Quick Kicks: North Carolina FC Hosts Two Charlotte Teams in Two Weeks; Bender Leaves Charlotte FC
Also: Adilson Malanda, Souleyman Doumbia, and Nathan Byrne will all miss Charlotte FC’s Open Cup match against North Carolina FC
NCFC faces Independence Again … Before Hosting the Crown
USL Championship side North Carolina FC will host two Charlotte teams in a two week period, starting with the Charlotte Independence in the first match of USL Cup play tonight.
Earlier this month, NCFC defeated the Independence at Matthews Sportsplex in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup; their reward for that victory is hosting Charlotte FC in the Open Cup’s Round of 32 at WakeMed Soccer Park on Tuesday, May 6.
Earlier this year, Soccer Sheet asked North Carolina FC head coach John Bradford if the Open Cup and the USL Cup presented an opportunity to expand NCFC’s reach across the state.
“I think so. And that's that's part of what we want to try to do. You know, we want to be competitive in the games and and be successful,” said Bradford. “But we also want our club to stand for more than just a Saturday night game or something like that, and I think it gives us the continued exposure against other good clubs in our in our State to do that. [With] me being a North Carolina guy for so many years, anything I can do to see the sport grow in our State, and and especially with our club, is of interest to me.”
The USL Cup - also known as the Jägermeister Cup for sponsorship reasons - is in its second year, and for the first time USL Championship sides are competing alongside USL League One teams.
Adilson Malanda Will Miss First Open Cup Match for Charlotte FC as Doumbia and Byrne Remain Sidelined
Charlotte FC is back in the Open Cup this year … but will be without at least three defensive players, including defensive talisman Adilson Malanda.
The Crown’s May 6 Open Cup match against North Carolina FC will be the team’s first since MLS threatened a boycott of the tournament in 2024, and subsequently changed course by having some clubs represented in the tournament by their reserve teams. In last year’s tournament, Crown Legacy FC - not Charlotte FC - lost in the first round of the competition to the amateur side South Carolina United Heat after conceding a penalty in second half stoppage time.
Because MLS teams are entering the Open Cup in the Round of 32 this year, this will be Charlotte FC’s first Open Cup match since falling to Birmingham Legion of the USL Championship in the Round of 16 on May 24, 2023. In that match, Adilson Malanda picked up a red card in the 51st minute, precluding him from playing in the next Open Cup match that he’s eligible for despite next month’s match being almost two years later.
The other two defenders, veteran Nathan Byrne and recent addition Souleyman Doumbia, will be out for multiple weeks - Doumbia with a hamstring injury that Dean Smith called “significant” at a Thursday press conference, and Byrne with a disc injury to his neck that may require surgery.
Either way, Byrne is expected to miss a significant chunk of the season - and with three defenders out for their first Open Cup match, Charlotte FC’s depth will be tested despite facing a lower league squad.
On Wednesday, Charlotte FC announced Canadian defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty joined the club on loan from CF Montréal until the end of the 2025 season. The surprise move was indicative of the severity of the injuries facing Doumbia and Byrne.
According to Smith, Marshall-Rutty is not expected to play this Saturday against the New England Revolution due to visa issues; it is unclear if he will be available for Charlotte’s first Open Cup fixture.
Ben Bender Waived by Charlotte FC in “Cordial” Split
The end result of the defensive shakeup is fans won’t see a corner flag kicked at the Bank any time soon, as Ben Bender was waived to open a roster spot for Marshall-Rutty.
Bender has been with Charlotte FC since 2022, when he was the first pick in the MLS Super Draft. He made 51 career MLS appearances for Charlotte FC, scoring 7 goals and adding 8 assists.
His playing time significant decreased under Smith, especially as he worked to recover from a knee injury in and he was loaned to USL Championship’s Tampa Bay Rowdies in the second half of last season. He had not appeared in a match for Charlotte FC in 2025.
“Ben has been with us since our inaugural season, and we’re thankful for all his contributions to the Club over the past four years,” said Charlotte FC GM Zoran Krneta in a press release. “His playing time has decreased over the past two seasons, and he found it difficult to break into the team. Consistent minutes are crucial to development as a young player, so we believe this move is in the best interest of both parties. With our current roster construction, including the addition of Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty to strengthen our backline following injuries to two of our fullbacks, we needed to free up space on our senior roster which led us to make this difficult decision.”
A source with knowledge of the decision told Soccer Sheet the split was “cordial,” and indeed based on roster space and the young player’s need for playing time.
Below is our conversation with Bender after Charlotte FC’s season-ending loss in New Jersey in 2022: