Charlotte FC skidding in September
Offensive futility and three straight losses are endangering the team's playoff run; Plus: Ream's first goal, Bronico's milestones and advancing New England game Saturday
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Offensive woes piling up, roster additions struggling
Dean Smith searching for answers as Charlotte falls to 0-3-1 since Leagues Cup break. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
The cameras were off, and the recordings stopped at the end of Coach Dean Smith’s press conference Monday afternoon, when he said, as much to himself as to anyone still listening, “I should put some wine on goal scoring now.”
He laughed, in a break-the-tension kind of way, but it wasn’t a bad point. For a coach who’d been handing out bottles of wine left and right to his defensive players for each shut out earlier this season, he’s in need of some offensive answers quick.
Benching designated players Karol Swiderski and Liel Abada Wednesday night, Smith went back to youngster Patrick Agyemang at striker and moved newcomer Pep Biel from the midfield to wing. Charlotte proceeded to lose to Orlando City 2-0 behind an offensive effort that seemed to digress. The team rarely possessed the ball in the first half and managed just four shots on goal (two on target) for the full 90 minutes plus eight minutes of stoppage time. The defense has had no room for error, in the meantime, and has had made plenty of them.
“We're having to work really hard to stay in the game because we’re not creating enough big chances, not scoring enough goals, full stop,” Smith said afterward. “… We don’t create big enough chances. We’re not as positive as I would like to see us in 1-v-1 situations, the quality of our balls into the box haven’t been as good as they should.”
Charlotte FC has scored just one goal in its past three games, while losing three in a row to match its longest losing streak in the club’s young history. Charlotte FC lost its first three games as a franchise and three more later in 2022, as well as the first three games of last season while still reeling from the tragic death of defender Anton Walkes during the preseason.
Slumping down the stretch
Agyemang, pictured here against the New York Red Bulls, got his first MLS start Wednesday since Karol Swiderski returned to Charlotte FC in mid-July. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
This stretch of futility is more puzzling.
Charlotte FC was sitting pretty heading into the break for Leagues Cup. It had won and drawn against top MLS contenders Cincinnati and Columbus, climbing as high as fourth place in the Eastern Conference, before settling into a solid position in sixth place. Charlotte was aiming at securing one of the coveted top four spots in the playoffs, which assures a team of home field advantage in the Round One best-of-three series. But Charlotte hasn’t won in MLS action since beating Cincinnati on July 13.
It has scored just five goals in eight games, if you include two Leagues Cup games, when Charlotte only got a positive result after beating Cruz Azul in a shootout. Two goals in the last four games (only one in open field play), while gaining just a point with a 1-1 draw against the Red Bulls, has dropped them to seventh place. Had Toronto not lost Wednesday night, Charlotte would be at No. 8 and squarely in the conversation for the dreaded play-in game, between the No. 8 vs. No. 9 team.
A couple of things have happened during this drop-off. Charlotte FC had significant time off — including two weeks out of action following its Leagues Cup elimination — and added players to the roster, including the return of Swiderski from loan in Italy and the additions of midfielder Pep Biel and center back Tim Ream. The club maintained that it had improved its roster in areas needed, but it has taken a step back in results.
“Sometimes, when you get new pieces, it takes a little bit to mesh,” said midfielder Brandt Bronico, who was back in the lineup with Biel on the wing. “Maybe at the beginning of seasons, when new guys come in, it’s not as obvious, because it’s the beginning of the season. Everybody’s getting their legs and feet under them. But now we’re in crunch time, and we need to figure out who we are as a team again very quickly.”
Next up is New England on Saturday at home, which is one of the worst teams in MLS by its 8-16-4 record, ranked 27th of 29 teams. But since starting the season 2-10-1, the Revolution has gone 6-6-3 since. And Charlotte is one of the teams it has beaten, 1-0 on April 6 in Foxborough, Mass.
The game is not only critical for Charlotte to turn the tide. Waiting next week is a trip to play Lionel Messi and Miami. While the final three games on the schedule after that wouldn’t seem all that daunting — against Montreal and DC United — nobody is beatable until Charlotte improves on the attack.
Here’s some insight from Smith into how they might do it:
The name of the game in the final third is to go and create space for somebody to run into it. Sometimes we create the space and nobody makes a run into it. We’ve got too many players who come towards the ball, rather than go away from the ball. And I keep saying to them, “You only have to look at the best center forward in the world at the moment, [Erling] Haaland [for Manchester City]. He probably makes 25 runs in behind each game. He probably only gets two or three balls, and he finishes them. If you come to the ball, then as a defender, you’re going to be happy. If you’re coming to a ball as a center forward or a wide player, then I could go and play at the back still.
