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By Brian Maurer and Vaughn Pollman On November 11th, St. Louis City SC will be allowed to pick up to five players in the expansion draft. November 10th is the deadline for teams to decide who they are protecting on their rosters. Who Is Protected? Charlotte FC will have all of their players who are signed to homegrown contracts and their Generation Adidas pick, Ben Bender, protected in the expansion draft. Charlotte is then allowed to choose to protect twelve of their remaining 27 players* on the roster to protect in the expansion draft. Who Does Charlotte FC Protect? Charlotte will have to pick 12 of their remaining 22 players who they can protect. They will likely take resources spent and international roster spots into consideration when deciding who they will protect. Brian’s Predictions Karol Ṥwiderski (DP) Kamil Jóźwiak (DP) Kerwin Vargas (U-22) Kristijan Kahlina Adilson Malanda Nathan Byrne Nuno Santos Guzmán Corujo Anton Walkes Brandt Bronico Vinicius Mello (U-22) Joseph Mora There are several players that are for sure locks. The current designated players (DPs) as well as the U-22 initiatives are all on this list based on the investment of resources in these players. Also the new summer additions are all locks for this list. Brandt Bronico is locked in as he is set as an important piece in this team with his new extension. Guzmán Corujo and Kristijan Kahlina are also locked in as they have been regular starters all season. Anton Walkes, for me, has to be protected. He was way too valuable an asset for Atlanta to allow to be available last season and Charlotte should not make that same mistake as their southern rivals. If Christian Makoun was sold for 400k in GAM then Walkes is likely a far more valuable asset. Letting that value go for free would be a major loss. The last spot was difficult. I ended up going with Mora and my reasoning is pretty simple; with Christian Fuchs’ option getting declined Mora is one of only two left back (LB) options on the roster. If Mora is unprotected and picked up by St. Louis then Adam Armour would be the only LB on the squad. Obviously Charlotte could sign a new LB, but as we have seen in the past, these transfer windows are no guarantee of a replacement. If the team were left with only Armour at LB to start the season that would be a major gap in the roster going into 2023. Things can change and a new LB could be acquired during the trade window before the draft which would change my draft prediction. At this point, given what we know about the current state of the roster it makes sense to protect Mora to help secure a semblance of depth at LB. A few players on Charlotte FC’s roster that I think could get nabbed are Jan Sobociński, Yordy Reyna, Andre Shinyashiki, and Jordy Alcívar. Reyna, and Alcívar would likely be trade assets as their styles of play do not necessarily fit with what St. Louis City is reportedly planning on playing, but they could be traded if a team is interested since they both have decent trade value. Sobociński has shown an ability to hang in as a starting center back (CB) this past season. Since Charlotte FC will likely have to protect three CBs already Sobociński will likely be available and I could definitely see St. Louis taking a stab on a player like him as they could be getting a starting CB for free. Shinyashiki is another player who could get picked as he is a hard working forward who is willing to press and defend, which would likely fit with St. Louis’ style. He could also end up being a trade asset if he was picked. For Charlotte FC, I do not think losing any of these players would end up being too big a setback going into 2023. If they were to lose Sobociński, Reyna or Alcívar, Charlotte would have an international roster spot opened up, giving them more flexibility in the winter transfer window. Losing Shinyashiki would be losing a fan favorite, but Charlotte also has depth at his position. Losing him would likely feel like a loss to many fans but, overall, there are plenty of others on the roster capable of playing at his level. Vaughn’s Predictions Karol Ṥwiderski (DP) Kamil Jóźwiak (DP) Kerwin Vargas (U-22) Vinicius Mello (U-22) Kristijan Kahlina Guzmán Corujo Anton Walkes Nuno Santos Nathan Byrne Adilson Malanda Andre Shinyashiki Brandt Bronico The under-contract players I would leave unprotected for various reasons and justifications are Jordy Alcívar, Jan Sobociński, McKinze Gaines, Daniel Ríos, Yordy Reyna, Joseph Mora, George Marks, Pablo Sisniega, Adrían Zendejas, and Adam Armour. Really the tough call for me comes down to our wingers and do you protect Gaines or Andre Shinyashiki? The recent contract extension for Shinyashiki paired with the allocation money Charlotte paid to acquire him forces the decision to leave Gaines vulnerable. Considerations for leaving guys unprotected include their contract status both in terms of dollars, international status, as well as number of years and option years remaining on their contracts. For example, Charlotte FC’s decision to pick up the final club option year for Daniel Ríos means that at the end of the 2023 season, he will be out of contract. If Saint Louis were to select him in the expansion draft, they run the risk of that player and pick only lasting for one season on an expiring contract compared to the benefits of selecting a