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By Sam Vanolinda Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90 The MLS season begins in a few days. After a painful playoff exit and an exciting offseason, Dean Smith and his Charlotte FC squad are ready to get started and achieve big things in 2025. After much cogitation by the front office in the last few months, Wilfried Zaha became the big-name player who has arrived at the club and caused ripples in the MLS world.  Charlotte could become a true trophy contender if Zaha plays his best football. However, players alone do not win games; preparation and effort do.  It is time to provide a preview of the season to come; what player(s) will have the most impact? What place will Charlotte finish in? What are some of the key matches on the schedule? Let's look into that in this article: Predicted Table Finish I also reached out to a couple of media members that you likely have heard from on X: Carroll R. Walton @CarrollRodgers (Charlotte Ledger) - 4th Caleb Adams @itscalebadams - 3rd Vaughn Pollman @vipollman - 3rd And other general MLS experts gave their predictions as well: Player of the Season Carroll R. Walton: Patrick Agyemang Caleb Adams: Wilfried Zaha Vaugh Pollman: Patrick Agyemang Brian Maurer: Andrew Privett Jorge Gonzales: Eryk Williamson Key Factor in Charlotte’s Success Carrol R Walton: “How well Zaha integrates into a new team and league.” Caleb Adams: “Getting the front four to click.” Vaughn Pollman: “Becoming a top 10 attack in the MLS for the first time.” Jorge Gonzales: “Being a difficult team to break down and how effective our front four will be” Brian Maurer: “Charlotte’s focus has been on improving the attack, this will open them up at the back. How well the defensive unit responds to that pressure will be key.” Personal Prediction: Finish: 3rd Place Charlotte FC will finish in third this year. With another offseason for Dean Smith to nurture the team and share his wealth of experience and knowledge with the players and coaches, I can see a top-three finish. As long as the team stays healthy and Zaha settles in well to the MLS, they have all the talent and coaching to be one of the best teams in the MLS. Player of the Season: Wilfried Zaha Zaha’s “Fortress,” jersey is on the way to my house as we speak. There is no way I can’t pick my favorite player as the player of the season. I think it may take a couple of games for him to get up to speed, and I hope the fans do not quickly lose faith in him because he's been out of competitive action for a long time now. With that said, he has some of the most abundant natural talent in the league, and if he performs the way  I know he can, the city will lionize the Ivorian.  Key to Success: Consistency and health in the attack The team had a substantial amount of lineup changes last year, especially with the attacking players on the team. It was hard to find any confidence in the players because the team was being switched game after game. This year, the players need to stay healthy and become a solid four at the top that barely changes. Zaha, Agyemang, Abada, and Biel, should be a force in the league. Key Games 03/01/2025 Atlanta (HOME) The home opener against Southern rivals Atlanta United will be one of the season's biggest games. It will also be Zaha’s first appearance at the Bank, adding to the heated rivalry between Charlotte and Atlanta. The energy in the stadium will be palpable, and hopefully, the team will deliver a rapturous performance. 03/09/2025 Miami (AWAY) Inter Miami games will always be a must-watch while the greatest ever still plays in the MLS. One week after the exciting home opener against Atlanta, fans will be treated to a matchup against Messi and company. 04/05/2025 Nashville (HOME) Nashville is another team close to home and the game between these two teams should be a heated one. Zaha and some Nashville SC players already got into a scuffle on the field in a closed friendly in the preseason.  04/19/2025 San Diego (HOME) The new guys will come to town in April, I’m excited to see the new team and how they compete with the Crown. It will be fun to watch Hirving Lozano at the Bank. 05/14/2025 Orlando (AWAY) Revenge will be on the mind at the place where Charlotte’s season ended in 2024. It would be such a sweet victory to beat Orlando after the brutal exit in the playoffs last year. 08/3/2024 Guadalajara (AWAY)* C.D Guadalajara (Chivas) is one of the big four in Mexico. It should be an awesome experience to watch Charlotte FC play them in the Leagues Cup. *This game is marked away, but it will be played at Bank of America Stadium.

By Brian Maurer Ashley Westwood (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90) The 2025 MLS season is almost here! Charlotte FC hits the road to face the Seattle Sounders on the West Coast. The Sounders are a good opening game test as they allowed the least amount of goals against in 2024. Charlotte will find out pretty quickly how far their preseason focus on ball progression and improving the attack has come right out of the gate. Here are three key 1-v-1 matchups that could dictate the results of Charlotte’s opening weekend game: Pedro de la Vega vs Ashley Westwood Pedro de la Vega was Seattle’s club-record signing going into 2024 but dealt with injury issues most of the season as he played less than 1000 MLS minutes. He looked healthy yesterday as the Sounders cruised to a 3-1 victory versus Guatemalan side Antigua. De la Vega was popping up on the left, the right, and centrally. If he has a free-flowing attacking role again versus Charlotte, Ashley Westwood will likely be tasked with monitoring him defensively as he is the Crown’s most willing runner. If Westwood can limit de la Vega’s attacking impact and access to the ball then Charlotte will likely gain some confidence and more control of the game giving them a better chance of finding a result in Seattle. Obed Vargas/Joao Pedro vs Pep Biel Improved ball progression and ball control leading to more chances and finishes in the final third as been one of the key messages from Dean Smith and co. during Charlotte’s preseason. Pep Biel in an attacking midfield role will be key for that new focus to be successful. Obed Vargas’ has become a key feature in Seattle’s midfield and will likely be tasked with preventing Biel from building offensive momentum. If there is any rotation because of Concacaf Champions Cup then midfield veteran Joao Pedro could also be tasked with defending Biel. Either way the Spanish attacker will need to find the ball to give Charlotte the chances and goals required to get a result. Alex Roldan vs Wilfried Zaha Wilfried Zaha is Charlotte’s new talisman attacking signing. If the Crown is going to reach the next level their new left winger needs to be a regular goal contributor. Alex Roldan will be tasked with defending Charlotte’s left side. If Zaha can win his 1-v-1s versus Roldan the rest of Charlotte’s attack could open up giving others like Patrick Agyemang and Liel Abada more space to operate in and around the box. Summary This game will likely be decided by the midfield. Both teams were strong defensively in 2024 but struggled in the attack. The midfield battles will decide who can impose more control over the game and then win some chances in the attacking third where the key playmakers can create opportunities to score.

