A flurry of new players
Portuguese attacking midfielder and defenders bolster needs for stretch run; 16-year-old Romero signed to homegrown contract; weather policy evolves; surviving five-hour radio pregame show and more.
It’s time for Fútbol Friday, The Charlotte Ledger’s weekly newsletter getting you up to speed on Charlotte FC, the city’s new pro soccer team.
➡️ Need to sign up for Fútbol Friday and other Charlotte-focused email newsletters from The Charlotte Ledger? You can do that here.
➡️ Ledger subscribers can add or drop individual newsletters on their “My Account” page.
Charlotte nabbed midfield playmaker in Santos
Charlotte FC’s new attacking midfielder Nuno Santos. (Photo courtesy of Portugal’s SL Benfica.)
For a team already in transition under interim coach Christian Lattanzio, Charlotte FC acquired three players Thursday just before the summer transfer window closed, to both solidify its roster for the stretch run and build for the future.
Charlotte capped a series of four player transactions — including the trade of defender Christian Makoun to New England — by adding the one piece it has needed the most: an attacking midfielder. Charlotte signed 23-year-old Portuguese midfielder Nuno Santos through 2024 with an option for 2025.
Charlotte also announced the signing of defenders Nathan Byrne from England’s Derby County and Adilson Malanda from the second division in France. Makoun, who began the season in Charlotte’s starting back four but had been relegated to the bench under Lattanzio, was traded to New England for $400,000 in general allocation money, considered a hefty return.
The arrivals of all three international players are pending visas.
Santos has been playing at the highest level in Portugal since he was 20, making 74 appearances during stops with three clubs. He has also been an impact player for Portugal’s youth national team, including the team that won the U-19 European Championships in 2018.
“Nuno is an intelligent attacking midfielder who chose to join Charlotte FC over European interest because he believes in our project and how this league develops young talent,” Charlotte FC sporting director Zoran Krneta said in a press release. “…Nuno comes to us at a good age and will be entering his prime (while) adding valuable attacking options to the team as we continue to strength our roster for 2022 and beyond.”
Charlotte’s midfield has been in flux as the club has struggled to find a true No. 10, or midfield playmaker and offensive catalyst. Titi Ortiz was originally signed to claim that role but never panned out under outgoing coach Miguel Angel Ramirez or Lattanzio. He was recently waived. In the past two games Lattanzio has started two rookies in the midfield in Ben Bender and Quinn McNeill.
◼️ Veteran outside back: Byrne, 30, a veteran of four seasons in the English Championship League (which is one level below Premier League), figures to make an immediate impact at right back and give MLS veteran Harrison Afful a challenge at a position he has anchored under Lattanzio. Byrne was signed to a two-year-deal with an option for a third in 2025.
Byrne is a former teammate of Charlotte FC winger Kamil Jozwiak at Derby County. He was a fan favorite and a fixture in Derby County’s lineup each of the past two seasons but elected not to return this season after Derby County was relegated from the second tier Championship League in England to third-tier League One.
◼️ Young center back: Malanda, a Frenchman, spent his first full professional season last year with France’s Rodez of Ligue 2. At 20 years old, he is considered more of a signing for the future. He’s 6-foot-4, which gives him great size for the backline.
“Part of our strategy in the summer window is not only bringing in competitive depth to help us as the season winds down, but to also add more building blocks that sets our squad up for success down the road,” Krneta said in a release. “We believe Adilson has the potential to develop into an important player for us in the years ahead.”
◼️ Departures: In addition to trading away Makoun, Charlotte FC is exploring trade options for Sergio Ruiz, the first player to ever sign with Charlotte FC. The team is reportedly in talks with Granada of La Liga 2, which would return Ruiz to his native Spain. The deal didn’t have to be completed by Thursday’s deadline, as Spain’s transfer window stays open until the end of August. Makoun and Ruiz join Ortiz and Alan Franco as players to depart under Lattanzio. Ruiz has been a popular player in his short tenure in Charlotte, both with teammates and fans.
“(If) things don’t work in football, it doesn’t mean that the players that didn’t work well in one club are no good,” Lattanzio said. “Actually, they are really good players. When they were picked, they were picked because they have a value. They are talented players. So Alan, Titi, Sergio, Christian — they’re all very good players and sometimes things don’t work out as you would want. So we wish them well.”
