Charlotte welcomes U.S. Men's National soccer team
U.S. Men's National Team makes first visit to Bank of America for Gold Cup; striking a nerve with installation of natural grass; getting to know Scottish midfielder and country music-lover Arfield
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U.S. Men’s national team makes Charlotte debut
USA defender Deandre Yedlin getting Team Jamaica off his back. (Photo courtesy of Concacaf.)
There has been a lot of soccer buzz generated around Charlotte the last year-plus by the arrival of the city’s first Major League Soccer franchise: record-setting attendance for the home opener. Chelsea’s visit — and loss — here to Charlotte FC in an exhibition last year.
Now, Bank of America Stadium has another first coming Sunday: the United States’ Men’s National team.
They’ll be taking on Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday at 7 p.m. in the first game of a Concacaf Gold Cup doubleheader.
Granted, this is not exactly your World Cup U.S. men’s national team. A lot of the heavy hitters — Christian Pulisic, Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie to name a few — played for the U.S. in the recent Nations League tournament and are sitting this one out. But there will be seven players on this 23-man roster, who were on the U.S. World Cup team last winter, including Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), GK Sean Johnson (Toronto FC), Aaron Long (LAFC), Jordan Morris (Seattle), Cristian Roldan (Seattle), goalkeeper Matt Turner (Arsenal) and DeAndre Yedlin (Inter Miami).
Sixteen of the 23 players on this U.S. roster play in Major League Soccer, which might be another reason some names ring a bell. But for those who might be feeling a little foggy about the whole concept of the Gold Cup, we will break it down:
What is the Gold Cup? Officially it’s the Concacaf Gold Cup and it names a champion of national teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. The tournament started in 1991 and is held every two years. Mexico has won eight Gold Cup titles. The U.S. can match that with a win this year. Canada has won the only other title, in 2000.
Who and when: The United States will play Trinidad and Tobago at 7 p.m., followed by Honduras vs. Haiti at 9 p.m.
History here: Charlotte has hosted Gold Cup matches in 2011, 2015 and 2019, with the Mexican National team headlining each of those three years. Attendance increased each time with 46,012 coming in 2011, 55,823 in 2015 and 59,283 in 2019.
What’s the format: It’s a World Cup-style format, where the top two teams from each of four groups — a total of eight — advance to play a single elimination tournament. In 2019, the tournament expanded from 12 to 16 teams, so there are four groups of four teams.
What’s the latest: The U.S. team rolled past St. Kitts and Nevis 6-0 on Wednesday in St. Louis behind three goals from Jesus Ferreira, whom Charlotte will face in Leagues Cup action against F.C. Dallas on July 21. The U.S. started the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Jamaica last Saturday in Chicago.
Starting lineup for Team USA vs. Jamaica. (Photo courtesy of Concacaf.)
Where’s Nicaragua? The U.S. was originally scheduled to play Nicaragua on Sunday, but Nicaragua was disqualified after it was discovered using an ineligible player.
Where’s Berhalter? This team is being coached by interim head and four-year assistant coach B.J. Callaghan, who will have been at the helm for both the Nations League and Gold Cup tournaments. Gregg Berhalter, who coached the U.S. to a Round of 16 finish in the 2022 World Cup, was let go in a swirl of controversy following Qatar. But just four days before Gold Cup practice started the U.S. Soccer Federation announced it had named Berhalter as coach that will lead the Men’s National Team for the 2026 World Cup in the U.S..
Berhalter was investigated for a domestic violence incident that was brought to light by the mother of U.S. men’s player Gio Reyna (and wife of former USMNT captain Claudio Reyna). Reyna had seen limited action during the World Cup. Berhalter admits to kicking his then future wife during an argument more than 30 years ago, but it was found to be “an isolated incident.”
Installation of natural grass for Gold Cup creates a stir
This is what natural grass looks like going in over artificial turf. (Photo by Carroll Walton.)
Want to strike a nerve with fans of Charlotte FC and the Carolina Panthers at the same time? Bring up the artificial turf at Bank of America Stadium. That’s what I did Tuesday, after snapping a photo of the natural grass being installed exclusively for the Gold Cup matches (a prerequisite for the event coming here) and posting it on Twitter. The post went viral by our standards, with 167,000 views and 222 likes. What’s wild, considering it’s Twitter? Everybody agreed: They should keep the natural grass.
Players and coaches for both Charlotte FC and the Panthers want natural grass because it’s easier on the players’ joints and it’s cooler. Ownership wants turf because it’s easier and more cost-effective to maintain.
Tepper Sports and Entertainment decided to install the artificial surface in 2021 since both Charlotte FC and the Panthers would be sharing the field. The two clubs have 30 home games between them this year, including preseason and Leagues Cup.
