Charlotte FC (10-7-5, 35 Points) won a one-sided I-85 Derby on Saturday, August 29, leaving Atlanta with a win, a clean sheet, and a streak as they remain undefeated in four straight visits to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Charlotte improved to 5th place in the Eastern Conference, while Atlanta United (6-13-3, 21 Points) sit in 13th.
With the win, Charlotte continue to own the all-time record against Atlanta with 6 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw. The teams drew for the first time ever at Bank of America Stadium in July after Atlanta defeated the Crown 0-2 in April in the Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
When Soccer Sheet spoke to Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith after the match, he challenged some of the recent assessments of his squad’s performance.
“People question our mentality at times because we’ve conceded a last minute goal in the Leagues Cup, or we’ve conceded a couple of goals from down to ten men, but [if] you look at our form since the start of the World Cup and I think that tells a different story.”
Counting Leagues Cup, Charlotte are 6-2-2 in competitive matches since the World Cup break.
Two Goals Were all Charlotte Needed
Charlotte opened the game with constant pressure, with the front three of Idan Toklomati, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Liel Abada giving Atlanta trouble in the opening stretch. In the first 20 minutes, Charlotte led the shooting 4-0, with two shots on target.
Toklomati got things started for the Crown in the 22nd minute, poking home a true team goal after a series of touches from Charlotte: center back Henry Kessler intercepted a long ball from Atlanta’s Júnior Alonso, traded passes with goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, and sent the ball to fellow center back Tim Ream.
Ream’s pass back to Kahlina came too close to the goal line for comfort, but Kahlina deftly delivered a long strike to fullback David Schnegg, who charged down the field. Schnegg found Maxi in Atlanta’s final third, and Charlotte’s newest designated player showed his quality with exceptional ball control, finding Biel on the six yard line. Biel slid to catch the ball, and with what was either an errant shot or an exceptional pass found Toklomati for a point blank goal.
Three minutes into the second half, Liel Abada made it 2-0, finishing off an Allan Saint-Maximin assist to put real distance between the two sides.
“Playing with players like Abada just makes my life easier,” defender Will Cleary told Soccer Sheet.
From there, it was about protecting the result — and Charlotte did exactly that, with an especially strong defensive contribution from Abada.
A Defensive wall
Atlanta controlled the ball for much of the game, with 57% possession, 11 corners, and wave after wave of pressure once the hosts fell behind.
None of it mattered.
Charlotte’s backline was relentless in front of goal, with Kessler and company stepping in front of shot after shot, blocking 11 of Atlanta’s strikes in total.
Kessler himself finished with a match-high 18 defensive interventions and led the team in completed passes in a workhorse performance. Kahlina did the rest, stopping everything that did get through — including a late point-blank stop on Tomás Jacob as Atlanta’s pressure peaked in the closing minutes. The Croatian keeper only needed to save three shots in total, all in the second half.
It’s the kind of low-possession, high-composure win that suggests Charlotte can control a match without ever controlling the ball.
Missed Opportunities
If there’s a critique to be made, it’s this: Toklomati had multiple one on one chances in front of goal, but was frequently foiled by Atlanta goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos. He led the match with 1.22 expected goals off five shots, but a couple of moments where a simple pass to a better-positioned teammate would have created an even cleaner look instead saw him try to force something himself.
“[Idan] took the goal that mattered, but missed some big chances that could have made the scoreline a lot better,” said Smith. “I think two-nil probably flattered them in the end.”
Charlotte got the result they needed, but a more adroit final ball from Toklomati could have turned a decisive goal into the first of a hat trick.
Meeting Fafà Outside the Presser
Soccer Sheet ran into Atlanta United forward Fabrice Jean-Ian “Fafà” Picault outside the post-match press conference. We talked with him about his jersey exchange with Tim Ream after the match, and about his thoughts on Haiti’s performance in this World Cup.
By the Numbers
Final: Atlanta United 0, Charlotte FC 2
Goals: Idan Toklomati 22’ (Assist: Biel), Liel Abada 48’ (Assist: Saint-Maximin)
Possession: Atlanta 59%, Charlotte 41%
Shots on target: Charlotte 5, Atlanta 3
Big chances: Charlotte 2, Atlanta 0
The Crown have earned 10 points in four matches since Leagues Cup wrapped.
A gritty, composed win on the road — and a fun first away game for your author.
Up Next
Charlotte FC host Houston Dynamo FC (12-7-3, 39 Points) on Saturday, September 5th at Bank of America Stadium. The teams have met twice in MLS play, with a win apiece - though Charlotte notched a win against the Dynamo in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Leagues Cup.
Houston currently sit 2nd in the Western Conference as they travel to the Bank for the first time.
“Find out who you are, and do it on purpose.”
We’d be remiss not to mention the late Dolly Parton, who passed away on August 25 at the age of 80. Atlanta United made sure to honor the late musician and philanthropist: the club asked fans to name their favorite song from Parton’s repertoire, and “Jolene” took it in a landslide.
Bonus: Maxi Gallery
