Charlotte FC moves to fill gaps at center back
Trade for Portland defender and Jones position change helps team account for devastating loss of Anton Walkes; Santos on the wing, honors mom with 77; Plus purple jersey reveal sparks Pop-Tart debate
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Veteran Portland defender brings ‘stalwart presence,’ while Jones adds calming influence
With a week to spare in the preseason, Charlotte FC made a key move to acquire a new center back in preparation for starting the season without Anton Walkes, whose sudden death in a January boating accident left the team reeling, both emotionally and defensively. Charlotte FC announced Thursday it had acquired 27-year-old Bill Tuiloma from the Portland Timbers in exchange for $800,000 general allocation money (cash to be used toward salaries over.)
Tuiloma, a native of Auckland, New Zealand, has made 107 appearances (80 starts) in five seasons with Portland and has seen significant time — 36 games — with the New Zealand national team.
Oregonian writer Ryan Clarke called Tuiloma a “stalwart presence along the Portland Timbers’ back line.” Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy called the trade a difficult decision in a release, saying, “Bill is a great player with tremendous character.”
All of those traits sound like just what Charlotte FC needs. The Crown (are we ready to call them that this season?) were already short-handed across the back with Guzman Corujo recovering from major knee surgery. Coach Christian Lattanzio just said last Saturday if and when Charlotte added another center back, it was important to find someone who fit into the culture of the team. Character is a big part of that equation.
Derrick Jones showed his own character this preseason when coaches approached him after Walkes’ death and asked him to move from his natural position of defensive midfielder to center back, a position he had only ever played in practice.
“I’m a team player,” said Jones, who showed poise and a knack for anticipation when he broke into Charlotte’s starting midfield during the stretch run last season. “If there’s anywhere I can help the team, I will do it.”
Derrick Jones getting time at center back in exhibition vs. Charleston FC. (Photo by Kevin Young/The 5 and 2 Project.)
Jones has played four exhibition games at center back this preseason. He said he’s been watching Champions League games and other video, paying close attention to the positioning of the center backs.
“In the back, you can’t afford to miss tackles,” he said. “It’s different. You’ve got to stay focused the whole game, head on a swivel. That’s something that I’m getting used to.”
Charlotte’s thinness at center back was on full display in last Saturday’s exhibition against Charleston when Adilson Malanda’s leg muscle injury forced Lattanzio to play 17-year-old Academy call-up Jack Neeley for much of the second half.
Lattanzio has said Malanda’s adductor muscle injury was not considered serious, which is good news. Malanda, 21, earned the starting center back job opposite Walkes last season shortly after his arrival from France.
Santos takes moving to wing in stride
Santos sporting No. 77 vs. Charleston Battery. (Photo by Kevin Young/The 5 and 2 Project.)
Another midfielder on the move this preseason has been Nuno Santos. The Portuguese national who joined Charlotte FC late last season is still working to find a regular role on the team. Giving a go at left wing this preseason, where he’s in competition with Kamil Jozwiak, is good by him.
“(Lattanzio) just wants what’s best for the team … and if he thinks the best is for me to play on the wing, I agree,” said Santos, who said he played both left and right wing in the youth ranks. “I just want to be on the pitch, helping the team get the most wins as possible. So on the wing, in the midfield, I feel comfortable either way.”
Another change Santos has made this preseason is switching jersey numbers, from No. 6 last season to No. 77. What looks more like a number for an offensive lineman than an MLS player is not uncommon in Portugal. Santos said he’s worn it throughout his professional career in honor of his mother, Alexandra Valente, who was born in 1977.
New purple jersey: shades of royalty — or wild berry Pop-Tart?
Charlotte FC fan and Mint City Collective vice president Matt Swift has 312 soccer jerseys in his collection, dating back to a “kit” he got from the 1994 U.S. World Cup team as a 15-year-old. He just added No. 313 Wednesday when the club revealed its new alternative purple “Crown Jewel kit” with pink and blue accents. The verdict?
