When surveying the areas of the Carolinas that are excited about Major League Soccer now having a home in the Old North and Palmetto states, please don’t forget about the sunshine coastline. Currently based out of Wilmington, the Mint City Coastal chapter led by Eric Hill who is also serving as Chapter Director, has been working hard to ensure the beautiful game being played in Charlotte is well known to those that live near the beautiful Carolina beaches.
This effort most certainly will entail some grit and perseverance. While there has been an initial burst of engagement, a large population is still unaware of the team. “Still have people who have no idea who the team is...here it’s a complete mystery,” noted Eric. This was part of the impetus for him looking to get some organization around support for Charlotte FC. A group for people to learn, celebrate, and enjoy the game. Taking to social media, Eric inquired about the best way to organize a group a couple of hours away from Charlotte. After observing that Mint City Collective already had a strong community and what Eric called fantastic conversations with David Gusler, president of MCC, and Matt Chantry, Vice-President, it was determined that a Mint City chapter would be a great way to start. And thus, Mint City has made its way to the Atlantic.
Hoping to display their love and enthusiasm not just for soccer but also for the community, the Chapter has conducted beach cleanups and is busy scheming additional community events. As the group pushes to establish a core membership amongst the locals, they are also striving to get the team’s eye as well. Although the excitement for the team is high there is also some disappointment with the lack of exposure and outreach that has been made out their way. A prime example is that currently, no merchandise can be found in the stores, whether it be a local or national chain. Undeterred, being a constant voice from afar is firmly a part of the Chapter’s motivations.
Given the obstacles that a chapter with the proximity gap that MCC Coastal faces, it is almost imperative to ensure the foundation is not built on sand. The relationship fostered with Might As Well Wilmington has helped provide a sturdy base for this Chapter to build off of. “Happy to be there...happy to have us,” says Eric of their partnership with the bar. Jeff Loock, the bar’s general manager, and the establishment have not only been accommodating but also proactive in promoting the Chapter, its events, and Charlotte FC. The bar has frequently posted to social media with its staff in team gear to help extend exposure. Also, in a place that sees high tides and low tides, people come, and people go the bar has committed to providing a great venue and showing games for the entire season. This commitment is essential as the Chapter looks to continually build themselves and the community around them.
The outreach has paid dividends by attracting new members and those visiting the surrounding beaches. Enjoying the pleasant beaches while also taking in Charlotte FC with a great and passionate crowd is certainly a bonus for any vacation. A luxury that even some of the player’s families have enjoyed, with Brandt Bronico’s parents stopping by as well as members of Jaylin Lindsey’s family. Mint City Coastal chapter is not just about fun in the sun but also committed to ensuring Charlotte FC and soccer are as common as seashells up and down the coast.
And every week, that answer is different. Sometimes it's your local affiliate (if you have one). Sometimes it's ABC. Or Fox Sports. Or UniMas. And if you're an out of market fan (like me), if the game's not airing nationally, you have to pay for ESPN+ to follow your team.
]]>Where can I watch today's game?
And every week, that answer is different. Sometimes it's your local affiliate (if you have one). Sometimes it's ABC. Or Fox Sports. Or UniMas. And if you're an out of market fan (like me), if the game's not airing nationally, you have to pay for ESPN+ to follow your team.
Next year, there's only going to be one answer to that question, as MLS and AppleTV announced a 10 year deal to have the streamer be the exclusive home for MLS games. The deal, reported to be around $2.5 billion, will put all MLS, Leagues Cup, and MLS Next matches on the streaming service. With the success of Ted Lasso, it's a match made in heaven.
This is obviously not Apple's first venture into live sports; they signed a deal with Major League Baseball (MLB) to stream two Friday night games starting in the 2022 season, complete with their own pre and post-game shows, broadcast teams, and production teams. Those that have watched those games certainly read this news with a bit of trepidation, since those broadcasts have been rocky at best and plain awful at their worst. The idea of having to pay for yet another streaming service does not sit well with fans either. And with this deal, local broadcasts end completely, so if you watch Charlotte FC over the air on WSOC or WAXN, that won't be available to you next season. '
(It's important to note that Fox, ESPN, and Univision are still negotiating rights for over the air broadcasts, so linear TV should still remain an option for fans. We'll keep an eye on these developments over the next few months.)
But there are some interesting aspects to this deal that do work in the favor of the fans and could influence future sports broadcast deals:
Sounds good, right? But there are still some open questions and issues around this deal:
As professional sports adapts to a viewing public that is cutting the cord from traditional cable at increasing rates, it will be interesting to see how much of a game changer this kind of deal is for MLS and sports broadcasting in the 21st century.
]]>
Instead of rehashing the details of MAR’s departure, I’m more interested in diagnosing what’s gone wrong for the club during his tenure, and what’s next for the club as they prepare for their upcoming match against the Montclair State University Red Bulls. If you’re interested in the details of Miguel’s dismissal, I highly recommend Mint City Soccer Show’s most recent podcast episode. Their analysis and discussion of what’s been reported is insightful and provides valuable context for what exactly brought us to this inflection point in the club’s early history.
That being said, the purpose of this article will be to review the performance of the club under Miguel and explore what Charlotte FC fans will hope to see change under interim coach Christian Lattanzio. To start, let’s look where the club stands in the Eastern Conference:
Credit: MLSsoccer
After 14 games, CLTFC is in 8th place with 16 points and a -5 goal difference. While I would say this is close to what we expected, the reality is a good deal more fragile than simply saying the club is just outside the playoff spots. Four clubs sit behind Charlotte with a game in hand and could pass them with a win in their next match, and all but one already have a better goal difference. While the goal should be to continue to fight for 7th place with those above us, our current standing is better described as a fight against slipping further down the table. So, should Charlotte settle for 8th or is there more to fight for under new management?
Displayed above is the xG Difference of every club in the MLS. xG Difference is calculated by taking the non-penalty goals a club has scored (NpxG) and subtracting it by the total Expected Goals (xG) a team has scored this season.
Based on their overall xG Difference, I’m inclined to think better days are ahead for the Queen City this season. With a -2.2, Charlotte have scored about two fewer goals than the quality of their chances would predict. Depending on the context surrounding these numbers (team tactics, player performance, etc.) this value can be interpreted as Charlotte have finished their chances poorly, they’re rather unlucky, or somewhere in between over their first 14 matches. And, given the lack of consistency throughout the season in our front line availability, any combination of those explanations would be fairly understandable.
While the club has played 14 matches, Jozwiak has only played 181 minutes and is coming off an injury, Swiderski arrived late and has gone back and forth from Europe for international matches and visa completion, and, while the former Colorado Rapids forward has impressed, Andre Shinyashiki has only just arrived at the club as well. As Jozwiak continues to settle into the league with Karol and Andre, the relationship between the front line and the creative players behind them will begin to develop and create more high quality chances for them to finish.
While it’s easy to simply say this, the data does a nice job showing that this progression is already happening:
If this graph of Charlotte’s rolling averages looks familiar, it’s because I tweeted it the night before MAR’s dismissal with a message to trust in the players and manager… oops. While that sentiment might have been poorly timed, the data behind it is the same and still gives reason to believe in the way the club’s performances have progressed. Each point in this rolling average figure takes the average xG (blue line) or xGA (red line) of the match on that day, the match before, and the match after.
While the first figure shows a poor finishing side throughout the season, the added context of Charlotte’s attacking improvement over the last month is reason to believe the club is headed in the right direction. It would be easy to write off this progress now that the club is transitioning to a new head coach, but, as I mentioned above, I think the progress has more to do with Charlotte adding new players than the club adjusting to Miguel’s system.
In fact, I think Lattanzio taking the helm during this two week break will provide an opportunity for the club to regroup, evaluate where their performances have fallen short, and consider adjustments to the tactics and lineup. So what does that look like? In my opinion, it centers around addressing how MAR’s tactics limited chance creation quantity and shot quality.
Starting with the simplest metric, shots per game, we can see Charlotte is just about league average. It’d be easy to just look at this graph and decide Charlotte should shoot more. More shots should mean more goals, right?. But it’s important to consider how the top teams in the MLS are distributed across this chart. Philadelphia and FC Dallas are top ten in the league in xG produced this season with shooting numbers very similar to Charlotte, while New England and San Jose sit just outside the top 5 in shots per game while sitting 11th and 13th in their respective conferences. Taking more shots could help, but there’s more to it than that for Charlotte, and there are smarter ways of approaching how to be more successful in the MLS.
When we dig a little deeper into shooting data, the issues for Charlotte gain some important context. As we transition from shots per game to shots on target per game (or per 90 minutes), things look a little better at first. Charlotte is actually tied for 7th in the league in shots on target, a promising statistic considering their middling shots per game. In fact, their shot on target percentage is top 5 in the MLS, indicating when they do shoot they’re one of the best in the league at testing the goalie.
Unfortunately, the tests Charlotte pose for the goalkeepers they face aren’t that difficult, as they’re dead last in the league in converting their shots on target into goals (there are better, more convoluted ways to show they aren’t testing opposition goalies, tweet the Mint City Analytics Twitter account if you’re curious). Their last place designation is even more troubling when you consider their above average shots on target, suggesting it’s not necessarily the quantity that’s holding back Charlotte’s offense from producing more goals.
To summarize the last two graphs, Charlotte takes an average amount of shots, with an above average chance of getting them on target, but they’re league worst at converting those shots on target into goals. Taking this into consideration, along with their -2.2 xG underperformance, are the forwards for Charlotte FC just bad at finishing quality chances? While it’s an interesting question and one worth exploring when there are more minutes for the newer forwards, the early data shows Charlotte’s forwards aren’t particularly worse than any other club’s players at finishing.
In my opinion, the biggest issue for Christian Lattanzio to address starts further back in the formation.
This graph shows the shot-creating actions and goal-creating actions per 90 minutes of each MLS club this season. A “creating action” is an offensive contribution that is within two actions of creating a shot or goal. StatsBomb’s data, provided by FBref, breaks offensive actions down into live passes, dead passes (free kicks or corners), dribbles, fouls, shots, and defensive stops.
If you look in the bottom left quadrant, you’ll see the Charlotte FC crest tucked behind Minnesota United’s, placing them in a peer group with The Loons, Kansas City, and Vancouver as below average in shot and goal-creating actions. While we’ve reviewed a couple areas where Charlotte could improve offensively, most of what we’ve already presented here stems from the inability to create quality chances in Miguel Ángel Ramirez’s system. Not only is the shot creating action volume below average for the MLS, Charlotte is near the league worst in expected goals per shot at 0.09.
Based on the offensive data available to us on football reference, this is the area where Charlotte struggles most. Over their first 14 matches, they haven’t created enough chances and the chances that they create are low quality. While the rolling average figure shows a club that was improving defensively and finally coming together offensively with improved players, I think over time the club’s style of play would’ve required a change in order to produce more goals and compete for the playoffs.
We’ll never know how Miguel Ángel Ramirez would’ve adjusted to this reality, but it’ll be important to the start of Christian Lattanzio’s time as Charlotte FC head coach to address these areas. And while there has been talk of another young DP signing coming in the summer, the talent is available in this squad to excel in the MLS. With tactical adjustments, Jordy Alcívar and Ben Bender have the playmaking abilities to lead an MLS playoff quality midfield. It’ll be up to Lattanzio and his staff to make the most of the talent available to them if Charlotte is to achieve their goal of playoff contention in their inaugural season.
We’re only ten match weeks into Charlotte FC’s inaugural MLS season and, even for a new club, it’s been a remarkably eventful few months. We’ve seen an attendance record broken, designate player signings arrive and deals collapse, and the establishment of a home fortress balanced with missed opportunities and road struggles. Even if it’s been a weird one at times, it’s certainly the party that David Tepper promised us.
While it’s still too early for any major analysis of player and team data, I believe it’s worth establishing baselines and taking a look at the start Charlotte has had on the pitch. There’s enough information now to interpret early patterns in performance that will provide some context and help us consider what’s gone right and wrong for the club in its first 11 matches.
This will be a two part series, starting with team analysis and an overview of performance data to evaluate the Queen City’s start to life in the MLS. Next week’s article will then transition into highlighting particular players and phases of play that might explain Charlotte FC’s performances. Let’s begin with a look at how the team has moved through the Eastern Conference table:
A lot of the analysis and comparisons going forward are going to be focused around a group I’ve labeled as the Southeast Six. While Charlotte should have league-wide goals and aspirations to compete with the top clubs in the MLS, it’s important to consider how we stack up against particular rivals that overlap with the club regionally, structurally, and competitively. I narrowed the group down to only the Eastern conference (sorry, Nashville), with a focus on the southeast region of the United States. Conveniently, and thanks to the region focused expansion efforts of the MLS, using this criteria also created a peer group with newly created MLS clubs.
Judging by the bump chart above, I think you can split the season so far into three stages. To borrow a phrase from Miguel Angel Ramirez, the first phase was the “Estamos jodidos” stage. With Swiderski arriving late, the Jozwiak (part one) and Machis deals falling through, and the squad trying to learn MAR’s system as the season began, you could feel the talent fighting against the lack of cohesion. A very harsh 3-0 scoreline against a mediocre DC United, a well-fought stalemate broken by a wonder goal from the LA Galaxy, and a point dropped at the death in Atlanta made for a trio of matches that all felt like missed opportunities.
Then you have the early ascent in stage two, games 4-7. Before and after a humbling visit to Philadelphia, there were clinical finishing and nine points accrued that led to some time in the playoff qualification places. Defensive improvements were marginal, and the system was still coming together, but the style of play was becoming clearer, and those early positive moments from Swiderski, Bender, and Alcivar were turning into goals.
Which brings us to the most recent and third stage, a grueling set of away matches resulting in earning 1 point out of a possible 9. While there was the exciting introduction of Kamil Jozwiak into the squad and the promise of Kerwin Vargas and Andre Shinyashiki on the horizon, there was an undeniable lack of chance creation and loss of momentum as the team returned from Orlando. In fairness, the club and fans alike knew it would be a tough stretch, but the nature of the performances, particularly against Colorado and Orlando, left a feeling of points dropped by Charlotte rather than earned by the opposition. Not only is this slump clear in the bump chart that shows the club dropped from 6th down to 11th, but it’s made even more evident when you compare their overperformance at home to their underperformance on the road.
Whether you want to label it as lucky or clinical (frankly it’s still too early to say), Charlotte has been a force when they play at Bank of America Stadium. This dumbbell plot shows that Charlotte FC’s actual goal difference is almost 1.5 goals better than you’d expect it to be based on the xG of their home performances, second only to Austin FC’s performances at their Q2 Stadium.
There’s always a chance that Charlotte’s performances at home begin to regress to the mean, especially if they continue to struggle with chance creation (more on this in part 2). That said, I think the performances are going to improve as the season continues, and it’s going to start with their continued dominance at Bank of America Stadium. As Shinyashiki, Mello, and Jozwiak begin to rotate into the squad and provide more threat from wide areas, we’ll see more space and opportunities for Swiderski, Bender, and Alcivar.
Conversely, the club are in the bottom five of the league when it comes to underperforming on the road, with their goal difference almost one goal worse than you’d expect based on the chances they’ve created and conceded. While these numbers may seem like fine margins from a small sample size, it’s important to recognize these issues now before they become patterns for the entire season. Away days in the MLS aren’t going to get any easier, and it’ll be crucial to the club’s playoff chances that they capitalize on the few chances they create in hostile territory.
Below we’ll take a look at how their performances have progressed throughout the season in terms of their expected goals for and against as a 3 game rolling average.
Before commenting on the data, it’s important to note the first and last match Charlotte FC played are omitted from the figure as their rolling average would be incomplete. The blue line is the club's 3 match rolling average of expected goals scored (xG_03), and the red is their 3 match rolling average of expected goals allowed (xGA_03). While rolling averages are best calculated over a much longer timeframe (5-10 matches are preferred), I believe using the 3 match rolling average is still an interesting snapshot of how the team has progressed through the start of the season.
Interestingly, you can see the defensive improvement throughout the season and that, despite the poor results, the progression continues into the away performances in Foxboro, Denver, and Orlando. Unfortunately, our back line’s development has been paired with offensive stagnation, indicating our scoring success against New England and Cincinnati are more likely outliers than the norm thus far. Although, it should be noted our 3 match rolling average for the Colorado, Orlando, and Inter Miami matches is the first stretch in the club’s history that our expected goals scored are exceeding our expected goals allowed, a small but promising sign for our upcoming slate of matches.
In light of all this, I’m not certain Charlotte FC’s placement and performances have been reflective of the quality of players and coaching at the club. As the players develop and grow more accustomed to the MLS, the tactics and vision of Miguel’s staff are implemented more effectively, and the new signings settle in now that the transfer window has closed, I think we’ll start to see results that better represent the talent at the club. If Charlotte’s road performances can begin to match their dominant home displays, an inaugural season playoff berth will be well within reach.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow our Mint City Analytics Twitter account for similar content and reach out with any questions, comments, or feedback!
]]>
In Mint City Analytic’s inaugural article, we started at the base of the team by introducing goalkeeping analysis and looking into the performances of CLTFC’s number one, Krisitjan Kahlina. The reception and feedback we received were exactly what you’d expect from the friendly and passionate Queen City fanbase. Thank you all so much, and I hope you continue to enjoy our work throughout the season!
Based on the feedback we received from our first article, readers seemed to appreciate the explanation of metrics and interpretation of data in a way that was accessible for people that are newer to these concepts. Considering this feedback and acknowledging that the sample sizes are still too small for this season, this next article will introduce concepts and prepare for more serious analyses once the minutes accumulate. In this new article, we’ll take an opportunity to introduce radar plots, an important data visualization tool, and move up the formation with some early analysis of the backline.
As advanced metrics continue to enter mainstream soccer discussions, countless attempts have been made by data scientists to create easy-to-interpret data visualizations for clubs, players, and fans. Producing figures that tell a story, reveal a pattern, or highlight an outlier to evaluate players in a variety of contexts has become a mainstay of the industry. To understand why let’s start with a simple scatter plot:
This is a scatter plot displaying the number of tackles a player makes against the number of tackles they make that win possession for their team. It includes all players categorized as defenders in Football Reference’s database that have played a minimum of 180 minutes this season in the MLS.
While graphs like this can display interesting information (as evidenced by our first article that exclusively used scatter plots!), they can be fairly limiting and easily misconstrued. For example, this scatter plot shows that Joseph Mora is the most successful tackler for Charlotte FC this season. While this is an interesting observation, making any conclusions about him as a player, especially considering the importance of fullbacks contributing to CLTFC’s attacking movements in Miguel Angel Ramirez’s system, would be nothing more than misguided. How does he compare defensively to his peers at his position? What about his attacking output? How is he in possession?
We could keep churning out scatter plots that assess 1-2 variables and answer each question, but even then it would be difficult to stitch everything together into a single conclusion or player profile. Enter player radars, a way of visualizing a large number of statistics all at one time.
So how do we interpret radars? First, it’s important to know the data source for our figure. The data used for the above radar is pulled directly from Joseph Mora’s FBRef.com page and includes performance data from his last 365 days as a player in the MLS. While this means his time with DC United is included and might limit how this information relates to his performances with Charlotte, the benefits of a larger dataset (1951 minutes of player data) outweigh this potential drawback. The source of the data, the number of minutes included, and the template used (more on this in a moment) are the three things to identify before we interpret these plots.
Now that we know the data we’re working with, what is this radar displaying? Each radar slice assesses a player’s performance in a particular statistic and compares the given statistic relative to other players in the same position group. The closer to the outside of the circle the colored area is for a statistic, the better that player stacks up in that category relative to his peers. Working from a variety of examples we’ve seen in the past (primarily from StatsBomb), we created a fullback template with four distinct categories that are separated by color. The categories are: Defending (blue), Progression (green), Final 3rd Production (red), and Set Pieces/Other (yellow).
This first radar plot depicts Joseph Mora’s percentile performance in comparison to other fullbacks in the MLS. This means, in comparison to other fullbacks in the MLS over the last 365 days, he’s in the 84th percentile for pressures(18.47 per 90 minutes) and the 82nd percentile for tackles–that’s really good! He also struggles in other areas like final 3rd production and progressing the ball down the flanks. While the additional data supports our initial scatter plot that suggests he performs remarkably well as a defender, it also indicates he struggles in buildup in comparison to his peers and adds to our understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. By no means does this plot determine whether he’s a good or bad player, rather it informs how Mora contributes to the side and helps us analyze his larger skillset.
So in what ways are these radars most useful? While radars can be used to assess a player’s quality, the ability to view multiple statistics at once and categorize them makes it incredibly useful at profiling how players fit and perform in particular systems and positions. When we build a radar template meant to display the desirable attributes of an attacking fullback, we can look at how they perform in the statistics that make a fullback effective and consider how the overall profile might contribute to a particular system or complement other players in a squad. Let’s take a look at the Charlotte native with a brand new contract, Charlotte FC right back Jaylin Lindsey:
One of the reasons radars have become so popular is how simple they are to interpret at first glance and Jaylin’s radar is no exception. For those that are new to radar plots, this is an impressive one. While maintaining a similar defensive output to Mora, Lindsey excels going forward. He progresses the ball well with his carries and the number of progressive passes he receives, while also completing movements with his relatively high pass completion percentage and passes into the penalty area. It’s clear Jaylin is important to Miguel Angel Ramirez’s attacking system, and the output we see here is all the more impressive when you consider he’s only just turned 22 years old. Jaylin is not only a player with a bright future in the Queen City–his output and performances show that he’s ready to succeed at this level.
What about the center backs along the Charlotte FC back line? What do their radars show and what can we learn from them about our defense? Unfortunately, Adam Armour, Christian Fuchs, and Guzmán Corujo all lack minutes in the MLS and the data necessary to learn anything from their radar plots. We’ve included the radars for all players with scouting reports on Football Reference at the end of the article, just keep in mind we’ll come back to them in a couple months or so for real analysis.
On the other hand, Anton Walkes and Christian Makoun have plenty of minutes under their belts. Similar to Mora and Lindsey, the majority of their minutes come from different clubs. But, as long as we take this context into consideration, taking a look at them gives us a good opportunity to see what Charlotte FC saw in them when they decided to bring them to the club.
For these center back templates, the blue is Defending, green is Aggressive Ball-Winning, red is Passing, and yellow is Set Pieces/Other. Let’s start with the former Atlanta United defender Anton Walkes:
The passing statistics immediately jump off the page. Given the importance of building from the back in Miguel Angel Ramirez’s system, it’s clear that a major focus in roster construction was finding defenders that were comfortable moving the ball forward and doing so efficiently. I’m sure, much like Anton was, the club were surprised to see such a quality player unprotected for the expansion draft. It’ll be exciting to see how Anton is going to fit in Charlotte FC’s system now that he’s come back from his early season hamstring injury, and we anticipate he’ll become a vital player as the grueling MLS season will require depth and rotation across the starting XI. Below you’ll see a similar profile from his teammate Christian Makoun:
We’ll preface Christian’s radar with the important context that almost all of his minutes were on a pretty mediocre Inter Miami team. Even then, the 22 year old Venezuelan’s solid distribution numbers combined with numbers that show he isn’t easily dispossessed suggest he’s going to fit well with the possession-first club mentality. As more matches are played and the data regarding their playing time with Charlotte FC increases, we’ll begin to use these radars to better understand how these players fit with the clubs tactics and watch them develop along with the club’s performances.
I’m looking forward to posting more of these radars as the season progresses and learning more through these interesting data visualizations. I hope this article helped introduce these radar plots or improve your understanding of them and how we attempt to understand the beautiful game! Below you’ll find the radars for Christian Fuchs and Guzman Corujo, but keep in mind they only have 630 minutes of MLS play which makes it difficult to make any conclusions from what’s available.
I’d like to acknowledge and credit the work of Dom Samangy on radar plot R code, Nathan Clark for inspiring the position templates and answering a couple of questions via Twitter, and Jase Ziv for the creation of worldfootballR package that made this analysis possible.
Be sure to follow our Mint City Analytics Twitter account and reach out with any questions, comments, or feedback regarding our articles!
This is the start of what we hope is a regular contribution to Mint City Collective's ever-growing content that takes a look at advanced metrics, assesses Charlotte FC's performances as a collective unit, and evaluates its players. We'll also use the incredible databases available to the public to explore potential transfers, scout opponents, and trash talk the competition. But let's take things one step at a time.
While the club has been years in the making, and the squad has finally come together and earned their first clean sheet, the data is only just coming in, and the sample sizes are still incredibly small. With that in mind, it's important to point out we're working with the first five matches of data, and it's too early for any substantive predictions. For now, we'll have to stick to hot takes and using data for confirmation bias while we enjoy more Charlotte FC matches and wait for the season to play out.
As the squad continues to learn the system of Miguel Angel Ramirez in its inaugural season, Kahlina has had to bail the team out for defensive lapses, facing a league-leading three penalties and watching on as an Efraín Álvarez wonder strike finds the top corner.
The most robust dataset we have to analyze Charlotte FC thus far is the goalkeeping performances of Kristijan Kahlina. While he's certainly had his share of impressive moments and remarkable saves, we're going to take a look at the first month of performances and see how he's performed compared to his peers in the MLS.
CLTFC’s goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina source: Charlotte FC
Because we're working with only 5 weeks of data, and even then, not all clubs have used the same keeper for all 4-5 matches, we'll be using squad goalkeeping data. Luckily Kahlina has played every minute of Charlotte FC's first five matches, but this will prevent even smaller sample sizes from presenting as outliers (e.g. Dayne St. Clair's recent burst onto the scene). All data used for this article are pulled from FBref.com and are provided by StatsBomb.
While simpler statistics like shots on target (SoT), saves, and save percentage can be useful, they can often be misleading when taken out of context. For example, a goalkeeper that faces more shots will concede more goals, but it's difficult to determine by raw data if this is a result of poor goalkeeping or a weaker defense that allows too many easy chances.
As a result, we'll be looking at a metric called Post-Shot Expected Goals, or PSxG. PSxG takes into account the Expected Goals (xG) that a goalkeeper faces and evaluates how likely the goalkeeper is to save the shot. When we plot this with Goals per 90 (the number of goals a team concedes per 90 minutes of play), we can evaluate the quality of shots that teams are allowing against the goals that their goalkeepers are allowing.
Before we jump into interpreting the graph, one critical caveat I want to make for this particular metric is that PSxG includes penalties. StatsBomb values a penalty kick at 0.76 xG, which is especially relevant for an analysis of Charlotte FC’s performances thus far as they have conceded 3 penalties in their first 5 matches. Taking this into consideration, CLTFC’s penalties (valued at 2.28 xG) account for nearly a quarter (!!!) of their accumulated PSxG (9.5) allowed this season.
Goalkeepers in the middle of this graph who are above the trend line are the best performers. They often face, and save, above quality shots. The standout players are the ones highest above the line. While there are a variety of hot takes we could make from this graph (e.g. Seattle's Stefans are #good, is Guzan dropping off?, etc.), we'll stick to interpreting what this means for Charlotte FC.
As a lot of fans have noticed, Kahlina has been one of the top performers for the Queen City club through their first five matches. Charlotte FC's PSxG per 90 minutes is 1.9, meaning that, based on the shots they've allowed, they should concede 1.9 goals per 90 minutes. That being said, their goals per 90 are below that at 1.4. In terms of outperforming the shots on target he faces, Kahlina is well within the top 5 keepers in this very young MLS season. But what happens when we exclude penalties and look at how Charlotte's number one has performed against just shots in open play?
PSxG per shot on target (PSxG/SoT) measures the likelihood of a goal per shot on target. Higher values suggest that the shots on target a goalkeeper faces are more difficult to stop and more likely to score. PSxG/SoT also excludes penalty kicks. PSxG +/- per 90 measures a goalkeeper’s performance against their expected goals per 90. As an example, the goalkeepers in the top-right quadrant face harder shots (high PSxG/SoT) and often outperform and save the high-quality shots they face (high PSxG +/- per 90).
When we exclude penalties and look at how Kristijan has performed in open play, the data offers some interesting context to Charlotte FC's performances. Based on PSxG +/- per 90, Charlotte's shot-stopper is a top 3 goalkeeper in the league thus far. While it's still very early in the season, and it's hard to make definitive statements, the numbers support what we've seen on the pitch–Kristijan has been nothing short of spectacular.
However, the quality of shots on target Charlotte FC has seen is in the bottom half of the league, meaning the shots taken against Charlotte FC are easier to save. There are a couple of ways to interpret this. The optimist might look at this and say, "Charlotte's defense is performing really well, and even when they let a shot through Kahlina has been a top goalkeeper in the MLS!" Whereas the cynic would say, "Krisitjan has looked solid so far, but he hasn't really been tested yet. Can he do it on a cold, rainy night in Seattle?"
The reality is probably somewhere in the middle, and that's an altogether promising sign for this new club. Kristijan and the Charlotte FC backline have been solid, allowing few quality shots from open play, and Kahlina handles them well when called upon. The data also suggests the obvious–the penalties have been costly and have marred otherwise strong performances from this well-organized side. As Charlotte FC continues to develop as a club and build its identity, it'll be most important for them to cut out the mistakes and stop conceding penalties. I think it's also important to point out that, while Charlotte are not allowing high-quality shots, they are close to the top in shots on target allowed per 90. A team with an in-form, top striker might not be as forgiving as their previous competition.
All that said, the foundation is there for Charlotte FC to become a highly competitive team in this league, and that's in large part thanks to the heroics of Kristijan Kahlina.
I hope you enjoyed this early look at Charlotte FC's goalkeeping performances! I look forward to updating this project as the season progresses and exploring even more in the months.
If you enjoyed this, be sure to follow our new Mint City Analytics Twitter account @MC__Analytics.
]]>
Three weeks into the 2022 season feels like the right time to start a weekly MLS Recap article, right? Better late than never I suppose. Each week, I’ll take you around the league to keep you up-to-date on everything outside of the Carolinas. I am not going to do a match-by-match breakdown. You can find plenty of those out on the interwebs. Instead, I want to give you my thoughts on the same seven categories each and every week. Without further adieu, I present to you “WEEK 3 IN MLS!”
Upset of the Week
This one was not particularly hard. It goes to FC Cincinnati taking down Orlando City ON THE ROAD! Cincinnati is bad. Orlando should be good. Orlando dominated the stat sheet in this match. And yet, they dropped three points at home. Oscar Pareja-led teams have a tendency to dip late in seasons, but Orlando is already looking lackluster three matches in. A 2-0 win at home on opening day to a bad Montreal team, a draw on the road against a mediocre (at best) Chicago Fire, and now an inexplicable loss to Cincinnati. With their next two on the road, on the west coast, against good teams, Orlando could be on a trajectory to miss the playoffs if they cannot get this thing turned around before summer.
Letdown of the Week
There’s a few contenders here. Red Bulls cooled off a bit losing to a mid-tier Minnesota team. Austin could have at least split points if even one of their 16 shots was on goal. Nashville let one slip away late to Dallas. The biggest let down of the week was that sorry excuse for an MLS Cup banner that New York City revealed, but since we need a match to break down, I’ll have to go with New England choking away a two-goal lead late. At home. In the snow.
