Charlotte FC's Comeback Win Overshadowed by Frightening Injury
Charlotte FC winger Kerwin Vargas and Nashville SC captain Walker Zimmerman collide in a scary moment that sends Zimmerman to the hospital.
Charlotte FC’s 2-1 comeback win against Nashville SC was overshadowed by a moment no one wants to see.
It’s the 71st minute of play, and a tired Charlotte FC is down 0-1 to Nashville SC; it’s the only time the Crown has trailed at home all year. Kerwin Vargas had an equalizer taken away by the officials, a header from a set piece that he celebrated with his trademark flip before seeing the goal called off. Eager for another chance, he spots a ball coming towards his prime position between the penalty spot and the goal box.
Vargas, with unreal athleticism, jumps up at a 90 degree angle and attempts a flying kick to score on a volley. Nashville’s captain and star center back, Walker Zimmerman, sees the ball but not what Vargas is attempting. He goes for the ball with his head, jumping to make the play.
For a second, the play defies gravity. From the right angle, the parallel Vargas and slanted Zimmerman look like the letter “Z.” In a perfect world, the result would have been an exceptional defensive play or the MLS Goal of the Week.
Tragically, Vargas’ shin and boot connect not with the ball, but with Zimmerman’s nose and jaw.
Charlotte FC vs. Nashville SC
Saturday April 5
2:30 PM EDT
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, NC
Final Score: 2-1
Charlotte FC Goals
Wilfried Zaha 85’ (Penalty)
Idan Toklomati 90’ (Assist: Biel)
Nashville SC Goals
Hany Mukhtar 32’
Zimmerman goes down, bloody. Players immediately call for aid. Trainers, coaches, and carts rush onto the pitch.
The referee shows Vargas the yellow card, but that discipline is nothing compared to the anguish Vargas feels inside. His hand is covering his face. He’s visibly crying, being consoled by Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood - someone who knows what it’s like to leave the pitch with a serious injury.
Westwood would tell reporters after the match that Vargas was “shaking” on the pitch.
Nashville midfielder Edvard Tagseth comes over and talks to Vargas, patting him on the back.
Zimmerman was loaded onto a stretcher and then a cart, and taken immediately to Atrium Carolinas Medical Center, a Level I trauma center. After the match, we learned from Nashville head coach B.J. Callaghan that the injury wasn’t life-threatening.
“He's been taken to a local hospital in stable condition. He is responsive,” Callaghan said. “So everything is being handled by the medical professionals and we'll let that process take place.”
Westwood, at a post-match press gaggle, sidestepped the first question to say what he needed to say:
“First of all, we just want to make sure Walker is alright,” said Westwood. “It wasn’t nice to see, and hopefully he’s doing alright. We send our best wishes as a team and as a football club to him and all his family … hopefully he’s alright; nothing else matters to me.”
He told reporters that Vargas was in the locker room, devastated. Vargas would later post on Instagram, “I'm so sorry about today, I apologize so much. I hope you get better and everything is okay.”
Luckily, the human story at the center of Saturday’s match had a happy ending. Soccer Sheet received a text from Nashville’s communications team that Walker received medical care and had been released from the hospital.
Later in the night at Furman University in South Carolina - where Zimmerman played college soccer - the Greenville Triumph beat the Charlotte Independence, an unexpected coda to a day that narrowly avoided tragedy.
Charlotte FC’s Slow Start
Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith’s original plan for the Saturday, April 5 match against Nashville SC was a focus on defense to deal with the Music City club’s two main threats: former Premier League striker Sam Surridge, and 2022 MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar.
The starting lineup brought Pep Biel from the midfield to the wing, taking Abada’s spot on the right. That move freed Smith to go with the more defensive trio of Westwood, Brandt Bronico, and Djibril Diani in the midfield.
Additionally, Ivorian fullback Souleyman Doumbia got the start due to his recent strong performances, moving Tim Ream to his natural position at center back and Andrew Privett to the bench for the first time this year (Privett sat out the last match due to a red card suspension).
“My thoughts on Thursday and Friday was that [lineup] was the way to go,” said Smith. “We never showed enough pace or tempo to get close to people because we decided to change the way we pressed them … they played through us at times, which was very unlike us and we never got close enough to to close them down. So we had to do something about that from the sideline.”
“In hindsight, we probably got it wrong,” Smith told Soccer Sheet. “That's on me, but I have no regrets in terms of the decision making.”
In the first half, Charlotte couldn’t find a way to create chances, while Nashville dominated the offensive stat sheet. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina would come up with six big saves throughout the match, but couldn’t keep out one brilliant team goal from Nashville and the familiar face of Mukhtar, who scored his fifth career goal against Charlotte FC.
In the 32nd minute, Gastón Brugman sent the ball from Nashville’s right side up the field to Surridge on the left corner of the penalty box. Surridge quickly passed to left back Daniel Lovitz, who made an excellent cross.
Kahlina got a couple fingers on the cross in midair, denying Lovitz his fourth assist of the year, but he couldn’t change its intended destination: Mukhtar, who had broken free from Doumbia on the right side of the goal box.
