Charlotte FC's goalkeeper is becoming a fan favorite
Charlotte FC's goalkeeper is becoming a fan favorite
Settling the Twitter controversy over Swiderski's hamstring; Sergio Ruiz celebrates triumphant return; Charlotte FC players out on the town — and more
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Kristijan Kahlina reigns in goal; impressive saves leave fans clamoring for jersey of 29-year-old Croatian sensation
Kristijan Kahlina smiling with fans after being crowned “Man of the Match” following last week’s shutout against Cincinnati. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
Soccer fans don’t normally clamor for goalkeeper jerseys, because in Major League Soccer, they’re not exactly distinctive. They look like all the other MLS goalkeeper jerseys, outside of the team patch on the front and the name on the back. If you want everybody to know you’re a Charlotte FC fan, you’re better off with a position player’s jersey in Charlotte’s “process blue” or black.
But that hasn’t stopped a growing contingent of Charlotte FC fans, who are itching for a tangible way to show their support for goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina.
The 29-year-old Croatian sensation is having a standout season so far in goal. He is coming off his first shutout — or “clean sheet,” as soccer aficionados call it — in a 2-0 victory over Cincinnati last Saturday, which was good not only for Charlotte’s second consecutive win but second win ever.
Both Kahlina and the team have received a steady barrage of questions about when the goalkeeper attire, known in soccer as a “kit,” will be in stores. The answer continues to be “soon.”
“It's unusual that a lot of a lot of fans want my jerseys,” Kahlina said. “But yeah, it's nice to hear.”
Sorry, no pink: Fans might be expecting the pink they saw Kahlina wear in Charlotte FC’s first four games, but those were goalkeeper jerseys MLS used last year. The new goalkeeper kits coming to stores will be mint green, like Kahlina wore against Cincinnati, orange or black, Kahlina said.
Whatever color he’s worn, Kahlina’s consistency is showing through. He has allowed seven goals in five games, but only one of those was a pure, legitimate shot.
Three of the goals against Kahlina have come via penalty kick, which is virtually a slam dunk for the offensive player. Three others scored on a deflection — two off of his own defender and one off of an opposing player. The most painful goal Kahlina has allowed came in extra time of a 1-1 tie in Atlanta, and that one bounced off defender Christian Makoun’s back.
It took a world class strike from L.A. Galaxy’s Efrain Alvarez to beat him for a 1-0 win in the home opener. A record crowd of 74,479 got introduced to Kahlina’s talents that game and watched him named the first Charlotte FC “man of the match.” Their allegiance to him has only grown.
Kahlina in his pink “kit” for Charlotte FC to start the season. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
After Kahlina helped Charlotte to its first ever win, 3-1 over the New England Revolution, fans behind Bank of America’s West goal gestured like they were bowing down to Kahlina. He promptly bowed back. After Kahlina’s shutout against Cincinnati, he earned “man of the match” honors for a second time, this time being able to enjoy the celebration more fully because it came after a victory.
Video of one of Kahlina’s saves against Cincinnati:
Kahlina’s work ethic: Even as he’s riding this nice run, Kahlina’s focus has been on continuing to work as hard as he has since arriving in Charlotte eager to prove himself.
“I know it’s difficult to keep this rhythm,” he said. “…I just need to be calm in my head and work hard with my goalkeeper coach Andy (Quy).”
While he’s opened eyes both in Charlotte and around Major League Soccer, Charlotte FC’s front office has been high on Kahlina since scouting him with Bulgarian champion Ludogorets. They recognized a goalkeeper with moxie in his decision-making — a key to success in Coach Miguel Angel Ramirez’s game strategy — as well as the kind of reactions that can compensate for the defensive breakdowns you’d expect from an expansion team.
Ramirez told reporters:
We were told we were crazy to bring an international keeper for this money and that it was risky. But Kahlina had everything for this game model and also as a leader. All the references we got said that he is a strong leader, a captain, a hard worker and someone who wants to learn. And of course, he is showing now that he is an amazing goalkeeper.
Kahlina has made 21 saves while starting down the likes of L.A.’s Chicarito, Luciano Acosta with FC Cincinnati and Josef Martinez with Atlanta. In an interview with WFNZ’s Crown Corner this week, Kahlina said his favorite save came against Martinez on a split-second, left-handed jab in an eventual 2-1 loss.
The save drew a smile and applause from Martinez in the moment. It also prompted Martinez to ask Kahlina to swap jerseys after the game. It seems Charlotte fans aren’t the only ones who want one.
Polish relations: Setting the record straight on Swiderski injury
Karol Swiderski (left) and Jordy Alcivar celebrate Swiderski’s second goal for Charlotte FC against Cincinnati. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
Apparently, it wasn’t all that fun for fans of the Polish National team to watch Charlotte FC striker Karol Swiderski tee off for two goals against Cincinnati last Saturday rather than play for Poland during last week’s international break.
Swiderski had left late in the New England game a week prior with a hamstring strain. He practiced separately from the team last week and was listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. Coach Miguel Angel Ramirez said playing him in Charlotte’s 2-0 victory against FC Cincinnati was a game-time decision.
Swiderski started, played 89 minutes and never looked bothered by his hamstring. Shortly after he scored on Ben Bender pass in the game’s sixth minute, the press officer for the Polish national team, Jakub Kwiatkowski, posted a copy of a report he’d received from Charlotte FC chief medical officer Brent Messick on Twitter. The report indicated Swiderski would require a 1-2 week recovery. (Apparently HIPAA laws are not a thing in Poland.)