There’s no reason New England should not have won this match which would have launched them near the top of the standings. Jozy Altidore has looked great in his minutes in New England, even snagging a goal to double the Revolution’s lead in this one. But the Revs gave up three goals after the 78th minute to choke away all three points in this one. That is something that surely won’t sit well with Bruce Arena.
Time for Concern
As a means of clarifying my qualifier for this category, I will say that concern only comes when expectations are not being met. Meaning I am not putting a team like San Jose in this mix because, well, no one had expectations for them this season. That being said, I have three teams that should be feeling a bit concerned through three weeks of the 2022 season. First, is Montreal. Not everyone had expectations for this team coming into the season, but after a strong start to their CCL campaign, many experts thought they were a team who would compete this year. Currently, they sit on zero points and tied for the biggest goal differential in the league. Montreal has played some good teams thus far, and get another in Atlanta this weekend. It’s time for the Quebecois to be concerned
The second team in need of a kick in the pants is Toronto FC. Bob Bradley has not been the immediate savior many fans had hoped for. And when you are having to rely on Michael Bradley to play centerback, you know the defensive issues run deep. With all the hype around Lorenzo Insigne’s impending arrival in the summer, Toronto needs to turn things around so that they are not too far gone by that point.
The final team who should be concerned about their post-season prospects three matches in is, perhaps, the one of these three with the highest expectations: Sporting Kansas City. A win over a bad Houston Dynamo accounts for the only points on the season thus far for SKC. Certainly, being without their DP Striker, Alan Pulido, for the season is a huge disadvantage. But this team is talented enough despite that setback. They need to get some results quickly if they hope to be contenders this year.
Coaches on the Hot Seat
San Jose’s Matias Almeyda has lived on the hot seat for the past several seasons. He’s a good coach who just hasn’t been able to put it together for long enough stretches in San Jose. But they love him out there. Which is probably why he has survived this long. Of course, there is always conversation that Almeyda could leave on his own to take another job. He’s an in-demand manager and will not be out of work for long if he is sacked.
The five-alarm hot seat at the moment is squarely occupied by Miami’s Phil Neville. Perhaps his relationship with president and co-owner David Beckham gives him a bit of protection, but the Neville experiment is not working in Miami. And now, he has taking to throwing blame onto his DP striker, Gonzalo Higuain. I don’t think Neville makes it through the season.
MVP Race
There’s only one name on this list at the moment, and that name is Lucas Zelarayan of Columbus. He leads the Golden Boot race with 4 goals, three of those from outside the 18 yard box! He leads the league in successful crosses (12) and key passes (12). He’s the unquestionable MVP through three matches.
I want to give a shoutout to a guy who won’t likely be in the race for MVP, but is having an incredible start to the season. That is Chicago Fire Goalkeeper, Gaga Slonina. The dude is only 17 years old and has yet to concede a goal this season. Three straight clean sheets. Gaga is the real deal.
Fool’s Gold
So, who are the teams currently in the playoff-race that I am not convinced of yet? Out west, I am iffy on Austin, Minnesota, and Portland. In the east, I am unsure about Chicago. But there is only one team currently above the playoff line that I feel confident saying they will not be there at the end of the season: DC United. DC currently sits in fourth place with wins over Charlotte and Cincinnati. Despite the 3-0 scoreline against Charlotte, they didn’t look convincing in either of their wins. DC is not a good team.
Power 5
Unlike some “power rankings,” I am not taking into account my pre-season predictions. I am going strictly on what I have seen through three weeks of the season. That being said, here are my top five teams.
Goal Summary:
60’ Josef Martinez, PK (ATL)
66’ Adam Armour (CLT) (Bender assist)
90+6’ Jake Mulraney (ATL) (Moreno assist)
Lineup: Kristijan Kahlina, Jaylin Lindsey, Guzman Corujo, Christian Makoun, Christian Fuchs, Brandt Bronico, McKinze Gaines (Harrison Afful 46’), Alan Franco, Christian Ortiz (Adam Armour 46’), Ben Bender, Kamil Swiderski (Daniel Rios 69’)
Charlotte Yellow Cards: Christian Ortiz 30’ (dissent), Alan Franco 36’ (foul), Brandt Bronico 75’ (persistent infringement), Daniel Rios 84’ (foul)
Attendance: 43,055
It was Adam Armour with the first ever goal in Charlotte FC history, coming at the 66’ to tie the game v Atlanta. In the game where we scored our first MLS goal in club history, it was a 90+6’ goal that saw Atlanta run out as winners in our first derby game against them. A heartbreaking result considering us drawing level earlier in the second half.
The game saw a rather even shot total, 14-12 in total shots and 8-7 shots on target, in Atlanta’s favor. Charlotte was right there with their opportunities in the game. Based on the xG of the game, Charlotte was right to think they had their chances to get a result out of this game, as Atlanta lead 1.6 to 1.1 based on the MLS website:
The side is creating chances and the switch to the 4-1-4-1, a noticeable change in formation versus our first two games, is a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. Here is hoping that the adjustment in formations continues this more attacking lineup and mindset going forward, especially as our designated players become more integral to our lineup in future games. Below is the shot map from the game for Charlotte, which shows a significant amount of our shots coming from inside the box, representing more opportunities than our two previous games:
The passing map from the latest game speaks a picture of sparsely put together strands of passing, passing accuracy of around 73%, with a majority of connections through the midfield as Bronico and Ortiz were the notable players involved.
What is next for Charlotte FC? MLS 2021 supporters’ shield champions, New England Revolution, visit the Queen City, coming off the back of their 3-2 defeat to Real Salt Lake in MLS, but a 3-0 win over Pumas in the first leg of their CCL quarterfinals matchup. With the second leg of the CCL tie this midweek, the question will be if New England rotate players, or are seeing exhaustion over the match midweek in addition to the weekend date with Charlotte FC.
Charlotte’s next match vs New England is Saturday, 19 March 2022 at 7:00pm at Bank of America Stadium, our second home game. Be sure to join us for the fixture and pack BoA Stadium this season! Up the Charlotte!
]]>]]>
Goal summary:
Cards:
Charlotte FC Lineup:
Attendance: 16,412
Finally, our Charlotte FC has our first official match as a club. After years of build-up, let’s finally get down to business.
Charlotte FC began their season in MLS 2022 with a 3-0 defeat to DC United, though a controversial VAR call in the first half defined the early portion of the game. Christian Ortiz found the back of the net, but a controversial offsides call brought the goal back, as we are still waiting for this club’s first ever score in MLS. Had that first half VAR call been overturned, the match might have been different. CLTFC joined the most recent MLS clubs in being the debutants who did not win their first match in the league–LAFC in 2018 were the last MLS expansion team to win their first match in the league.
An encouraging fact from tonight is that Charlotte recorded 11 shots on the match, equaling that of victors DC United. With five shots on goal, Charlotte FC held the advantage over their opponents and should be encouraged by their first game efforts, compared to four shots on goal from DC United. Meanwhile, CLTFC had earned 6 corners across the match, as well as creating 19 crosses.
Though the goals did not come, there was proof in that offensive output at what the club was attempting to create, especially so with 53.1% possession and 400+ passes over the course of the match. Below is the passing map for Charlotte, as Christian Fuchs (#22) and Christian Makoun (#14) and Guzman Corujo (#4) were involved in majority of the passing connections:
It should be noted that Yordy Reyna appears to have been isolated by the DC United defense, as Fuchs was the only Charlotte FC player to have a passing connection with Reyna in the match.
As per MLS’ website, DC United won the xG 1.4 to 1.1:
Below is the shot map for both clubs, as Charlotte FC created many of their 11 shots from inside the box, as only two shots were from beyond the box.
While it was not a poor performance from Charlotte FC, finding the back of the net proves to be a much needed area of improvement for the club. However, I do not believe CLTFC played terribly on Saturday, I think it was a product of some poor referee calls that impacted the game (if Ortiz’s goal had been ruled official, who knows how this game might have turned out) and unlucky finishing from our attackers. Many of these early season games, especially for expansion teams in MLS, are about finding a groove, seeing what works and what does not. Patience is key. For reference, in Austin FC’s first season in MLS last year, the club won just two of its first ten games. I believe it is important to set expectations at a reasonable level and give the team time to gel and work into form. The goals and results will come in time.
But what do you think? How did Charlotte FC play in its first ever MLS match? What are your expectations for the rest of the season?
Charlotte FC’s next match is their home opener on Saturday, 5 March 2022. With a capacity crowd expected, we are excited for the home opener as Charlotte FC hosts five-time MLS champions, LA Galaxy, at Bank of America Stadium at 7:30pm EST on Saturday March 5th, 2022. Up the Charlotte!
]]>Written by Chris Ashley
The Major League Soccer season kicks off this weekend. And even though I predicted FC Cincinnati to make the playoffs in 2021, I am being allowed to try my hand at, once again, predicting the outcomes of the 2022 MLS Season. For each category, I will list my prediction, and to hedge a bit, will also give you who I think will just miss the cut in each category. We will start with the end of season awards and then dive into the team performance categories.
Coach of the Year
My 2022 Prediction: Gary Smith (Nashville SC)
If it’s not them: Greg Vanney (LA Galaxy)
The Why: As you will quickly see moving through all of these categories, I think Nashville SC is destined to build upon the success of 2021. If they reach the marks I am expecting, Gary Smith should finally be recognized for the incredible job he has done in the Music City.
Goalkeeper of the Year
My 2022 Prediction: Joe Willis (Nashville SC)
If it’s not them: Sean Johnson (NYC FC)
The Why: Joe Willis has been one of the best keepers in MLS for the last several years. With 2021 winner Matt Turner (New England Revolution) set to join Arsenal in the summer, I think this award is Joe’s to lose. That being said, Sean Johnson came up HUGE in the playoffs in 2021, leading NYC to their first MLS Cup. Johnson will give Willis a run for his money in 2022.
Newcomer of the Year
My 2022 Prediction: Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire)
If it’s not them: Thiago Almada (Atlanta United)
The Why: There is a lot of hype surrounding Lorenzo Insigne’s arrival in Toronto this summer. If he were set to be here for the entire season, he would easily be the frontrunner here. It was also hard to leave Facundo Torres off of this list. However, I think that the two guys I have in the running are the two set to elevate their teams the most. While I do not see Chicago making the playoffs (spoiler alert), I think the excitement around Shaqiri, paired with the performances I expect to see from him, make him the man to beat here.
Comeback Player of the Year
My 2022 Prediction: Carlos Vela (LAFC)
If it’s not them: Nico Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders)
The Why: I wanted to give the nod to Lodeiro here. And, honestly, I think he can win this. But I am just not confident that the 32 year old can stay healthy all year, or even return to the explosive form he has had in the past. I feel much better about Vela’s ability to bounce back after an injury-filled 2021.
Defensive Player of the Year
My 2022 Prediction: Miles Robinson (Atlanta United)
If it’s not them: Thiago Martins (NYC FC)
The Why: Miles Robinson is one of the best defenders in Major League Soccer. Miles Robinson is one of the best defenders in the USMNT player pool. Miles Robinson is on-track to go to Europe for stupid money. The question is, when? Does he go this summer? If so, he won’t win this award. But my suspicion is that Atlanta will convince him to stay for the season with the promise to sell him next winter. So, he’s going to be on a mission to earn a big paycheck.
Golden Boot
My 2022 Prediction: Cristian Arango (LAFC)
If it’s not them: Chicharito (LA Galaxy)
The Why: Without question, I think there will be plenty of goals scored in Los Angeles this season. The strikers for both the Galaxy and LAFC will be scoring machines. My biggest question in separating the two is whether or not Chicharito plays the entire season. Add to that the fact that Arango scored 14 goals in 2021 (Golden Boot Winner Taty Castellanos scored 19) despite only joining the team in August, and I think he could have a record-setting season in 2022.
Most Valuable Player
My 2022 Prediction: Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC)
If it’s not them: Luiz Araujo (Atlanta United)
The Why: The thing I look for when thinking about my MVP pick is the most explosive player on one of the top teams in the league. Enter Mukhtar. Hany is known to blow past defenders and has a swag about him that is reserved for the best of the best. And I expect Nashville to be one of the best teams in the league this season. If Atlanta returns to form under Gonzalo Pineda this year, I would not be surprised to see Araujo in that mix as well.
Now let’s dive into our predictions for how the teams will finish.
Wooden Spoon
My 2022 Prediction: FC Cincinnati
If it’s not them: Houston Dynamo
The Why: Listen. I made the mistake last year of being duped by Cincinnati’s roster. I PICKED THEM TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. I will not fall into this trap again. Do I think Cincinnati is the worst team on paper? No. Will I pick someone else to be the wooden spoon until proven otherwise? Also, no.
Supporters’ Shield
My 2022 Prediction: Seattle Sounders
If it’s not them: NYC FC
The Why: The MLS season is long. The teams that win the supporters’ shield are typically the deepest teams in the league. They are the teams that can grind out results even with some of their best XI injured or being rested. Last season, it felt like Seattle was without so many of their key players for the majority of the year and they still made an impressive run to the playoffs. They have only gotten deeper. And it seems unlikely that they will be without so many key pieces this season. Give me the Sounders.
US Open Cup Champions
My 2022 Prediction: Nashville SC
If it’s not them: New England Revolution
The Why: Nashville is too good to not win some hardware this season. But with Major League Soccer once again yo-yoing them with another conference switch, they will have to log the most travel miles for the regular season. But US Open Cup is different. They may not have to travel nearly as far for these matchups. And if they can get some good luck and draw some home matches, they should be in great shape.
Western Conference Playoff Teams (alphabetical order)
Colorado Rapids
LAFC
LA Galaxy
Nashville SC
Seattle Sounders
Sporting Kansas City
Vancouver Whitecaps
Eastern Conference Playoff Teams (alphabetical order)
Atlanta United
Columbus Crew
Montreal Impact
New England Revolution
New York City FC
Orlando City
Philadelphia Union
Western Conference Finals
My 2022 Prediction: Seattle Sounders over Nashville SC
The Why: I wish I was confident enough to pick Nashville to make it to MLS Cup. But the travel is going to wear on them. And Seattle’s depth will be their greatest asset. Our fellow southern soccer friends will fall just short of the final this year.
Eastern Conference Finals
My 2022 Prediction: Atlanta United over New York City FC
The Why: Before you grab your pitchforks, hear me out. Atlanta may have finally figured out the train wreck that has been the past few seasons. Gonzalo Pineda may not have been the biggest name hire, but I think he has the potential to be a great coach in this league for many years. This team also has the most expensive roster in the league, and the expectations are there for them to live up to them.
MLS Cup
My 2022 Prediction: Seattle Sounders over Atlanta United
The Why: Seattle is the cream of the crop in MLS this year. And while I hate to go chalk here, I have to play to odds. Seattle doesn’t just have depth and talent, they are a team that knows how to perform when the post-season comes around. It is going to be extremely hard for anyone to knock them off of their perch this season.
Well, there you have it. My 2022 MLS Predictions that are sure to be wrong. Want to yell and shake your fist at me? Hit me up in slack! I’ve got thick skin.
]]>
Today is the day! Charlotte FC will play their first publicly accessible game in a preseason friendly as part of the Carolina Challenge Cup down in Charleston. The preseason tournament will see Charlotte FC take the field 3 times in the coming week as a final tune-up to the regular season. If you’re unable to make it down to Charleston for the games, the team will be live streaming them via the CLTFC App and on the team website.
The countdown to opening kick draws closer and closer to zero as the official start to our inaugural season is a mere two weeks away when the boys in black and blue travel to Audi Field to take on DC United in our nation’s capital before returning home for the March 5 home opener against the LA Galaxy. It’s surreal, it’s exciting, and it’s nerve-wracking that real, meaningful games are finally here for this long-awaited team.
