Charlotte FC Goes Undefeated in MLS Matches in July
With four wins and a draw, July gave Charlotte the perfect ending to the middle third of the season.
Charlotte FC could not have wished for a better July.
After starting the month with a draw against Eastern Conference rivals Orlando City SC, the Crown won four straight, including three matches at home and a New South Derby match in Atlanta.
By picking up 13 of a possible 15 points, the team has gained significant momentum going into tonight’s Leagues Cup match against Liga MX side FC Juárez. Charlotte now sits seventh in the Eastern Conference, meaning that if the playoffs started today, the team would avoid the play-in match that ended their season in 2023.
“We came back from a very bad moment, but the team never lowered their arms,” winger Kerwin Vargas told reporters after Charlotte’s most recent win, a 2-0 result against Toronto FC. “We never lost the confidence in each other, and you’re seeing it reflected in our play.”
Editor’s Note: All of Kerwin Vargas’ comments in this article are translated from the original Spanish.
Vargas, along with English Premier League veteran Wilfried Zaha, Israeli international Idan Toklomati, and breakout star Pep Biel, has been a key contributor to Charlotte’s success in July. In both of Charlotte’s 2-0 wins during the month — the other was against New York City FC — the scoring started with a goal from Toklomati and ended with a goal from Vargas.
With the exception of a Bill Tuiloma header against Orlando, every goal scored for Charlotte since May 31 has come from Vargas, Toklomati, Zaha, or Biel.
Starting tonight, Charlotte will go into its third Leagues Cup competition with some renewed Pep in their step.
“[This winning streak] is good, I feel like it’s what the team deserves,” Zaha told Soccer Sheet after the Toronto match. “We went through a difficult spell, but us winning the games now is just showing the team’s resilience.”
he’s pep biel dude
In the first four matches of July, Pep Biel made seven goal contributions, including a decisive brace against DC United. Though not a “designated player” — an MLS player who can earn an unlimited salary above player and team maximums — Biel has established himself as the most important piece in head coach Dean Smith’s puzzle.
“Pep Biel is different. He’s magic,” Vargas told reporters after Charlotte’s July 19 win in Atlanta. “Having a player like him that assists, that scores goals, is very good for a team. There’s nothing left to say other than he’s marvelous.”
Biel leads the squad in both goals (10) and assists (12); he is currently tied for second in the league in assists, and his 22 goal contributions have him tied for third in MLS. His record is even more impressive since his expected goal contributions (xG+xA) come in around 14, meaning he is making efficient use of his chances. Biel is solidly in the MLS Best XI conversation, and would have a shot at MVP honors if not for Lionel Messi having his best-ever season in MLS.
Meanwhile, both Zaha and Toklomati now have six goals on the year — the same number Patrick Agyemang scored before departing for England — and Zaha is a vital playmaker for the squad with nine assists (second to Biel).
Zaha feels like he’s adjusting to the role of playmaker, even if he’s not used to it.
“To be honest, I’m not usually the person who does the passing,” Zaha told reporters after Charlotte’s win over Toronto. “Obviously I have to adapt to help the team, and [head coach Dean Smith] makes me play a little bit more inside to help build, and that may be why you don’t see as [many] goals … I don’t mind it if we’re winning games.”
Charlotte FC midfielder and Brandt Bronico has been impressed with Zaha’s collaborative abilities.
“[Zaha’s passing] is just another thing to his game, that he adds to this team,” Bronico told reporters after the Toronto win. “Obviously, everybody talks about his dribbling skills and him scoring goals and, but he has this part to him as well, which is very exciting.”
Additionally, Toklomati is thriving outside of Agyemang’s shadow, and leads the team in goals per 90 minutes played with .54. Other standouts in July include Canadian fullback Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who has developed strong link-up play with Zaha on the left side of the pitch despite being a natural right back.
“The good thing is [Jahkeele is] so willing to listen, which is so nice to see,” Zaha told Soccer Sheet. “It will help him go further in the game.”
100 Matches With Westy
In true Ashley Westwood form, Charlotte FC’s captain celebrated his 100th appearance for Charlotte FC by earning Man of the Match honors and getting suspended for yellow card accumulation. The skipper will serve his penalty when Charlotte FC returns to MLS play against the other Queen City — FC Cincinnati — on Sunday, August 10.
Winning a Trophy
Charlotte FC’s third-ever Leagues Cup competition starts tonight with a 7:30 PM kickoff against FC Juárez at Bank of America Stadium. The competition is the latest opportunity for Charlotte FC to bring home a trophy, and with a rules change that prioritizes how MLS teams perform relative to other teams from the league (as opposed to their Mexican opponents), Charlotte could pull off an upset as other MLS teams have struggled in the opening days.
Over the season, Brandt Bronico has consistently been excited for the competition, and he let us know that Charlotte FC players will get a bigger bonus for winning the Leagues Cup than they would for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
“I’m not sure how everybody else is approaching it, but I want to go and win a trophy. I want to win a cup,” Bronico told Soccer Sheet on Saturday. “We want to win, we want points, and we want a cup.”
Jorge Torres contributed Spanish translations to this article.