player on a longer contract or a player who holds greater trade value to other teams within the league, as was the case when Charlotte selected and traded Tristan Blackmon and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi. St. Louis City SC Draft Strategy? To make these predictions it is also important for us to evaluate St. Louis’ current roster, positions of need, and their overall strategy going into the Expansion Draft. As their roster stands today, St. Louis has 9 players under contract with 7 of those players currently occupying international roster spots. All MLS sides start with 8 international spots in 2023 and they may acquire additional spots via trade, as we did ahead of our Expansion Draft. Of the players under contract for St. Louis, it looks like they have at least 1 starting center back in Joakim Nilsson, two starting midfielders in Tomáš Ostrák and Eduard Löwen, a starting forward in João Klauss, and a starting goalkeeper in Roman Bürki. Both Löwen and Klauss are Designated Players and St. Louis City’s Sporting Director, Lutz Pfannenstiel, has already stated publicly that they don’t intend to add another Designated Player before the season starts. With that evaluation being done it is likely that St. Louis will be going into the Expansion Draft looking for domestic talent, wide players, roster depth, trade assets, and salary cap friendly contracts. It’s important to note that Head Coach Bradley Carnell comes from the Red Bull system and is an advocate of gegenpressing, or counter-pressing, which requires a team to quickly pressure the opponent and the ball when an offensive player loses possession. The goal of this tactic is to win the ball back quickly after losing it to catch the opponent off-guard in the transitional phase of play. To be frank, Charlotte FC does not have many players whose preferred style of play matches that tactical approach. It should be noted that a lot can change between now and the Expansion Draft. Trades can be made during the brief 2-day trade window between November 7th and 9th and St. Louis’ roster situation could look vastly different closer to draft day. Our approach to who is left unprotected will be dictated by many on and off field factors, including our own offseason player strategy, that may be in better focus closer to November 10th. * At this point we are assuming the roster stands at 27 players instead of 30 as Christian Fuchs and Harrison Afful got their options declined, and Charlotte FC have yet to announce a decision regarding the options of Quinn McNeill and Koa Santos. Brian Romero is also signed, but it has not been announced how he fits on the roster.

By Tyler Trent Image courtesy of Racing Club Charlotte FC are interested in adding Argentine forward Enzo Copetti this transfer window. The 26-year-old currently plays for Racing Club who finished second in the Argentine Primera División with Copetti scoring 11 goals and adding 4 assists in 25 matches. Until 2021, Copetti played with Atlético de Rafaela mostly in the Primera Nacional, the second division of Argentina. Racing Club acquired Enzo Copetti on loan for the 2021 season, before purchasing him for around $700,000 going into the 2022 season. Copetti’s stock has rapidly been rising with his continued importance for Racing with an estimated value of 5.3-million-dollars. It’s easy to see why Charlotte FC would be interested. According to TyC Sports both Charlotte FC and Atlanta United have made offers for Copetti with the Argentine club looking to sell for a price similar to his 10-million-dollar release clause. Copetti has been at the end of threats from “supporters” of Racing as well after the club conceded the title to Boca Juniors this season. Many fans blamed Copetti for not taking a late penalty versus River Plate in their final match which was ultimately missed by his teammate. This reaction could have the player even more open to a move abroad. After receiving abuse and threats, Copetti shared the following to his Instagram story. Which translates as, "I did a thousand things right and no one said anything, I did one thing wrong and now I'm the worst person in the world" While a 10-million-dollar price tag is high for a player that was sold for only $700,000 earlier this year, Copetti has a lot of tools in his game that could make him an extremely good player in MLS and in Charlotte. Copetti has primarily played as a centre-forward for Racing in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, two formations often used by Lattanzio this past season. However, he is capable of playing as a right winger as well. Copetti is best used inside the box where 14 of his 15 goals for Racing have been scored including 7 headers and 7 goals with his strong right foot. Copetti is strong on the ball and a very good finisher who loves to play inside the 18. However, Copetti is an active player across the entire attacking half capable of dropping a little deeper similar to Świderski to fight for the ball and create attacking opportunities with his work rate. While Enzo Copetti is clearly a talented player, how does he fit in this Charlotte FC team? It’s an interesting question. With Świderski moving to a role as an attacking midfielder later in the season, does Charlotte see that as his permanent position for the team with Copetti playing in front or does this signal that Charlotte is planning for a replacement for Świderski up front? I think Charlotte likely see Copetti able to fulfill a role regardless of the outcome of Świderski’s situation, but with hopes to see Świderski playing as a number 10 with Copetti a potential upgrade on Daniel Ríos up front. If Świderski stays with Charlotte for next season, having Enzo Copetti has his main man up front could be huge for Charlotte’s offensive consistency. Having a strong goal poacher playing in front of Świderski with wingers who really upped their game as the season started to close is very promising. Add in a potential additional signing for a new winger and the Charlotte FC attack could be on a new level.