Yes, it’s going to be a season of firsts for all of us in the Charlotte community, but we are jumping on a moving train that is Major League Soccer. MLS is entering its 27th season with a record 28 teams vying for the Supporter’s Shield (awarded to the team with the best regular-season record) and MLS Cup (awarded to the winner of Major League Soccer’s postseason tournament).
So, looking at the calendar, what are we about to get ourselves into, and how is the MLS regular season schedule structured? For the regular season, each team will play34 games apiece between February 26 and October 9, or “Decision Day.” The February 26 start date is the earliest start ever for an MLS season as the league looks to wrap up the season and playoffs ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this next winter. MLS Cup will be held on November 5, two weeks ahead of the start of the World Cup group stage.
The league’s 28 teams are divided into two conferences, the East and the West. Charlotte FC will naturally take part in the Eastern Conference. Teams will play each of their 13 conference opponents two times, once at home and once away, accounting for 26 of the 34 games. The remaining 8 games will be played against opponents from the other conference. For this reason, Major League Soccer is currently operating under an unbalanced schedule, meaning some teams may have an easier path to the playoffs than others based on favorable opponents from the other conference. Our Western conference opponents this season are the LA Galaxy, Colorado Rapids, Vancouver Whitecaps, Seattle Sounders, Austin FC, Houston Dynamo, Nashville SC, and LAFC.
The league’s schedule makers planned the year with the clear intent to lessen the impact of schedule congestion, which has been a major factor in roster rotations over the past two COVID-impacted seasons. This means there will be fewer midweek games than in the past, which is a good thing for team travel and player recovery. This year we have 3 midweek games on the calendar, with the first being a Thursday night tilt vs. Austin FC on June 30.
In analyzing the schedule, that midweek tilt leads off what looks to be the toughest travel stretch for the club between June 25 and July 30, which will see the team travel up to Montreal, back to Charlotte, off to Houston, return to Charlotte, jet down to Miami, back up to Toronto, then back to Charlotte. That’s a lot of air miles racked up with a chunk of games and two trips out of the country, all in about a month’s time.
The back end of the season will see more games clustered together when July crosses into August with 3 home games in 8 days versus the Columbus Crew, DC United, and Chicago Fire. Shortly after that, the team has another tough set of 3 games in 9 days with cross country travel when we head to LAFC (Battle of the Banks at Banc of California Stadium), before flying all the way to play NYCFC at Red Bull Arena, before a return trip back home to face Orlando City. July and August will be particularly brutal, with nearly a third of the season to be played (11 of the 34 regular-season games) in those two months alone. How the club manages roster rotation and results in those two months could dictate how we finish in the league standings.
Win or lose, the wait is finally over. The team and the Charlotte community will be taking their first steps into MLS, and I can’t wait for the journey we’re all about to embark upon in this inaugural campaign and beyond.
When you go into a stadium to watch the sport of soccer, football, futbol, calcio, you enter to take in two simultaneous experiences. The money you paid for your ticket helps revenue and spending on players, utilities at the stadium, and ultimately the game that is advertised. You see the ebbs and flows, tactics, fouls, goals, and poor(sometimes not so) officiating. But with the aforementioned ebbs and flows comes the second dynamic you experience.
From the time the gates open to allow fans into the stadium, there is a stir in the air. Usually, this feeling radiates from a specific part of the stadium. And as time passes and more fans enter through to turnstiles, that feeling gains energy. Once a certain subset of fans enter their section, that energy transfigures into full-blown noise and showmanship, at times organized chaos. This noise and showmanship range from the physical to the verbal, from aesthetics to emotion. To intimidate the opponents and lift up their own club.
In some stadiums, they only sing songs. In some, they wave flags throughout. In others, smoke fills the air. While some go as far as to light fireworks and flares to set the mood.
The people responsible for this experience are referred to in as many regional translations as the word soccer. These people are referred to as Tifosi, Ultras, Hooligans, Barra Brava, or in the US, simply as Supporters. And while the team gets a share of the revenues from the experience they allow fans, Supporters are groups independently operated and funded by the fans.
In our country, a good portion of marketing done by teams involves showing off the artistic creations and experiences made by the supporters. It could be the celebrations of a goal, the smoke rising seemingly from under the stands, the clapping of hands in synchrony, the flags waving among a crowd, or the ultimate display of choreography by the fans, tifos.
According to wiki, a tifo is the phenomenon whereby supporters of a team make a visual display of any choreographed flag, sign, or banner in the stands of a stadium. Tifos are primarily arranged by ultras to show their love to the club. They are most commonly seen in important matches and rivalries. Some tifos are political and controversial.
These displays can have multiple sections or pieces of art, one very large piece of art, card stunts, or numerous layers utilizing the stands and in-stadium logistics for artistic depth. Each of which I will explain below. The beauty of the tifo is that it can show the world how dope not just your club but your region, culture, and support is. And while they set the mood for the underlying ambiance of the fans, they can be as labor-intensive and coordinated as the player's journey to that same match.
In the US, these displays occur when the national anthem ends, and the first kick is played. So while days to weeks and sometimes months go into creating tifos, the display itself is only hoisted for a matter of seconds to a few minutes, leaving only photographs and memories of their existence.
Of the most common displays are banners. Simple banners can be across the front railing with writing across them to display their message. It's straightforward messaging and typically used when space or timing doesn't allow for more artistic creation.
Building into more depth, teams use sheets, tarps, even sails from large boats to create large(think the entire end line stands of a stadium) artistic creations to unravel over the section(s). This is actually quite common these days, and many places even do this with the American Flag during the National Anthem. These are typically the largest of tifo pieces and the easiest to get the sections to do.
The next largest pieces are typically hoisted in front of the sections. In Europe, the fans can throw ropes through overhangs in the stadium to manually lift these displays. Some places have physical hoists already in place. Those places, including our own Bank of America Stadium, use those for other reasons and just so happen that they can help with the artistic display.
The most difficult to execute tifo are known as Card Stunts. Card stunts are a planned, coordinated sequence of actions performed by an audience whose members raise cards that, in the aggregate, create a recognizable image. For this sequence to work, the vast majority of seats must be occupied, and everyone must be willing to participate.
Coordinating one of these is tricky. There are places all over Europe and even here in the US that has used a variety of each technique to create stunning displays. Displays made incredible by being multi-faceted, smoke-filled, and equally participated by the fans create memorable moments, moments that occur before the match even kicks off.
Without the Supporters help in creating and executing such beautiful pieces of art and choreography, the aura of the team is only as high as the players can make it. The fans, Supporters and beyond, are the ones who create and maintain the atmosphere. We bring the showmanship of the physical and the verbal, the aesthetics and the emotion. All the songs we sing and presentations made are intended to intimidate the opponents and lift up their own club.
With art, card stunts, flags, streamers, smoke, and songs, anything is possible. We all work together like the team on the pitch. For Our City. For Our Club. For The Carolinas. For The Crown.
As Charlotte FC’s inaugural season draws near, more and more details regarding the club are coming into focus, and important dates can now be marked in pen on calendars. The club announced on Thursday that the team’s first home match at Bank of America Stadium will be on Saturday, March 5th, 2022, as we host the LA Galaxy in primetime at 8 pm ET. The game will be the team’s second, with the season opener being on the road versus a yet-to-be-named opponent as part of Major League Soccer’s opening weekend on Saturday, February 26th.
But before all of that happens, Charlotte FC has just under 100 days to complete the assembly of their first-team roster through offseason drafts, trades, and player signings. The countdown to preseason training is even sooner than that, so time is of the essence in filling roster spots between MLS Cup and the first-team training sessions in January.
On Tuesday, December 14th at 7 pm ET, three days after MLS Cup, all eyes will turn to Charlotte FC as we make up to five selections in the 2021 MLS Expansion Draft to help fill out the team’s inaugural first team roster. According to a report from Joe Bruno, the selections will be made during a live draft show from Bank of America Stadium with selection reactions from head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez and defender Guzman Corujo.
In last year’s draft, Austin FC selected players from the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls, Nashville SC, Los Angeles Galaxy, and Orlando City SC. By having players selected, those teams are exempt from losing a player to Charlotte FC in this year’s selections. The remaining 22 teams will submit a list of 12 protected players from their senior, supplemental, and reserve rosters. In addition to these 12 protected players, any player who has a designation as a Homegrown Player* or a Generation Adidas Player** is automatically protected as well.
Charlotte FC brass will have approximately 24 hours ahead of the draft to comb through the list of unprotected players from which they will make their selections. Last year, the official list of unprotected players was released at 1 pm the day before the draft, so we can expect that list to be made public on Monday, December 13th. Like the NFL or NBA drafts that you may be more familiar with, selected players are often traded immediately following the draft based on pre-arranged deals with other teams. With that being the case, Charlotte FC may essentially make a selection on behalf of their trade partner. Tradeable assets tend to be protected under-contract players, General Allocation Money, International roster spots, or MLS SuperDraft picks.
One wrinkle that Charlotte FC will have to consider in selecting players is the players willingness to come to Charlotte. Many players who are left unprotected are also out-of-contract or players who did not have option year’s picked up by their club. Last year Austin used one of their selections to pick a regular MLS starter in Joe Corona. Corona ultimately did not want to play for an expansion team and did not come to terms with Austin FC on a contract. He submitted his documentation for the MLS Re-Entry draft and was selected by the Houston Dynamo, who essentially swiped up his MLS rights and came to terms with them instead, leaving Austin FC empty-handed with a wasted pick. A mistake Charlotte FC will surely work to avoid replicating.
If history repeats itself, Charlotte FC may also complete trades ahead of the expansion draft during a half-day trade window on December 12th with an unwritten “gentleman’s agreement” with their trade partner to leave unprotected players unselected. For example, before the 2020 MLS Expansion Draft, Nashville SC traded for Los Angeles Galaxy centerback Dave Romney, a staple on their backline. As part of this trade, Nashville did not select any other players from the Galaxy. It’s possible one of these deals is already in place, with Tom Bogert reporting that Nashville SC and Charlotte FC have struck a deal to exchange two international roster spots for a record sum of GAM, or General Allocation Money. Also of note, last year, Austin FC traded for five players during the half-day trade window ahead of their expansion draft, so we can expect some player movement starting Sunday the 12th.
So, what will Charlotte FC’s strategy be in selecting players during the actual draft? First of all, we will likely look for players who are on “cap friendly” contracts. Additionally, we will likely look for a player or two who is considered to be an MLS veteran. Someone who can help other players acclimate to the rigors of an MLS campaign and provide both on-field and off-field guidance to his new teammates.
Maybe we take a flyer on a player who has been fighting for minutes at their current club? Value should be the target. MLS teams tend to net a starter or two, role players, and depth pieces, such as backup goalkeepers in the expansion draft. This can either be by direct selection or by a trade, as mentioned before. Considering the current squad members, I expect Charlotte FC to look at positions like outside backs, wingers, goalkeeper, and midfield depth to help fill out the roster through the expansion draft.
LAFC arguably had the best expansion draft ever in 2017, netting four starters, including Tyler Miller, who helped them earn the 2019 Supporter’s Shield before being traded to Minnesota for $200,000 of General Allocation Money (GAM). This was an instance where a team made an impact selection, finding a starter, and then net a healthy return for him via trade years down the road. Success in the expansion draft should be measured not by immediate returns necessarily, but by being deemed equally savvy in retrospect.
* Homegrown Player: A player who has spent at least one full year in a team’s Academy who signs their first professional contract with the first team. CLTFC’s homegrown territory is North and South Carolina, and there are other regions of the country that are not designated to a specific MLS team, so CLTFC can recruit players from those open territories to join their Academy as well. For example, Charlotte FC cannot recruit a player from Atlanta, GA, but they could recruit a player from Anchorage, AK. For more info on Homegrown Players, check out this article from the club: https://charlottefootballclub.com/mls-101-what-is-a-homegrown-player/
** Generation Adidas Player: Generation Adidas contracts are signed by a select few college underclassmen ahead of the MLS SuperDraft. These contracts are reserved for some of the top young talents in the draft and are sponsored by Adidas and the league. A player on a Generation Adidas contract does not count against a team’s salary budget until they have graduated from the Generation Adidas program. Last year, Austin FC’s first overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, Daniel Pereira, was a Generation Adidas player, for example.
Written by: Phillip Golladay
Are you the type of soccer fan who refers to the game as “football,” “fútbol,” or “The Beautiful Game” unironically but cringe whenever you hear someone talking about “soccer”? Do you wake up earlier on Saturdays and Sundays than during the rest of the week to watch your “local” team in Europe? Do you have the Champions League anthem as your ringtone?
If you said yes to any of these questions, then this article is for you! In spring 2022, the Queen City will enter the top soccer league in the US, and we need you there!
Why would you want me there? You literally called me a Eurosnob in the title of your article.
Okay, okay, sorry. The name stings, I know. But as a reformed Eurosnob myself, I mean you (the person I created to have this Q&A with) no disrespect.
Fine, fine. So, seriously? Why should I care about Charlotte FC or MLS? I don’t want to watch past-their-prime Europeans lumber along the pitch.
You’re living in the past, my friend! The age of Beckham, Lampard, and Pirlo is long past! MLS is in a golden era. We’ve got passionate fan bases, exciting young players, and plenty of room to grow!
So explain Gonzalo Higuaín.
Fair enough. Not every team got the memo. But the fact that teams like Inter Miami have become punchlines in the league is truly a sign of how the league has continued to evolve. In fact, the average age of players has decreased over the past 6 years, from a height of 28 years old to 27.2. For comparison, the Premier League’s average age is 26.8. And with more clubs focusing on finding young international players and league rules that encourage recruitment of younger international players, we should see that number continue to decline.
We can also put some data behind other league trends. MLS averaged 2.84 goals per match in 2020, which is more goals per match than the Premier League (2.72), Ligue 1 (2.52), or La Liga (2.48) in 2019-20. And it’s not just all attack, all the time. Last season’s Supporters’ Shield winners Philadelphia Union allowed a miserly 0.87 goals per match, which is on par with Liverpool’s stout defense in their 2019-20 Premier League-winning campaign.
Are you bored of the same 2-3 teams dominating their domestic league? How does 7 different MLS teams winning the MLS Cup in the past decade sound? Compare that to 5 teams in England, 4 in France, 3 in Spain, or 2 in Germany or Italy. It’s a league that rewards sustained club management (as can be seen by perennial contenders in Seattle, Portland, and both clubs in Los Angeles), but every season starts with every club vying for silverware.
As for Charlotte FC, it’s a unique opportunity to follow a hometown team and help build a fanbase from the ground up. It’s a chance to feel that daily matchday experience you’ve seen in all the leagues you love in Europe. It also will be the place to see homegrown talent rise through the ranks and become the future of the game we all love.
Ughhhhh...fine. I’m in.
Excellent! I knew you would see it my way.
Dude, you wrote me. I don’t think I have a choice.
Man, quit breaking the fourth wall. I’m pretty sure that people are getting annoyed by this.
So, tell me more about the league. How is it set up?
Right now, the league has 27 teams, with Charlotte becoming team number 28. Three teams are based in Canada, and the rest are in the US. MLS uses both a regular season and playoff structure –
Ughhhhh....
– called the MLS Cup. You do know that there are leagues in Europe that use a playoff structure as well, right? The regular season is 34 matches, with 17 home and away matches each. Since MLS uses a conference system to align the league into an Eastern Conference and Western Conference, the schedule is structured based on these conferences. Since it is usually based on the number of teams, we may see some changes for next year, but we don’t know for certain.
So they don’t play every team every year? That stinks.
Yeah, it’s not perfect. Part of it is due to COVID; part of it is because it’s taking the number of teams into account.