By Brian Maurer Charlotte FC's U16s while in France (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC and MLS NEXT) Charlotte FC starts their 2025 MLS season this weekend, but under the surface, Charlotte's Academy teams are already in midseason form. After their winter break, the U14s, U15s, U16s, and U18s all return to action against MLS Academy competition this weekend when they host Nashville SC. Here's an update on some of the highlights from the Charlotte FC Academy fall schedule and what to look forward to in the spring: Patrick Daka and the U16s travel to France Charlotte's U14 Head Coach Patrick Daka passed the prestigious EFCL exam earning one of the highest certifications in soccer coaching. The course was an 18-month course and culminated in the final examination in France. Charlotte's U16 squad was selected as the group of players to travel and train during the coaching examinations. While in France, the U16s also had an opportunity to play against PSGs U16s and won the friendly against the Parisian side. "We felt like because our U16 generation is a good generation for us, it's a good age group for us that we feel needs more programming, they need more resistance...the kids did really really well," said Charlotte FC Academy Director Bryan Scales "It helped open their eyes a little bit about what the next level looks like." Fall is the Academy's construction phase The first half of the 2024-25 season Scales calls the "construction phase" where the different academy age groups are put together, the rosters are built for the season, and the technical staff, coaches, and players work towards answering the question "what are we all about?" This year, Scales said they did a lot of recruiting for the U18s so there were a bunch of new faces that were given time to adjust to that level during the fall. The U16s were given time to adjust to their new level after playing at the U15 level last spring. The first half of the schedule has a similar structure down the line to the younger levels as well. Now that the first half of the academy season is over Charlotte FC's First Team, and MLS NEXT Pro team Crown Legacy FC are getting prepared for their 2025 campaigns. This leads to a lot more shakeups and movement at the academy level. U18s will start to get called up to Crown Legacy, which will open up spots for U16s to move up to U18, and so on down the line. "I would expect probably four, five, six guys from the 18s to be in training with [Crown Legacy] on a regular basis and competing for minutes," said Scales on his expectations for the spring. This means several opportunities will present themselves for U16 players to also get a chance to move up. Scales sees this upward movement as an opportunity for players to hit some resistance and build resilience. "An important part of their development is them being able to jump into the deep end and have to survive," said Scales. Scales likened the "movement phase" in the spring to adjusting the dials on a treadmill. As a player advances into older and older age groups the speed gets faster. "Typically what happens is a player goes up to Crown Legacy, excited, their working, their working, their working, and then they start to hit the wall a little bit because it takes so much effort to survive that you have to be ready to bring them back into their environment just to let take a breath," said Scales. High expectations from Academy at Crown Legacy FC level In 2024, Charlotte FC's Academy developed players who played over 25% of all Crown Legacy minutes. That new standard is raising the bar for the 2025 season as many academy graduates like Aron John, Jack Neeley, and Nimfasha Berchimas look set to return and new academy players will likely earn their MLS NEXT Pro debuts with Legacy this year. "That number should go up," said Scales on the expectations and continued growth of the Academy at the professional level moving forward. Academy players getting the opportunity at MLS NEXT Pro allows them to know what it takes and to see the harsh reality of the demands of the professional game. "Can Aron John take Ashley Westwood's job? That's really the next step for Aron, 'can I get on the First Team, get on the field, do well enough to stay on the field, and now this is my job now'" said Scales. "These are things we have to help them with that transition knowing that it takes a sustained amount of concentration and really really strong mentality." Academy players earning college scholarships Six Charlotte FC Academy graduates earned college scholarships and will be moving on to their college pathway journeys next year: Chandler Young - Wake Forest University James Nyandjo - UNC-Charlotte Juan Martinez - Syracuse University Ben Gooding - UNC-Wilmington Amare Lucas - UNC-Wilmington Luke Munson - Furman University Jeremiah Alexander-Munoz and Wyatt Holt earned USYNT call-ups Charlotte FC's Academy has had two recent call-ups to the USYNT. In November, defender Jeremiah Alexander-Munoz was called up to the USYNT U15 camp . Defender Wyatt Holt was just called up to USYNT U16's February camp and is currently training there until February 24. Preparing for the Generation Adidas Cup and MLS NEXT Cup One of the premier events for MLS Academies is the Generation Adidas Cup every spring. In 2024, 49 clubs from 15 different countries participated in this event . "You're trying to benchmark your players against the rest of the world," said Scales. "We're trying to get them set up to make that next jump to what professional football really looks like." Charlotte's U16s had a good showing at the GA Cup in 2024 as they advanced to the knockout rounds before losing to French club Toulouse FC in penalties. The tournament and showcase will be in Bradenton, Florida, from April 12-20. Charlotte's U16s and U18s will feature at the GA Cup in 2025. After the GA Cup, depending on where Charlotte's Academy U15, U16, and U18 teams finish their regular seasons they will either automatically qualify for MLS NEXT Cup, or they will need to compete to qualify for MLS NEXT Cup playoffs in the MLS NEXT Flex qualifier. MLS NEXT Flex will be in Boyds, Maryland from May 9-13. The MLS NEXT Cup playoffs will be in Nashville, Tennessee from June 14-22. Last season Charlotte FC's U17 team (now the U18 level) made it to the Cup final before losing to LA Galaxy's U17 squad.

By Brian Maurer A new MLS season is underway so here is our new monthly column; Beasts of the Southeast. It will have updates on all six MLS clubs in the Southeast: transfers, roster updates, recent form, power rankings, and Players of the Month. Enjoy! Since there is no regular season form to go off of the initial power rankings are based on how the clubs finished last season and how their rosters have changed so far during the offseason and preseason. Orlando City was a better team than Charlotte FC last year but it’s still a question mark as to how well Orlando’s new signings replace key their former attacker Facundo Torres. Nashville SC had a worse record than DC United but their club on paper seems a bit more established as long as BJ Callaghan can get all the pieces to work right. Atlanta United is the real wild card in the preseason rankings because of the big moves they made. Since there have been no regular season games our first Players of the Month award is going to both Patrick Agyemang and Benjamin Cremaschi since they are two young players who earned USMNT call-ups during the recent January camp. This was Cremaschi’s second time being called up to the senior team, he was also a part of the USA roster for the 2024 Olympics. Agyemang scored a goal in each of his two appearances. Beasts of the Southeast Power Rankings Beasts of the Southeast Players of the Month Inter Miami Inter Miami appointed  Javier Mascherano as their new head coach, he is a former Barcelona player who is now reuniting with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba. So far, Miami has brought in free agent  Fafa Picault, Tadeo Allende, and Telasco Segovia as attacking reinforcements. Defensively they have brought in Gonzalo Lujan and Maxi Falcon. The expectation is that more players could come as they traded Leo Campana for an MLS-record  amount of GAM. Miami had over $3m in GAM before they traded Campana and the Diego Gomez transfer to Brighton went through, so they are stacked with allocation money and are willing to spend it to bring in more reinforcements to defend their Supporters’ Shield. Because Miami is in the FIFA Club World Cup they are also being given up to $2m in additional GAM to help them boost their rosters for this extra tournament. The Herons had a hectic travel preseason schedule. They finished up their first friendly against Club America in Las Vegas and then made a trip to Peru and Panama. Then they went to Honduras. They finished up in Florida with a final preseason game against state rivals Orlando City.  