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Austin FC Austin FC have made a strong run throughout the 2022 MLS season which has continued into the postseason. They are now in the Western Conference finals where they will face off against Supporter’s Shield winners Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). Here is a look at how expansion teams since 2015 have fared from their inaugural season through their second season. All stats found on either FBref.com or SofaScore Austin FC’s Historical Second Season Jump Austin FC has had a larger points per match jump (+.74) from their inaugural season than any MLS expansion team since 2005, when expansion teams became a regular occurrence. What has made their run this season so remarkable is how they finished in their inaugural season. Austin FC had the second worst inaugural season since 2015, only better than the historically poor FC Cincinnati expansion. Being projected by many MLS pundits to be near the bottom of the Western Conference for a second straight campaign, Austin instead went on to challenge for the Supporter’s Shield for large parts of the season, and can make an MLS Cup final with a win on Sunday. Other Notable Expansion Season Jumps Atlanta United and LAFC both should be recognized for the improvements that their teams made in their second seasons. They are, currently, the only expansion teams since 2015 to win trophies in their second season. LAFC claimed the 2019 Supporters Shield, while Atlanta United claimed the 2018 MLS Cup. Both of these teams had successful playoff qualifying inaugural seasons, but even with that initial success going on to win trophies the next year is a noteworthy improvement. New York City Football Club (NYCFC) also had a remarkable second campaign, climbing from near the bottom of the table to 4th in the Supporters’ Shield standings. The major shift that occurred for NYCFC was the coaching change. Patrick Vieira made his head coaching debut for NYCFC’s second season, helping them jump 17 points higher than their inaugural season. Nashville SC With A Little Jump, But Lots Of Consistency Nashville SC’s second year jump was small compared to the other teams previously mentioned, but it should be noted that they were one of the few expansion side’s to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season. In fact, with Atlanta United and the Seattle Sounders missing the playoffs this season, Nashville SC have become the only expansion side to have never missed the playoffs. This is a small three year sample size currently, but still fun to note and to keep an eye on. While Nashville’s jump was small, they have proven to be able to maintain a steady consistent pace that finds them in playoff contention year after year. The Early Expansion Woes FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami, Minnesota United, and Orlando City all struggled, for various reasons, throughout the early parts of their expansions. It should be noted that all four of these teams qualified for the 2022 MLS playoffs. While it was a struggle for these teams to work out their team build initially, they have all shown the ability to improve and grow into more competitive teams within MLS. *Stats that occurred during the 2020 season, when schedules were greatly altered due to COVID-19

By Tyler Trent Earlier this season, I spoke with Charlotte FC’s fans who have traveled to away games about their experience and the hospitality of the fans outside of Charlotte, but what experience have away fans had on their trips to Charlotte? I had the privilege to chat with Vas from the Soccer Subs Podcast and Blake from MLS Gone Wild about their experience traveling to the Queen City and the origin of their fandoms. Vas Vas has been a fan of the New York Red Bulls since their MetroStars days, so he’s been to quite a few away days in his time. However, his trip to Charlotte as an away fan was a little different because his team wasn’t even playing. Vas made the trip for Charlotte FC’s historic inaugural home game against the LA Galaxy as a member of the media for Soccer Subs. “It was the Soccer Subs first venture as media members and it opened up the door for us to our local market as well I'd say to attend games as part of the media for both New York teams respectively.” Vas was able to make it to the Supporters Tailgate Lot to kickstart his experience in Charlotte. “I enjoyed my time eating incredible food, familiarizing myself with songs and chants with the diehard fans, and I even got to meet the man himself, David Tepper.” “Everyone was having a blast and the diverse styles of support from the more South American style with the Blue Furia to the Charlotte FCASU to the Carolina