So why don’t they do promotion and relegation? That would make it easier to schedule thi...
Yeah, I’m gonna cut you off right there. Don’t ask about pro/rel.
But –
Do not ask about pro/rel.
Moving on, then! So how is the champion determined? Is it just the playoff winner?
Yes and no. The winner of the MLS Cup is the winner of the postseason, but there is also a Supporters’ Shield which is given to the team with the most points accumulated during the league. It’s not the primary silverware, but it’s not something teams ignore.
How do the playoffs work?
It gets adjusted from time to time, but this season the playoffs will have 14 teams total: 7 from the Western Conference and 7 from the Eastern Conference. The top team in each conference gets a bye, with the other 6 teams playing the first round. All rounds including the MLS Cup Final are single-leg, with the higher seed hosting. Even with a little bit of knockout luck, the better-performing teams during the season are rewarded.
Ha, alright. Now you’re speaking my language.
And that’s not all! The winner of the MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield winner, and the top team from the other conference (since the Supporters’ Shield winner wins their conference by definition) all qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.
While it isn’t as glamorous as its counterpart in Europe, it is a continental competition for MLS clubs, and the winner gets a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup. No MLS side has won the Champions League (the competition rebranded in 2008-09), so it’s all the more exciting that a team from Charlotte could be the first!
So reasonable knockout playoffs, continental competitions…if only there were a national knockout cup, like the FA Cup in England…
Let me cut you off right there and introduce you to the US Open Cup, the oldest ongoing competition in the US. Just like the FA Cup, the US Open Cup is a knockout competition open to all professional clubs in the US soccer pyramid, in addition to qualifiers from the amateur ranks.
Like its cousins in Europe, the American Cup is known for knockout drama and giant-killing, though generally, MLS teams tend to dominate the later stages of the tournament. The Cup has unfortunately been impacted by Covid, with both the 2020 and 2021 editions being canceled.
But just like Charlotte FC, the competition will be back for 2022!
Okay, you’ve got me interested. Now what?
If you’re a fan of the atmosphere you’ve seen in the leagues in Europe, why not help us build it here in the Supporters’ Section with Charlotte FC? It’s an opportunity to be a part of brand-new traditions in your own area, as well as a place to share the love of the Beautiful Game with thousands of your newest best friends. Think about it: what could be more fun than a weekend morning watching your European team, then an afternoon or evening kickoff watching your hometown team?
]]>Written by Thomas Hair
Autumn has arrived in Charlotte, which means lovely hiking weather, pumpkin spice everything, and, soon, high-stakes late-season MLS matches! With playoff positioning on the line and the air crisp, this is when the games really start to feel different. More intense.
Six matches remain this season, and the home stretch starts this weekend. If you want to experience the drama before CLTFC is in the thick of it, here’s what you need to know:
#1: New England Revolution are running away from the field
The only question now is whether they will break the all-time points record. With 65 points, the high-mark of 72 set by LAFC in 2019 is tantalizingly within reach.
The Revs could lose ALL of their remaining matches and still finish 8th all-time. That is just absurd.
With an eight-point cushion over Seattle, that’s pretty much what it would take for them to somehow not win the Supporter’s Shield (best regular-season team). They’ll also probably win Landon Donovan MVP (Carles Gil), Coach of the Year (Bruce Arena), and Goalkeeper of the Year (Matt Turner). That said. Longtime MLS fans know such accolades won’t matter to this club. We’re talking about the Buffalo Bills of soccer, a club with a brutal 0-5 record in MLS Cup Finals. The Revs will not be satisfied unless they bring home what has repeatedly slipped through their fingers... MLS Cup.
#2: Nothing Else is Set in Stone
We know New England will be the #1 overall playoff seed and that Seattle will probably be #1 out west. That’s your two first-round byes. Below the two flag-bearers, the other six playoff positions in each conference are still highly contested.
The Eastern Conference, our future home, is a big jumble. There is only one match separating #2 Nashville and #3 Philadelphia, only one match separating the Union and #4 Orlando City, and then a whopping four teams within a match of Orlando. At the moment, the fourth (Atlanta United) being narrowly cut out of the playoffs. Atlanta is in form, though, and could easily get back in. New York Red Bulls and defending champions Columbus Crew are still in the frame as well.
The Western Conference has a bit more definition. At the top, at least. A group of three have separated themselves in #2-4 for first-round home advantage (Sporting Kansas City, Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers). However, for the final three playoff slots, it’s shaping up for a mad scramble between SIX teams still in contention. One of which is Chicharito’s LA Galaxy, who started the season on fire but have since plummeted. Other teams that face a grind to get in include expected heavyweights Minnesota United, and LAFC, both of which started slow and never quite hit their stride (partially due to injuries). Both are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs if they don’t turn it on now.
#3: What to Watch This Weekend
Eastern Conference: New York City FC @ New York Red Bulls (Sunday 1pm on ESPN)
With a massive Hudson River Derby win, NYRB would draw level with their bitter rivals on 40 points, perhaps getting back above the playoff line. For NYCFC, their eyes are further up the table. With a win, they could push upwards into the top four (home playoff match).
Western Conference: San Jose Earthquakes @ LAFC (Saturday 3:30pm on Univision & MLS Twitter)
These California rivals are both two matches below the line. They both need to start winning streaks ASAP if they want to make a run back up the table. A draw helps no one here, so this should be an entertaining match with both teams desperate for all three points.
#4: Mark Your Calendars: Decision Day is November 7!
For the uninitiated, Decision Day is essentially Major League Soccer’s annual Season Finale. All the teams in each conference kick off their final match of the season at the same time. With everything unfolding simultaneously, it’s an exhilarating experience for fans. Each goal that comes in shuffles the playoff places on the live table.
This year’s edition will take place on Sunday, November 7. All Eastern Conference matches will kick at 3:30pm, with the Western Conference at 6pm.
Check out this great compilation of Decision Day 2018 for a taste.
#5: Will the Golden Boot still be up for grabs?
Most seasons, it’s already clear who will be the top scorer by Decision Day. That’s not the case in 2021, though!
With a healthy helping of penalties, journeyman DC United striker Ola Kamara currently leads with 17 goals. However, deadly Seattle poacher Raúl Ruidíaz and breakout Kansas City winger Daniel Sallói are right behind Kamara with 16 apiece.
Six different players have 13 goals and could leap right into the conversation with a timely hat trick. One of those is teenage sensation Ricardo Pepi, who returns to FC Dallas in form after a brace for the USMNT in World Cup Qualifying. I can’t remember a tighter Golden Boot race in my time as an MLS fan. Keep an eye on who’s scoring the goals for these teams in the remaining matches. The prize that all strikers covet could add another interesting wrinkle to Decision Day this season!
]]>
Guzman Corujo
Christian Fuchs
Sergio Ruiz
Riley McGree
Brandt Bronico
Jan Sobocinski
Adam Armour
]]>
I had saved up for two whole years to afford a trip to Japan in 2016. Anyone who has traveled to Japan can tell you it is not cheap, and you'll need to budget your trip way ahead of time. Just as important as booking a flight and getting a place to stay was to make sure I attended both a baseball game and a soccer match. I had zero familiarity with soccer in Japan. Still, I had to attend a game, so I laid out some guidelines on which match I would go to - could not be in Tokyo (I was staying in Tokyo, so I wanted to explore more of Japan), could not be in a dome, and the home team had to have some history. With that groundwork, I chose to attend the Kashima Antlers v. Ventforet Kofu match. Little did I know that this match set me off on an increased love of the game of soccer, but a fandom of the mighty Antlers.
Kashima Antlers Quick Facts
Team Name: Kashima Antlers (鹿島アントラーズ, Kashima Antorāzu)
Founded: 1947 (as Sumitomo Metal Factory Football Club)
Home Grounds: Kashima Soccer Stadium (Capacity 40,728)
Location: Kashima, Ibaraki in Japan
Owners: Mercari (Japanese e-commerce company) 61.6%, Nippon Steel Corp. (third-largest steel producer in the world based in Japan) 11%
Chairman: Fumiaki Koizumi
Manager: Naoki Soma
League: J1 League (top division of the J.League)
Titles: 8-time J.League champion, 6-time YBC Levain Cup champion, 5 time Emperor's Cup champion, 1 time AFC Champions League champion
Brief History of the Club
The early modern history of soccer in Japan is unique as mostly all of the professional teams in the nation were company teams, meaning the players for clubs also worked at the factories/companies of the team. The Kashima Antlers started their life as Sumitomo Metal Factory Football Club, originally at Sumitomo's headquarters of Osaka, before moving to Kashima near one of their steel plants. Their history as Sumitomo Metal Factory FC mainly was unremarkable as a mediocre club mostly staying in the second division of the Japan soccer pyramid. It wasn't until 1991 that forever pushed the Antlers upward after the fateful signing of Brazilian Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico.
After a very brief retirement from playing, Sumitomo was able to sign Zico to play for their squad in a bid to join the upcoming new top league forming in 1993, the J.League. Zico transformed the club into a legitimate soccer power, bringing his knowledge and talent to a small club in a primarily unknown city. Once they joined the J.League, renamed the Kashima Antlers (Kashima translates to "Deer Island" as Kashima is home to the Kashima Jingu Shinto Shrine, which views the local deer as messengers of the gods), Zico and the squad began making their presence known. Zico scored a hat trick in a 5-0 victory over Nagoya Grampus in their first match in the league. Zico would retire as a player in 1994 but stayed with the club as Technical Director and even Manager of the club before leaving in 2000 to become the Manager for the Japanese Men's National Team in 2002. Zico returned as a Technical Director of the club once again in 2018. Zico forever revered as the "God of Football" (サッカーの神様, sakkā no kamisama) not only in Kashima but throughout all of Japan. The Antlers forever preserved Zico's legacy with the Antlers with a statue at the home grounds, and you'll be hard-pressed to miss a Zico tifo or banner at home matches.
Kashima has been a powerhouse of Japanese soccer since the formation of the J.League. From 1996 through 2002, the club won 4 league titles, 3 YBC Levain Cup (the Japanese equivalent of the Carabao Cup) titles, and 2 Emperor's Cup (the Japanese equivalent of the FA Cup) titles. In 2000, they were the first club to achieve the "treble" of winning all three domestic titles. More recently, the club nearly toppled the biggest of giants in 2016 when they lost to Real Madrid in extra time in the Club World Cup Final (losing 4-2). They were the first Asian club to reach the Club World Cup Final. In 2018, they finally claimed the AFC Champions League title to fill the last remaining Asian title they had yet to win. Since its inception, the Antlers remain one of the few clubs to never drop to the J2 League of the J.League.
Home Grounds - Kashima Soccer Stadium
Opening in 1993 and expanding in 2001, Kashima Soccer Stadium has been home to the Antlers. It currently holds up to 40,728 fans and is one of the more giant stadiums in Japan with a natural grass playing field. Tucked away near the Pacific Ocean, this massive stadium is just outside the central area of the small city of Kashima.
Kashima Soccer Stadium hosted 3 World Cup matches in 2002 during group play (a 1-0 Argentina victory over Nigeria, a 1-1 draw between Germany and Republic of Ireland, and a 2-1 upset victory of Croatia over Italy).
Many fans drive by car to the stadium, but it also has its own train station on the JR East Line. The station and the path to the stadium have not been upgraded since 2002 and show their age, but you can feel the energy as you make your approach while surrounded by trees.
Inside the stadium, the beautiful smells of Japanese street food stands and the sounds of taiko drums pregame provide a unique experience when taking in a match. The supporter section, always packed with passionate fans, always prepared with tifos and banners. After goals and victories, Kashima supporters sing The Beatles "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" in thrilling fashion. A very family-friendly atmosphere with fans of all ages enjoying soccer and growing the love of the game.
The Football Dream
While it remains challenging to watch and follow the J.League in the States, recent efforts to improve the international awareness of the league have been made. No streaming service provides coverage of J.League matches in the U.S., but the J.League official YouTube channel will offer occasional live matches but is very quick to upload match highlights of all games. Kashima is also one of the few clubs with English-specific social handles, though it is limited to lineups and match updates.
If you are lucky enough to travel to Japan, I can not recommend enough for you to make the long train ride to catch a Kashima Antlers match. The titans of Japanese soccer always field a competitive team, and fans always come out strong to support their squad. If you are awake either very early or staying up extremely late, certainly check and see if the J.League YouTube channel is broadcasting a live match. J.League soccer is fast-paced, filled with action-packed matches with a great fan atmosphere.
I fell in love with the fun and vibrant atmosphere at Kashima Soccer Stadium, the team's impressive play, and became engrossed in their history. I keep tabs on the team, watching highlights and hoping one day a streaming service picks up the J. League so I can once again have a coffee and watch soccer before the sun rises. The team slogan of "Football Dream" can be interpreted in many ways, but their Football Dream created my football passion. From a casual soccer fan to now watching every West Bromwich Albion match (a future Off The Beaten Path feature?) and counting down the days to Charlotte FC's first match.
]]>
Written by: Spenser Coop
Earlier this week, NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman and Charlotte FC’s Christian Fuchs unveiled a special paint scheme for next Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ladies and gentleman, Charlotte FC is going racing!
Hey @CharlotteFC, welcome to the Queen City! 🤘🏼
— Alex Bowman (@Alex_Bowman) September 28, 2021
Pumped to be part of this collab with @AllyRacing… Ready to get this scheme on track and hopefully in victory lane at the Roval pic.twitter.com/RkZDMLZ7fO
Taking advantage of the mutual sponsorship with Ally, Alex Bowman’s 48 car features Charlotte FC prominently. With Ally’s always stylish purple in the front half that transitions beautifully into Charlotte FC black and blue over a soccer net motif with #ForTheCrown above the rear wheels and the Charlotte FC logo on the rear quarter panels. Ally has never been bashful with their paint schemes and they knocked it out of the park once again with this slick vehicle.
😮Unveiled: you gotta love that car‼️
— Christian Fuchs (@FuchsOfficial) September 28, 2021
Can't wait to cheer on @Alex_Bowman and the @allyracing team in this amazing @CharlotteFC 48 car! So cool to be a part of this series! #NASCAR #Allies @NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Mw0F1PRAZH
Charlotte FC fans will get to see this beautiful car at the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway or on NBC where it should get plenty of TV time. Alex Bowman is currently in the NASCAR Playoffs Round of 12 where the Charlotte Roval serves as the final race of that round. Alex Bowman is currently below the cutline for the next round so he will need to perform well at the Roval to advance. Bowman is a strong contender to win this race as his average finish in the previous three races at this track is 4th with a best finish of 2nd. Let’s hope with Charlotte FC on his ride, Alex Bowman can get the win #ForTheCrown!
It is great to see Charlotte FC working together with their sponsor Ally to spread the word of the team’s inaugural season in unique ways. The team has been working hard putting together a roster and coaching staff, but they are not willing to rely on standard marketing to promote the team. The race will be broadcasted nationally on NBC along with international coverage. What other MLS squad is getting their brand in front of thousands of people at a sporting event that is being watched by millions on TV? I’ll take that kind of marketing and outreach over a half baked, clunky mobile app any day!
]]>
Written by Thomas Hair
What a time to be a soccer fan. This week saw Charlotte FC formally introduce its first manager, the US national teams advance in the Gold Cup and Olympics, and Season 2 of Ted Lasso arrived. Despite a few notable absences, Major League Soccer ticked on as the backdrop to it all, and was entertaining as ever.
#1: The Youngest Hat Trick Hero in MLS History!
FC Dallas 4-0 LA Galaxy
Get used to hearing the name Ricardo Pepi.
