Charlotte FC’s Predicted Starting XI vs FC Cincinnati
By Ryan Donahue
After a tough defeat this past weekend in Miami, Charlotte FC is back at home and looking to re-spark positivity as Dean Smith’s side looks to leapfrog fourth-place holders FC Cincinnati in the first night fixture at Bank of America this season. With Charlotte repping their Fortress Kit backed by a sea of Charlottean supporters, here is how Charlotte is expected to line up.
Defensive unit
The defensive line will most likely remain unchanged with Tim Ream and Nathan Byrne as the outside left and right backs. This past week, Charlotte announced the addition of Souleyman Doumbia as a new left-back option however it is unlikely he will feature this weekend given the short amount of time since he signed. Smith stated that Doumbia will be working on getting his visa sorted and hopes to have him available next week. The defensive center-back partnership will feature Adilson Malanda and Andrew Privett at the center of the defense with Kristijan Khalina in net.
Midfield line
The Charlotte midfield trio should be consistent with previous matches. Ashley Westwood is expected to captain as one of the more central defensive midfielders with Brandt Bronico or Eryk Williamson in the other spot. In the attacking midfield role, Charlotte’s Pep Biel has shown moments of real quality so far this season and Smith will likely rely on him again this weekend.
Forward line
Charlotte’s offensive front three is expected to include Patrick Agyemang at the top of the forward line. Agyemang has yet to get on the score sheet this season but with Wilfried Zaha and Liel Abada getting more comfortable in their roles, Agyemang is going to get chances and this weekend could be a perfect opportunity for Charlotte’s young striker to grab his first goal of the season. Zaha and Abada will also most likely start as Smith acknowledged in his press conference that all players from the previous weekend’s fixture are available for Saturday night.
After a lot of buzz around Charlotte following their win over Atlanta two weekends ago, fans were left bitter after a frustrating result to Miami however if Charlotte can use their home-field advantage, Smith’s side has more than enough quality to get past what will be a tough Cincinnati side.
Predicted Starting XI