By using turf, Tepper Sports makes the case it can host more outside events to Bank of America Stadium. So far this summer, there are only three concerts on the schedule — July 14 and 15 for Luke Combs and Aug. 9 for Beyonce — but there will have already been at least another half dozen events there, including Charlotte FC’s kit launch, Panthers FanFest, charitable events and more.
When reams of grass were being rolled out and laid Tuesday afternoon, many among Charlotte FC players and staff couldn’t resist stepping out to admire it after they returned from to Bank of America from practice at their McAlpine facility. When asked Thursday if it was a little heart-breaking to watch grass go in that Charlotte FC wouldn’t be using, Coach Christian Lattanzio gave an honest answer:
Obviously, when you play football, and the style that we want to play we would prefer natural grass like we had in the game we played last year again Chelsea. We train on grass, we have a good training facility, and we are building good training facilities here in town. So the preference is that. In the end, we have to accept the surface that we have. But yes, everybody knows that for football, the ideal surface is natural grass, and I’m not denying that. I would be a hypocrite if I say anything else.
Getting to know Arfield: admirer of MLS, country music, and a Canadian ‘mountie’ salute
Arfield doing his trademark salute with the Rangers of the Scottish Premiership. (Photo from @scotty.arf on Instagram.)
It’s going to be at least another five days before we get to know Scott Arfield the player. Charlotte’s new midfield acquisition from the top division in Scotland has to wait until the summer transfer window opens July 5 before he can play for Charlotte FC. (He’s targeting Wednesday in New York for his debut, assuming he can secure a visa from Canada by then.) So why not take some time to get to know Scott Arfield the person in the meantime?
The 34-year-old is a native of Scotland. (Wait until you hear his brogue.) His father was born in Canada, so he was qualified to play for the Canadian National Team, which he did for four years, making 19 appearances from 2016-2019. One of those appearances, by the way, was at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, on June 24, 2019, when Canada trounced Cuba 7-0 in Gold Cup play. That was about six months before Charlotte was awarded an MLS franchise.
Arfield said he came to respect Major League Soccer while playing for Team Canada, which featured players like Jonathan Osorio, who was with Toronto FC; Samuel Piette, who played for Montreal; and Lucas Cavallini, who went on to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Arfield said he’s wanted to play in MLS ever since. Charlotte FC was the first to call.
“If I had got to the end of my career, and I never played consistent football in MLS, that is something I would have regretted,” said Arfield, who became a free agent when the Glasgow Rangers let his contract expire at the end of May as his playing time diminished under new coach Michael Beale. “So as soon as this came up, I jumped at the chance.”
His first call was to Charlotte FC midfielder Ashley Westwood, his former teammate with Burnley of the English Premier League. “He absolutely loves it (in Charlotte),” Arfield said. His second was to sporting director Zoran Krneta, and his third Lattanzio.
“I’ve hit the jackpot,” he said. “I’m so happy to be here now.”
His wife, Ashley, and daughters Bonnie, 6, and Betsie, 4, will be joining him in Charlotte late next week. In the meantime, he’d been practicing with his new team and exploring the city. “I’m a bit of a stray dog,” he said. “I like to get a feel for places. I was the same when I played for Canada. Every city or state that we went to I was always out walking and taking it all in.”
So far, he’s taken in two Italian restaurants in South End with Westwood and some teammates. He’s visited a school he’s considering for his daughters. And he’s curious to get to know more about Charlotte’s music scene. An avid music lover and acoustic guitar player, Arfield said he was a singer in his brother’s band at the age of 19 when the manager gave him the ultimatum of choosing between the band and soccer. Music is still a passion, though, and some of his favorite musicians might surprise you: country stars like Luke Combs (who’s performing at Bank of America next month) Morgan Wallen, Jonathan Davis and Chris Stapleton.
Arfield jamming with Scottish singer-songwriter Callum Beattie. (Photo from @scotty.arf on Instagram.)
Something Charlotte fans will get to know about Arfield on the field is that his trademark goal celebration is a salute. He got the idea from an assistant coach with the Rangers who had taken to calling him “the mountie,” as in a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and saluting Arfield in jovial tribute to his time with the Canadian national team.
“It took me like two and a half months to score my first goal for Rangers, so I was just desperate for it,” Arfield said. “It did take off. I’ve got little boys and girls all over the country when they see me (they salute), and my kids think it’s hilarious. They do it all the time. Even in school sports days, and stuff like that, they'll finish the race and (salute).”
Up next
Charlotte FC has a bye this weekend while Bank of America hosts a Concacaf Gold Cup doubleheader. Charlotte FC returns to action Wednesday at CitiField in New York, taking on New York City FC.
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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