Hooliganz, it truly made for a unique pre-game experience and one heck of an away day activity that's a must whether you're supporting an away team or just visiting to watch Charlotte FC.” Vas really enjoyed being able to attend an inaugural home match for a team in MLS and being able to experience the historic night as a fan of MLS and US Soccer. “From meeting Woody (Wilder) personally and seeing the likes of Jessica Charman hustling like a busy bee, and Jorge representing what this team is and needs on and off the field in terms of covering the team and being a passionate fan.” Vas also enjoyed the press box food at Bank of America Stadium. A highlight for Vas was walking out of the player tunnel into a record-breaking crowd before kickoff and getting to soak in the amazing atmosphere. We hope to see Vas back in Charlotte when the Red Bulls come to town in the future! Blake Blake from MLS Gone Wild also had a pretty unique experience in his travel to Charlotte. A lifelong Columbus Crew fan, Blake had previously only traveled to three away matches, but has plans to work on those numbers. With previous trips to the Carolina Challenge Cup vs. Atlanta United, a match versus DC United in 2019, and a trip to Philadelphia in 2021 where Blake stated “the cheesesteaks were better than the soccer” after the Crew lost 3-0. Blake and his girlfriend traveled to Charlotte to take in an exciting matchup and meet some online friends. However, the game was delayed for hours due to lightning and eventually postponed with only 15 minutes of the game being played. Despite that, it didn’t dampen Blake’s trip. Previous to coming to Charlotte, Blake had the opportunity to get to know Jorge and Brian from TopBin90, Lee from CLTFCFanTV, and Vaughn Pollman. “Charlotte is lucky to have such passionate and knowledgeable folks covering their team. Those guys are great.” Blake and his girlfriend were able to make the tailgate and were invited to take a picture with one of the supporters groups at the tailgate. At the tailgate, Blake traded scarves with Vaughn, did a pre-match interview with Jorge, and participated in some friendly banter along the way. Blake came to the Queen City with gifts as well. “I brought some Charlotte FC Topps cards to the game and handed them out to fans. I remember waiting in the long line to get into the team shop and as I got to the door, I struck up conversation with one of the team shop employees. We chatted soccer for a moment and before we departed, I asked him who his favorite player was. Cristian Fuchs was his response, so I handed him a 2022 Topps Christian Fuchs card. Made his day.” After continued lightning delays crowded inside the stadium concourse, Blake found a good place to give out the rest of the cards he brought. “During the rain delay, I handed out the rest of my cards to three kids who seemed to be getting a little restless. They spent the next hour or so reading the stats on the back and proposing trades for each other’s cards. That, to be honest, was probably the highlight of my trip.” While Blake didn't get to have much of a soccer experience, he did enjoy his time meeting people and exploring uptown Charlotte. “In addition to all the great things I have already said about my experience, the uptown area of Charlotte was beautiful (when it wasn’t raining). The greenery in the uptown area made it feel like I wasn’t surrounded by skyscrapers. The people were awesome - so welcoming and friendly. I’d highly recommend the away day to any fans thinking of traveling. 10/10 experience and they only played 15:58 of soccer.” Blake recognized Charlotte fans as by far the most welcoming of his four away days, with the Philadelphia Union fans a close second. Blake was unable to make it back to the rescheduled match, but we can't wait to have him back in Charlotte soon! Away Days vs. Home Games While it’s hard to beat the feeling of watching your team at home, there’s always some aspects of away days to look forward to. Vas and Blake shared their thoughts on what was so special about away days. Vas really enjoyed his trip, but paid homage to his home city as well. “Harrison is like my own little slice of heaven, but I love experiencing the diverse venues that MLS has to offer. As a bit of a US soccer nerd and as I've gotten older, I've really gotten to appreciate not just the game day experience itself, but the cities where I'm visiting. Charlotte was definitely one for the record books - you felt the entire city anticipating the day for Charlotte to finally be on the pitch at the Bank. The events around the city were all enjoyable, the launch of a beer for a supporters group was one, another highlight was the pubs to view not just MLS games but EPL action with a solid list of beers and good vibes to go along with them and even having found the Moonlight Diner on a quest for a late night meal. Blake made the most of an unfortunate day of soccer by reveling in what can make away days and soccer in general so special. “I love seeing new things and meeting new people. Soccer unites us all and I grasp that more every time I travel to an away stadium. The love for the game and league is growing and seeing that passion first hand, no matter where you go, gives me goosebumps.” Be sure to check out Vas at the Soccer Subs Podcast and Blake at MLS Gone Wild, you can also find them here at TopBin90 from time to time!