The El Paso native became the first 18-year-old to score an MLS hat trick on Saturday. That’s pretty big, and it wasn’t just one lucky game either. Pepi is now the highest-scoring American in the league this season despite not even getting consistent starts at striker. But when he has been played up top, he has delivered, and Dallas has won -- something they’ve not done a whole lot of this season. No more excuses, Luchi Gonzalez. Anoint Pepi, your #9 if you want to make a run up the table and save your job.
#2 Seattle Sounders or Seattle Sophomores?
Austin FC 0-1 Seattle Sounders FC
Youth continues to be the theme of the week as we look south across the Texas plains to Austin FC’s hostile Q2 Stadium.
With a majority of their Best XI still out due to injury or international duty, the visiting Sounders boldly trotted out a largely academy-based squad. No, Brian Schmetzer didn’t just blood in one or two teenagers – he rotated in six at once. Two of them, midfielders Obed Vargas (15) and Reed Baker-Whiting (16), are the age of literal high school sophomores.
Of course, as with everything the wonderful Sounders attempt, it worked out thanks to a Raúl Ruidiaz wonder-goal. Typical. You feel good for the brave youngsters who tasted victory on their first bite of the apple together.
As for Austin? Well, they still can’t score. Los Verdes now find themselves last in goals in Year 1. Fortunately, the latest reports are that an impressive attacking DP will be arriving soon.
#3: Big results in East, West playoff races… with a grain of salt
Seattle Sounders FC 1-3 Sporting Kansas City
All eyes were on the Sounders again three days later as they dueled challengers SKC with 1st place in the West on the line. Where Austin was unable to punish Seattle for their depleted squad and inexperienced youngsters, MLS bluebloods Kansas City were ruthless. Local favorite Daniel Salloi continues to have a storybook resurgent season on the wing and scored the goal that officially handed Seattle their second loss of the season- just a week after their first. Peter Vermes’ side go top, as quietly as ever. For now. We won’t know which team is truly better until Seattle have their leaders back.
New York City FC 5-0 Orlando City
The less said about this one, the better for Orlando City. Like Seattle, their squad was barely recognizable, with a number of key players missing for various reasons. The result was an NYCFC offensive barrage that produced 14 shots on goal, of which Pedro Gallese saved nine. It was a consequential result for the playoff picture, allowing the Pigeons to narrow the gap behind the Lions to two points… but one gets the feeling things may have been different if Nani or Daryl Dike had anything to say about it.
#4: Revs runnin’ toward Supporters’ Shield
New England Revolution 2-1 CF Montréal
With Seattle’s recent stumbles, the Supporters’ Shield lead is now firmly planted out East. Bruce Arena’s New England Revolution are flying, winning three of their last four to a 10-3-3 record.
As we’ve seen proven in MLS, if your 2-3 Designated Players produce like stars, you will be a contender. That’s certainly happening for the Revs. With 13 assists before the midseason mark, playmaker Carles Gil is actually on pace to edge the single-season record of 26. That mark was set by the legendary blonde afro of Carlos Valderrama in 2000. It would certainly be a monumental record to tumble. No one else has ever produced more than 20!
One of Gil’s 13 assists came in Sunday’s win, teed up for DP counterpart Gustavo Bou – also having a very strong season. The Revs have a tough upcoming slate, starting with a visit to Red Bull Arena on Saturday, so we will have to see if they can sustain their record-breaking and shield-winning pace.
#5: Oh yeah, and a wild Kanye West appeared
Atlanta United 0-1 Columbus Crew
This Atlanta United saga just keeps getting weirder.
After sacking Gabriel Heinze amid swirling accusations of training abuses and having Josef Martinez play damage control to the press, Atlanta’s performance on the pitch continued to be lackluster – to put it mildly. Their 1-0 home loss to Columbus on Saturday was hard to watch.
Luckily for them, perhaps the biggest celebrity sighting ever at an MLS match was able to distract the Atlanta fans from their suffering. One Kanye West in a bright red suit! Hilariously, it surfaced that Kanye is actually living at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to finish his album DONDA because of its “good vibes”?
Mr. West, wherever you’ve found the “good vibes” in the bowels of the Benz, please share them with Atlanta United. They’ve been missing them for some time.
]]>
Written by Thomas Hair
The thick of summer is upon us. The NBA is concluding, yet football season is still a long way off, forming a brief window where soccer traditionally takes greater prominence in the American sports psyche thanks to international tournaments like the World Cup or Euros.
Nowadays, summer is also known for being crucial in our own Major League Soccer. It’s that midseason grind. The games start coming at a rapid clip… even amidst blazing heat, continuing national team absences, and evolving rosters (due to the summer transfer window).
So, coming off a rare rest week, today begins that grueling part of the season. The wheat will be separated from the chaff. So hop aboard, Charlotte, and I’ll get you up to speed on the teams and players to monitor this summer as MLS rolls onward towards the playoffs…
#1: WANTED: Josef Martinez & the old Atlanta United
Wooh boy, we have got some drama down in the Dirty South!
ATLUTD’s club icon, Josef Martínez, has reportedly been frozen out of the team by manager Gabriel Heinze for reasons… unclear. Even as Atlanta languish outside the playoff places (2-7-3) with Cubo-freaking-Torres starting up top, Martínez continues to train separately from the team. Now unthinkable rumors are swirling that he might leave the club he called “my own Barcelona” not so long ago.
As much as I kind of love seeing all the Atlanta fans panicking online, I do want the Charlotte-Atlanta rivalry to be fierce and intense. We need something closer to the 2019 Atlanta to push us to be our best. Our inaugural meetings will lose some of their luster next year if United continues this downward spiral.
They face a tough test with New England Revolution (7-3-3) visiting tonight at 5. Can the team put the Josef distraction aside? Or will they stumble and see the home fans mount more pressure on Heinze?
#2 Toronto’s Terrible Tumble
You know something’s off when you have the fewest points in MLS despite the highest payroll.
Many people were surprised by the 1-2-8 start that got Chris Armas unceremoniously sacked, myself included. But on closer inspection, is it really that shocking?
Toronto FC are defending Supporters’ Shield runners-up, but this is a team stranded at a vacant Florida stadium due to Canadian COVID restrictions. This is a team that lost its architect, Greg Vanney, to the coaching vacancy at LA Galaxy. It’s also a team with many older veterans that were suddenly asked to run a demanding press by new manager Armas. In Florida. Throw in an injury to reigning MVP Alejandro Pozuelo and a little Jozy Altidore drama, and there’s your recipe for disaster.
The record 7-1 loss in Armas’ last match was bad. Like, really bad. But the Reds responded with vitriol and defeated conference leaders New England four days later. Was that the start of an epic summer turnaround for Toronto?
#3: Can Seattle stay undefeated?
Like Toronto, the Seattle Sounders are a perennial contender that had built-in excuses to let their standard drop this year. Homegrown star winger Jordan Morris tore his ACL while on loan at Swansea City in February, and midfield maestro Nicolás Lodeiro has been sidelined with knee issues.
Yet, in typical Sounders fashion, they seem as assured as ever of their own success. Somehow, without two of their top three players, they’ve tied the MLS record for the longest undefeated streak to start a season (8-5-0). A win at Minnesota United on Sunday would clinch it – a remarkable testament to an organization that (*sigh*) continues to be the best-run in the US. Take notes, Charlotte! If Seattle set the record, then what? How much farther can they take it? Invincibles, anyone?
That win in Minnesota won’t be easy, though – the Loons are still waiting to avenge last year’s heart-crushing playoff loss.
#4: Nashville get their star striker… will any other arrivals change the MLS landscape?
Our southeastern rivals Nashville SC have completed their record signing: $6.8 million for Monterrey’s Aké Loba, a 23-year-old forward who has already excelled in Mexico in his young career.
The Ivorian will bolster a Nashville side already in the playoff places and has the potential to be someone that causes Charlotte FC problems for years to come. Gary Smith has created one of the league’s strongest defenses, but a reliable scorer has eluded him. If Loba can be the star they’re paying him to be, his arrival might transform Nashville into a serious Cup contender.
Other recent MLS arrivals include Kieran Gibbs, Yeferson Soteldo, and Bobby Wood. Can any of these players, or pending transfers yet unknown, change their teams’ 2021 trajectories? The international transfer window stays open through August. Charlotte will be signing players, but so will our future competitors across the league, so keep an eye on both.
#5: Which surprise early-season successes will survive the summer?
CF Montréal assistant Wilfried Nancy was thrust into the head job when legendary player-turned-manager Thierry Henry unexpectedly resigned before the season. Now, Nancy is an early Coach of the Year candidate for guiding unfancied Montréal to the 3rd-best PPG in the East despite being exiled in Florida like Toronto. This weekend, though, Montréal at last return to their true home, Stade Saputo, with FC Cincinnati waiting. Can Nancy’s spirited team treat the soccer-starved crowds in Quebec to a sixth-straight unbeaten? Do they have the depth to sustain this success as congestion hits?
Colorado Rapids are too often still stigmatized as lifeless “MLS 1.0” bottom-feeders, but they’ve quietly been improving since hiring Robin Fraser and now sit 4th in the competitive West. They don’t spend much on signings, but they’ve maneuvered the MLS markets intelligently and draft and develop well from within. Can that still be enough for a playoff run in 2021’s MLS?
Real Salt Lake (4-4-3) were a popular pick to finish near the bottom of the West, but for now, they’re in the Playoffs. New players like Anderson Julio and Rubio Rubin really hit the ground running, and the positionless-wonder Damir Kreilach isdoing Kreilach things. RSL are exceeding expectations, but it still feels like they haven’t maxed out their potential. The lone DP on the roster, Albert Rusnák, still hasn’t returned to his 2019 form, and former USMNT striker Bobby Wood is only just now getting fully integrated with the team. Picking up a result tonight @ LAFC would be a big statement of intent for this group as they enter that defining summer stretch.
Prediction: I think Colorado is the team most likely to hold on to a playoffs spot of these three. They have the most depth, experience and MLS know-how of these underdogs, as well as the most proven coach. The Raps stay in, while Montréal and RSL get bounced out by clubs like Portland and Columbus making runs up the table. Leave a comment if you agree or disagree!
]]>
Written by Cole Godfrey
The Copa America has finished with Lionel Messi finally lifting his elusive international trophy. The Euros are set to conclude with England taking on Italy in the final. Up next is the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the international slate. Before the USMNT take the pitch against Haiti on July 11, 2021 8:30 PM EST, let's take a look at what's to come.
Coming off the heels of a CONCACAF Nations League trophy the Americans have rotated the squad heavily for the Gold Cup. With 19 of the 23 players playing domestically in the MLS. While having a rotated squad, the expectation remains the same, says head coach Gregg Berhalter, "We want to look at this as a team that can compete to win the Gold Cup, let's be really clear with that, and that's going to be our expectation."
I think it is safe to assume that the U.S. should get out of their respective group with the likes of Haiti, Martinique, and a Canada team that is going to be without their star power due to an ankle injury to Bayern Munich man Alphonso Davies. The all-time record for the U.S. in the Gold Cup group stage is 35-1-4. It will give coach Berhalter the chance to play the majority of the roster and get experience as he will send out a side with five Americans set to get their first cap.
Of all the debutantes, three to keep an eye on are midfielder Gianluca Busio of Sporting Kansas City, who has dazzled so far in MLS. The 19-year-old (North Carolina) born has two goals and three assists with a pass completion rate of 89.3%. The other to keep an eye on is Matthew Hoppe, who plays for FC Shalke 04 in Germany. The forward tallied 6 goals and 1 assist in 22 games this past season. And last but not least is Orlando City forward Daryl Dike. He has turned heads with his quickness and eye for goal with English Championship side Barnsley where he scored 9 goals in 22 appearances. This season with Orlando, he has 2 goals in 4 appearances.
Another intriguing storyline is goalkeeper Matt Turner from the New England Revolution. While there is a veteran presence in the position group with Brad Guzan of Atlanta United and Sean Johnson of D.C. United, I would look for Turner to get plenty of minutes in the group stage. He is the first New England player to win MLS player of the week honors since 2017 for his performance in a 3-2 win over NYCFC, and his Revolution team sit at the top of the Eastern Conference.
The midfield and the back have plenty of familiar names like Walker Zimmerman, Sebastian Lletget, and Cristian Roldan. With the trio of them fighting for some World Cup Qualifying time starting in September.
The favorites of the tournament look to be Mexico, who are coming off of the 3-2 loss to the U.S. in the Nations League final. El Tri have brought almost all the first-team squad to get some hardware this summer. However, they looked flat in a 0-0 draw to open Gold Cup play and look to have lost star Hirving Lozano, as he was stretchered off against Trinidad & Tobago with a head injury.
The U.S. look to build towards Qatar, and it starts tonight.
According to Paul Tenorio from The Athletic, Miguel Angel Ramirez is set to take the crown as the first coach in the clubs history.
]]>The first coach in Charlotte FC history has been announced ... or so it seems.
According to Paul Tenorio from The Athletic, Miguel Angel Ramirez is set to take the crown as the first coach in the clubs history.
The 36-year-old Ramirez was recently let go by Brazilian club Internacional after three months and posting a 10-7-4 record. He rose to fame in Ecuador when he took led his Independiente Del Valle club to the 2019 Copa Sudamericana title, the first in club history. It brought a lot of attention to him as the small Ecuadorian side crushed the defending champions Flamengo.
Ramirez first worked with his hometown club Las Palmas in Spain. After he left there is moved to Greece and worked with youth squads with several different clubs, including Greece's top and most well-known club Olympiacios. From there, he moved to Qatar and worked at the Aspire Academy, where he met his mentor Roberto Olabe who is now the Director of football at La Liga side Real Sociedad. In an interview with The Athletic in December, he said that after spending time with him, he could see the game in a different way stating, "Roberto had this way of seeing the game as it relates to the player, to space, to the opponent."
That way of seeing the game is an attacking and possession-based style. This could be good news to Charlotte FC supporters. With only six players signed, he could have a massive say in upcoming player signings. The similarities between his time at Independiente and his potential upcoming tenure with Charlotte are stunning. In the same interview with The Athletic, he stated, "Throughout the club, teams use the same method of training and style of play. There is also a very effective scouting network. Right now, Independiente are the No 1 club in Ecuador for scouting young players: the best talents in the country play in our youth teams. We try to get players into the first team, and the idea is that later we can sell them to bigger clubs. So players leave, players come in from the academy, those players are sold… and that's how the club remains sustainable."
That is eerily similar to the MLS; it also reminds me of the way President Nick Kelly is starting to build Charlotte. The fact that Ramirez had so much success at a club so similar in philosophy but with a lower budget should be encouraging. Also, facing teams with more talent and with a lot more money and beating them consistently is a wonderful sign. He also said in regards to his next opportunity, "I have to be careful because I don't think my way of playing would be well suited to just any kind of club. My way of understanding football needs a particular context, which not all clubs have. So I have to be very sure before I take the next step."
With him saying that, one could deduce that he thought long and hard about coming to the USA. The good news, at least in my opinion, is that so did the leadership of Charlotte FC, in doing their homework and knowing what kind of system Ramirez is successful with and wanting the same thing. The type of system he wants to establish would fit already signed midfielders Sergio Ruiz and Riley McGree well.
Details are still to come with Charlotte FC not making an official announcement as of yet.
]]>
Written by: Cole Godfrey
In what most would call a successful inaugural season for the newly founded academy, after going to the playoffs and making it to the round of sixteen in said playoffs, there are a ton of positives moving forward. In the first game of the MLSNext cup, Charlotte took on St. Louis and pulled out a hard-fought 1-0 win. There was instant drama in the first minute with Charlotte having to save a penalty. Wilson got the lone goal of the game and secured the win and a chance to take on host FC Dallas.
