Charlotte FC secures first home playoff game
Breaking down playoff scenarios as No. 4 finish still plausible, plus goalkeeper Kahlina signs new deal, advancing Montreal game Saturday and more
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A draw or win Saturday against Montreal gets Charlotte a best-of-three series
Charlotte FC players celebrating their playoff berth with fans in the supporters’ section Wednesday night. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
Charlotte FC will be hosting a playoff game for the first time in its three-year history. That much was assured with Wednesday night’s 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire. Next up is making sure it’s not in a one-and-done scenario.
If Charlotte FC either defeats or ties Montreal on Saturday night in its final regular season home game, it is guaranteed a place in a Round One, best-of-three series. By reaching 46 (or more) points on the season, it would be assured of a 7th place or higher position in the Eastern Conference and avoid the wild card “play-in” game between the No. 8 and No. 9 teams. (Charlotte had its first experience with that last year in New York, and it was bad: a quick exit after a 5-2 loss to the Red Bulls.)
Either way, Charlotte will be hosting its first playoff game in major professional sports since Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 49-15 on Jan. 26, 2016. Tickets go on sale to the public on Wednesday. Priority will be given to season ticket members, who get first crack at retaining their usual seats.
Charlotte FC is aiming for more, while it’s at it. A ranking as high as No. 4 in the Eastern Conference is still attainable. That would come with home field advantage in the best-of-three Round One, meaning Charlotte would host the first game and potential third of the series.
To finish fourth, Charlotte needs to:
win both its remaining games, against Montreal at home on Saturday and at DC United on Oct. 19;
the two New York teams need to not win out (totaling no better than four points); and
Orlando needs no better than two ties (two points) and to finish below Charlotte in goal differential for the season
A lot has to fall right, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility, either, especially considering Charlotte is rolling right now. The attack has produced nine goals in three games in wins over New England and Chicago and a tie with Miami, the recently-crowned Supporters Shield winner as the MLS regular season champion.
“What we have to do is make sure we're carrying some momentum and confidence and good play into the playoffs,” Smith said. “That's three unbeaten, two big wins at home as well. It takes us into the next couple of games nicely, and that's what we'll do to get ready for what comes after the regular season finishes.”
The upper deck at Bank of America Stadium will be open for Saturday’s game against Montreal. Then Charlotte will close out the regular season at DC United on Oct. 19.
All three designated players producing
Winger Pep Biel is finding chemistry with his new teammates, assisting three goals in past three games. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
Charlotte’s offensive surge has come at a great time. A team that had been struggling to score goals at all is now getting production from players who needed it the most: its three designated players, or those paid with less regard for the salary cap, in striker Karol Swiderski and wingers Liel Abada and Pep Biel.
Swiderski scored twice in the first half against Chicago to give him three goals in the past two games and his first in the open field this season. He scored twice on penalty kicks in his first four games back from his loan in Italy. Abada, who has been productive but inconsistent in his first season in Charlotte, has two goals in the past three games after scoring one goal in his previous 11.
And Biel, who arrived on loan with seven games to show his mettle, has three assists in the past three games, including two on Wednesday night. He found Swiderski on a picturesque give-and-go in one of the best team buildups to a goal Charlotte has produced all season. Then he chipped a ball to veteran midfielder Junior Urso, who headed in his first goal with Charlotte FC.
“With footballers, you have to play together a few games to get to know each other’s movement,” said captain Ashley Westwood. “But (Wednesday night) you saw it. They’ve been working on it in training, and they turned up, and they’ve shown why they’re top players.”
All of this production has come since Smith made a significant lineup adjustment. He inserted Andrew Privett back in at center back, moved veteran newcomer Tim Ream from center out to left back, allowing right back Nathan Byrne more freedom to play forward (he assisted Swiderski on his second goal Wednesday), and moved Biel from attacking midfielder to the right wing.
“I just think that they've still got the belief; they've never let their heads drop,” Smith said. “There were a few players who were probably playing [beneath] their form, and they’ve actually played through that and played into form that’s really important as any professional sports person. Individually, players deemed to be struggling have come through that period, and they'll be stronger for that as well.”
Goalkeeper Kahlina signs new contract, shores up defense for the future; Is he MLS’ top goalkeeper?
Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina stands his ground July 3 vs. Inter Miami. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
One by one, Charlotte FC has been signing defensive players to new deals over the past few months. First, it was center backs Privett and Adilson Malanda, more recently Westwood, and last week Byrne. As with the flow in a soccer game, the ball eventually got to the goalkeeper. The club announced this week it was signing 32-year old Kristijan Kahlina to a new contract through the 2026 season with an option for 2027.
The “Croatian Wall” has been the last line of defense in one of the best in Major League Soccer this season. Charlotte has allowed only 37 goals this season, which until a pair of questionable Chicago goals were not waved off for offsides, trailed only defending MLS Cup champion Columbus for fewest in MLS. (Charlotte now ranks No. 26 out of 29 teams.)
