Defensive woes are sinking Charlotte FC
CLT Beer vendors headed to Germany for Champions League, advancing Toronto and more
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Charlotte is mired in a defensive slump after giving up 23 goals across all competitions in May, while losing 6 of 8 games
Adilson Malanda (center), Andrew Privett (left) and Charlotte FCâs defense have had a tough run of games this month. (Photo by Matt Geslin of The 5 and 2 Project.)
If you ask Jamie Smith what drives his father, Charlotte FC coach Dean Smith, crazy, this is what heâll say:
âConceding.â
Thatâs British for allowing goals. It sounds polite when you say it. Itâs been a bear this month for Charlotte FC.
A team that was built around defense in Smithâs first season, finishing with the second-fewest goals allowed in MLS last year â 37, trailing only Seattleâs 35 â has been bombarded with 27 goals already. Thatâs tied for the fifth-most in MLS.
The holes seemed to start springing when right back Nathan Byrne went down with a neck injury, followed shortly thereafter by newcomer Souleyman Doumbiaâs hamstring strain. Before Byrne got hurt, Charlotte allowed seven goals in eight games, three of which were shutouts. Since his injury, Charlotte has allowed 24 goals in 10 games [across all competitions] and only one shutout. Thatâs an average of 2.4 goals allowed per game during this stretch of games, compared to 0.88 before.
The bottles of wine Smith used to give out for âclean sheetsâ? He might need to chug one now.
After Wednesdayâs 4-2 loss to the New York Red Bulls, the fourth time Charlotte has given up three or more goals in a game this month, Smith seemed to reach the point of exasperation. Heâs not even taking much issue with the officiating in his postgame pressers anymore, which he had a right to in the past two games with questionable penalty calls going against Charlotte versus both Columbus and New York.
âWe keep giving really poor goals away,â Smith said. âAnd if youâre giving three goals away â because I donât really count the last one [questionable call against Adilson Malanda for a penalty] â and have to score three goals away from home to get a point, then thatâs not good enough because they havenât had to work too hard for their goals today.â
The culprits on Wednesday involved some of their most seasoned players: Malanda getting beat on a run, goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina failing to bail him out, Ashley Westwood not closing out on a cross, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty making an ill-advised pass, which led to a needless tackle by Andrew Privett for a penalty.
âWeâre making poor decisions, and they become big mistakes that cost us goals,â Smith said.
Kahlina, MLS goalkeeper of the year a year ago, is not performing at the levels of last year. One of his key metrics at the end of last season was a -10.47 G-xG, per American Soccer Analysis, which meant he saved more than 10 goals more than expected. So far this year, heâs given up 1.56 more goals than expected.
Since Kahlina took a shot off the face in Columbus, he has allowed 19 goals in six games, after allowing eight goals in his first 10 games.
âHe's made some mistakes this season,â Smith said. âHe'll be the first put his hand up. He's earned the right to make a couple of mistakes, but he can't keep making them because that becomes a trend. He's had a baby, moved [to a] house, so there's been a lot of things going on, but we've certainly got his back.â
Westwood said turning things around starts with understanding theyâre in control of changing it.
âThe positive thing is, teams arenât beating us well, weâre beating ourselves,â he said. âWeâre scoring goals. Weâre creating chances. The minute we cut our mistakes, weâll go on a good run and beat a lot of teams.â
Something else to build on: Doumbia came on to play the final seven minutes [officially] Wednesday night in New York after missing six games with a hamstring injury and provided a calming presence.
Notable: Vargas battling Abada for right wing, All-Star voting begins, John called up for U-19
âŒïž Vargas gets back-to-back MLS starts: Kerwin Vargas starting against DC United in the U.S. Open Cup game might have been expected, given Smithâs attempt to rest some of his veteran players. But when he started Vargas for the next two MLS games against Columbus and the New York Red Bulls, ahead of designated player Liel Abada, it was a sign.
âI always believed that Kerwin and Liel would be having a good battle for a position, if Wilf (Zaha) came in and did what we expected on the tin [at left wing],â Smith said.
