is a massive improvement on the defensive struggles pundits discussed and fans groaned about for the past 2 years. On top of that, this improvement has been made with largely the same personnel. The improved structure, confidence, and discipline of this defense have been one of the success stories in MLS this season.
I know recency bias dominates in sports - I am a victim of this myself. Charlotte FC fans…do not forget the pain of late goals allowed, disorganized backlines, and poor goals given up over the past few years. While 1-0 wins and 0-0 draws may not be as “exciting” as some of those 3-2 wins of seasons past, we cannot get tired of great defensive showings and clean sheets. The math is simple - if you don’t allow a goal, you’re guaranteed at least 1 point. Points earn playoff spots!
The impressive defensive showings are a full-team effort
Kristijan Kahlina is having his best season in Charlotte and getting all-star shouts. The CB combination of Malanda and Privett (who just signed a well-deserved contract) has been one of the best in the league and their chemistry just gets better. Combinations of Byrne, Uronen, and Pedro have been holding down the full-back spots with great success. It’s easy to focus on Kahli and the back-line for these clean sheets, but as Dean Smith reminded me and many others, it’s a full team effort!
The combination of the captain Ashley Westwood, newcomer Djibril Diani (who has been one of the squad’s best players in my opinion), and Júnior Urso in defensive midfield have given the back-line a lot of confidence. I have also seen Dean come in and improve the defending of attacking players. The efforts from Patrick Agyemang, Kerwin Vargas, and other attackers to track back and recover quickly after turnovers have made a huge difference.
Charlotte FC remains the only team to not allow a goal in the first 30 minutes of games across the league - this is a testament to the system Dean Smith has created and effort from the entire team. As a defender in his playing days, Dean talked a lot about wanting to solidify the defense and make that a strength of the squad before the season and he has accomplished this!
The Designated Players are gone - it is time to bring in reinforcements
One of the major headlines from last month was the departure of DP striker, Enzo Copetti. He finally scored his first goal of the year against Portland from a vintage Enzo hustle play. Many thought this was just what he needed to get going again. A few days later, there were reports of him returning to Argentina to play with Rosario Central and he officially left the club on a transfer in mid-May.
Before going any further, I want to give a few wrap-up thoughts on the Enzo era. It’s obvious - it did not work out as planned. It became clear fairly early that his style of play did not fit the game plan and skill set of the team. Enzo thrives on great service from crosses and set-pieces and off of the activity of others in the box. Neither of those things happened during his time in Charlotte. We will always wonder what could have been, but one thing you cannot say is that Enzo didn’t give 110% effort each time he stepped on the pitch!
When Karol Świderski left for Serie A side Hellas Verona on loan, the general understanding was that a buy-clause would be triggered if they were not relegated. Per a recent report from TopBin90, that is not the case. It looks like Karol will be back with Charlotte FC…sort of. On paper, he would be on the roster, but in reality, I don’t think Karol will step foot in Charlotte again, let alone suit up for the club. Let me explain:
It has been clear over the last year or so that Karol desired to return to European football - and the club made it happen via loan. When discussions around his possible return were floated to team officials, they made it sound like he wouldn’t return. In an exclusive interview he gave to TopBin90, Karol didn’t completely close the door on coming back.
Given the lack of production and quality in the final third, a player like Karol could provide a huge boost and I understand why fans want him back. From what I can tell, Dean is focused on having players (especially DPs) who are dedicated to the squad and want to be there. For him to return, I think there would have to be more than general interest from Karol…they would likely want him to make a long-term commitment.
He also made Poland’s preliminary squad for the 2024 Euros - so he will likely be with the national team through the end of June or later. If he plays well, that would be the best-case scenario for both Karol and Charlotte FC because there would likely be a buyer. If he plays poorly, and there aren’t any buyers lined up at the price Charlotte wants, then perhaps we could see a return. My guess is we have seen the last of Karol…but I have been wrong plenty of times before!
Putting the Karol situation to the side, the club needs to pursue attacking options to fill their DP slots. There are reports of interest in Clermont Foot attacking midfielder Muhammed Cham but other than that, I haven’t heard much noise. I would fill the 2 DP slots with an attacking midfielder and a striker. I am not going to do a deep dive into why they need this (refer to previous month’s reviews and game highlights if you’d like to). Bottom line - there is a massive lack of creativity in the midfield making it nearly impossible to play through the middle. Beyond that, Patrick is the only true striker on the roster and I think his best role right now would be to come off the bench for 25-30 minutes a game to overwhelm tired defenses. A proven striker that can create for themselves would go a long way for The Crown!
Ben Bender can bring things that this midfield lacks
Until those reinforcements can arrive, Charlotte will have at least 10 games. The team cannot afford to wait around for new players to come in to get the spark they need. Even after new signings arrive, it will take several games fpr them to acclimate. New solutions are needed now…and thankfully one is back in action!