Kahlina is tied for the Major League Soccer lead among goalkeepers with 10 shutouts, or clean sheets. In other traditional statistics, he is leading MLS with 47 interceptions and he’s fourth in saves with 117. But a closer look at goalkeeper metrics tells an even more impressive story. According to fbref.com, Kahlina is first in MLS in something called “post shot expected goals per 90 minutes,” or PS X G/90, at plus 0.31. That statistic measures the difference between goals that should be scored against the goalkeeper and those that actually are over the course of a game. The bigger the positive number, the better.
All of that math adds up to a strong case for Kahlina to win MLS goalkeeper of the year. Smith makes the argument this way:
I look throughout the league, and there’s not many other goalkeepers I’d want. He makes good saves look easy. He'll make saves that I believe you should make, and then all of a sudden you’ll pull one out like at Montreal from the free kick and tip one over the bar. He’s been really exceptional this season. But I always look at a goalkeeper and see what the back four and their relationship is with him. He makes them feel secure, and I like that. I think it’s what a goalkeeper should bring.
Kahlina gets his hand on a ball vs. Miami on July 3. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
Kahlina is one of just three players on the current roster (along with Brandt Bronico and Jaylin Lindsey) who have been with Charlotte FC from the beginning. He’s been a cornerstone of the defense, a leader on the team and a favorite among fans. This year, though, he seems to have taken his game to a higher level. One reason is because he’s healthy. He played the end of the 2022 season with back pain that would require off-season surgery. He spent the early part of 2023 working his way back from that.
Not only is he feeling better, he’s benefited from playing in Smith’s more defensive-minded system. The players in front of him are more organized, confident and likely to be in the right places at the right times to defend.
“[Former coach] Christian Lattanzio’s system hung him out to dry,” said Charlotte FC radio color analyst Jessica Charman, a former goalkeeper with a keen eye toward that skillset. “With pinched in fullbacks, he had to deal with more 1-v-1 breakaways, more big isolated plays.”
Charman has seen a more confident Kahlina, who is more aggressive in the box as a result.
“He’s always been a shot stopper, he’s always been good at 1-v-1,” she said. “I think he’s improved in his dominance of the box, intercepting crosses and punching balls clear. The ball never gets to the target.”
Kahlina has played every minute of every MLS game for Charlotte FC this season. Backup David Bingham has been the only other keeper to get any action, and that was one start in Leagues Cup against Cruz Azul.
“I think the growth of Kahlina across his three seasons at Charlotte has been immense,” Charman said. “This year, the leadership and ownership of the position, his communication — it’s not a coincidence the back line has performed so much better. The goalkeeper is where everything begins defensively. The confidence the defense has in Kristijan Kahlina means they play their best football.”
Notable: Club World Cup coming to Charlotte, Hurricane Relief, etc.
◼️ Charlotte to host 2025 FIFA Club World Cup: While Charlotte missed out on becoming one of 11 U.S. host cities when the World Cup comes in 2026, it’ll get a little piece of FIFA action when the FIFA Club World Cup comes next year. Charlotte is one of 11 U.S. cities that will host the 32-team event featuring the best club teams from six international confederations in Europe, South America, North and Central America as well as the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and the Pacific.
What that means is an elite team from Europe — say, Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain — could face the top team from MLS, like Inter Miami, for example. The World Cup-style format will take place from June 15 through July 13. It will feature group play and then single elimination from a Round of 16.
◼️ Hurricane relief: Charlotte FC and Carolina Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper have donated an initial $3 million toward Hurricane Helene relief to benefit those affected in the Carolina mountains. As for the efforts on the field, Smith said: “We want to keep these fans happy, especially what’s gone on over the last week, obviously, the Carolinas being hit with the hurricane. There’s a lot of people struggling, so our thoughts go out to them and whatever help we can give them, some kind of joy by trying to reach the playoffs on Wednesday. So having these two games at home is for the Carolinas’ people.”
◼️ Ream gets U.S. National team call-up: Defender Tim Ream has been called up to the U.S. Men’s National team for two “friendlies,” or exhibition games, next week — Oct. 12 vs. Panama in Austin, Texas, and on Oct. 15 against Mexico in Guadalajara. This will be Ream’s first action under new U.S. Men’s National team coach Mauricio Pochettino. Charlotte FC is off next Saturday for the international break.
Up Next: Charlotte FC (12-11-9) vs CF Montreal (10-12-10)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
How to watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Find information about how to subscribe for the season here.
How to listen: WFNZ 92.7 in English, WOLS 106.1 in Spanish.
Notable:
The stakes are high with both teams playing for playoff spots. Charlotte is trying to avoid the play-in game, and Montreal is trying to fend off Toronto, Philadelphia and DC United to secure one of the final two playoff spots.
Charlotte plays its last regular season game at Bank of America Stadium, where it has gone 8-3-5. The upper bowl will be open for the final regular season home game, with tickets going for as little as $15. It’ll be the fourth time it has opened for a Charlotte FC game this season, including the Feb. 24 opener vs. New York City FC, on May 11 vs. Nashville and July 3rd vs. Miami.
Charlotte FC gets a chance at redemption vs. Montreal, which upset Charlotte at Stade Saputo 2-1 on Sept. 14. Montreal scored two goals in a three-minute span in the first half, before Charlotte FC pulled within one on Ream’s header off a corner kick. It was his first goal in a Charlotte FC uniform.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her third season covering Charlotte FC. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!
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