Together they netted Charlotteâs only goals in Wednesdayâs 4-2 loss in New York. Vargas scored Charlotteâs first goal and played 66 minutes before getting subbed off in favor of Abada, who finished off a rebound for his fifth goal of the season which matches Patrick Agyemang for a team high.
âŒïž MLS All-Star voting opens: Itâs not the greatest time for building candidacies for MLS All-Stars, given Charlotteâs poor run of form, but the club is still looking for its first All-Star. The top players from MLS will face the best of Mexicoâs LIGA MX on July 23 in Austin. Voting will take place until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, June 11.
âŒïž Hereâs the breakdown: 12 players will be voted in by MLS fans, players and media, 12 will be selected by MLS All-Star coach Nico EstĂ©vez of host Austin FC, and two will be selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
âŒïž John call-up: Crown Legacy midfielder Aron John was called up to join the U.S. Menâs National team U-19 team in Spain for exhibitions on June 7 against Spain and June 10 against Ukraine. This is the first national team call-up for John, whoâs from Matthews. John led MLS Next Pro last season with 10 assists and tied the single-season record for goals and assists with 18.
Hawking beer for Champions League trip to Germany
Michael Cowen, Spencer Bahr and Jacob Falco in Innsbruck, Austria. (Photo courtesy of Bahr.)
If you are a Charlotte FC fan and youâve tipped a beer vendor in recent months, have a toast. Spencer Bahr, 22, and Michael Cowen, 22, along with their friend Jacob Falco, 21 â two recent and one soon-to-be UNC Charlotte graduates â used tips and money made from hawking Modelo and Michelob Ultra at Charlotte FC games to buy themselves a trip to Germany for Saturdayâs Champions League final.
Lugging beer tubs up and down the stadium steps at Bank of America Stadium, with stints at Durham Bulls games as well, helped them raise about $1,700 each to cover airfare and hotels.
Bahr just happened to mention his plans one day to a Charlotte FC fan who had a little bit of tipperâs remorse after paying for an expensive beer.
âI felt a little bad, so I said, âIf it makes you feel any better, the tip is helping me fund my Germany trip,ââ Bahr said. âTheir face lit up and we had a great conversation. After that I started mentioning it more. Not to push for tips but because it genuinely opened the door to some amazing interactions.â
Bahr said neither of their teams, Manchester City or Aston Villa, made the final, so theyâre pulling for Italyâs Inter Milan over French club Paris Saint-Germain. They were not able to secure tickets for the game through the lottery, and resale prices [as high as $3,000] were out of their budget. Bahr said theyâd set aside $1,000 in case they came across something affordable at the last minute, but theyâll be happy just soaking in the atmosphere somewhere close to Allianz Arena.
âBeing there for a game of that size, even if weâre not inside the stadium, is still something special,â Bahr said.
The guys started the trip with train rides to Glarius, Switzerland, to see the Alps, and Innsbruck, Austria, to visit a world-class rock climbing gym, another of their hobbies.
Up Next: Charlotte FC (7-8-1) at Toronto FC (3-9-4)
When/Where: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, BMO Field, Toronto
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:
After losing six of seven MLS games, Charlotte FC has plunged from first in the Eastern Conference to ninth, just barely over the wildcard playoff line.
Charlotte is 1-6-1 on the road this season compared to 6-2 at Bank of America Stadium. Toronto is just 1-6-2 at its home BMO Field this year, with three straight losses to Philadelphia, Nashville and Cincinnati.
Wilfried Zaha collected his first two assists of the season in the lone win over Columbus during that stretch, finding a streaking Patrick Agyemang for the first goal and a chip to Pep Biel for the game-winner.
Center back Tim Ream missed the past two games with a thigh injury before returning to practice this week.
New defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty returns to face Toronto for the first time since the club that signed him as a 16-year-old homegrown traded him last season to Montreal. Itâll be a big homecoming for Marshall-Rutty, who has 14 siblings, many of whom plan to attend Saturdayâs game.
Midfielder Brandt Bronico returns Saturday after missing Wednesdayâs game in New York suspended for yellow card accumulation.
Federico Bernardeschi returns to Torontoâs lineup after serving a yellow card suspension Wednesday. Lorenzo Insigne was rested Wednesday and brings fresh legs.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her fourth 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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