The erstwhile MVP easily volleyed the ball in for a goal.
“In the second half, we actually came to play.”
After the goal, Smith started making adjustments.
“Just a game of two halves,” said Smith. “First half, it was like watching a testimonial game; in the second half, we actually came to play. After they scored the goal and we had the drinks break, we could change a few things, which we did; and then we changed it again at halftime. So, them little breaks helped us change the momentum of the game.”
Vargas subbed in for Diani at the half, making him the only Charlotte player with fresh legs - and he played like it. In the first five minutes, he had appeared to score on a header off of a Westwood setpiece, but the officials called off the goal.
Smith was not happy with the explanation the officials gave him.
“I'm confused by it,” said Smith. “We all saw it on the screen. I saw it five times and I asked the linesman and he said, ‘Because Brandt [Bronico] was interfering on the back post’ or something. [Kerwin] wasn’t offside, but apparently Brandt was interfering [by touching a Nashville player].”
Charlotte would continue their attack up until Zimmerman’s injury, which led to a long stoppage of play and major changes to the lineup. In addition to Jeison Palacios coming in for Nashville’s captain, Smith used the stoppage to bring in Privett for Doumbia, Eryk Williamson for Bronico, and Idan Toklomati for striker Patrick Agyemang.
The momentum had already been moving in Charlotte’s direction, but the Zimmerman injury changed the tenor of the match. Nashville defender Daniel Lovitz told reporters, “I've played with Walker long enough to see him put his head in some crazy situations, and it's what makes him great and such a valuable part of our team and such a weapon offensively and defensively.”
The veteran Zaha immediately went to work, penetrating Nashville’s back line and drawing a foul in the penalty area less than five minutes after play resumed. Zaha easily trapped a long ball on the left side of the penalty box and beat Nashville defender Andy Najar, who - despite being on an early yellow card - tackled Zaha from behind.
Unlike last year, which saw multiple players take - and miss - penalty kicks for Charlotte, Zaha is the team’s designated taker this year. He easily converted the penalty in the 85th minute to tie the score.
“If he was on the pitch, [Zaha] was going to take the penalty,” Smith told Soccer Sheet after the match. “I know how good he is on penalties, and he took a really good one.”
Minutes later, Najar dragged Zaha to the ground again, but not before he moved the ball to Toklomati, who passed to Vargas for an open shot on target that was saved by Nashville keeper Joe Willis.
Then, in the final minute of regulation, Byrne and Vargas - who has steadily improved his box to box abilities at Charlotte - worked together to build one of the best team goals in Charlotte FC’s short history.
While double teaming the striker, the pair was able to dispossess Surridge, with Byrne knocking the ball out and Vargas recovering it. Vargas then sent a great pass to Biel at midfield, and Biel beat multiple Nashville players while finding Toklomati on the run. As Willis ran at Toklomati from the goal, the substitute striker made a perfect touch to send the ball to his right, catching Willis off guard. Toklomati easily found his way around the goalkeeper, and his next touch put the ball in the goal.
"It was a good finish,” Toklomati said in a statement released to reporters. “I saw the goalkeeper go to the goal, and then the center back behind me. I just took the ball to the right leg, and scored. I'm very excited right now. [Pep] did a good job, I saw him take the ball to his left foot and I know he has a good ball, so I made the movement.”
The pass from midfield to a teammate on the run has become a calling card for Biel this year. Previously, similar passes from Biel led to a red card for a DOGSO on Zaha in Fort Lauderdale, and a goal for Bronico against San Jose.
“It is my skill, I think,” Biel said when asked about his ability to find players on the run.
Our Players of the Match
Charlotte FC crowned Idan Toklomati as Man of the Match for the first time due to his late winner. Nashville SC named Walker Zimmerman their Man of the Match on social media.
Here are our choices for Man of the Match:
Jake: Walker Zimmerman
Charlotte won because Zimmerman went out. He was an animal. Glad he’s ok.
Jorge: Kerwin Vargas
Adding Vargas at halftime changed the attack for the better.
Matt: Idan Toklomati
For how we distribute the ball to our attackers, Toklomati is much more of a disruptor than our other options and should start for the time being.
Rebekah: Ashley Westwood
Ashley should have had an assist on that beautiful reversed goal from Kerwin, but in addition to that he was relentless with the officials. If I could pick Deano, I would have considered it for trying something new and adjusting the team while there was still time to make an impact.
Sam: Walker Zimmerman
Zimmerman shut down Charlotte’s attack the entire first half. Nashville was on track to a 1-0 win or a road draw before he left the pitch. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
Yara: Kerwin Vargas
I can’t imagine how hard it was for him to continue after that collision. He not only made it through the match despite feeling guilty and continued to get chances, he also deserved that goal.
Next Up
With the win, Charlotte woke up fourth on the Eastern Conference table, with a 4-2-1 record and 13 points, while Nashville sits in ninth place with 10 points and a 3-3-1 record. Charlotte’s next challenge is a trip to Montreal on Saturday, April 12, while Nashville will host Real Salt Lake later that night.
Charlotte returns home on April 19th to face San Diego FC for the first time at home.