All he wrote to accompany the tweet was “Message we got from Charlotte FC doctor last Monday.” Many Charlotte FC fans took that to mean Polish officials were skeptical of the injury. But Kwiatkowski clarified in an e-mail to the Charlotte Observer that issuing the report was his attempt to quell the uproar from Polish fans and media that Swiderski should have been called up.
“When (we) saw that Świderski is in the starting eleven of Charlotte FC, a real [expletive] storm on Polish Twitter has started,” Kwiatkowski wrote in an email to The Observer. “Journalists and fans started to attack us that we (made) a big mistake not to call up Świderski. That he is perfectly fit and can play. Now we have problems with strikers, and Świderski is not with us. That’s why I decided to publish an email from Charlotte to explain that he was really injured.”
Two Polish strikers were injured in Poland’s “friendly” against Scotland last Thursday (Poland played an exhibition instead of a qualifier against Russia in protest of their invasion of Ukraine.) Poland then beat Sweden on Tuesday to qualify for the World Cup.
Swiderski is on track to be called up for the next international window in June. Meanwhile, it’s not a bad sign for Charlotte FC that he appeared eager to stay and also to play. Swiderski’s second goal against Cincinnati on a picturesque free kick tied him with the MLS lead in goals at four.
“I am super proud of these kind of players that even with pain, with soreness, in a last-minute decision, say, ‘Coach, I prefer to go and make a risk,’” Ramirez said after the game.
Redemption for Ruiz: Making his first start in comeback from battle with mental illness
Sergio Ruiz (left) gets a postgame embrace from Miguel Angel Ramirez after first start with Charlotte FC. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
Lost in the moment of Charlotte FC’s second straight win — but not nearly lost on coach Miguel Angel Ramirez — was what the game meant for midfielder Sergio Ruiz. Ruiz was making his first start since last September before he took a leave of absence from soccer and the Las Palmas team he was on loan with in his native Spain to focus on his mental health.
Ruiz admitted at the time to struggling with anxiety after suffering a foot injury and catching Covid, while facing uncertainties that come with his wife pregnant with their first child.
“We forget sometimes they are human beings and they suffer and they have their own battles in their minds,” Ramirez said Saturday. “I'm so happy because this is proof that we all can face and beat this battle against our mind and our thoughts. (We can) overcome and be ready to compete again.”
Ruiz, the first player ever signed by the Charlotte FC, said he has worked with a psychologist in recent months and leaned on his family for support:
(As players) we are (under) a lot of pressure with a lot of things in our mind. So keeping the balance between physical and mental health is very important. With the process that I have, life was very hard for me, but I improved a lot. I am growing as a person, as a soccer player. I'm enjoying (myself) now more than some months ago, trying to live the moment, trying to enjoy it. This is great for me.
After the game he joked that he was “tired, but really happy.”
New arrival: One thing that’s helping his cause is being able to revel in the arrival of his son, Lucas, who was born in Charlotte on Feb. 25. “An American boy,” Ruiz said, with a smile.
Despite sleepless nights that come with having a newborn baby, Ruiz said he’s been energized by him. (It probably helped that his wife kept the baby in a different room the night before the game!)
“If anything, my son gives me more energy to train and enjoy the atmosphere,” Ruiz said.
Up next: Charlotte FC (2-3) at Philadelphia Union (3-0-1)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Subaru Park in Chester, Pa.
How to watch: WAXN (TV 64), Telemundo, Charlotte. Or live stream at www.charlottefootballclub/live or on the Charlotte FC app. Local restrictions apply.
Notable:
Midfielder Alan Franco (Ecuador) and Christian Makoun (Venezuela) are back from their international duties and eager to play, Ramirez said Thursday. Ramirez has yet to decide if he’d rather play them or rest them.
The Union is off to its best start in club history, racking up 10 points in its first four games (three wins and a tie). Philadelphia has won three in a row, while getting goals in each of those matches from Daniel Gazdag.
Ramirez said Thursday the best case scenario for the arrival of Polish striker Kamil Jozwiak, the team’s second designated player, was in a week. Jozwiak is in Poland awaiting his visa.
Midfielder Chris Heghardt underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee last week and was expected to miss eight weeks.
Out and about: Charlotte FC players on the social scene
One way the expansion CLT FC has done some team building is by eating dinners out. The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar was the beneficiary this week. Dining together from left to right were: Chris Hegardt, Ben Bender, Jaylin Lindsey, George Marks, Adam Armour, Quinn McNeill, Koa Santos and McKinze Gaines.
Independence games: Don’t be surprised to see some Charlotte FC players in attendance at upcoming Charlotte Independence games. Midfielder Brandt Bronico, who spent time on loan with Charlotte’s USL team last year, said he was planning to attend the Independence’s home opener (and debut in USL League One) on Friday, April 8. He said teammates like Adam Armour and Christian Fuchs, both of whom spent time with the Independence last year, would probably catch some games as well.
“I made a lot of good relationships with some of the players that are currently on the team,” said Bronico. “And I had a have a great relationship with (Coach) Mike Jeffries. So I'll be out there. I'll be supporting them as as much as my schedule allows me to do so.”
Previous editions of Fútbol Friday
You can find previous issues of The Charlotte Ledger’s Fútbol Friday newsletter online.
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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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project