After spending nearly 8 months sidelined with a knee injury sustained last season, Ben Bender returned to the pitch. I got a chance to ask Ben about how he was feeling mentally and physically after making his first appearance: “I didn’t think about my knee once” he responded. This is great news for a player returning from a major injury because as many athletes will tell you, mental recovery can take far longer than the physical one.
While I don’t think Bender is a panacea for all of Charlotte’s offensive woes, he will provide what is lacking in the attacking midfield - a calm presence on the ball, a desire to be direct, and a willingness to take a shot. While he won’t wow with tekkers and world-class passes, he always finds a way to produce goals and assists. Is he the long-term solution as Charlotte’s starting 10…my gut tells me no…but I think he needs to be inserted into the starting XI as soon as he is 90 minutes fit!
Can Dean Smith’s history of doing more with less improve the attack?
Before he arrived at Charlotte FC, Dean Smith had a long history of getting the best out of teams that people predicted to underperform. At Walsall (where he began his playing career) he exceeded expectations and earned the moniker “Ginger Mourinho”. In his stints with Brentford and Aston Villa, he continued the trend of doing more with what was perceived as less.
We have already seen Dean accomplish this with Charlotte’s defensive structure and the culture around a team that experienced a lot of turmoil and turnover in their first two years. The question is, can he carry this trend into the attack before the transfer window opens?
While scoring at a lower clip than previous years has not been surprising (focus on defense and lack of DPs), the struggles have been a bit alarming. At their current pace, the team is on track to score 32 goals (which is usually where the teams at the bottom of the tables finish). Even though the team is above the playoff line now, they cannot solely rely on multiple strings of clean sheets to make a playoff run…goals need to be scored. So between now and the transfer window, where can Dean get the goals from? More creativity from Bender? Getting Patrick better service? More wing production? Games in June may provide the answer.
I asked Dean about what he learned from the team in May, see his response below:
June Preview
While many leagues have wrapped up their seasons, things are heating up for MLS squads. With a packed schedule between now and Leagues Cup, this next stretch of games in the heat of the US summer usually weeds out the pretenders from the contenders. While many in Charlotte are clamoring for new DPs and attacking threats, the summer window will not open until July 18. The team needs to find ways to produce and win games before then and it won’t be an easy run of games in June.
Atlanta United (away) 6/2 - A week ago, Charlotte fans were eagerly waiting for this contest. Their I-85 rivals were struggling on the pitch sitting near the bottom of the table and rumors of stars like Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada heading out circulated. While their exits may be imminent, Atlanta shocked the league by running Inter Miami off the field midweek. This team is inconsistent, but they now have some momentum. Playing at Mercedes-Benz against Atlanta United with increased confidence is not ideal - especially if Patrick Agyemang is unavailable. Let’s see if The Crown can shake off their loss to NYRB and get a result.
DC United (home) 6/15 - The international break will do wonders for DC as their star striker, Christian Benteke, came off injured in their last game. If he is unable to play, this will decrease the potency of their attack significantly (he already has 13 goals this season). Currently, DC sits right below the playoff line and has one of the worst defenses in the league. Charlotte should see this as a 3-point game.
Orlando City (home) 6/19 - Charlotte isn’t the only team struggling to find the back of the net - Orlando has been just as poor in the final third. Orlando’s struggles are harder to explain - they have a ton of offensive firepower (Duncan McGuire, Facu Torres, Luis Muriel, and Nico Lodeiro). Something is missing there and Charlotte needs to take advantage at home. The Crown will hope Orlando doesn’t find their groove in this game.
Philadelphia Union (away) 6/22 - It’s a rematch just a few games after facing each other in May. This game was somewhat of an anomaly for Charlotte as they ended the contest with 65% possession. Philadelphia was content with giving Charlotte more of the ball because The Crown couldn’t do anything with it. At home, I expect Philly to play more on the front foot and Charlotte will likely need a goal to get some type of result this time.
Houston Dynamo (away) 6/29 - For a team that historically struggles on the road, playing at Houston hasn’t been a challenge for Charlotte. Back in 2022, they notched their first road win in franchise history there (thanks, in part, to an own-goal) and in the 2023 Leagues Cup, Charlotte came back and won 2-1 and was helped by one of the worst own-goals I’ve ever seen. The Crown should not rely on any more own-goals to get a result. I am very excited for this matchup because Houston is like the Charlotte FC of the Western Conference this year - defensively sound, with a lot left to be desired in the attack, and a strong midfield.
If Charlotte can stay above the playoff line through June, their odds of finishing in the top 7 will continue to increase. There will be reinforcements coming during the summer window and if the team can continue building a more solid foundation in attack before that, this team will be a force to be reckoned with in that second tier of the East behind Miami, Columbus, and Cincinnati!