February and March schedule Inter Miami ends a busy preseason and begins with a full slate to start the year. They have seven games scheduled for February and March but those numbers will increase if they get past Sporting Kansas City in the Concacaf Champions Cup who they are heavily favored against. Wed, Feb 19, 8 PM - at Sporting KC - Concacaf Champions Cup Sat, Feb 22, 7:30 PM - vs NYCFC Tue, Feb 25, 8 PM - vs Sporting KC - Concacaf Champions Cup Sun, Mar 2, 7 PM - at Houston Dynamo Sun, Mar 9, 5 PM - vs Charlotte FC Sun, Mar 16, 7 PM - at Atlanta United Sat, Mar 29, 7:30 PM - vs Philadelphia Union Projected starting eleven (with backups) LW Allende Picault CF Suarez Afonso RW Messi Taylor AM Segovia Cremaschi DM Redondo Ruiz DM Busquets Bright LB Alba Allen CB Martinez Aviles CB Falcon Lujan RB Weigandt Gressel GK Callendar (INJ) Ustari Charlotte FC Charlotte FC made noise when they announced they were signing Crystal Palace legend Wilfried Zaha  to a DP loan deal. The left-winger has the talent to be a talisman-type signing. Something he was familiar with for the majority of his career in Croydon. Attacking midfielder Pep Biel is returning to the Crown but this time his loan deal has been negotiated down to a non-DP level. Charlotte also brought a new face to the midfield, Eryk Williamson  from the Portland Timbers. Williamson (27) has six USMNT caps and will likely be a regular contributor in Charlotte’s midfield if he can stay healthy, something he has struggled to do so far in his career. The Crown is also starting to look a little light on the left after transferring left-back Jere Uronen and loaning Joao Pedro. Charlotte has also moved on from their DP striker, Karol Swiderski, transferring him to Panathinaikos. This move opens up another DP spot for the Crown. Depending on the amount of the Uronen transfer, and with the Swiderski move, Charlotte should have over $5m GAM to work with. They now have made a few positional upgrades and have also added some roster flexibility by adding GAM and opening a DP spot. Charlotte opened their preseason against Nashville SC. They then traveled to Raleigh to play NCFC. The Crown then traveled to California for the Coachella Valley Invitational and played their first CVI match against the LA Galaxy and wrapped up the preseason with games against Phoenix Rising FC, Austin FC, and the Portland Timbers. February and March schedule The Crown starts the year off with a tricky schedule. Getting through their first four with positive results would set them up nicely as their schedule gets a little less ominous as they head into April. They also knock off three of their six Western Conference games during this opening stretch. Sat, Feb 22, 10:30 PM - at Seattle Sounders Sat, Mar 1, 2:00 PM - vs Atlanta United Sun, Mar 9, 5:00 PM - Inter Miami Sat, Mar 15, 7:30 PM - vs FC Cincinnati Sat, Mar 22, 7:30 PM - vs San Jose Earthquakes Sat, Mar 29, 4:30 PM - at Colorado Rapids    Projected starting eleven (with backups) LW Zaha Smalls ST Agyemang Toklomati RW Abada Vargas CM Williamson Bronico CM Biel Bender DM Westwood Diani LB Ream Forbes CB Privett CB Malanda Tuiloma RB Byrne Scardina GK Kahlina Bingham Orlando City The big news for Orlando City is their record transfer  of Facundo Torres to Palmeiras. Their roster is pretty solid and there’s an argument to be power ranked in second if replacing their all-time leading goalscorer wasn’t an obvious question mark. Orlando has earned some respect that they can make the roster adjustments needed in time after making the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. So far they signed a new DP winger, Marco Pasalic  to replace Torres on the right. They also added Nicolas Rodriguez  on a U22 Initiative deal to add more wing depth. Their most recent addition was to bring in midfielder Eduard Atuesta  to help cover for the absence of Wilder Cartagena who just recently had surgery for what is reportedly an achilles tendon injury . While they have made these additions to make up for some of the holes in their roster, their depth is lacking in some spots; particularly in midfield. The club also mutually agreed to terminate Nicolas Lodeiro's contract, making Martin Ojeda the sole chance creator in the middle. The Lions started their preseason games against Atletico Mineiro and then played Canadian clubs Forge and CF Montreal. They wrapped up the preseason against Inter Miami after playing against Rhode Island FC. February and March schedule While Orlando City is having to make some adjustments and adding new key pieces to their team they were at least given what looks to be a favorable early slate of games. Their first three home games are against Eastern Conference opponents who all failed to make the playoffs in 2024. If they can get results in those home games to start the year they could build some early momentum. Something they struggled with the past two seasons. Sat, Feb 22, 7:30 PM - vs Philadelphia Union Sat, Mar 1, 7:30 PM - vs Toronto FC Sat, Mar 8, 7:30 PM - at NYCFC Sat, Mar 15, 2:30 PM - at NYRB Sat, Mar 22, 7:30 PM - vs DC United Sat, Mar 29, 10:30 PM - at LA Galaxy Projected starting eleven (with backups) LW Angulo Tsukada ST Enrique McGuire (INJ) RW Pasalic Rodriguez AM Ojeda DM Atuesta Cartagena (INJ) DM Araujo Guske LB Santos Reid-Brown CB Jansson Williams CB Schlegel Brekalo RB Thorhallsson Smith GK Gallese Otero Atlanta United One of the most highly anticipated offseasons in MLS to monitor has been Atlanta United. They have spent big money on the roster had have reloaded with new a coach and a new face in the front office. They have now built one of the stronger front offices by hiring Chris Henderson  who worked for the Seattle Sounders and then most recently was the Sporting Director for Inter Miami. They also hired Ronny Deila  to be their next head coach, who most recently struggled while abroad but won an MLS Cup while with NYCFC. The Five Stripes have put an experienced front office and coach to lead the way, and they didn’t waste time splashing a bunch of cash to help support Deila on the field. They spent reportedly $22m on Emmanuel Latte Lath  as their new DP striker. It's a league record transfer, the second time the record has been broken this winter window. Atlanta is also bringing former icon Miguel Almiron  back on a transfer that is reportedly over $10m.  These big moves have overshadowed the savvy deal they made to bring in Mateusz Klich  from DC United who will not fill a DP spot for the Five Stripes. On paper, this club now looks very dangerous, but they need to back it up with some early results. Atlanta stayed on the East Coast for their preseason as they began with a matchup in Tennessee versus Chattanooga FC. They then traveled to Alabama against the Birmingham Legion and then continued to Florida to face off against the New England Revolution. While in Florida they wrapped up their preseason against FC Cincinnati and returned to Georgia for one last preseason game against FC Dallas. February and March schedule Atlanta United has a difficult start to the season as they play six straight opponents who qualified for the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2024. They can at least take heart that four of these first six are at home. With the money spent this winter this Atlanta roster is looking good on paper. Given the Eastern Conference gauntlet they have to work through to start the year we all might find out sooner rather than later how well “on paper” translates to the grass. Sat, Feb 22, 7:30 PM - vs CF Montreal Sat, Mar 1, 2:00 PM - at Charlotte FC Sat, Mar 8, 7:30 PM - vs NYRB Sun, Mar 16, 7:00 PM - vs Inter Miami Sat, Mar 22, 2:30 PM - at FC Cincinnati Sat, Mar 29, 7:30 PM - vs NYCFC Projected starting eleven (with backups) LW Lobzhanidze Silva ST Latte Lath Thiare RW Almiron Togashi AM Miranchuk DM Klich Fortune DM Slisz Muyumba LB Amador Edwards CB Abram Williams CB Gregerson Cobb RB Lennon Hernandez GK Guzan Cohen Nashville SC Nashville SC is going through a structural change as BJ Callaghan became their new head coach last July. This will be the first window where Callaghan has been fully involved as the manager, so this window should reflect the structural changes coming to Nashville’s style of play. The direction is becoming clear with the early winter signings of Gaston Brugman , Bryan Acosta , Ahmed Qasem , and Edvard Tagseth —more ball progression, especially in midfield. They also added veteran fullback Andy Najar .  The formation will also likely look more like a variation of a 4-3-3. This change leads to one main question. How does Hany Mukhtar fit into that system with Sam Surridge? Nashville opened their preseason campaign versus the USYNT U20s, they then played versus Charlotte FC. The Coyotes wrapped up their first preseason phase against Lexington SC and then traveled to Florida where they played the Columbus Crew and wrapped up in Florida against DC United. They finished up their preseason against Austin FC in Texas. February and March schedule Nashville SC has a decently favorable schedule to start the year, especially their first three home games. This could give Mukhtar, Surridge, and co. the opportunity to work out some attacking kinks and build some momentum in Callaghan’s system. Sat, Feb 22, 8:30 PM - vs New England Revolution Sat, Mar 1, 7:30 PM - at NYRB Sat, Mar 8, 8:30 PM - vs Portland Timbers Sun, Mar 16, 2:00 PM - at Philadelphia Union Sat, Mar 22, 8:30 PM - vs CF Montreal Sat, Mar 29, 8:30 PM - vs FC Cincinnati Projected starting eleven (with backups) LW Schaffelburg Boyd ST Surridge Bunbury RW Muyl Qasem AM Mukhtar DM Brugman Yazbek DM Tagseth Acosta LB Lovitz Washington CB Maher Applewhite CB Zimmerman Bauer RB Najar Gaines GK Willis Valdez DC United DC United is in a tricky spot going into 2025. Their current CSO Ally Mackay is trying to rebuild the structure of the club, and that has led to them having to still use a DP spot on Mateusz Klich even though he’s been traded to Atlanta United. They also transferred Theodore Ku-DiPietro . This is the cost of poor management and Mackay still has her work cut out to right the ship from past misdirections. So far this winter DC United’s biggest signings include defenders Lukas MacNaughton , Kye Rowles , and Derek Dodson and midfielders Randall Leal and Brandon Servania . They have done most of their recent recruiting through intraleague methods due to their lack of roster flexibility. While this club was carried by Christian Benteke’s Golden Boot-winning season last year, they are clearly in a bit of a difficult spot and may not be able to dig themselves out of the hole by the end of 2025. DC United opened their preseason schedule versus the New York Red Bulls. They then played Charleston Battery and the Colorado Rapids. They wrapped up their preseason with games against Nashville SC and Houston Dynamo. February and March schedule If DC United can find a way to get clicking early even with how haphazard their roster currently feels they could start the year off on a decent foot. Three of their first four games and none of their first three opponents qualified for the playoffs in 2024. Their fourth game is against CF Montreal who squeaked into a play-in game. If Benteke can bang in some goals DC could get some points early and then who knows what could happen from there. Sat, Feb 22, 7:30 PM - vs Toronto FC Sat, Mar 1, 8:30 PM - at Chicago Fire Sat, Mar 8, 7:30 PM - vs Sporting KC Sat, Mar 15, 7:30 PM - vs CF Montreal Sat, Mar 22, 7:30 PM - at Orlando City Sat, Mar 29, 7:30 PM - vs Columbus Crew Projected starting eleven (with backups) ST Peglow ST Benteke Badji AM Leal Kijima AM Pirani Hopkins DM Enow DM Peltola Servania LB Stroud Schnegg CB Rowles Tubbs CB MacNaughton Bartlett RB Herrera Dodson GK Barraza Joon Hong

