Dean Smith and Adilson Malanda Give Charlotte FC Fans Reason to Believe
Dean Smith and Adilson Malanda Give Charlotte FC Fans Reason to Believe
It took three years but Charlotte finally won their home opener with a 1-0 victory over NYCFC
Saturday night’s match against New York City FC was Charlotte FC’s third 1-0 home opener in as many seasons.
However, it was the first that Charlotte won.
On a brisk February night with outsized wind chill, Charlotte looked good from the get-go. In the 8th minute, a Kerwin Vargas corner kick found Iuri Tavares, whose beautiful header sent the ball over the hands of NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, onto the crossbar, straight down to the pitch, and then back up in perfect position for an Adilson Malanda header, giving the French center back his first-ever goal in MLS.
Charlotte would go on to win, and Malanda would not only be named man of the match but also make the MLS team of the matchday as well as French sporting newspaper L'Équipe’s team of the weekend.
However, though Charlotte controlled the match and held on to its one-goal lead for over 80 minutes, it was an imperfect game.
The Same, but Different
Charlotte FC took the field for its third year in Major League Soccer with nine veterans and two new players - as well as new head coach Dean Smith.
“The group has been together for a year now so we know what to expect,” said Captain Ashley Westwood at a post-match press gaggle. “The manager [Smith] came in and set the standard straight away.”
Up front, first-time starter Tavares joined returning players Vargas and Enzo Copetti to lead the offense.
In the midfield, fan-favorite Brandt Bronico was missing due to a minor injury, so Júnior Urso joined Westwood, Brecht Dejaegre, and substitute Scott Arfield.
The veteran MLS midfielder Urso recently joined the club from Orlando City SC, while Tavares had a shorter commute, joining from Charlotte FC second team Crown Legacy FC.
Urso was partnered with Westwood as a double pivot (or dual 6), leading Westwood to tell Soccer Sheet after the match, “I think we have a combined age of [one] hundred, but we showed we still got legs.”
The back four had the fewest changes, with Malanda and Privett at center back and Nathan Byrne and and Jere Uronen at fullback. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina remained the team’s top choice in the net.
When Soccer Sheet asked Smith about the lack of changes on defense after the match, he told us how the team’s preseason matches at Coachella - three matches, three clean sheets - demonstrated the strength of Charlotte’s back line.
“They’ve shown me they can work together very well,” said Smith. “Including four preseason games, that’s five clean sheets - or shutouts … it really wasn’t a tough decision for me.”
Vargas’ Struggles …
Call it first night jitters.
Kerwin Vargas was perhaps the brightest spot at the end of Charlotte FC’s second season, scoring in both matches against Inter Miami in the last week of the season. Charlotte FC fans voted him the “Most Improved Player” in the Soccer Sheet Footy Awards, and we concur.
With the departure of players like Kamil Jóźwiak, McKinzie Gaines, and Justin Meram, Charlotte doesn’t have much depth on the wings. There’s a lot of pressure on Vargas to produce, but on Saturday night with multiple chances to add a goal, he got unlucky.
Halfway through the second half, Charlotte FC earned a penalty kick after video review showed a New York City FC handball. After receiving hugs from members of the team, Kerwin Vargas confidently walked up with the ball to take the shot, as Charlotte’s lone designated player, Enzo Copetti, watched from the other side of the box.
Vargas set up the penalty, the first one he’s taken for the team in regulation play. As he kicked the ball on the ground to the left, it found Freese’s gloves.
Just minutes after, Vargas had a one on one opportunity against Freese on the right side of the field. For a second time, he knocked it to the keeper.
Another four minutes elapsed, and Vargas had it in the area again. He decided to pass, aiming for where captain Ashley Westwood had been a split second before - not where he was going.
Vargas came out in the 85th minute for 16-year-old prodigy Nimfasha Berchimas, who became one of the youngest-ever starters in MLS and left the pitch with a shot on goal. The homegrown Berchimas not only became Charlotte’s first Academy player to make an MLS appearance, he also became the 9th youngest player in MLS history to make his debut.
… Reveal Signs of a More Cohesive Team
After the match, Copetti told members of the media through a translator that Vargas asked to take the kick. Copetti agreed in a major shift from last year’s dynamic, in which Copetti often asked Karol Świderski for the penalty kick. Świderski nonetheless always took the kick.
“I’m using my own experiences to help grow other teammates,” Copetti told Soccer Sheet.
Copetti also mentioned he gave Vargas the shot to boost his confidence. He said Vargas was like a brother to him, and after the missed penalty he told the young winger that’s he’s missed penalty kicks as well.
“Sólo mantén la cabeza en alto,” Copetti told Vargas. Just keep your head up.
When Vargas came off, Smith also pulled him aside for a chat.
“I said to him, ‘like I said before, we all make mistakes,’” Smith told members of the media at a post-match press conference. “Everyone here has made a mistake, but it’s always what you do next.”
Smith defended Vargas throughout the press conference, remarking, “Bad players don’t get chances, good players get chances and sometimes they miss them.”
In addition to supporting the players, Smith made an appearance in the post-match photo - something that other Charlotte FC coaches rarely - if ever - did.
Westwood also saw the team coming together.
“The main thing for me is everyone is working for each other,” said Westwood to a post-match press gaggle. “You saw it out there today, lads coming off the bench working hard. Everyone’s on board, everyone’s in it together, and it spreads onto the fans as well. We’ve given them a performance and finally a home winner on the first game of the season.”
Will 2024 Be Different?
At the risk of being reductive, something clearly “clicked” for the team in the preseason. It was also on display Saturday.
Copetti’s actions, Westwood’s words, and Smith’s leadership all demonstrate a different mood from previous seasons. Charlotte’s roster also has room to grow, with two open designated player slots.
However, there are challenges ahead. Charlotte has never won a match on Canadian soil, and its next two matches are in far-flung Vancouver and chilly Toronto. In four away matches against Toronto FC and CF Montreal over the past two years, Charlotte has only brought home one point.
Will 2024 be a different year for Charlotte? It’s still hard to tell. For now, Charlotte FC is happy and confident, and regardless of where they end up in the table, this team feels different than the one I’ve covered for the past two years.
Smith clearly agrees. He ended the press conference with strong words for people who still wanted to compare the previous seasons to the Dean Smith era:
“I was told before that we hadn’t scored in the first game,” said Smith. “That’s put to bed, so we can stop talking about that.”
Bonus: Footy Awards Update
Thanks to everyone who attended the first-ever Soccer Sheet Footy Awards last week - we greatly appreciate all the support of Charlotte’s Soccer Community. Special guests Brandon Cambridge, Jaylin Lindsey, Patrick Agyemang, and Sir Minty made it a night to remember.
A longer recap is coming soon, but for now we have a small update from Saturday. Jessica Charman, your winner for Favorite Local Commentator, couldn’t make the event but accepted her award before the start of the match.
Congrats to Jess and all of the nominees who bring Charlotte FC’s match day into our homes.
 |
|