According to Colombian news outlet Blog Deportivo, Charlotte FC has made an offer for the Colombian playmaker whose contract with River Plate expires at the end of the year. The 29-year-old midfielder is currently playing with River Plate, but has saw time in Italy, Portugal, and France previously. This season for River Plate, he has started 10 out of 19 games scoring 1 goal and adding 5 assists. Quintero won the 2018 Copa Libertadores and the 2018 Supercopa Argentine with River Plate. According to the report by Blog Deportivo, River Plate have been trying to renew the contract of Quintero, but Charlotte FC has put in a better economical offer to the player and Quintero is reportedly interested in playing in MLS. In his most recent match, Quintero received a red card for pushing the referee which could see him receive an additional suspension from the Argentine Primera División further putting the renewal of his contract in doubt and could potentially follow him to another league. The incident can briefly be seen in the video below. Quintero has been capped by the Colombian National Team 31 times scoring 4 goals in those appearances. He has represented Colombia at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup. He was the first Colombian player to score in two World Cups. At River Plate, Quintero has often played on the right of a midfielder three in a 4-3-1-2 formation. However, he has typically played in the attacking midfield role for previous clubs and for Colombia. He often takes corner kicks and set pieces.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC announced yesterday that they were exercising the options of four players for 2023: Daniel Ríos, McKinze Gaines, Derrick Jones, and George Marks. These signings have provided some insight into how the winter window may look for Charlotte FC. Getting these deals done now also reduces the amount of deals that need to be done as the various deadlines approach in November. Defenders Christian Fuchs and Harrison Afful had their options declined, opening up at least two roster spots. Here is the list of the remaining players that are on expiring contracts: Koa Santos - There is a 2023 option on his contract. This option would need to be picked up by November 14th. This decision will likely be pushed back until after the Charlotte Independence’s season ends, which will be at least another week longer as they qualified for the playoffs this past weekend. Quinn McNeill - There is a 2023 option on his contract. This option would need to be picked up by November 14th. This decision will likely be pushed back until after the Charlotte Independence’s season ends, which will be at least another week longer as they qualified for the playoffs this past weekend. Charlotte FC have 26 of their 30 roster spots accounted for. The decisions on the Santos and McNeill options are likely to happen after the Charlotte Independence season ends. If their options do not get exercised one possible scenario is their options could get declined but that they could receive contracts for the MLS NEXT Pro team. We will likely have to wait another couple of weeks to get a final update on them. What the front office's decisions show is two fold: One, they are confident in the roster they have going into 2023. Two, that this roster needs around two more signing upgrades to make the jump into a playoff spot. If Santos and McNeill do not get their options picked up Charlotte could have a little more roster flexibility to work with in the winter. As of now Charlotte FC for sure has two roster spots open, and they are both domestic slots. This means that both MLS free agency and a blockbuster trade from within MLS could both be in the cards during the winter. If Charlotte want to bring a roster upgrade from abroad they will likely need to shop one of their current international players.

Image courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images With MLS Playoffs just a day away. Here are some predictions from the TopBin90 team and some of our content creating friends from around MLS: Jorge @topbin90 MLS Cup Winner: Montreal- One of the best teams in MLS this season. A team that had the second most wins in MLS and has shown to be strong both home and away (only three losses at home and two away). A strong midfield with the likes of Wanyama, and an MLS all star this season in Djordje Mihailovic, you add a striker who has been underrated this season in Romell Quioto (15 goals and 5 assist) they have a lot of ingredients of an MLS Cup Champion team. Montreal's biggest hurdle will be getting over Philadelphia Union, a team they weren’t able to beat this season but in my opinion Montreal are now a team that are more compact and have enough weapons to get them over the line. Dark Horse Team: Nashville. Without a doubt a big factor for Nashville will be how well Hany Mukhtar can be for them this postseason. With 34 goal contributions, Nashville will be looking at Hany to take them to glory and I think he’s a player that has proven he could do that. Not talked about enough is the fact that Nashville moved from the east to west and finished 5th. A team that will stay defensively compact and rely on the individual brilliance of a player