By Ryan Donahue Photo Courtesy of CJ Hellner Charlotte FC is back this upcoming weekend as the side travels to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Sounders in the MLS weekend opener. As the side wraps up its preseason fixtures and prepares for kickoff this Saturday, other teams around the Carolinas are also preparing for new seasons, or in Carolina Ascents' case, are in midseason form. Here’s everything you need to know to follow along with soccer in the Carolinas as we kick off 2025: Top Stories of the Winter Crown Legacy FC signed Baye Coulibaly, who comes in on a transfer fee north of $2m NC Courage acquired USWNT midfielder Jaedyn Shaw from the San Diego Wave Carolina Core FC signed midfielder Glory Nzingo on loan from Swansea City Charleston Battery’s Viggo Ortiz is playing for the Mexican YNT in the Concacaf U17 Championship NCFC signs defender Patrick Burner, who has Ligue 1 experience in France as well as 15 caps for Martinique at the international level Charleston Battery The Charleston Battery had a great season last year, finishing second in the USL Championship Eastern Conference, and will be looking to carry the run of good form into their season opener against Louisville City FC. The Battery is finishing up their preseason schedule against the Greenville Triumph this Wednesday night, along with Charlotte Independence at the weekend. The Battery has become known as a spot for developing young talent and helping them progress into the next stage of their careers. In 2024 alone, they transferred Fidel Barajas  to Real Salt Lake, Trey Muse  to the Portland Timbers, and Nick Markanich  to Spain’s CD Castellon in La Liga 2.  This year, a young player to start monitoring in Charleston is Viggo Ortiz . He just recently re-signed and is playing for the Mexican YNT in the Concacaf U17 Championship. NCFC Photo Courtesy of CJ Hellner The USL Championship kicks off in early March, with North Carolina FC hoping to start positively. NCFC will take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at home on March 8. Ahead of the season’s official kick-off, NCFC has already had two preseason games in which they beat Charlotte FC and lost to the Charleston Battery 2-0. NCFC will have one more preseason fixture against Loudoun United FC this weekend. NCFC will hope to improve on what many would consider to be just an average season for the club last year, with the side finishing eighth in the USL Eastern Conference. One of NCFC’s biggest offseason moves was to bring in defender Patrick Burner  (28), who has Ligue 1 experience in France and has 15 caps for Martinique at the international level. Charlotte Independence Charlotte Independence will play their season opener on March 15 away to the Richmond Kickers. The Independence finished sixth last season and will be looking to make a statement that Charlotte FC isn't the only men’s professional team in the Queen City worth watching. Ahead of their season opener, the Independence will play the Battery next Saturday, and then two closed-to-the-public friendlies against Charlotte FC and Carolina Core in March to wrap up preseason training. One of Independence’s most notable winter signings is Rafael Jauregui  (20) from the Sacramento Republic. The midfielder earned a call-up to the USYNT U15s before earning his first pro deal with Sacramento. Greenville Triumph The Greenville Triumph SC had a strong campaign last season, finishing fourth among twelve in the USL League One regular season. The club's first preseason fixture is this Wednesday against its state rivals, the Charleston Battery. Greenville kicks off its regular season on March 8 against Westchester, SC. The Triumph recently launched a new U20 pre-pro player pathway  for both their boys' and girls' academies. This project aims to provide their Upstate talent with an additional opportunity to develop and potentially advance to their professional level.  Crown Legacy FC Crown Legacy finished 2024 eighth in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference and won their first club playoff game during the campaign. Legacy has established itself as a proven pathway for players looking to make the jump into Charlotte FC’s First Team.  Crown Legacy kicks off on March 7 against NYCFC II, and for many fans in the Charlotte area, watching prospective players is just as enticing as observing first-team matches. One winter signing to watch for at Legacy is Baye Coulibaly ,  who was brought in from NK Kustosija on a transfer fee north of $2m. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid had made a formal bid  for Coulibaly last fall.  Carolina Core Carolina Core FC, the Piedmont area’s newest addition to professional sports, will face off on March 14 against Inter Miami II in MLS NEXT Pro. Last season, the Core finished 10th in the Eastern Conference, and fans were thrilled to have a new team to support in the Carolinas. With the Core continuing to develop both on and off the field, fans should be excited for their season ahead. One way they aim to increase excitement and notoriety is with their new facility, which Carolina Core is scheduled to open this year. A notable name to watch at Carolina Core is their new loan-signing midfielder, Glory Nzingo . Nzingo is on loan for the 2025 season from Swansea City, where he was playing for their U21 squad. North Carolina Courage (W) The North Carolina Courage’s 2025 NWSL season opener starts against Racing Louisville on March 15. The Courage last season finished fifth across fourteen teams in the league but will be ambitious that they can reach higher after a strong 2023 season in which they finished third. One of the Courage’s most notable moves so far this winter was acquiring midfielder Jaedyn Shaw  from the San Diego Wave. Shaw also has 21 caps for the USWNT. Carolina Ascent FC (W) Photo Courtesy of Francisco Diaz Carolina Ascent FC is already fifteen games into their 2024/2025 USL Super League season, and the side currently is sitting third out of eight spots in the competition. Ascent has picked up six wins and six draws with only three losses. They won only one of its last three games with a win over Lexington this past Saturday, but will want to keep the momentum going into this upcoming Sunday’s fixture against DC Powers FC. Ascent goalkeeper Meagan McClelland currently leads the USL Super League in clean sheets  with six.

By Brian Maurer Lisandro Isei took on the Director of Scouting role at Al-Ahli SFC last year Football Manager (FM) has been captivating people for years. It’s a game that allows one to run a soccer club; recruit, scout, and roster build. For many, it was just a game. For Lisandro Isei it sparked a lifelong dream. “The difference between me playing that game and other people gaming and not making a career out of it is that I became obsessed…my mom used to come to my room at 4 or 5 AM and tell me to go to bed like ‘knock it off you got school in the morning’” said Isei. “Of course, I’ve had to work very hard to learn and grow my competence and knowledge once I believed it was possible to make a career out of that and get lucky. Just the obsession in itself was not enough because many people had and have it, just look at the amount of FM content creators whose work I enjoy very much.” At the time, the game was called Championship Manager, and Isei would constantly work on his roster. “I had notes of my teams or the targets that I wanted to sign…their names obviously, their ages, but which club did they move to, how did they do there…I wanted to know everything about them,” explained Isei. “When I was doing exams, when I didn’t know an answer I would write either a player's name, or I would write my lineup, or I would write my projection for my team for the next season.” In school, out of school, roster building was always on his mind. After the fire of roster building was sparked, Isei started developing methods for finding and organizing players into lists. This separated his approach to playing a video game from other kids. He used the game to help his notetaking and analyzing. When looking for a left-back, he doesn’t just form a list of left-backs. He forms a list of multiple types of left-backs. Left elbow backs (one that stays between the center-back and the left-back), left-backs that go vertical, and ones that invert into the midfield. He will also then track left-wing backs, left-midfielders, and left-wingers “because one day one of them can be converted into a left-back,” explained Isei. This helps Isei form a complete picture of the potentially available players that could play in his team’s left-back role regardless of the coach’s game model and the club’s roster build. This way he is always prepared. “I will say most of the time it’s a bit paranoid, just wanting to be prepared, and I would say 90% of the time you’re doing way too much work than needed, but for me, it’s the only way,” said Isei. Always being prepared, and always learning. While building lists of players for FM he would also use the Dutch football magazine website Voetbal International to help learn as much as he could. “Religiously I would type in [Voetbal International] every five minutes to try and see what’s the news, is there a new article out that I can learn from,” said Isei. What Isei really enjoyed about FM was taking a small club starting in say the National League in England and working on building them up to League Two or League One and then eventually the Premier League. “That’s also where I found out that I’m a builder, I like building things from the ground up,” said Isei. This game was the first step for him as he started down the path of becoming a soccer scout and helping build soccer rosters for real.  