A Goalless Weekend for Charlotte Soccer
A Goalless Weekend for Charlotte Soccer
Charlotte FC falls 0-3 to Minnesota; Independence go 0-0 in Omaha; Crown Legacy loses 0-2 to Orlando; NC Courage fall 2-1 to Angel City; Core falls 2-1 in Chicago; NCFC loses 2-3 at home.
It was one of the worst weekends for North Carolina soccer in recent memory, with all three of the Queen City’s pro teams going scoreless - and both of the teams in the Charlotte FC organization seeing their unbeaten streaks at home evaporating.
Across the state, the Carolina Core (MLS NEXT Pro), NC Courage (NWSL), and North Carolina FC (USL Championship) all fell during the long weekend.
Minnesota United broke Charlotte FC’s 13-match unbeaten streak at home with a 0-3 blowout at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday. Crown Legacy FC lost their first-ever regular season match at home at the Sportsplex in Matthews on Friday with a 0-2 result against Orlando City B.
The weekend’s lone bright spot for Queen City soccer was the Independence’s 0-0 draw against Omaha in Nebraska, with the Jacks bringing home a point thanks - yet again - to a heroic Austin Pack performance, with 6 saves from Soccer Sheet’s 2023 Charlotte Independence MVP.
No Joy at the Fortress
It seemed like everything went wrong in the buildup to Charlotte FC’s match against Minnesota United on April 21. A fight between members of two Charlotte supporters groups the week before led to the cancellation of the weekly tailgate and a dip in energy and morale. Inclement weather put a damper on attendance, despite clearing up before kickoff. The Sunday evening start time didn’t help, and at 27,021, Bank of America Stadium had one of its lowest attendance figures ever for a Charlotte FC match.
Adilson Malanda and Nathan Byrne, key pieces of Charlotte’s back line, couldn’t start. According to the club, Byrne was still trying to secure a green card while in Great Britain, and Malanda, though healthy enough to make the 20-man squad, didn’t see any minutes.
“They have been a big reason why we’ve been keeping clean sheets,” said Smith in response to a question from Soccer Sheet, though he also pointed out that the back line of Jaylin Lindsey, Andrew Privett, Bill Tuiloma, and Jere Uronen was the same four that started in Charlotte’s 3-2 win over Toronto last week.
Right before the match, as the stadium filled without the usual supporter group banners, Scott Arfield felt a problem with his hamstring and was replaced in the starting lineup by Brecht Dejaegere.
Then, of course, there was the result. After dominating the first third of the match, Minnesota’s Tani Oluwaseyi broke through Charlotte’s defenses with a beautiful 31st minute strike that was impossible for goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina to save. When Charlotte came back from the locker room, they collapsed, conceding a goal in the first four minutes of the second half.
Despite four substitutions, the addition of Patrick Agyemang, and a switch to a 4-4-2 formation, Charlotte couldn’t get anything to work, conceding a third goal in the 53rd minute while landing zero shots on target in the second half.
Even with 11 corner kicks from #11 Liel Abada, as well as additional set pieces from free kicks, headers from Tuiloma and Iuri Tavares couldn’t find the back of the net.
Charlotte FC captain Ashley Westwood didn’t mince words after the match.
“We can’t play like that in this league. You get punished,” said Westwood at a post-match press availability. “We’ve had a reality check today, and it’s not been like this this season so it’s really disappointing.”
Head coach Dean Smith also avoided his usual approach after losses. Instead of pointing out the ways his squad deserved to win the match, Smith knew this was the rare lopsided result that merited contrition.
“I’ll take responsibility for the performance of the players today,” said Smith. “We made too many bad decisions.”
Smith, however, had his observations and complaints as well: he thought his squad was the better team in the first half; he thought the lack of energy from the crowd and low attendance was a factor, lamenting “Sunday night football” matches; and he was adamant an offsides flag should have invalidated the second goal, which sealed his team’s fate.