like Hany is the perfect combination to cause upets in a one game playoff style tournament like MLS playoffs are. Player of the Tournament: Romell Quioto. Maybe a little Honduras bias on my end but I think Quioto will have a spectacular postseason. The Honduran has registered his best season in MLS in Montreal boasting 15 goals and 5 assists. Recently being named captain of Honduras and also becoming more of a veteran player with Montreal I think are important reasons for Quioto to transition from being a player that can contribute to a leader and a guy that Montreal look for in this post season. Brian @BAMaurerMedia MLS Cup Winner: Philadelphia Union - It just feels like it’s their time. Philadelphia has been historically good this season, and seem primed for another deep run. The difference this year to past campaigns is that they have a plethora of attacking options. Not only will the Union be defensively sound, but they will also be capable of putting multiple goals up on any opponent they face. Philadelphia should be able to return to the Eastern Conference Finals, the issue for them will be getting over the Conference Final hump mentally and pushing themselves into the Cup Final. Dark Horse Team: FC Cincinnati - Staying in the Eastern Conference with this one. If Cincinnati can get past the New York Red Bulls Pat Noonan will then likely go up against his former team, Philadelphia. A Cincinnati versus Philadelphia matchup could be incredible. Both teams have shown an ability to score a ton of goals all season. FC Cincinnati’s main three attacking options Brenner, Brandon Vazquez, and Luciano Acosta have combined for 46 goals this year. Cincinnati’s weaker defense has also made for some very entertaining high scoring affairs and against Philadelphia this would be no different. Plus you add the history Jim Curtin and Noonan have with working together in Philly and this makes for a fun potential matchup with storylines both on and off the pitch. If Cincinnati can outscore Philadelphia and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals that would be a major accomplishment for a team that just a year ago was a wooden spoon regular. For me they are a primed dark horse candidate because they have several playmakers who are in form and scoring goals, while they are lacking a bit defensively, they should be able to compete with anyone they face because of their ability to put goals in the back of the net. Player of the Tournament: Dániel Gazdag - Philadelphia have shown the ability in the past to stay defensively sound and keep games close. The difference in this Cup run and past seasons will be if their attack can stay hot and continue to score goals to get them across the finish line. If Philadelphia do indeed win their first MLS Cup then their playmaker Gazdag will be a key contributor to getting them there. Tyler @TTrent4 MLS Cup Winner: FC Dallas Dark Horse Team: FC Dallas Player of the Tournament: Paul Arriola I went full FC Dallas on this one. They have a perfect mix of veteran leadership, strong goalkeeping, and powerful attacking talents. Maarten Paes has been excellent in goal for Dallas and a strong defensive line in front of him, led by Matt Hedges, has led Dallas to concede the second fewest goals in MLS only behind the Philadelphia Union. The Dallas 3rd place finish could easily have been higher, with 11 draws on the season. In crunch time of the playoffs, being able to grind out results and keep games close is key. FC Dallas should be able to do that and they have several capable goal scorers to finish the chances they get with Jesús Ferreira, Paul Arriola, and Alan Velasco. Player of the tournament will probably come down to whoever is the difference maker in the final, so I went with Paul Arriola on a whim. However, I think Brenner from FC Cincinnati could have a big tournament on the Eastern Conference side of the bracket as well. Regardless of the outcome, I have a feeling that the Western Conference is going to take the Cup this season. Pierce MLS Cup Winner: LAFC - I hate to pick the odds-on favorite, but they are favorites for a reason. They are filled with star power, sure, but what makes them so good is their depth. When your players start to get tired, they can bring in guys off their bench that are just as good, if not better than your starters. LAFC are lethal up front and seemingly always attacking. This season, they were 2nd in the MLS in touches in the attacking third, 1st in touches inside the opponents penalty area, and 1st in both shots on target and xG. While their form towards the end of the season was shaky, they only lost 9 games all year, and 7 out of those 9 losses were decided by just one goal. This is the most talented team in the MLS this season and will have the trophy to show for it. Dark Horse Team: Cincinnati - I’m going to go with a pretty big underdog here and take Cincinnati. They were top 5 in the league in Goals, xG, % of shots on target, and chance creation. Do I think Cincinnati will win the cup? No. Do I think they will make a deeper run than they are expected to? Yes. It is their first playoff appearance in club history, so I expect the players to be extra motivated and their fans to travel well. They open up