“I absolutely love it,” Swift said. “I think it’s a bold move. They’re taking a risk with these new colors. I think what people will really appreciate, if they don’t already, is that the pink will look really good when they’re on the field. It will pop.”
By pop, he meant stand out. But it was a funny choice of words, given where some of the discussion went on Twitter when images of the new road jersey leaked out ahead of the big reveal, comparing it to a wild berry Pop-Tart!
We apologize in advance, because you won’t be able to un-see this but:
The colors of the new Charlotte FC road jersey have been likened to those on a wild berry Pop-Tart. (Photo courtesy of Portlandia Pie Lady.)
There’s something to it, right? Even the publicity team at Charlotte FC played along, posting an image of the new jersey in icing form on a pastry. Team president Joe LaBue chimed in with a comment that the team was making “wild berry pastries out of wild berries.”
Whether fans are, ahem, eating it up, the thinking is that this jersey is going to grow on people. That’s what Swift predicts, pointing out that the sleek black-and-mint road jersey from the inaugural season wasn’t especially well-received at first either.
“Then they saw it (in person), and then I think most people fell in love with it,” Swift said. “It’s about building history, seeing what’s going to work, what’s not going to work. And as we move forward as a team, that could be part of our color palette down the road. Or it may not work, and we don’t ever use that again.”
What all the fuss — including an elegant party for season ticket holders Wednesday evening at Bank of America Stadium — is teaching those of us who are new to the soccer culture is that uniform tops change one year to the next. These aren’t your Dallas Cowboys, whose simple home whites haven’t changed much since the 1970s. MLS teams are liable to change at least one of their jerseys every season. Next year, Charlotte’s blue home jersey is expected to get a makeover.
Maybe it’ll be the younger fans who embrace change the most and show the rest of us how it works — fans like 10-year-old Lillian McCall, who colored her hair blue and purple in anticipation of Wednesday’s reveal. Nailed it, Lillian!
Lillian McCall, 10, with the perfect complement for her new “crown jewel” Charlotte FC jersey. (Photo courtesy of Bridget McCall.)
The new color combination won’t be just for jerseys, either. The team announced a new merchandise deal this week between Charlotte FC, lead sponsor Ally Financial and 704 Shop to allow the local apparel company to use Charlotte FC’s officially licensed logo. The first collection, which “dropped” Thursday, includes tie-dye hoodies, a fleece sweatshirt and printed tees. Ally will match proceeds from the sale of this collection up to $10,000 to benefit Charlotte FC’s after-school initiative called Greater Goals.
Defender Nathan Byrne sporting the new 704 Shop line. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
Up Next: Charlotte FC vs. Birmingham Legion exhibition
When/Where: 1 p.m. Saturday, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
Notable:
After seeing the success of moving last Saturday’s exhibition from Charleston to The Bank due to inclement weather, the club decided to open up the previously closed-door friendly scheduled for Saturday to 5,500 season ticket holders. Admission was free.
The exhibition will be the final tune-up before Charlotte FC opens its second MLS season Saturday, Feb. 25. The club has set a goal of surpassing 70,000 fans that night, trying to eclipse that mark for the second consecutive season. Charlotte set an MLS record with 75,479 fans at the inaugural home opener last year. With upper deck tickets priced at $15, the team has a shot to get there.
The exhibition will not be streamed online or broadcast on TV.
Recent editions of Fútbol Friday, The Charlotte Ledger’s weekly newsletter on Charlotte FC:
Feb. 10: Who’s in and Who’s Out with Charlotte FC: A preseason primer: breaking down the newcomers to this year’s roster as well as some of the faces fans will miss.
Feb. 3: Rebuilding Adam Armour: He scored Charlotte FC’s first-ever goal last year. Then he blew out his knee. Can Adam Armour work his way back?
Jan. 27: An emotional moment that will shape a season: The tears flowed. The players hugged. And the coach says Anton Walkes’ memory will inspire extra strength this season.
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!
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