As Isei got older he switched from playing a video game to regularly watching games on video and live, sometimes traveling tens of hours by bus to catch a weekend slate of games, making sure to get the information on players he needed, updating his lists, and going again. It was  “doing the work before getting the job,” said Isei. He was scouting well before he was hired as a scout, sending out emails to coaches asking if he could spend a couple of days watching their clubs train. “I got a lot of no’s” Isei recalls. One thing that helped keep Isei pushing toward being a professional in the sport was listening to motivational speakers and thought leaders. One specific quote from Dr. Eric Thomas stood out “‘If you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe then you will be successful,’ I’ve heard that so many times, and I was like you know what let me give that a try.” Another important lesson Isei learned was getting projects started. “You don’t have to be perfect, just start,” stated Isei. Dordrecht U14s celebrating back when Isei had his first professional assistant coaching job His first professional role in soccer was at FC Dordrecht. There he learned many life lessons that have helped him to this day. Isei started as an assistant coach for Dordrecht’s U14s where he worked under the U14 Head Coach Ronald Plaisier. “[Plaisier was] full of life…obviously he likes quality football and quality training, but he understood the assignment…it was about helping players fall in love with the game and stay in love with the game,” said Isei. Dordrecht’s Sporting Director at the time was Peter Drijver, who showed Isei “How to be good with everyone…always coming from a place of understanding the other person…he would talk to one of the parents of the U14s the same as he would talk to the Head Coach of the First Team or a first-team player.” Isei mentioned he was kind to everyone, but kindness should not be mistaken for weakness. Drijver could do the job while treating everyone with respect and care. Drijver was also the one who pushed Isei to do more than be a U14 Assistant Coach. He pulled Isei into his office once and told him he was mad at him, not because of something Isei did wrong but because he didn’t tell Drijver that he could do so much more. “‘I want you to think about what more you can do,’” Isei recalls Drijver telling him. This led Isei to help Dordrecht with more tasks like video analysis, coaching at older age groups, and scouting. Isei was encouraged to add several new skills to his toolbelt.  This encouragement introduced him to Dordrecht’s Head Coach at the time Gerard de Nooijer. De Nooijer would ask Isei questions about tactics and formation before facing opponents or before starting a new season. This helped him realize that he belonged at a professional level.  He then spent time at Willem II where they were a midtable team in the Netherlands and at times would also be fighting relegation. While at Willem II they reached a Cup Final and qualified   for European competition. Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak was a part of that team. During his time there he worked with Javier Rabanal who was Willem II’s U19 Head Coach and was also in charge of Methodology. Rabanal went on to be an assistant at PSV and is now the Head Coach for Independiente del Valle in Ecuador. “He taught me how to look at football, how to prepare for things in advance even better, how to demand things at an absurdly high level but also from yourself,” said Isei of the lessons Rabanal taught him at Willem II. Isei mentioned that it was at Willem II that he knew he needed to go all in on the Sporting Director and scouting track. While working with Rabanal, Isei made a few mistakes while preparing the team for training, and afterward, Isei told him that he was taking accountability and that level of mistake could not happen again. “I will fire myself, you won’t have to say anything,” Isei told Rabanal at the time. From that moment Isei realized that he was not supposed to be a coach which led him to focus all his efforts on scouting. Isei with his colleagues at Willem II Some clubs like Brighton Hove and Albion have adopted a newer method for scouting players. They will assign different scouts to each position, assigning scouts as positional specialists. Isei prefers a more traditional approach to scouting, meaning he prefers watching all positions on the field. This allows him to report on aspects of everything that he is seeing.  This increases creativity in his work. “I really need the creativity to do my job the best possible way and express myself the best when it comes to a player or even a coach…it would be too rigid for me, I need more freedom to watch different positions because then I see more. If we compare it to music I can listen to one genre over and over again, like classical music, which I like, but the classical music becomes more beautiful when I can also listen to rap and hip-hop, and 80s and 90s,” said Isei on Brighton’s approach. “But Brighton’s approach seems to work very well, different things work for different people and clubs” Isei added.  Being “the best I can be,” is Isei’s method for measuring the success of his scouting. This desire is one of the crucial forces that energizes Isei’s obsession. Part of being the best in scouting is being highly predictive   and repeatable, they need to be able to make predictions far more often than random chance. “I would say I have seen some departments where I would rather take the flip of the coin,” said Isei. This is the downside to scouting if it’s done poorly. “Personally, I would always want to be and work to be around 70% at least,” said Isei, describing how accurate he wants his analysis and conclusions on players to be.  “The ones that do this the best  overall are the German clubs, the German clubs by far, they do transfers in January not expecting the guys to perform right away but to get adjusted and then to play and perform well in July, August. Or they do business in January and then expect the player to come in July,” said Isei. “They are well prepared, they are meticulous, it makes sense on 80, 85% of the transfers.” German clubs like Borussia Dortmund have a special position called the Squad Planner . This role is specifically designed to have someone responsible for solely organizing the structure of the team’s roster. Further preparing them for future transfer windows. After conclusions are made from scouting and analysis, quick decisive action is needed. “Once you’re done scouting and analyzing a player, you have a full picture of him, you have to as they say in Argentina ‘put your balls on the table’ and go for it,” stated Isei. “You have to be fast, especially when you’re working in MLS, you don’t have the time to wait.” This is where experience as a scout and scouting team is paramount because a scout can increase their efficiency at identifying the right talent when they are more familiar with all players available. Which requires thousands of hours of analysis. Sometimes, Isei can have a conclusion on a player after 15 minutes of game time. That doesn’t mean he only watches 15 minutes, but in that time he can analyze what a player is doing, what traits he has, and what other roles that player can do with those traits he is seeing. He then continues to watch to help make a final determination on that player.  Isei spending time at a conference Isei was the last scout to assess Malanda after the other scouts had seen and written their reports on him. Isei was confident after 15 minutes of watching Charlotte FC’s Adilson Malanda playing defensive midfielder because of the work of his colleagues and because he had already watched thousands of hours of other similar profile center-backs. “After the first 15 minutes, I said to Thomas [Schaling; Director of Scouting], who was also excited about the player, ‘Let’s go to Zoran [Krneta; General Manager] right now, let’s sign this guy’” said Isei on his initial reaction to seeing Malanda play. “Zoran Krneta did an amazing job of convincing Malanda and getting the deal done with Rodez.” “I was also excited about Jan Sobocinski, and my projection of him was higher than what he was able to show at Charlotte. All of this to say, that scouts will be wrong and it’s good to reflect on why. The projections I got wrong are the best teachers for me.” Isei added.  Talented prospects like Malanda make it easier to conclude. Other situations can take a bit more time. “I need at least 90 minutes to have a picture, and another 90 minutes of clips from different games and the data to have high-level confidence and conviction,” says Isei. But it always remains a collective effort from everyone involved with scouting and recruitment.  Isei during his time at Charlotte FC Isei’s role at Charlotte was to identify the right talent. After that, Charlotte’s Front Office led by General Manager Zoran Krneta would have to get the deal done. “Scouting is easy, recruiting is hard, and then getting that player to hit like you imagined is down to a lot of factors,” said Isei.  Getting the deal done is not enough, the player has to enjoy their time with their new city, and club and gel with their teammates and the coach. Putting all the steps together you can see how tricky it is to get recruitment right. “There’s always risk and that’s why it's also good to make sure you do a good job on the front end to have let’s say your top three but you know they’re always available or available as much as possible, and that helps continuing and putting those guys into your top three,” said Isei. “If your top three consists of players that maybe you know financially it's not going to work out, one is injury prone, and unsure if the last one wants to come. That means that you’ve done, in my opinion, a bad job.”  Recruitment also requires some luck. “For every Malanda, you get a Privett,” said Isei. Malanda was a prospect who came to Charlotte because the club identified him early enough to get a deal done. If they hadn’t assessed him when they did or reached out to sign him that summer, that window would have closed on Charlotte by winter. In Andrew Privett’s case, the expectation was not that he would be an immediate impact starter. He was a Third Round SuperDraft pick. It’s not generally where year-one starters come from. But the team found a little bit of luck and looks to have landed themselves a long-term starter from the last round in the draft.   “Credit to the coaching staffs of both Crown Legacy, and Charlotte FC at the time, but not lastly the player himself. Amazing mentality of adjusting to the new position and doing so well game in, game out.” Isei sitting with colleagues at a Crown Legacy FC match His enjoyment of roster building from the ground up is the reason he was intrigued by coming to Charlotte FC. “When I got hired there were no players, there were no coaches, there wasn’t anything, there were no offices, not even a light switch, it was Charlotte MLS, there was no badge.” A team that had to be built from nothing. Charlotte FC was Isei’s real-life Football Manager game. While at Charlotte FC, Isei was tasked with helping Head Scout Thomas Schaling build the scouting department from the ground up. General Manager Zoran Krneta allowed Schaling the freedom to build the scouting department the way he wanted. “He [Schaling] had an idea what excellent looked like…and also his own opinions of what he would improve…or what he would do differently,” said Isei on Schaling’s experience from working at PSV and what he brought to Charlotte. Isei said Schaling outlined the structure of what was needed, and Isei was tasked often with helping color that structure in. “As long as it fits the structure it was good,” said Isei. For Isei, coloring in the structure often meant adding the human side to the scouting department and recruiting others to join the team. “You bring them in as the scout, obviously also as the person, over time they kind of became my mentors,” said Isei on hiring and working with the others in the scouting department; Vincent van Raam, Davor Brasanac, Ryan Johnson, Ben Green, Charles Williams, and Daniel Wicker. “They start asking you questions…and that’s when you know if you know your stuff,” Isei said on how the learning process went for this group of scouts. They started by asking questions and showing they were learning, and eager to learn more, and also highlighted to Isei and Schaling that they were capable of teaching and bringing their ideas to the department. Isei with Ben Green (center), and Vincent van Raam (left) Every member of the Charlotte FC scouting team brought different characteristics and skills to the department. Isei highlighted van Raam’s ability to organize, which was similar to Schaling's. Brasanac’s ability to zoom in and look at the specific details and actions of a player was a special trait. Johnson brought a player’s perspective with his experience of being a player and spending time as a teammate in the locker room. Johnson’s playing career also made him familiar with MLS and the local region for recruiting. Isei highlighted Green’s ability to know what MLS good looks like, also his knowledge of the college level, and his ability to empathize at the human level. Williams and Wicker both bring an analytical perspective to the department using data analysis to help provide another angle to the recruiting process. This recruiting and teaching process in the department led van Raam to take over as Head of Scouting for Charlotte FC since Schaling left to return to PSV. Green also found a new role as the Head Scout at DC United. “The question is how long can you hold on to these people,” said Isei, as he believes that the scouting department at Charlotte might be even stronger now compared to when they started, due to the development of the team in place. Isei with van Raam Isei recently accepted a new role with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli SFC working with Lee Congerton who has built himself an extensive resume during his time at Atalanta and playing a key role at several other major clubs including Liverpool, Celtic, Leicester City, and Chelsea. Isei said there is a difference between his time at Charlotte and at Al-Ahli. The resources here are very different, and subsequently the pool of players we look at. “At Charlotte, I could push for a player where I thought he would do well but we’ll need to give him maybe six months. Here it’s about he needs to be effective right away because we have to win, we are a traditional top club” stated Isei.  The main reason Isei took the new job was the opportunity to learn from Congerton. “I’ve never met someone in the football industry that’s this impressive,” said Isei. He described reaching this level and being around someone who has achieved this level of excellence as being the “end boss” of a video game. Isei found a new level and is pushing forward with it. “Once you know what excellence is and what it looks like, you cannot turn it down a notch.” Congerton also taught Isei the importance of turning the game off. “Every week there’s a certain moment you have to take off, you have to do something else,” he said. “There’s also learning and progress in taking a step back.”  The excellence and pressure have risen for Isei as he is now more responsible in the final decision-making process of which players Al-Ahli will sign. He’s not only a scout charged with collecting information. That is a good problem to have. More pressure increases the opportunity for one to demonstrate the ability of their craft, whether they are a player, coach, scout, or sporting director. “Ultimately, I want to be as ready and prepared as I can be and confident in doing a great job when accepting the role of Director of Football or Sporting Director, one day. All these lessons and learnings go into that.” For Isei, this is where the obsession and paranoia to be his best can truly flourish, still having late nights and early mornings preparing his player lists. “Last night I set my alarm at 2 AM because I wanted to watch a game that was being played in a different timezone,” said Isei at the time. Al-Ahli demands what he has required of himself since he was a boy taking notes and making lists for Championship Manager. Always maintaining that same desire he had when he was young, building rosters, and learning relentlessly.

By Ryan Donahue and Brian Maurer Kristijan Kahlina (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90) The phrase "club legend" gets thrown around a lot these days. Especially in MLS, where the longevity of the top players because they are sold on or they arrive in the league in the later stages of their careers. A recent example is Cucho Hernandez for the Columbus Crew. Is he a legend? He is one of the Crew's best all-time players, but can you be a legend after two and a half seasons? In a recent column  by Gary Neville, he described being a legend as far more than a top player. "Obviously skill has a big factor but achievements, longevity, success, impact upon individuals around them, leadership, whether they're captains...all those things get thrown into the mix to bring together the word," wrote Neville. Will Parchman wrote an article  for MLSSoccer after the 2016 season looking at the best all-time player for each MLS club. He too described the importance of not only skill but of longevity. The players Parchman mentions whose tenure was shorter were included only if the club was a newer expansion club (e.g., Montreal Impact* and Didier Drogba) or if they had inspired consistent team success in that shorter window of time (e.g., Chicago Fire and Cuauhtemoc Blanco). Parchman's best all-time players at each MLS club (written in 2016) Player Club Years of service Team success Cuauhtemoc Blanco Chicago Fire 3 Three straight Conference Finals Pablo Mastroeni Colorado Rapids 11 2010 MLS Cup Guillermo Barros Schelotto Columbus Crew SC 4 Two Supporters' Shields and an MLS Cup Eddie Pope DC United 7 Three MLS Cups, two Supporters' Shields, one CONCACAF Champions Cup, and one US Open Cup Mauro Diaz FC Dallas 6 2016 Supporters' Shield and US Open Cup Brian Ching Houston Dynamo 8 Two MLS Cups Landon Donovan LA Galaxy 11 Four MLS Cups, two Supporters' Shields, and one US Open Cup Didier Drogba Montreal Impact* 2 2016 Eastern Conference Final Shalrie Joseph New England Revolution 10 2007 US Open Cup David Villa New York City FC 4 Finished 2nd in the EC twice (2016, 2017) Bradley Wright-Phillips New York Red Bulls 7 Three Supporters' Shields Kaka Orlando City 3 None Tranquillo Barnetta Philadelphia Union 2 Qualified for the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Diego Valeri Portland Timbers 9 One MLS Cup, and one MLS is Back Cup Javier Morales Real Salt Lake 10 2009 MLS Cup Chris Wondolowski San Jose Earthquakes 13 2012 Supporters' Shield Nicolas Lodeiro Seattle Sounders 8 Two MLS Cups, one CONCACAF Champions Cup, and one Supporters' Shield Preki Sporting Kansas City 9 One MLS Cup, one Supporters' Shield, and one US Open Cup Sebastian Giovinco Toronto FC 4 One MLS Cup, one Supporters' Shields, and three Canadian Championships Camilo Vancouver Whitecaps 3 Qualified for 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs Given the track records of the MLS legends that Parchman named in his article Charlotte FC does not currently have a legend. What is missing in Charlotte is sustained years of service and trophies. The years of service will come as the team continues to pile up seasons, the key is having that trophy-winning season to help define an era. For Charlotte to have a legend they will need a player to stand out and pull this club into that level of success that these other top players have helped their MLS clubs find. One player currently on Charlotte FC's roster who looks capable of fulfilling the role of Charlotte FC legend is MLS’s 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year, Kristijan Kahlina, especially because he’s the first player in club history to win an individual MLS year-end award. The 32-year-old shot-stopper is entering his fourth season with the Crown after coming off the back of his best season to date in 2024, in which he recorded 121 saves and 12 clean sheets in his 34 starts. Kahlina was a pivotal influence in Charlotte’s playoff qualification and saved them in many key moments all season long, which helped lead to their best-ever points record (51). Before joining Charlotte in 2022, Kahlina played for Ludogogretz and HNK Gorica in the Bulgarian first division “efbet Liga” and SuperSport HNL Croatian league. At Ludogogretz, he won the Bulgarian Champion Award and the Bulgarian Super Cup. Kahlina also spent a large part of his time in the Croatian second division, but in 2022, he signed with Charlotte and has been a fan favorite both on and off the pitch ever since. Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90 Kahlina has always been a reliable shot-stopper for Charlotte, but one area of Kahlina’s game that has developed is his leadership on the pitch. The Crown’s goalkeeper has taken more responsibility behind his back line, which has strengthened with Adilson Malanda and Andrew Privett having strong seasons, making Charlotte one of the toughest defenses in the Eastern Conference. Last season, when asked why the Crown felt so confident about their chances of staying alive in the playoffs, Brandt  Bronico said, “You always feel like you’re going to win with Kahlina in net.” Kahlina went on to stop two penalties against Orlando, leading Charlotte FC to their first-ever playoff win. Another thing Charlotte fans can always rely on is Kahlina’s ability to be available to play. Last season, he became the first player in Charlotte's history to play every minute of the season. The Croatian has also improved his ability to maintain focus. Before last year, the goalkeeper was prone to questionable errors, but in 2024 it was rare that Kahlina ever made a mistake or failed to make an expected save. Heading into 2025, Charlotte fans should expect Kahlina to carry his quality as the player finished last season with confidence and will be ready to go again. At the end of last year, Dean Smith was asked about Kahlina’s season and stated in regards to him winning Goalkeeper of the Year that with the performances Kahlina has put in all season, he has grown in confidence. Smith went on to quote Kahlina as a “steady influence” in the team and one of the club’s most experienced senior players. Smith further acknowledged Kahlina as a “fantastic person,” speaking to not only his qualities on the pitch but also off of them. The Croatian is also well-liked in the locker room. In Charlotte’s final regular season game in 2024 against DC United, Ashley Westwood expressed that the side wanted to secure the shutout for Khalina to help him have the best chance at winning the award he deserves. Kahlina winning a Man of the Match Award (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90) When looking at Kahlina’s shop-stopping ability alone, he has an excellent overall percentage ( 75% ). Additionally, Kahlina is in the 91st and 65th percentile  of goalkeepers for defensive actions outside of the penalty area and claiming crosses. The goalkeeper has regularly demonstrated his comfort coming off his line to break play with his feet or claim a cross.  Last season, Kahlina had ten goals beyond his expected goals conceded in 2024, placing him third highest of all time, according to American Soccer Analysis . When compared with other goalkeepers in the league in 2024, Kahlina was .32 higher in shot-stopping. With 3,373 minutes played, Kahlina’s g/xg ratio recognized him as having one of the top shot-stopping seasons of all time in MLS. Kahlina was so imposing as a penalty stopper last year that Forbes  reported Charlotte’s goalkeeper was exposing a flaw in the overall MLS Playoff format. Although the thought of a goalkeeper being so prolific in penalty shootouts that an entire playoff format is flawed and requires league leaders to restructure the league is a bit far-fetched, the piece does indicate just how much fans and players alike are confident when it comes to Kahlina in big moments. Preventing as many goals this season as Kahlina did in 2024 is unlikely, given how strong last year was. This means that in 2025 it will be important for the defensive line to step up and reduce the amount of attacking volume that the Croatian has to face. The midfield will also need to gain control in games for longer periods to help reduce the attacks that Kahlina faces. Even with the addition of Wilfried Zaha and the continued hype around players like Patrick Agyemang, Kahlina continues to stand out as a staple at Charlotte FC and looks primed to be one of the club’s first legends with his longevity if the club can find that coveted first trophy. *CF Montreal was the Montreal Impact at the time **Since the time of Parchman's article some of these players would have been usurped as the top player in their club's history. The Vancouver Whitecaps and Orlando City for example have found higher levels of success since 2016. I used his decisions to highlight what it takes to be an MLS Legend in the above table, new clubs, eras, and legends have come and gone since then.

By Sam Vanolinda Brandon Cambridge (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90) As we approach the beginning of the 2025 MLS season, Charlotte is buzzing with excitement after Wilfried Zaha's arrival. There has never been this level of expectation for the team since it was formed. After finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference last year, the team will expect even better with the arrival of a superstar player and more time for Dean Smith to implement his philosophy. Although many positions on the field are locked up, a few players will still be battling for spots on the field. Let’s take a look at a few position battles for the 2025 Charlotte FC season: Backup right-winger Zaha will play on the left, and Liel Abada will play mostly on the right. Who will come on when these players are tired and the team needs a boost? The most prevalent name is Kerwin Vargas, a great option off the bench. Vargas has the talent to destroy fullbacks, especially later in the game when they have low energy. Another player battling for backup on the right is Brandon Cambridge, who is still only 22 years old and has plenty of potential. He dealt with a bad injury last year, but when healthy could contest Vargas for the backup spot on the right-hand side. On the left side, Zaha will likely have Iuri Tavares cover for him but watch out for star-in-the-making Nimfasha Berchimas. Attacking midfield Pep Biel is too talented to not start games. Expect him to be transitioned into an attacking midfield role even though he was often on the wing last season.  Who else could fill that crucial position? Their new signing from the Portland Timbers, Eryk Williamson, may play that role. He is a talented ball-progresser who could fill in especially if Smith opts for more of a “dual 8” setup rather than an outright 10. Fan favorite Ben Bender is a guy who has faded into obscurity recently because of injuries and signings but he also could prove himself if he gets a chance to come in as an attacking midfielder, another name to watch is Nikola Petkovic; a youngster who could break through, he showed good moments in 2024. Center midfield   Captain Ashley Westwood was an absolute engine last year, traveling more distance in matches than any player on the team. He will take up one of the holding midfield positions; the man who will accompany him in that role will be up for debate. The two candidates with the highest chance are Brandt Bronico and Djibril Diani. For a while last year it seemed like Diani had the role on lock, but Bronico built up a ton of momentum towards the end of the campaign. Smith fell in love with the effort that Bronico puts into every game. So it's not easy to bet against him starting, but Diani will rotate in and out depending on his form. Williamson is another name to watch if he cannot beat out Biel for a spot higher up the field, Smith may opt for him to play in a deeper-lying role to add another ball progressor in midfield. Backup right-back  Veteran presence Nathan Byrne will be the starting right back, but behind him, the team does not have a ton of experienced depth. One name to watch is Crown Legacy FC standout Nick Scardina who is getting a lot of reps so far in preseason games. Smith could also opt to pull Diani down into a center-back role and move Andrew Privett and Adilson Malanda over to fill in on the right side. To win the backup right-back spot, Scardina needs to earn Smith’s trust so he doesn’t feel the need to move his starters out of position. Backup left-back Charlotte FC’s backup left-back spot was locked in until the announcement that Joao Pedro was being sent out on loan. Now the two names behind Tim Ream on the left are 2024 SuperDraft pick Jahlene Forbes and 2025 SuperDraft pick Mikah Thomas. Neither have much professional experience. Unless Forbes or Thomas can pull something special during preseason and the start of the year, a new left-back signing could be in the works as there is a real lack of experience on the left without Pedro in the mix.

By Brian Maurer Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/TopBin90 According to sources, Charlotte FC is looking to strengthen the club's relationship with its supporters like they did in years past. Past staff like former Charlotte FC President Joe LaBue and former Chief Fan Officer Shawn McIntosh established strong relationships with the fans and the club is looking to fill a new role that will work as a liaison between the club and the supporters. TSE aims to hire a Chief Brand Officer who will be working on branding for the entire company, and this new liaison role between supporters and the club will be reporting to the CBO once both positions are filled. This liaison role will also be responsible for the gameday experience. Charlotte FC is looking to add to the roster According to sources, Charlotte is still looking to add more to their current roster. The aim is to find the right quality pieces that can compete in the starting eleven rather than be rotation depth. Sources inside the club also think the new intraleague cash trades rule should benefit Charlotte and the league because teams can offer fees and sign players they are more familiar with, while also getting financially compensated at market value. Charlotte FC is aiming to sign Agyemang to a new deal According to sources, the Crown is continuing the conversation with Patrick Agyemang's representation over a new contract, but nothing concrete has happened. Sources inside the club mentioned that Agyemang is still their player and has an option for an additional year in 2026, it appears negotiations are not being rushed, as there is still time to work out a plan moving forward with their talented young striker.

