ICYMI: Charlotte FC's 6-1 Statement Win Shows Fans the Possibilities
Pep Biel gives a set piece master class, Archie Goodwin opens his Crown account with a brace, and 8 different players earn goal contributions.
In 2023, Charlotte FC’s first-ever postseason run ran into a Red Bull brick wall, falling 5-2 in a play-in match that most fans of the Crown would rather forget.
What a difference two seasons makes.
Charlotte’s 6-1 win on Saturday, March 21 over RB New York seemed like revenge that was a long time coming, a statement victory that demonstrated how high the ceiling for Charlotte FC could be this season (Charlotte FC was off this week for the FIFA international break).
“We got a good show from the players,” Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith told Soccer Sheet after the match, citing the “attitude and the application of the players.”
After the first two goals, it seemed like the team Charlotte FC fans are accustomed to seeing during the Dean Smith era was back at the Bank. Then Idan Toklomati won a free kick and drew a red card foul for denial of a goal scoring opportunity, New York went down a player, and Pep Biel knocked the proverbial roof off the house with a set piece goal.
“Very good day at the office,” said Smith. “Good performance, got the goals that we deserved.”
From there, it was all downhill for the visiting team.
Charlotte FC vs. Red Bull New York
Saturday, March 21
7:30 PM EDT
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, NC
Final Score: 6 - 1
Charlotte FC Goals
Idan Toklomati - 14’
(Assist: Pep Biel)
Kerwin Vargas - 46’
Pep Biel - 54’
Wilfried Zaha - 68’
(Assist: Harry Toffolo)
Archie Goodwin - 77’
(Assist: David Schnegg)
Archie Goodwin - 90+3’
(Assist: Liel Abada)
Red Bull New York Goals
Julian Hall - 81'
Red Card
Gustaf Beggren - 52'
The Lineup
There were two changes to the starting lineup from last week. Despite Brandt Bronico earning his 150th appearance for the Crown with his start against Inter Miami, Smith opted for Djibril Diani in the midfield instead. Charlotte’s coaching staff also continued to make the left wing a coin flip, opting for Kerwin Vargas over the last week’s starter, Liel Abada.
The Strategy
New York’s defense focused on shutting down Wilfried Zaha with a counter-press against Charlotte’s left side. Former Charlotte FC player Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, now a right back for New York, effectively denied Zaha opportunities in the first half.
However, as Smith noted after the match, it created a lot of space for Charlotte on the right wing that Kerwin Vargas, Toklomati, and others were eager to exploit.
“We created some good chances, certainly on the breakaway, just with how they defend,” said Smith. “We thought that if we got a couple of passes and switched play early, we could get chances, and we created chances.”
One interesting note about New York’s formation was how far forward goalkeeper Ethan Horvath chose to play. Charlotte almost took advantage of Horvath’s positioning a couple of times, with him having to use his head and feet quite a bit to play balls outside the box. Most of the Crown’s goals, however, came from normal range.
The Match
In the 4th minute, the Energy Drinks had the first real chance of the match as a ball from New York winger Cade Cowell traversed the goal box in front of Kahlina and reached Julian Hall to the right of the goal, but Hall put the ball in the wrong side of the net.
Early on, Charlotte’s touches were heavy, and crosses imprecise. Wilfried Zaha seemed to struggle against former teammate Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, who had Zaha’s number for the first third of the match.
That all changed in the 12th minute, when Kerwin Vargas was able to bring down a long ball, to the right of the box, 10 yards north of the goal line. New York’s Matthew Dos Santos put a high kick into Vargas’ chest, not quite earning the yellow, but giving Pep Biel a set piece opportunity.
When he finally launched the kick in the 14th minute, Biel’s kick found Toklomati’s head in traffic, and the close-range strike easily went past Horvath for Toklomati’s second goal of the season, and Biel’s fourth goal contribution.
Charlotte continued to threaten, and when necessary, Kahlina continued to demonstrate his elite goalkeeping chops. On at least two occasions throughout the match, the woodwork pitched in for Charlotte as well, denying New York a less embarrassing result.
In the closing minutes of the half, New York played like they had a Celsius — the official energy drink of MLS — but weren’t quite able to break through. In the 43rd minute, Charlotte fans gasped as some pinball in the goal box almost sent the equalizer in the net, and then yet another strike on the right corner of the woodwork shook the goal.
In extra time, Zaha had the opportunity to score off of a great cross from Toklomati, but Horvath effectively blocked Zaha’s angle, resulting in a corner for Charlotte, but without enough time for the Crown to do something with it.
While the first half was evenly matched, the second half was a blowout — and it took less than a minute for Charlotte to find the back of the net. Starting from the back with excellent ball movement, the Crown confidently got the ball to Biel at midfield, who found Diani on a run down the left side. Diani crossed the ball into the area, and New York defender Omar Valencia misplayed it just seconds after coming on for Dos Santos. Vargas took up the ball in the goal box, ran past Valencia and Horvath, and slotted it in goal for Charlotte’s second.
Things got worse for New York before they got worse.
Shortly thereafter, Zaha created a strong chance for Toklomati, who was fouled by New York’s Gustav Berggren at the top of the penalty box. Berggren saw red for denial of a goal scoring opportunity, and Biel added insult to penalty as his left foot sent the free kick into the left side of the net, through well-timed movements in Charlotte’s wall and past Horvath.
Up three goals and a man, Charlotte continued to play what was perhaps the best match in club history. In the 68th minute, after some substitutions for Charlotte, Biel again created the play, finding Zaha at the top left corner of the penalty box. Zaha finally got the best of Marshall-Rutty, cutting to his right, shooting from his right foot, and finding the bottom right corner to get the fourth ball of the night past Horvath.
The goal was Zaha’s first of the season, and his third goal contribution of the campaign. By that point, Biel had secured his MLS Team of the Matchday performance with three goal contributions; Brandt Bronico would replace him in the 85th minute.
Charlotte still had one more set piece goal in their tank, and both the goal and assist would come from players who entered from the bench just two minutes earlier. In the 77th minute, Westwood took a free kick after Zaha was fouled by Ronald Donkor on the left side at the top of the final third. Westwood sent the ball forward to an unguarded David Schnegg, making only his second appearance of the year after coming on for Harry Toffolo, and Schnegg sent the ball to Archie Goodwin — in for Toklomati — who sent a header in the back of the net for his first Charlotte FC goal.
“As a nine, all you want to do is score goals,” Goodwin told reporters after the match. “So to get the first one at home couldn’t have been better.”
Don’t quote us on this, but three set piece goals for the Crown has to be a record.
“Excellent set pieces, excellent quality [Pep Biel's] got,” said Smith. “As well as the set pieces, just a really good performance from him.”
New York eventually got one back as Julian Hall scored off a corner, but even in injury time, Charlotte would not be denied. Liel Abada - in for Vargas - would assist Goodwin on his second strike three minutes into stoppage for his first MLS brace.
“The qualities are there for you to see with the goals and the finishes that [Archie] had today,” said Smith. “Works extremely hard in training. Been waiting for the chance and he got his chance today and took it.”
Goodwin is looking forward to more chances to show his quality, including the U.S. Open Cup and midweek games later in the season.
“I’m working hard in training, just staying ready for when my opportunities come,” said Goodwin. “And I think with the midweek games, there’ll be a bit of rotation in the squad. So I’m just staying ready and, yeah, looking forward to it.”
 | A guest post by
|
 | A guest post by
|