“Goals change games,” said Smith. “The second goal allows them to defend a little bit deeper.”
Soccer Sheet also asked Smith about his decision to replace French international Djibril Diani with Brandt Bronico, and Smith remarked that the midfielder was “leggy,” a British English football expression meaning “tired.” This led to Diani being out of position and unable to make the runs Smith wants to see out of his midfielders.
“It’s time to fix this next week,” said Westwood.
The Finnish Connection
Last week, Queen City Nerve published a feature on Finnish international player Jere Uronen by Soccer Sheet’s Sam Spencer. Though Uronen hasn’t played for a professional team in Finland in years, he still plays for the national team and goes back to his hometown of Turku in the off-season. In the interview, we learned Uronen almost ended up playing the most popular sport in Finland:
Because of Turku’s sports culture, Uronen’s interest in soccer wasn’t always assured.
“I’m from a hockey city,” said Uronen. “Not a big football country.”
It’s no surprise the young Uronen played both hockey, Finland’s most popular sport, and soccer growing up. As a center in hockey, Uronen told us he was a good passer, but “never the strongest, never the fastest,” and no good in a fight.
“This frame is quite small, so I should just stay away from that,” Uronen told us with a laugh.
At age 14, Uronen’s coaches forced him to choose between the sports.
“I think I made the right choice,” said Uronen.
He also made another important choice in Finland, meeting his future wife Minttu in church 15 years ago. They married in 2017.
Minnesota United brought two Finnish players on Sunday night. Teemu Pukki spoke to both Uronen and Dean Smith before the match; Pukki plays on the Finnish men’s national team with Uronen, and formerly played for Smith at Norwich City F.C. Robin Lod, the third Finnish player on the pitch, was the clear Man of the Match with two assists and the infamous second goal that Smith believed was offsides.
What’s next in NC Soccer?
The North Carolina Courage (3-2-0, 9 points, 4th in NWSL) travelled to California on Sunday, April 21, falling to Angel City 2-1 despite getting a late goal from a second half offensive. Their next game is at home in Cary at WakeMed Soccer Park, hosting the Seattle Reign (formerly OL Reign) at 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 27.
Carolina Core FC (0-3-1-1, 2 points, 15th in the MLS NEXT Pro East) travelled to Chicago on Monday and notched one of the only goals for North Carolina’s six pro teams during the long weekend, falling to Chicago 2-1. The Core travel to Georgia on May 8 to face Atlanta United 2 for the second time this year; they lost 4-0 to Atlanta 2 in Kennesaw in March.
The night before, the Charlotte Independence (2-1-1, 7 points, 5th in USL 1) will play MLS side Atlanta United on the same field in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32. The Independence don’t come home to American Legion Memorial Stadium until May 11 (Star Wars Night!), but they are on the road against South Georgia Tormenta FC on Saturday, April 27 at 7:00 PM for the first match in the USL Jägermeister Cup - or as Soccer Sheet has dubbed it, the “Open Container.”
On Saturday April 20, North Carolina FC (1-3-3, 6 points, 9th in the USL C East) fell 2-3 at home to New Mexico. They’ll face the Indy Eleven away at 7:00 PM on Saturday, and then Rhode Island at home in Cary on May 4, before hosting Phoenix Rising in MLS Open Cup play on May 8th.
Charlotte FC (3-4-2, 11 points, 9th in the MLS East) travels to Yankee Stadium on Saturday to play New York City FC at 7:30 PM. Charlotte FC has never lost to NYC, with four wins and one draw in five meetings, including a 1-0 result at Bank of America Stadium in both teams’ first match of the year.
Crown Legacy FC (0-2-3-2, 5 points, 12th in the MLS NEXT Pro East) will join Charlotte FC in New York this weekend, facing NYCFC II on Sunday, April 28 at 3:00 PM. NYCFC is currently 7th in the East, and is the only MLS NEXT Pro squad still alive in the U.S. Open Cup.
 | A guest post by
|