Ream back in the scorebook in record time; first MLS goal in 14 years
Ream scored his first goal with Charlotte FC via header on Saturday in Montreal. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
When Tim Ream and his man-bunned head connected on the other end of a free kick from Ashley Westwood to score Charlotte’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss against Montreal, it was the first time he had scored in MLS in 14 years and three days.
Ream, who kept himself busy playing in the English Premier League and for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the meantime, became the record holder for the longest amount of time between goals in MLS. (DeMarcus Beasley had gone 11 years and 294 days between goals for the Chicago Fire and Houston Dynamo.)
“I guess that’s a good record to have, considering those 14 years spent were not all in MLS,” Ream said with a smile. “That’s one I can tell my kids.”
When Ream last scored in MLS play, he was a 22-year-old rookie for the New York Red Bulls playing against the Colorado Rapids. There were 16 teams in MLS at the time, President Barack Obama had just introduced Obamacare, “Avatar” was hitting theaters, and Spain had won the World Cup in Johannesburg, before it came to light that a FIFA official had accepted $10 million in bribes to choose South Africa as the host country.
Of the one he got Saturday, Ream said: “It was an incredible ball. It was put perfectly. [Westwood] thought he had overhit it, but the way he had it dipping over the final defender, it was probably the easiest header I’ve ever had to put on target.”
Bronico’s milestone — and charity — events
Bronico smiling with fans at last year’s charity event at HopFly. (Photo courtesy of Bronico’s Instagram account, @bb13_collection)
On Wednesday night in Orlando, Brandt Bronico became the first Charlotte FC player to appear in his 100th game for the club. It was a milestone not lost on the former Charlotte 49er and High Point native.
“It’s an honor, especially to be the first player to do so,” Bronico said afterward. “You dream of doing things like this, especially with the hometown club. It means the world to me. It's a privilege to represent the badge and give everything I can every single day.”
He’s leading the way when it comes to giving back to the community as well. Bronico is hosting his third annual charity event at HopFly Brewing Co. on Sunday to benefit Beds for Kids, a nonprofit that provides beds and furniture to local children in need.
The event from 2 to 6 p.m. will feature live music, DJ Ment City Music, games and family-friendly activities, a silent auction, food and drink and local independent artist Jiggy Tone performing his rap song “Kick it” with lyrics about Bronico “kicking it” for the Crown and Charlotte FC. HopFly is releasing a new beer for the occasion in honor of the High Point native and former Charlotte 49er, called “The Mayor.” Tickets are $15 to $25.
Up Next: Charlotte FC (10-11-8) vs New England Revolution (8-16-4)
When/Where: 4 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:
Just two points separate Charlotte FC from its seventh place spot in the Eastern Conference and falling into the No. 8 spot, which at season’s end represents one of the two teams [vs. No. 9] to square off in the one-game wild card.
With a 4 p.m. kickoff, this is Charlotte FC’s first “day” game at Bank of America all season, so it’s a good one to take the kids to see. Charlotte FC is 6-3-5 at home but hasn’t won at The Bank since defeating DC United 1-0 on June 15.
Charlotte FC has scored just 31 goals in 29 games this season, which is tied for 27th out of 29 teams. The team it’s tied with? New England, a team with 31 goals in 28 games, though the Revolution has nine of them in its past five games.
Playmaker Carlos Gil has 10 goals and six assists for New England, including the lone goal against Charlotte FC in New England’s 1-0 win April 6.
Smith said newcomer Jamie Paterson is not quite up to MLS pace, so he played Thursday night for Crown Legacy and won’t be in the roster for the second straight game Saturday.
Midfielder Nikola Petkovic suffered a knee injury in practice last week, Smith said, and will be out for a few weeks.
Israeli forward Idan Toklomati was added to the first-team roster last Friday in advance of the MLS roster freeze, which would make him eligible to be on a playoff roster. Toklomati originally joined the club under contract with Crown Legacy. After scoring goals in each of his first three games in MLS Next Pro, he was promoted to the first team, where he is categorized as an Under-22 initiative signing. Toklomati came off the bench Saturday in Orlando to play 17 minutes in his MLS debut.
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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