with New York Red Bulls, who have lost in the first round of the playoffs 3 years in a row. Cincinnati matches up nicely against them, as shown evident by them forcing draws in both meetings this season. I like Cincinatti to pull off the upset in the first round and potentially give Philly a hard time as well. Player of the Tournament: Sebastian Driussi - Driussi was runner-up to Mukhtar in the MLS Golden Boot race, but actually finished with more non-penalty goals than the leading marksman (Driussi 18, Mukhtar 17). He also created the 5th most chances in the league this season. I think he puts the team on his back and leads the tournament in G+A. He’ll help them cruise to the Western Conference Final and If anyone can take down LAFC, I think a Driussi-led Austin FC has the best chance. Lee @cltfcfantv MLS Cup Winner: CF Montreal Dark Horse Team: Austin Player of the Tournament: CF Montreal wins it all. Looking back over the last 6 games at least in the east and Montreal are the team in form. The added fact that Philly while winning the east there current form looks a little suspect to be able to carry it all the way through. Montreal also has a decent away record and should they run into Philly along the way I doubt that Philly has enough in the tank to beat out Montreal. Montreal have scored 63 goals this season which is the 4th best in the MLS while also boasting the best away record. The pressure to win out is more on Philly and LAFC. Montreal takes Austin in the final. Dark horse I am going with Austin. I think these are the guys Charlotte will look towards at least for the first few seasons to emulate.. To go from 2nd from bottom in the West to 2nd this season is impressive in itself plus I have a soft spot for these guys. Do they have enough in the tank to beat out LAFC? Probably not but they did take it to them during the season. The only concern I have for them is that the form seems to be dipping when it's most crucial. Shout out to the weareaustintv boys! Vaughn @vipollman MLS Cup Winner: CF Montreal Dark Horse Team: “Texas” Player of the Tournament: Romell Quioto History shows it is very hard for a team with regular season dominance to carry their success over to postseason glory. Let’s put it this way: Only once since 2012 has a #1 seed even made it to the final. That team was the 2017 Toronto FC side that won the domestic treble, winning the Supporter’s Shield, Canadian Championship, and MLS Cup. Last year saw the 4-seeds square off in the Final. So, odds are not in LAFC or Philadelphia’s favor. For that reason, I have selected Club de Foot Montreal as my pick to lift the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, or “MLS Cup”. Montreal has 1 loss since mid-July. Since then, they have gone 11W – 1L – 3D. As the two seed in the East, they will have the advantage of playing all of their playoff games at home unless they run into Philly. If they do, Montreal boasts the best road record in MLS, earning a post-shootout era record 35 points on the road in 2022. They are a tough team to beat, they routinely shred teams tactically, and if they go on the deep run I predict, Romell Quioto will be a big part of their success as he sort of quietly contributed 15 goals and 5 assists in the regular season. To choose a dark horse contender is really like shooting fish in a barrel. I’m going to cheat a little bit by selecting “Texas” as my dark horse front runner. While Austin and FC Dallas are the Western #2 and #3 seeds, respectively, I think they qualify as dark horse candidates as they are underrated by most, and they have to go through The Mighty Black and Gold, LAFC. For Austin they have the capability to follow the path laid by Atlanta United to become the 2nd team to win MLS Cup in their 2nd season. Sebastián Driussi can be “that guy” who can single-handedly carry a team to a trophy. Thanks in large part to his goal scoring prowess, Austin actually finished the season 3rd in the league with 65 goals scored, behind only Philadelphia and LAFC. If they can score while defending pragmatically, the Cup will not be out of their reach. Now, if you had to guess which team had the second fewest goals conceded during the 2022 MLS season you probably would not guess that it was FC Dallas. They say that defense wins championships, and FC Dallas is a team that has gone well under the radar for how good their defense has been, conceding a mere 37 goals, one fewer than LAFC. Their road record leaves a lot to be desired, and their offense doesn’t evoke fear in their opponents, but that’s why they are an ideal dark horse candidate because no one thinks they will realistically win the Cup, especially when you consider they’ve failed to win the Cup in their first…..26 seasons. Maybe this is the year they get the proverbial monkey off their back. Blake @MLSGoneWild MLS Cup Winner: Philadelphia Union- The Union are good at soccer. I should just leave it at that but that wouldn’t do their 2022 season justice. With a roster that consists of homegrown contributors, international bargains, and intra-league steals, they will go down as one of the best teams in MLS history. Defensively, their 26 goals conceded set an All Time MLS record for fewest goals conceded in a single MLS season. Offensively, they became the 1st team in MLS history to win 4 games by 6 or more goals. 