After a scoreless first half and a bit of a stalemate, goals were plenty in the second half, with FC Dallas coming out on top 4-1. The U17's then finished off the tournament with a 3-1 loss at the hands of NYCFC. I will say, though, for the club's first season there is absolutely no shame in getting beat by two clubs that have established academies. FC Dallas may be the premier academy in the league, with the likes of Juventus and USMNT star Weston Mckennie making their way through the academy. Club President Nick Kelly spoke about the success on the Mint City Soccer Show, saying, "It was good for our kids if you think about it, in our academy our U17's play with two 14-year-olds, a bunch of 15-year-olds, and we play very few 16 and 17-year-olds, so we're always younger."
When speaking on the win against St. Louis, Kelly stated "St. Louis has like, big boys. They're literally like big 17-year-old kids, and we have a bunch of little kids out there who are extremely talented. So, for them to play against the size was extremely good for us, and for us to get a win on that was awesome."
On the loss to FC Dallas, he said, "We looked good in the first half, but after that, it just shows where we have to get." On the overall competition he saw what he wanted to see from the U17's saying that "our hope was the outcome we had, which was beat who you're supposed to beat and then really get into position of competing against the best talent and see where you need to get to."
As for me personally, I would agree with Nick. The experience for this very young U17 to play against other teams that have the cohesion of having played together for years and measure yourself against the best of the best is a fantastic start to get the academy where it needs to be to be competitive and win games. I am so stoked to see what the future has in store and the future is bright!
Adam Armour has signed with Charlotte F.C. on a two and a half year contract with a one year option. Adam comes back to his home state to wear the crown from German club F.C. Nurnberg. Armour is the sixth signing of the club and also the youngest at 18. Armour has featured with the U.S. U-17 team 19 times and caught the eye of his new hometown club.
Armour will be working alongside recent acquisitions Christian Fuchs and Jan Sobocinski in the back for Charlotte in the 2022 MLS season. With three defenders and three midfielders signed, the back is starting to take shape for Charlotte. It was important in this humble writer's opinion that they got a young defender alongside the likes of Fuchs. The more time spent on and off the pitch with an experienced defender like Fuchs the better.
The young defender is a product of the North Carolina FC Academy. He has featured for the U19 F.C. Nurnberg has played on two occasions since signing for the club in 2020. He has one goal in his limited action due to the pandemic.
Nick Kelly recently went on The Mint City Soccer Show, and he spoke about the club's newest signing. "Obviously, he has huge Carolina ties, he started up in the Raleigh area playing for NCFC, which is a great program," he said. Which says something about the mindset of the club and wanting to keep local Carolina talent close to home.
Kelly continued by saying, "So for us to have both his U.S. national team experience plus playing for a great academy team has been awesome. But unfortunately, for him, he went to Nurnberg, you know during the middle of COVID which created tons of challenges." He went on to say, "were lucky to have him back, so with him going to the (Charlotte) Independence and having the opportunity to stay close to us, to be able to monitor his training, and to be able to work with somebody like Brandt (Bronico), it also puts us in a position to where we're going to set him up for success."
He was asked where he sees him fitting in the team, and his response was, "It's early to tell right now. I mean, to be perfectly honest, when you look at our roster between (Jan) Sobocinski, Sergio (Ruiz), and even on top of that Christian Fuchs. He's going to have to spend some time you know, developing." He went on to say, "We signed him to a two and half year contract, so he is in a position to have time to learn and develop to where if he is getting some game time next year and then starts in his second year, he'll be in the driver's seat to kind of deliver where he wants to be. Our goal is to kind of get him back on track because he was really on track to be extremely successful and then COVID. He's really one of the casualties of COVID, because to have the opportunity to go to Nurnberg and literally have it kind of taken away from you because of COVID we just need him to get some playing time so that's what is really next up for him."
Expect to see Armour playing for the Charlotte Independence mid July after the routine physicals and logistics.
Written by Thomas Hair
In case you aren’t yet aware (which is unlikely given the absolute scenes that reverberated around the sports world), the United States won the CONCACAF Nations League late Sunday night. Their 3-2 Extra Time win versus archrival México had everything, from video review drama to “shushing” of bottle-throwing fans to backup goalkeeper heroics.
But let’s zoom out from the ups and downs and viral moments of that Final. What should the average soccer-interested person in Charlotte take away from this win, this tournament as we look forward?
Since missing the 2018 World Cup, the American soccerzeitgeist has shifted to youth, potential, future. A “golden generation” of exciting young players has been emerging, both in MLS and abroad, to give fans hope again. But despite the unprecedented Champions League-level talent, that rekindled hope was still only that. Just hope. This group hadn’t been forged through flames into a true team yet. Still hadn’t actually won anything.
That changed on Sunday night against México. With each hurdle, this young US team gradually grew in confidence, resolve, and togetherness before our eyes.
Mark McKenzie didn’t let a nightmare start crumble him and kept fighting like a warrior. John Brooks took an early yellow card but continued to marshal the defense with his same assured presence for the entire 120 minutes. Weston McKennie was everywhere and refused to let his team accept losing. Christian Pulisic, wearing the captain’s armband at 22, didn’t play his best but stepped up as a leader in a huge way, taking an absolutely fearless penalty and oozing the confidence that his teammates fed off to close the game out. I wasn’t 100% sure he had that in him! Then, when the result unexpectedly fell into the gloves of Ethan Horvath, it was Pulisic who went over to juice the inexperienced goalie up for the game-winning save.
Before our eyes, these boys matured into men. Before our eyes, they proved they have the grit of historic US teams. Before our eyes, they stood up and shouldered the responsibility to lead this program into a new era.
As a new era blasts off in the United States, another may be nearing its end south of the border.
México was favored to win this inaugural Nations League because their top players have been together a long time. They’re always on the same page because they’ve been there and done that in big matches. Guys like Guillermo Ochoa (36), Néstor Araujo (30), Héctor Moreno (33), Héctor Herrera (31), and rumored Charlotte FC target Andrés Guardado (34) have been leading El Tri since I’ve been watching. With this loss to an upstart US side, however, there will be many in México demanding change.
As the US learned in 2017 though, it’s not easy to phase out an accomplished but aging generation if the next wave of talent behind them isn’t quite there. México should still qualify for 2022 with ease, but the team to do so will probably look quite different. Sunday’s result could help speed the evolution along.
Manchester City’s Zack Steffen entered this camp as the undisputed #1 goalkeeper, but that may have changed.
The roughly equal amount of time he and Ethan Horvath saw on the pitch across the week’s three matches allowed us to directly compare the two shot-stoppers. From this limited sample size, the verdict is clear. And surprising.
It’s not that Steffen was bad, but Horvath – seldom used at Club Brugge this season – just looked better. In addition to making more big saves, Horvath looked far more comfortable in possession and passing out of the back. México’s press ruffled Steffen, but Horvath was a rock in every way possible. The trophy-winning penalty save was icing on the cake.
If there was a must-win game tomorrow, Steffen probably still starts by virtue of his more extensive pedigree and reps with the group, but the position is far from locked down. Horvath is a free agent this summer and, to further press his case, needs to find a club where he’ll play.
CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying begins in September. To replicate its quick cadence, US Soccer scheduled an additional friendly for Wednesday against Costa Rica (ESPN2 at 7pm), just three days after the Nations League Final.
This US team overcame a lot of adversity to triumph against México, but Wednesday’s game will test their mental strength in a different way. Can they similarly take this week’s euphoria in stride and stay focused enough to close this camp on a high note?
This is the last time US fans will see many of the European-based players until those crucial qualifiers. Let’s hope they keep the good vibes going!
Other Reasons to Watch: Orlando City striker Daryl Dike, who nearly led Barnsley to Premier League promotion while on loan, is expected to play, as well as young Roma right back Bryan Reynolds. Both traveled with the team but were ineligble to play in Nations League. On the other side, the Costa Rica squad features winger Randall Leal, who stars for our southeastern rivals Nashville SC.
Smaller CONCACAF national teams provide a steady stream of talent to MLS. In addition to Leal, there’s Alberth Elis, who lit up the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers with Honduras and then became a star for Houston Dynamo. Now he’s scoring in Portugal. Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room impressed the Columbus Crew at a Gold Cup and has been their starter ever since. The list goes on.
Because of close proximity and economics that undervalue Central American and Caribbean talent, any successful MLS club should have a strong scouting presence looking for gems in our own CONCACAF backyard. Charlotte announced its own North America Scout this week, and you can be sure Mr. Johnson had an eye on all of the teams in Nations League.
Skipping over high-profile Mexican stars, here are three under-the-radar potential signings that caught my eye, and maybe Charlotte FC’s:
Luis López (27), Goalkeeper, Honduras
Edwin Rodríguez (21), Midfielder, Honduras
Alonso Martínez (22), Winger, Costa Rica
Written by Thomas Hair
Top 5 Takeaways: Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
I found the symmetry of last week’s title (“Top 5 Takeaways of Week 5”) so satisfying that I’m giving you a bonus for Week 6. Don’t get used to it though. I may be the biggest MLS Nerd in Charlotte, but I don’t have time to write “Top 27 Takeaways of Week 27”. … As much as I might like to.
Portland Timbers 3-0 LA Galaxy
Tell your children to leave the room. This was a straight-up PG-13 rated tackle by Galaxy defender Derrick Williams that sent Andy Polo careening and, unfortunately, ended his season. It’s the most dangerous red card I’ve seen in MLS in a few years.
The Galaxy deservedly fell apart from there and lost 3-0 at Providence Park, but Greg Vanney will be more concerned about the big picture. Williams (prior to this) had been one of the more reliable guys on a back line already showing some cracks and is now likely facing a lengthy suspension. The Englishman also suffered a head injury minutes before sliding in on Polo, which raises *ahem* additional questions…
New England Revolution 3-1 New York Red Bulls
A mere garden variety card by comparison, this one still made my heart skip a beat nonetheless. 1) Because of the momentum behind Andrés Reyes’ two-footed challenge, and 2) because of who was on the receiving end of it… the best playmaker in MLS.
Fortunately, the Revs’ golden right foot was okay, and instead of bemoaning an excellent start derailed, we’re laughing at Bye saying Bye to Reyes and the RedBulls. Revs remain atop the East!
Nashville SC 1-0 Austin FC
As you may recall from earlier entries, debutants Austin FC enjoyed a fast start to life in MLS, one we all dream of. Unfortunately, they’ve since come back down to the Earthly realities of expansion seasons with three defeats.
In isolation, there’s no shame in not being able to find a goal in Music City. Nashville is one of the toughest defensive teams in MLS. However, it’s another brushstroke in the portrait becoming clearer and clearer: this inaugural roster construction has some notable holes.
Austin play a possession style, and they’re good at it (60%possession this week). Possession doesn’t win you games if you don’t convert it into chances though, and that’s where Austin struggle. Center forward is still a question mark, and Designated Players Cecilio Domínguez and Tomás Pochettino don’t look like the type of giant-impact DPs that can carry a new squad to contention.
Austin might be solid, but they’re not a great expansion team like Atlanta 2017. They don’t have an Almirón. Yet. Will Charlotte??
New York City FC 1-2 Columbus Crew
Columbus SC: 0-0-2.
Columbus Crew: 2-2-0
Need I say more? If there was any doubt as to whether the Crew are better off with or without their historic moniker, the 2020 MLS Cup MVP settled it. Days after the club reversed its much-maligned rename, Lucas Zelarayán sniped two free-kick goals past Sean Johnson days after the club reversed its rename, singlehandedly breaking their two-game curse. That Crew mojo was back. Ball don’t lie. Seriously, check out that game-winning free kick in stoppage time though.
Sporting Kansas City 3-1 San Jose Earthquakes
No, not that PuliGoal. This PuliGoal. Alan Pulido, the Mexico national team forward who has quietly been among the league’s most productive since joining SKC from Chivas Guadalajara. Pulido is in fine form this season, the terrific strike above giving him three goals and an assist in his last two games. For all the talk of how Seattle is on a different level from everyone else right now, Kansas City are now only four points behind in the West after the Sounders let visiting Atlanta steal a point on Sunday afternoon. Sure, KC’s defense is still questionable (they started a 19-year-old center back against San Jose), but if PuliGoal keeps living up to his nickname, it might not matter so much.
CF Montréal 1-2 FC Cincinnati
FC Cincinnati’s second half comback win - on the road - was exactly what they needed after christening their new stadium with heartbreak last week. For all their well-chronicled dysfunction, Jaap Staam does have some intriguing pieces at his disposal in Cincy. However, be wary of drawing too many conclusions from “bad team beats another bad team”. I’m starting to worry about Montréal, who have dropped three of their last four following a strong start.
Chicago Fire FC 1-0 Inter Miami CF
Chicago aren’t winless anymore either! Unlike FC Cincinnati’s defensive woes, the Fire simply haven’t been able to buy a goal. That didn’t really change in their win over Miami, as Luka Stojanovic’s free-kick probably should’ve been saved. Prior to that… they’d gone four full games without scoring. Eight halves of goose eggs. Inexcusable for a team with Robert Beric, who looked like a good DP signing last year with 12 goals in 23 matches. The Fire are finally in the win column, but they’ve yet to really set Soldier Field afire.
FC Dallas 2-2 Real Salt Lake
Most preseason projections had RSL near the bottom of the West, and FC Dallas in the playoff picture. But right now, it’s the reverse after FC Dallas had a would-be 83rd-minute winner nullified two minutes later. FC Dallas controlled most of this game, so I wouldn’t expect these clubs’ respective places in the standings to last long, but it’s past due that I mention the great start RSL have had. The main reason is Rubio Rubin.
The journeyman forward, already on his seventh club in his fifth country at age 25, has come out of nowhere to light up the first part of the season. Once a hot prospect for the US youth national teams, Rubin was on the verge of being considered a bust at the senior level. But now he has four goals and two assists – a goal contribution every match. His goals (here’s this week’s) have been really nice too.
I don’t think he’ll maintain this rate of production, but Rubin doesn’t look like a fluke. Keep an eye on him this year because who doesn’t love a good comeback story? These are exactly the types of Diamonds in the Rough that Charlotte FC needs to be scouting for alongside their big signings.
]]>
As many small businesses do, KBC leaned on the community to see them through this past year, and that's what the community did. According to Rick, "They made Kernersville Brewing Company, Kernersville's brewery." This family- and pet-friendly establishment specializing in American and German ales is sure to be a hopping place come game days, although perhaps a little less during CLTFC home games.
No stranger to making trips to Charlotte for matches, Kernersville MCC arrives early and ready to be a part of the party.
"We've been to a few panthers games, and we usually get there at like 8 a.m. for a 3 p.m. kickoff," Taylor recollected.
A quick story that he let slip involved a margarita machine and a missed match. I'll let them divulge whose fiesta slipped into a siesta. The plan is to come with great numbers and high energy.
Nick shared his hopes for the matches: "We had such an environment where everybody at the game was kind of like MCC whoa, what's that, I want to be a part of that."
It's not hard to imagine this chapter being a big presence with the way they see Charlotte, not as a trek down 1-85 but more of a walk across their back yard.
When asked what getting a pro team in Charlotte meant to them, they said it's "kind of a second home." Nick said, "When the professional team was awarded there, it felt like it was a win, still kind of felt like your backyard, so tangible." The influences don't just stop with the game-day experience. Kernersville is also home to Michael Truhe, who has been instrumental in designing MCC chapter logos, including their own.
As far as expectations for the new team, the response was grounded, stating they predict a quality team that hopefully employs an attacking style. In the end though, the consensus among the three was that this team is already a success. Seeing the level of support already behind this team and the excitement for the next year, CLTFC is already off to a winning start.
The main thing this group is ready for is for everyone and anyone to enjoy a game of soccer.
"We kind of want people around here to say, alright, it's Charlotte FC game day, let's all get together, let's just have a good time and bring our families out and have fun," Taylor stated when asked what he wants MCC to help achieve.
