Charlotte FC Stock Up, Stock Down: Pep Biel for MVP? Kahlina with crucial saves; Vargas Struggles
- Sam Vanolinda
- 1 minute ago
- 4 min read
By Sam Vanolinda
Charlotte secured their first-ever win in Canada with their 1-0 victory against CF Montreal Saturday Night.
Was it a pretty performance? No. Did the winless Montreal team dominate possession and create better chances? Yes. Is Charlotte FC currently number two in the East? Yes, and that is what matters.
We were all hoping for a more aesthetic picture against the bottom team in the league, but with Charlotte's recent performance away from home, they were happy to scrap one out and secure the three points.
“I like 1-0 away from home,” Head Coach Dean Smith said post-game. “It shows loads and loads of character, and the players showed that today.”
MVP candidate Pep Biel’s sneaky strike and Kristijan Kahlina’s solid saves were enough to win for the Crown. Here is the stock up/down from Saturday’s game.
Stock Up
Pep Biel
The Spanish Magician Pep Biel continues to put the Charlotte FC team on his back with his performances so far this year.
When the rest of the offense has sputtered and struggled, Biel has stood out. He scored his third goal of the season Saturday night, a skillful finish from a tough angle after his initial pass deflected straight back to him.
“He was the architect of a lot of our forward play…” Smith added after the match. “ I thought he took his goal really well; he played a great ball through for Liel as well… He sees really good forward passes, and he's doing extremely well for us at the moment.”
For years, many other Charlotte FC fans and I have been begging for a number 10 to come in and dominate in the middle of the field. The moment the team finds a consistent creator like Biel, they sit at the top of the East; it's no coincidence.
The central attacking midfielder is the point guard or quarterback of a soccer team, and with Biel dominating like he is, the team will continue to succeed.
Liel Abada
I have not been high on Liel Abada so far this year. He seems isolated and lacks energy on the right wing.
On Saturday, he moved to the left to replace the injured Wilfried Zaha and looked more lively than he has all year.
He looked like a proper winger, driving forward and running at the defense. He had two shots, two chances created, and his second successful dribble of the year. While his performance wasn’t jaw-dropping, the eye test showed more energy and impact.
“He was really bright in the first half,” Smith said. “our wide players probably got taken out of the game a little bit in the second half, but first half he always looked a threat on the break, his position was really good defensively and he had the chance second half as well where the keepers made a good save.”
Kristijan Kahlina
Kahlina only had two saves, but they were crucial in Charlotte winning in Montreal. The team easily could’ve returned home to Charlotte with their heads down after a 2-1 loss, but Kahlina’s incredible reflexes and ability to use his legs to make saves secured the 1-0 victory.
Kahlina showed why he is the Goalkeeper of the Year. Those were two very hard-to-manage shots that were headed to the corner.
Kahlina and his whole defensive line were very disciplined in dealing with Montreal's pressure throughout the second half, so credit them all. Still, Kahlina saved the day when Montreal attackers created enough space to get shots off in the box.
Stock Down
Souleyman Doumbia
Tim Ream had to be replaced in the 68th minute after a collision and ensuing chest pain; he was transported to the hospital.
Souleyman Doumbia replaced Ream and had trouble dealing with Ukranian Gennadiy Synchuk. While the Ivorian has been solid since his arrival to the team, his defensive ability was tested today, and he wasn’t great.
Doumbia is a better attacking option than Ream, but Ream will always be a better fundamental defender. He is more effective in a low block and dependable on set-piece marking.
It will be a situational decision on whether to start Ream or Doumbia. When Charlotte is on the ball more frequently, Doumbia will be the choice; when they sit back and defend, Ream is a must-start.
Kerwin Vargas
Vargas came close to scoring when he hit the bar in the 74th minute; besides that one chance, he contributed nothing from the right side of the field.
Nine passes, zero chances created, and only 28 touches in 86 minutes.
Vargas had another chance to make the case for starting at right wing, but Adada outplayed him on Saturday.
The Colombian always comes back with a big goal but then fades into a little-talked-about backup.
Patrick Agyemang
Agyemang’s hold-up play was much improved against Montreal. I did not want to put him on the stock down, but a striker’s job is to score goals.
Idan Toklomati continues to impress with his cameos. The longer Agyemang goes without scoring, the more likely we are to see the Toklo-Train start.
As I said, Agyemang was not a bad player on Saturday, but his stock is still down until he starts finding the net.
