A Run on the Bank
Charlotte FC dropped the first match in a best-of-three playoff series against New York City FC. Soccer Sheet will be live from Yankee Stadium on Saturday for the must-win second match on Saturday.
Charlotte FC have backed themselves into a Yankee Stadium-shaped corner.
After suffering a 0-1 loss to New York City FC on Tuesday night, the Crown have a must-win appointment in the Bronx on Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
“We didn’t quite handle the pressure of being the home team in a playoff game,” Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith told reporters after the match. “I didn’t think we handled it well enough … [NYCFC’s Alonso Martínez] skipped through and scored a goal.”
“By the way, MLS, thanks very much for the Tuesday night game, that was very nice of them,” Smith added, sarcastically.
Without the injured Pep Biel and the suspended Wilfried Zaha, the team lacked creativity and technical precision.
“Wilf is a top-class player,” captain Ashley Westwood told Soccer Sheet at a post-match press gaggle. “To have Wilf available then it gives you another dimension. You saw tonight, we missed him.”
Low Energy?
Every one of Charlotte FC’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities was on display during the disappointing first half. Up front, Idan Toklomati, Brandt Bronico, Kerwin Vargas, and the lone eligible designated player, Liel Abada, had no answer to New York’s defense, and only had one shot on goal the entire half.
While Charlotte’s strong defense only conceded a goal, it was despite numerous technical mistakes: bad passes, poor touches, and flummoxing footwork. As forwards in Smith’s 4-4-2 in transition, Bronico and Toklomati had trouble finding space, forcing Charlotte into dangerous passes. Djibril Diani, who had shown remarkable improvement on the technical level during Charlotte’s nine-match winning streak, looked clumsy on the ball.
There were bright spots: Charlotte’s other most improved player this year, Kerwin Vargas, demonstrated consistent speed and quality. Adilson Malanda showed why he’s good enough to join a club with Premier League aspirations starting next year. Nathan Byrne was Nathan Byrne.
Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina had four saves, and couldn’t have been expected to rectify the defensive mistake that led to a 34th minute goal from Alonso Martínez, a ball that Kahlina conceded had an “excellent touch.”
“We were so excited about that game, and then we were waiting for ten days for that game, and maybe all this time … we lost some of that energy,” Kahlina told reporters at a Thursday press conference. “As you can see, we were not there on Tuesday night.”
“We are angry at ourselves, but now we know what we need to do,” Kahlina added.
With a couple days to think about the match, Smith reflected on the loss.
“The first ten minutes was OK,” said Smith at a Thursday press conference. “But then we just got really sloppy in our play … it didn’t quite feel like last year’s playoff game. There was an excitement last year when we were at home, and [this time] felt more like an expectation.”
Smith continued to bemoan the Tuesday night fixture, complaining about the lack of a full lower bowl at Bank of America Stadium, and a lack of energy compared to Charlotte’s home playoff match against Orlando City SC last year.
“Hopefully we can go and get the win at Yankee Stadium to make sure we come back and do right,” said Smith.
Smith did point out that despite poor performances from his players that he described as less than “7 out of 10,” the scoreline was only 0-1.
“You’ve got to keep bouncing back. This is just another hurdle, we need to get over it,” Fullback Harry Toffolo told Soccer Sheet after the match on Tuesday. “It’s important to rally together, stick together. I know there will be frustration … we’ll feel it, but we’ll channel that into something and get a result in New York.”
Is Abada the Next Jóźwiak?
For one Charlotte FC designated player, it could very well be their last home appearance for the club.
After some early bright spots, the Israeli International’s trajectory at the club is mirroring that of a former Charlotte DP: Kamil Jóźwiak. Abada has had six goals across all competitions this year, but hasn’t scored since Charlotte’s May 28 loss against New York Red Bulls. With two assists, that’s a total of eight goal contributions on the season - not enough for a DP forward.
Throughout his shift on the pitch Tuesday night, Liel Abada especially seemed lost. His errant pass caused the turnover that led to New York’s goal, and Abada was the first player Smith brought off, opting instead for Tyger Smalls at the 65 minute mark. Toffolo worked hard to get the ball to Abada, but the winger kept hitting the proverbial wall.
The reaction to Abada’s performance on social media was very critical.
Former Charlotte FC staff member Caleb Adams thought Abada had “stage fright,” should have come off at halftime, and “just [couldn’t] handle the physicality of NYC.”
The fight and physicality was real. Late in the match, the tensions flared to the point that a large scuffle took place at midfield.
Boys from the Bench
With Wilfried Zaha out due to his red card suspension, and Pep Biel likely out for the MLS Cup Playoffs, Smith had to reach deeper into his depth chart for offensive options.
In addition to Smalls, Brandon Cambridge and Archie Goodwin came off the bench in an attempt to break through New York’s defense. He did not choose Nikola Petković as an option.
“Today, we’ve created some chances, but I’ll be honest, it wasn’t our best game for sure, by any means,” Cambridge told Soccer Sheet after Tuesday’s match.
Cambridge had an acrobatic performance, and drew at least one uncalled foul that could have made a difference for the Crown, but both he and Smalls struggled on the ball and had trouble meeting the moment.
See You on Saturday
Soccer Sheet will be live from Yankee Stadium on Saturday for the must-win match, which kicks off at 3:30 PM ET.
“We’ve got more games. We can go there and take it from them,” Cambridge told Soccer Sheet. “We’re getting Wilf back next game, he’s a dangerous player, and it’s a completely different ballgame.”
When we asked Kahlina earlier in the season about the prospect of playing on the baseball field again, he was succinct.
“Yeah, I hate this,” said Kahlina, before taking another question.
However, if Charlotte comes home from the Bronx with a win, they’ll play a final match against New York City FC at Bank of America Stadium on Friday, November 7, kickoff TBD.
“The players know, we all know that it’s now become an elimination game,” said Smith. “We’re ready for that, we’re prepared for it. We know we have to put in a performance, that’s the biggest thing.”
However, NYCFC Coach Pascal Jansen isn’t feeling the pressure to win Saturday.
“The only pressure – if there is any pressure for us – is to make sure that we go to the next round. So, if that’s going to be in game two or game three we’ll have to see,” Jansen told reporters on Tuesday night. “Like I said to my guys just now, it’s only the first half. We’re up one-nil. It’s halftime now for a couple of days, and then we get back and start the second half, and we’ll try and get the job done so we don’t have to play extended time.”
Smith still has faith his team can extend the series – even if MLS scheduling still perturbs him.
”The beauty or madness of a 3-game series is we’ve still got a chance to bring it back here,” Smith told reporters after the loss on Tuesday. “If we do, I believe there’d be a much better performance here, much bigger attendance, and we can actually put on a show for our supporters on a date that’s probably appropriate.”
Adrian Singerman, Jorge Torres, Moayad Al Bayyari, Rebekah Whilden, and Yara Al Bayyari contributed to this story.