Charlotte FC Stock Up, Stock Down: Away struggles continue; Zaha underperforming; Ream returns to natural position
- Sam Vanolinda
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
By Sam Vanolinda
Charlotte FC’s away form continues to be the Achilles heel of this team. First, a loss against a 10-man Miami, and now a disappointment against the Colorado Rapids.
It's good to know how much that home confidence and support positively impacts this Charlotte team, but to be a proper top tier team, you must win away games.
Unlike Wilfried Zaha’s former club, Crystal Palace, which has won six straight away games without conceding a goal, the Crown can't get anything going on the road.
The new star, Zaha, has gone cold since his volley against Atlanta. Whether he is still adjusting to playing competitive football or underestimating the quality of MLS, he needs to pick up the pace of his play.
Here’s the stock up/down after Charlotte’s 0-2 loss against Colorado:
Stock Up
Tim Ream
Slotting back into the center-back role, Ream was a sniper for Charlotte FC on Saturday. 55/58 on passing (95%). Ream was orchestrating the game from the back.
Ream also had five clearances, one block, four recoveries, and four duels won. The U.S. legend is most comfortable in that left center-back position and did a job substituting for Andrew Privett.
Ream was a slight positive in a game with few highs for Charlotte FC.
Stock Down
Wilfried Zaha
Despite having no goals or assists, Zaha has not played terribly in the last few games. However, a player of his caliber needs to contribute to the statsheet regularly.
Zaha has looked overconfident in the last few games. He may be underestimating the level of play in the MLS because he is routinely overdoing it.
He is trying to dribble past too many, his passes are overambitious, and he is not making the simple play. Zaha has to play with the same intensity that he has played with in the past to dominate this league.
Not every star player that debuts in MLS has the instant, dominant impact that Zlatan Ibrahimovic had. Zaha must take this league seriously, or he will continue struggling.
Adilson Malanda
Malanda has been playing well this year, but he made a boneheaded mistake like Privett did last week for Colorado’s second goal.
Malanda overplayed the pass through to Rafael Navarro, allowing the Brazilian to get behind him and be through on goal. He then dragged Navarro down, giving Colorado a penalty.
The Frenchman needs to improve his positioning and awareness in that position. He must also trust his goalkeeper to make the save rather than drag the striker down.
The second goal instantly put the game out of reach for Charlotte FC, so Malanda’s stock has to decrease.
Liel Abada and Patrick Agyemang
These two players have been frequently on the stock down list this season. Saturday Afternoon’s game versus Colorado was the same story.
For Agyemang: 79 minutes, one shot on target, eight passes, 29 touches, and zero successful dribbles. Agyemang must prove he's a striker who can do more than just finish easy chances.
The impressive solo dribbles through the heart of the defense we often saw last year have decreased, and Agyemang’s hold-up play has been nonexistent.
Another Liel Abada ghost game. He had 19 touches and seven passes in 65 minutes. 0/1 successful dribbles. He may as well have stayed in Charlotte with his performance.
His goal against San Jose was a positive, but Adada still provides little to no creation for the team. Kerwin Vargas offers a lot more.
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