Romero first to sign as CLT FC homegrown player
Brian Romero fit right in, late in the Chelsea game. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
It’s been a wild week for the Charlotte FC front office. The day before Thursday’s transfer window rush, Charlotte FC announced it had signed 16-year-old Brian Romero to a “homegrown” contract. A homegrown player is one who has spent at least a year in a club’s academy (similar to a minor league system), has lived in the club’s territory and signs a contract with the first team. MLS put financial incentives in place to encourage teams to sign homegrown players.
Romero became the first player from Charlotte’s Academy to sign a multi-year contract with Charlotte FC, through the 2026 season with an option for 2027.
Romero introduced himself to the city of Charlotte during the July 30 exhibition against Chelsea, when he drew a foul that forced a game-tying penalty kick in the final minutes of regulation. It’s hard to say which was more shocking that night — that Charlotte FC beat the English powerhouse in penalty kicks or that a 16-year-old who was a surprise substitute in the final minutes was responsible.
Why is it such a big moment for Charlotte FC?
It cements what a talent Charlotte believes it has on its hands. Romero first signed in 2020 with Charlotte’s Under-15 team (he was 14.) Now as a member of their U-17, he’s risen to national prowess. Romero plays for the U.S. National team under-17.
“(He has) the potential to become one of the country’s top talents,” Krneta said in the press release. “This is a signing for our future. Brian still has to grow and adjust to senior football, but we have a specific plan for his development, and he will be learning under coaches with a true passion for mentoring and developing young players.”
Romero is a local kid. Born to Mexican parents and raised in Concord, Romero goes to high school at Jay M. Robinson and played his youth soccer at Charlotte Soccer Academy. His signing embodies Charlotte FC’s goal of cultivating talent from the Carolinas.
“We have worked since 2020 to develop our own talent throughout the Carolinas, and to sign the first homegrown player in club history is one of our proudest moments,” Krneta said.
His immediate future: Romero was one of two Academy players Charlotte FC invited to practice during the preseason in Charleston. Now he has an open invitation to train with the big club for the rest of the season. The attacking midfielder is expected to star next season for Charlotte’s inaugural NextPro team, which is like a Triple-A team for MLS.
Romero, only 5 feet 4 inches tall and 130 pounds, has shown already that he’s fearless with the ball. Lattanzio said about him after the Chelsea game: “He’s a very respectful kid with the players and the staff,” he said. “But when he has the ball, he’s not so respectful.”
Changes to weather policy allow gates to open at Bank of America
The club level at Bank of America Stadium was hopping more than two hours into last Saturday’s rain delay for fans who can now “shelter in place” inside the stadium. (Photo by Carroll Walton.)
Charlotte FC president Joe LaBue calls them “pros and grows,” things this first-year franchise can build on and learn from during its inaugural season. Navigating weather delays has become a source for growth.
For three straight games at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte FC had to delay the start of games because of lightning within an eight-mile radius. Before games against Nashville and Chelsea, the gates to Bank of America Stadium were closed as part of the “shelter-in-place” policy, in part so fans wouldn’t risk leaving nearby parking decks and offices to come to the stadium. The problem was hundreds of fans had already made the decision to head to the stadium and lined up outside the stadium anyway. By the time gates reopened and other fans arrived, there was a logjam outside the gates.
After the first delay against Nashville, the team consolidated messaging on social media, at the stadium and on its website trying to clarify its weather policies. Even still, and with a bigger draw for the Chelsea game with the upper deck open at the stadium, fans wound up in long lines again.
So for Saturday’s game against Columbus, the club made the decision to open the gates even while under a shelter-in-place edict. Why?
Part of the problem had been that security personnel had to leave their posts outside the stadium to shelter in place, leaving no one to screen fans. On Saturday, security positions were moved to sheltered areas so they could still screen during bad weather and the gates could remain open.
That meant fans could gather in the concourse at Bank of America Stadium and drink, eat and socialize with friends during an even longer rain delay. After an initial delay of 2 1/2 hours, the teams played just 16 minutes before the game was delayed again. The announcement came just before midnight that the game had been postponed.
One fan complained on Twitter about how hot it was in the main concourse and how Charlotte FC owner David Tepper should install fans. There’s another “grow” to think about, perhaps.
Going forward Charlotte FC still recommends if fans aren’t already at the stadium when the shelter-in-place policy takes effect, to seek shelter at the closest safe location, which could still mean a parking garage, nearby office building or restaurant.
Rescheduled game: Saturday’s game against Columbus will be replayed on Oct. 5 at Bank of America Stadium. Fans holding tickets to the July 30 game can use those same tickets for admission on Oct. 5. The game will resume in the 17th minute with the same players returning to the field from when play was stopped. Charlotte FC fullback Christian Fuchs, who was suspended for that game after getting a red card in Toronto, will serve the remainder of his suspension on Oct. 5. He was eligible to play Wednesday night against D.C. United.
Crash Course: Killing five hours of radio air time
Jessica Charman and Will Palaszczuk after their five-hour “pre-game show” Saturday night (Photo courtesy of Charman.)
For all the waiting legions of fans, players and media did during Saturday night’s rain delays, only Charlotte FC radio broadcasters Jessica Charman and Will Palaszczuk had to work through it, filling five hours on live radio around only 16 minutes of game action. By virtue of being a part of a nine-station network, WFNZ couldn’t go to its usual back-up and pre-recorded content and risk losing affiliates, so they had to improvise.
They interviewed injured Charlotte FC player Adam Armour, TV broadcasters Eric Krakauer and Lloyd Sam, and local reporter Jorge Gonzalez of TopBin90.com. They aired interviews from their weekly pre-recorded podcasts. Charman said a highlight of the night was the live Armour interview when he talked about watching video of scoring the first goal in Charlotte FC history and using it as motivation to come back from reconstructive knee surgery.
“It was amazing what an emotional roller coaster the show was because you had moments like that, that were so deep,” she said. “And then you had us shooting the (expletive) basically.”
Charman said a big help was WFNZ’s new text line (704-570-9610) allowing fans to text questions to the broadcasters. Charman said growing up a fan of Reading F.C. in England, she used to write her local radio station on a text line, and it fueled her passion for soccer broadcasting.
“It used to be my favorite thing in the world to text in my thoughts and opinions about the game and have them read on air,” Charman said.
As a seasoned broadcaster now, she relied on her experience calling consecutive college soccer tournament games — that and a steady stream of caffeine.
At one point she and “Willie P” found themselves off on a tangent about darts and curling, two sports they find oddly interesting to watch. They denied a request on Twitter to break out in karaoke. “I do have some self-respect,” she said. They liked one producer’s idea to quiz the two of them on their Charlotte FC knowledge.
“It’s all fun and good to do it once,” Charman said. “I’m hoping it doesn’t become the norm. Now every time before a game you’ve always got one eye on that radar.”
Concussion protocol: Attend Charlotte FC game
While NASCAR driver Kurt Busch recovers from concussion symptoms after a wreck at Pocono, his doctors told him to find some place that is loud and doesn’t require much action. So why not take in Wednesday night’s Charlotte FC game?
Up Next: Chicago Fire (7-10-6) at Charlotte FC (9-12-2)
When/Where: 7 p.m. Saturday, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
How to watch: WAXN (Channel 64), Telemundo, or live stream at www.charlottefootballclub/live or on the Charlotte FC app. Local restrictions apply.
Notable:
Every home game now is pretty much must-win for Charlotte FC to stay in playoff contention. The Black and Blues enter the match in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, which is where they need to stay to qualify.
Chicago enters the game in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and is 2-7-2 on the road. The Fire won 3-1 at Vancouver in their last road game.
Captain Christian Fuchs was out of the lineup last Saturday in the rain-out vs. Columbus while serving a one-game suspension for a red card. He was eligible to play Wednesday against D.C. United but didn’t. His replacement Joseph Mora was a key contributor in the buildup to three goals in Charlotte’s 3-0 win.
With its win over D.C. United Wednesday, Charlotte FC became the third expansion team in MLS history to win eight of its first 11 games at home, joining Atlanta United (2017) and Chicago (1998.)
Clint Dempsey, the all-time leading goal scorer for the U.S. Men’s National team and captain of the 2014 World Cup team, is being crowned before the game. The first 10,000 fans receive a foam crown.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now cutting her teeth on soccer and the Charlotte FC just as fans in Charlotte do. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 4 of our local newsletters:
➡️ Opt in or out of different newsletters on your “My Account” page.
➡️ Learn more about The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news through e-newsletters and on a website. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.
Social media: On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Sponsorship information: email brie@cltledger.com.
Like being spoon-fed interesting and fun information about this new Charlotte team! Just printed this off to share with a youngster who tried to go to the canceled game. Bet he and his mom will go again! He has his shirt!