By Sam Vanolinda Photo courtesy of Cisco's Art/TopBin90 (all times in EST) Charlotte FC will pick up the pace as they move towards their season-opening game away against Seattle on February 22.  The preseason schedule is in full force, starting with their game coming up this Wednesday against NCFC at WakeMed Soccer Park. The “Carolina Clash,” will have Charlotte FC face off against USL League One Champions NCFC, who are now in the USL Championship. The game will be at 6 p.m. at the beautiful WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. It is open to the public; you can find tickets on NCFC’s website. This game won’t be streamed. Then the Crown is back at the Coachella Valley in California to play where the famous music festival takes place, Empire Polo Club. In Charlotte’s first match back at the Coachella Valley Invitational they will play MLS Cup Champions LA Galaxy at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 9.  This season, the CVI games will be aired on FOX or GRAY Media affiliates. The full television schedule can be found here . Charlotte FC will play another USL Championship team in their second Coachella game, Phoenix Rising FC, on Monday, February 10, this is a closed exhibition at Coachella Valley High School’s stadium. They will face Austin FC in a closed exhibition on February 12 at a place to be announced and will end the Preseason with an open-to-the-public, streamed game against the Portland Timbers at 1 p.m. February 15. Remaining Charlotte FC preseason schedule vs NCFC at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC - 6 PM EST, Wednesday 2/5 - open to the public, not aired vs LA Galaxy at CVI in Coachella, CA - 1 PM EST, Sunday 2/9 - open, TV: KCOP 13/WBTV 3.2 vs Phoenix Rising FC in Coachella, CA - Monday 2/10 - closed vs Austin FC in Coachella, CA - Wednesday 2/12 - closed vs Portland Timbers at CVI in Coachella, CA - 1 PM EST, Saturday 2/15 - open, TV: WBTV 3.2/KPDX 49.1

By Ryan Donahue Raul Ruidiaz after winning the 2022 Concacaf Champions League (Photo courtesy of Seattle Sounders) Last week Charlotte FC confirmed the signing of former Crystal Palace Ivorian superstar Wilfried Zaha as the club’s new number 10 ahead of the upcoming season. Adding Zaha to an attack of Kerwin Vargas, Liel Abada, and in-form US striker Patrick Agyemang will bolster Dean Smith’s offense for the upcoming season and bring a new level of dynamism across the front line. Many fans are salivating at the idea of a front three that includes Zaha, Agyemang, and Abada; last week Charlotte also confirmed the official departure of the club’s Polish international Karol Swiderski who went to Panathinaikos .  Swiderski’s departure leaves a vacancy in the front line, but it opens up a DP spot. Charlotte will likely wait until the summer to bolster the roster with another DP, but with the transfer window open and preseason in full stride, the front office could decide to source a more experienced veteran to fill S widerski’s spot. While bringing in a veteran striker is not a long-term solution, an experienced player who is happy to play in the rotation and is capable of chipping in with goals and assists could be optimal for the club to reach its ambitions. In previous seasons, the side’s lack of goals throughout campaigns has often been a focal point for supporters and media alike, and with Charlotte entering their fourth season and second under Smith’s tenure, having a potent offense that is scoring often will be an expectation for the team if they hope to surpass prior seasons.  Here are a few players Charlotte could look to bring in as offensive depth options. Raul Ruidiaz Ruidiaz is an experienced Peruvian goalscorer who has been paramount to some of the best Seattle Sounders seasons and is currently a free agent. Ruidiaz's best season was in 2021 when he scored 17 goals in 26 games played.  From 2022 to 2024, Ruidiaz scored 22 goals and showed his capability to find the back of the net in a more limited role during that time. At 34 years old, Ruidiaz’s best years are behind him but if Charlotte were looking for a guy who can lead the line both as a starter or off the bench, Ruidiaz makes a lot of sense.  The striker has been a consistent scorer at his time in Seattle and has a knack for scoring important goals, scoring in multiple postseason games as well as Seattle’s Concacaf Champions Cup run in 2022. As an MLS Cup Winner, Ruidiaz would bolster the amount of championship experience in Charlotte’s offense which at the moment is minimal. Christian Ramirez The Columbus Crew forward at age 33 was signed to the 2025 option year on his contract, which means he is likely a part of the club’s plans this year. But, a good trade offer might make them rethink their plans. Ramirez has been a consistent performer in all of the clubs he has played at. In his past two seasons at Columbus, Ramirez has 35 goal contributions (23g/12a) across all competitions.  Ramirez has also been a regular contributor in some of Columbus’s key playoff fixtures. In 2023, Ramirez scored two goals against Orlando City SC and FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semifinal and Final matches. Ramirez would be another option that could bring leadership and experience in the postseason which will be critical if Charlotte hopes to advance past the first round for the first time in the club's history. Daniel Rios A familiar face to Charlotte FC fans is without a club this winter. Rios  (29) put up a club-record four goals for Charlotte against the Philadelphia Union in 2022 before being transferred to Chivas at the end of that campaign. While Rios’ recent stint in Mexico did not go well his loan spell last season at Atlanta United showed promise of what Rios can still bring to an MLS roster.  The Mexican striker had 14 goal contributions (10g/4a) in all competitions for Atlanta in 2024. He wouldn’t bring the winning pedigree that a Ruidiaz or a Ramirez would bring but he would provide the necessary depth, a nose for goal, MLS experience, and an ability to compete for starts if he gains confidence and builds momentum.

By Andrew Crowell Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/TopBin90 In European leagues such as the Premier League in England and the Bundesliga in Germany, goal-line technology determines whether the ball crosses the goal line. So why not MLS? "One thing I believe, if we want to become a better league and be looked upon as one of the big leagues, one thing we have to improve on is to have goal-line technology...for me, there's no gray area," said Charlotte FC's Dean Smith in a recent press conference. While Smith declares that there is no gray area, the technology is still relatively new, and it has glitched in the past to Smith's benefit . While Smith was coaching Aston Villa, Sheffield United appeared to have scored a goal against them but the goal was never counted because of a glitch in the goal-line technology. The unfortunate answer is the cost compared to how often the technology is used. MLS Commissioner Don Garber declared in 2013 that MLS would not invest in goal-line technology since it is only relevant in certain moments . "Our view has been that we're going to wait and see how it works out. We certainly don't need to be the first league that has it," Garber said at the time. According to top referee Jan Wegereef, there were five situations in the 2014/15 Eredivisie season where there was doubt about a goal or no goal. Based on this data, clubs need the technology in their stadium around once every 60 games. That does not factor in that the likelihood of the situation being a match-deciding goal is 30%, or that there is a good chance the match-deciding goal is in a less relevant situation (e.g., when seeds 10 and 11 face each other). The way MLS seasons and their playoffs are structured there are more relevant situations as lower-seeded teams can still have more important matches more often because of the number of teams that qualify for the playoffs. But, the structure also allows for each specific situation to be valued less because of how often and how short a winning streak is required to have a chance to qualify for a playoff spot and to climb the table. How does goal-line technology work exactly? In soccer stadiums and arenas around the world, there are cameras installed to focus on the goal line to assist in rendering a 3-D image that shows whether the ball has crossed the line or not. If the ball crosses the line, the referees are signaled on their watches so they can make a quick call on the field signaling a goal versus no goal. This technology has been around for over ten years at this point, as it was first implemented in 2014. The Premier League made the change almost immediately in 2014, and cost around $300,000 to install the technology in each of the league’s stadiums. The cost per game would run at about $3,900, which would cost around $2 million per year for every club in MLS to have the technology. In 2023, MLS brought in an aggregate $2.03 billion in revenue. Averaging around $70 million per franchise at the time. This means that the roughly $9 million that it would cost to install goal-line technology in MLS stadiums represents only a portion of the revenue MLS brings in during a single fiscal year, as the league's revenue streams have increased since then.  MLS is growing rapidly, especially with the arrival of more world-renowned players such as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Many decisions will need to be discussed and actions taken during this time. Goal-line technology is one that many coaches, pundits, and fans in MLS will bang on the drum for as the league continues to expand its reach.