Nick added, "We want to let them know that MCC is where they can go, just to kind of start, to get to know a group. And if they are not really sure what the rules are, or whose who, or what's all involved, I think it's a good place for them to feel like themselves and feel like it's a good place to just have a good time."
So, if you are in the area, make sure to stop by for an Intergalactic Space Cat IPA and an intense debate about tactics, for it's clear this group, in the heart of the triad, definitely have their hearts in CLTFC, the community, and the beautiful game.
You can read about our Matthews Chapter here
]]>Written by Thomas Hair
Top 5 Takeaways: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4
Welcome to Week 5. The East is a giant cluster with 12 teams a game or two apart. In the West, Seattle are kinda dominating even without their best player, and down in last place is… LAFC?!? Yep, Major League Soccer is still as gloriously unpredictable as ever, even as it continues to evolve (see #1 and #2).
With that said, let's dive in…
#1: Curse of the Rebrands
Toronto FC 2-0 Columbus SC
DC United 1-0 Chicago Fire FC
Two of the most disappointing teams in 2021 have been Columbus and Chicago. No team has scored fewer goals than the defending champs, and the Fire are the only winless club besides Cincinnati.
These are also the two clubs with widely-panned recent rebrands. Coincidence? I think not!
Columbus and Chicago both looked poor in their midweek games, struggling with attacking identity just as much as with their brand identity. Caleb Porter has breathing room, but Fire coach Raphaël Wicky has to be feeling the pressure. Fortunately for both managers, the rebrands have been walked back to some extent due to the backlash. The Crew announced Monday they will become the Crew again, making this the only week they competed as "Columbus SC". The Fire are currently gathering fan input to redesign their new crest that no one liked.
Time will tell if these concessions will be enough to break their curses on the pitch.
#2: Cincy's New Stadium No Magic Button Either
FC Cincinnati 2-3 Inter Miami CF
Folks on the Ohio River were hoping that the beautiful TQL Stadium would be enough to break their own persistent MLS curse.
Although FC Cincinnati showed fight to claw back from 2-0 down, it wasn't enough to earn that elusive first win of the season. Gonzalo Higuain's 85th minute goal, moments after their own equalizer, was another devastating gut punch.
Cincy can certainly build on this performance, and the "new stadium bounce" has given MLS teams momentum in the past. You only get one Stadium Opening though, and this loss feels like a missed opportunity to immediately turn around the club's aura.
Oh well, TQL Stadium will still make for an awesome Charlotte FC away trip either way!
#3: Turnin' It Around
Minnesota United FC 1-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
Minnesota United 1-0 FC Dallas
Turning the team's aura around is exactly what Minnesota did this week. After four consecutive losses, last year's semifinalists won midweek AND on the weekend with their backs against the ropes. These were gritty unattractive wins, but two choruses of Wonderwall were exactly what the Loons needed.
Perhaps even more importantly, they got Ramón "Wanchope" Abila his first MLS goal against Vancouver. A dependable goal-scoring #9 has long been Minnesota's missing piece. If they can get the accomplished South American striker going, this bounce-back week could be the start of a real run.
Colorado Rapids 3-1 Houston Dynamo FC
The Rapids are starting to roar a little louder too. Since that ugly home collapse against Austin, they've strung together three straight wins. Saturday's 3-1 drilling of Houston was the most convincing yet. Their young homegrown core - Cole Bassett, Sam Vines, and Andre Shinyashiki - were flowing together really well in this one. I suspect these Rapids could upend bigger boats than Houston. LAFC will be a great test for them on Saturday.
#4: Everybody loves late 1-0 winners!
Atlanta United 1-0 CF Montréal
New England Revolution 1-0 Columbus SC
Apparently, other clubs noticed Minny's last-gasp 1-0 wins and decided to replicate the formula this week. They do say pro sports is a copycat industry!
Atlanta might've perfected the classic 1-0 win this week, breaking the deadlock through Mulraney and Moreno with literally the game's last play. Man, it's nice to see a full stadium erupt like that again. Even if it's Atlanta's.
On Sunday, New England followed them up with the fourth late 1-0 winner of the week. Adam Buksa pounced in the box in the 86th minute to put the Revs at the top of the jumbled East (and ensuring the Crew would remain points-less as "Columbus SC"). The Revs are solid defensively and have an elite playmaker in Carles Gil, so I like their chances to continue leading the East, especially if Buksa is scoring regularly.
#5: Eryk Williamson is Playing Angry, and I'm Here For It
San Jose Earthquakes 0-2 Portland Timbers
Context: Portland midfielder Eryk Williamson was snubbed from the US U-23 National Team for Olympic Qualifying. San Jose midfielder Jackson Yuiell captained the US instead. The team failed to qualify.
This Weekend: Eryk took that personally. Seriously, the dude everywhere against San Jose, making an impact defensively and progressing the ball into dangerous positions (hence two assists). I like this kid more every time I watch him play. He's that rare combination of supremely athletic and technical.
What's Next: Last season Williamson broke through as a starter for Portland. This season he looks ready to break through as an All-Star caliber player who could earn a big move to Europe. You heard it here.
For these two teams, this result could project contrasting trajectories. San Jose started hot but lost two games this week, while Portland started slow amidst Champions' League but now look ready to fire up their MLS campaign. Wondo failing to convert from the spot against Portland's reserve keeper can't be a good omen, right? Look for the Timbers to fully surpass the Quakes over the coming weeks.
]]>Need to catch up on what the league landscape looks like as we hit the one-month marker? Keep scrolling!
]]>
Written by Thomas Hair
Here we are, one month into the 2021 season! A lot can (and will) change before the MLS Cup Playoffs in November, but by now, we at least have a pretty good idea of which clubs were prepared to compete in the first leg of the season.
Need to catch up on what the league landscape looks like as we hit the one-month marker? Keep scrolling!
Top 5 Takeaways: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3
#1: Wondo Forever!
Real Salt Lake 1-2 San Jose Earthquakes
If you’re starting to dip your toe into American soccer lore, it won’t be long before you learn about Chris Wondolowski. His rise from unheralded prospect out of Chico State (where?) to all-time leading MLS goalscorer is Hollywood material, especially since he didn’t get his chance as a starter until age 27.
Now 38, his infamous late-game poaching instincts are still serving San Jose well. They were down 1-0 when the grizzled vet came on and scored two quick goals to lift the Quakes (3-0-1) behind only Seattle in the Western Conference. Flashbacks to last year’s playoffs. Wondo… never stop.
Side Note: I love that San Jose has both the oldest and youngest forward in the league and that both are playing a big part this season. Let’s start calling them Obi-Wan and Luke.
#2: It Gets Worse for Minnesota… a lot Worse
Colorado Rapids 3-2 Minnesota United
Last week, I wrote that 0-0-3 Minnesota just needed to not completely collapse until their new signings arrive. I guess they didn’t hear me because “completely collapse” is exactly what they did in Denver.
Early on, the Loons were finally starting to take flight... Bebelo Reynoso struck this sweet free kick, and then they were cruising 2-0 a few minutes later. However, their soaring was short-lived. A dramatic crash-and-burn ensued in the second half. Kellyn Acosta’s even sweeter volley turned the tide for Colorado, who scored three unanswered for a 3-2 comeback win.
Very few teams have ever started 0-0-4 and made the playoffs. For Adrian Heath and Minnesota, this season is teetering on the edge of being over before it really began.
#3: El Tráfico Never Disappoints!
LA Galaxy 2-1 Los Angeles FC
The two LA clubs have had wildly contrasting fortunes since LAFC entered the league in 2018. The flashy new boys were immediately successful, winning trophies and breaking records. MLS originals Galaxy, meanwhile, have suffered the worst few years in club history. Yet, despite their struggles, they’ve always been able to get up for these local “El Tráfico” match-ups, resulting in some must-watch entertainment. In the past, it has been Zlatan putting LAFC back in their place. Now, it’s Chicharito and Jonathan Dos Santos with a late winner!
For Galaxy, who sit near the top of the West after one month, this win is further affirmation that Chicharito 2.0 is for real and that they’re really back under Greg Vanney. For LAFC, it’s frustrating to come up short in this derby once again, but the slow start to the season is no reason to panic. Queue Carlos Vela’s entrance music!
#4: The Return of (Atlanta’s) King
Inter Miami CF 1-1 Atlanta United
On Mother’s Day, Charlotte FC season ticket holders gathered on the Bank of America pitch to watch Inter Miami equalize late against the loathed Five Stripes. Seeing that was nice, but long-term… this game was about Atlanta’s 9th minute goal.
Why? That goal was scored by former Golden Boot striker Josef Martinez, his first since 2019 (he tore his ACL in last season’s opener). It was a clinical Josef finish, finding space on the turn and firing towards the corner. He still doesn’t look like the aggressive Josef we knew before, but seeing that one go in should help him rebuild his confidence in his body.
I know, I know, Josef Martinez will be a villain here, but it’s hard not to root for a player after such a devastating setback. Besides, the Charlotte-Atlanta rivalry will be more fun with Josef back at his swaggering best.
#5: Columbus Bombshell Overshadows First Win
Columbus Crew SC 3-1 DC United
Now that they’re out of the Champions’ League, the Crew turn their focus to home. Look out MLS! The defending champs picked up their first win on Saturday with a bit of Lucas Zelarayan magic and help from a couple DC own-goals. But, as you can tell from the title, that’s now what we’re really here for.
24 hours later, news leaked that the first MLS club would be rebranding with a new badge and name, dropping “Crew” to become… Columbus SC.
The decision was met with reactions ranging from mystification to outrage. Some merely questioned why the club felt the need for change when everything else seemed to be going right, between the championship and the new downtown stadium opening this summer. The club’s passionate supporters, meanwhile, are understandably furious that ownership would dare undermine the “Crew” identity they fought so hard to save during the #SaveTheCrew relocation movement. Hashtags such as “SaveTheCrewAgain are now trending on Soccer Twitter.
Personally, I don’t mind the new logo, but the name change feels like an ill-advised PR catastrophe. It will be interesting to observe how the drama unfolds over the coming months. Rumor has it that many Crew players were against the change as well. Will the distraction impact the team’s play on the pitch?
]]>
]]>
Written by Thomas Hair
If you saw the last two installments, you know the drill now. Week 3 is in the books, and it’s time for me to synthesize 13 matches-worth of play into five storylines I find most relevant and/or interesting for the casual MLS observer.
If you’re new to this space, feel free to scroll through the links below and come back or dive straight in. The 2021 season remains in its amorphous early phase, so hop aboard now for what will surely be a wild ride!
Top 5 Takeaways: Week 1, Week 2.
#1: Sounders sound off
Seattle Sounders FC 3-0 LA Galaxy
If the last decade has a defining dynasty, it’s the Sounders. This club remains the gold standard for consistent excellence – regardless of circumstances.
“Oh, USMNT winger Jordan Morris tore his ACL? Our captain Nico Lodeiro is out? And we’re facing a Chicharito Hernández with five goals already? Sure. No problem. Seattle gonna Seattle.” – Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.
In all seriousness, it’s impressive that Schmetzer has plugged holes with MLS journeymen like Kelyn Rowe and teenagers like Danny Leyva and Josh Atencio and still dominated big games like this one. It helps that they do have one star player healthy… arguably the best striker in the league right now.
“Chicharito who?” – Raúl Ruidiaz
#2 A 17-year-old MVP?
San Jose Earthquakes 4-1 DC United
If the season ended now, we’d have a 17-year-old leading in Goals + Assists. A pointless statement so early, perhaps, but it’s hard not to buy into the hype around sudden San Jose sensation Cade Cowell.
He’s the youngest starter in MLS, and he just gashed DC’s veteran defense for a goal and two assists. One week after a similar line against Dallas. MLS has seen high-potential young forwards before, but this degree of actual production at such a tender young age (he’ll still be a teenager in 2023) feels new.
The scary thing is… it also feels sustainable. Cowell always had raw, explosive athleticism, and now he’s spent an offseason working on final product with all-time goalscorer Chris Wondolowski. Matias Almeyda also explicitly trusts Cowell, challenging him to set his sights on the season’s awards.
If Cowell doesn’t, fellow 17-year-old Caden Clark might have something to say about it.
#3: Sumptuous Skills
Who doesn’t love a good sizzle reel? Week 3 had some filth worth featuring:
Nasty Nani (Orlando City SC 3-0 FC Cincinnati)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s former Portugal running mate, Luis Nani, receives at the top of the box and dances this way and that before striking to the top corner. The real filth is that second chop that sits Cincy’s Yuya Kubo down. Oof. That’s FC Cincinnati in a nutshell.
Gliding Gil (New England Revolution 2-1 Atlanta United FC)
We always love Atlanta losses here! What made this one even sweeter was this play by Carles Gil. Listen to the crowd go “ooooh” as he brings down a long ball with an absolutely sublime first touch. That close control is one of the most difficult things to do. Gil makes it look easy and turns it into an assist. That’s why he’s one of the top MLS playmakers.
Hotheaded Hollingshead (FC Dallas 4-1 Portland Timbers)
Er, does this count? FCD fullback Ryan Hollingshead was apparently fed up with Giovanni Savarese’s jawing and, in the middle of a throw-in, suddenly juked towards the Timbers coach. Immaculate technique on the pump-fake, I must say. Equally filthy by Savarese to take it stone-cold without a flinch.Hilarious and peak MLS!
#4: What’s wrong with Minnesota?
Minnesota United FC 0-1 Austin FC
The only club without a point still is… defending conference finalists Minnesota? The Loons have yet to look the part in 2021. At 0-0-3, they’ve been outscored 7-1 this season. Being blanked by an expansion team at home set off further crisis alarms. Adrian Heath can’t distract us by lashing out at opposing players anymore.
So what’s the problem? Minny doesn’t have the Champions’ League excuse that other slow-starting contenders do. “Bebelo” Reynoso still oozes quality at the #10, but their attack misses the cutting edge of Kevin Molino - now with champions Columbus. Their interior defense wasn’t the strongest last year, and now defensive midfield stalwart Ozzie Alonso seems to be slowing down.
The good news? Help is on the way. The Loons just need to make sure the bottom doesn’t fall out completely until then.
#5: Get Ready for Rivalry Week!
Derbies, Clásicos, Rivalries… these most emotional matches are the pulse of global soccer. MLS packages its rivalries on designated Rivalry Weeks throughout the season - the firt starting Saturday!
The following fixtures should make for a nice little sample platter of MLS Rivalries:
El Tráfico: LA Galaxy vs. Los Angeles FC
Saturday at 8:00! The two clubs in closest proximity grapple for control of LA, each with a Mexican superstar. Will Chicharito get back to scoring? Will Carlos Vela return and dazzle us with his 2019 form?
Inter Miami CF vs. Atlanta United FC
Sunday at 1:00! Southern Soccer is on the ascendancy! Atlanta will be Charlotte’s fiercest rivals, but we will also become well-acquainted with Miami, Orlando, and Nashville. If you have season tickets, you can come watch this match on the pitch with us!
Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders FC
Sunday at 3:00! The crown jewel. With a history spanning many decades and pre-MLS leagues, the Timbers-Sounders rivalry has an unspoiled authenticity and familiarity-bred contempt to it that is unlike any other here. It’s truly a treasure of American soccer to behold both passionate fanbases rally for these Cascadia clashes.
Barbecue Battle: Sporting Kansas City vs. Austin FC?
Sunday at 7:30! Okay, okay, this isn’t a real rivalry. But as a Texan-Carolinian and BBQ savant, I had to put this out into the universe. Just imagine. Charlotte FC joins next season to make this a three-way cup for Best BBQ Bragging Rights… Yum.
]]>