49 of their 72 goals were scored at Subaru Park which ties the all-time MLS record for most home goals in a single season. Oh, and they were undefeated at home in 2022. I guess now would be the perfect time to mention they will have homefield advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs unless they match up with LAFC in the final. Notice I haven’t mentioned a single name yet? This is a team effort. Head coach, Jim Curtin, has this team bought in and playing one of the most distinct and efficient styles in all of MLS. They press from the front, are tough to break down, force you into mistakes, and are absolutely lethal in transition. Was that convincing enough? Dark Horse Team: FC Cincinnati & Real Salt Lake- Look, I know you just spent a minute or so reading why the Philadelphia Union were going to win MLS Cup but I failed to mention that there is a good chance they will have to go though the only Eastern Conference playoff team to beat them in the regular season to do so; FC Cincinnati. Former Union assistant and 1st year head coach for FCC, Pat Noonan, has transformed the 3x Wooden Spoon winners into the number 5 seed in this year's MLS Cup Playoffs in just 1 season. They added 29 points on to their 2021 total, conceded 18 fewer goals, increased their front 3’s goal contributions from 19g/15a in 2021 to 46g/22 in 2022, and rank 3rd in points v. EC playoff teams this season. But Blake, they’re going to be playing away for the majority of the playoffs! They earned 25 away points this season which is good for 4th in the Eastern Conference. If FCC are to make a run, every game is going to be an absolute shootout, but that’s exactly what we like over here at MLS Gone Wild. The saying usually goes, “offense wins games, but defense wins championships” but in FCC’s case, that defense isn’t going to win them anything. Their playoff success relies heavily on Acosta, Vazquez, and Brenner outscoring the opposition. Watch out, Philly. My Western Conference Dark Horse is a team that has played this role a number of times over the past half decade. As the 7 seed last year, RSL went on to take down 2 seeded Seattle and 3 seeded SKC on their way to the Western Conference Final. In 2018 as the 6, and last, seed in the Western Conference, they advanced over 3 seed LAFC. If they were to defeat Austin on Sunday afternoon, RSL will become the lone MLS side to advance in 4 of the last 5 postseasons. Not only does this team have a history of playing spoiler, they have playoff experience as they have 6 of their starters returning from last year’s playoff run, they split points with Austin this season, they understand that they don’t have to dominate a game to win it, and head Coach Pablo Mastroeni has this team believing. I didn’t pick the upset, but I won’t be surprised if it happens and you shouldn’t be either. Player of the Tournament: Andre Blake- I’ve got to go with my name partner Andre Blake on this one. He is 1st in MLS in clean sheets, 1st in save percentage, concedes the fewest goals/90, and has prevented the 2nd most goals in all of MLS with 10.7 goals prevented. The 2022 Union have been historically good defensively and a lot of that credit falls to the Jamaican international. If Philly do, like I predict, go on to win this year’s 2022 MLS Cup, I believe Andre Blake will join the likes of Tony Meola, Nick Rimando, Stefan Frei, and Sean Johnson as the 5th goalie to win the prestigious MLS Cup MVP award. Vas @boredastorian94 MLS Cup Winner: Nashville SC Dark Horse Team: New York Red Bulls Player of the Tournament: Hany Mukhtar Hernan @WeAreAustinTV MLS Cup Winner: LAFC, they have been the team to beat since early on this season. With a front three of Gareth Bale, Chicho Arango & Carlos Vela it’s hard to say that they will choke once again. I have my doubts on Gareth and how sold he is on helping LAFC win MLS cup but LAFC has an insane squad with tremendous amount of depth. Let's give credit to Cifuentes, a lowkey hero for the black and gold this season with 7 goals & 7 assists he's surely to pick up Bales slack going into the playoffs. Not only have they been solid in the attack, LAFC has only lost 3 points from a winning position, so if anyone lets these guys score first good luck on coming back. 38 goals conceded, 9 clean sheets, Giorgio Chiellini & Crepaeu yeah good luck. LAFC my winners for 2022. Dark Horse Team: AUSTIN FC, Why does it feel wrong typing this out? From bottom of the Western Conference in 2021 to 2nd seed in the Western Conference in 2022, Austin has shown that it can compete with the elite MLS clubs. A team that finds itself playing its best football when the media is against them has once again been “doubted” by the MLS experts. Lets not forget ATX has the Golden Boot & MVP runner up Sebastian Driussi who is looking to cement his name in MLS history, plus a hungry Diego Fagundez who is reminding the league just who he is with 15 assists and 6 goals in 2022. Austin has a home match vs RSL this sunday and if they win that then a home match vs Dallas/Minnesota will follow. Q2 will be packed to the rim and cheering on the Verde team, beware of this team when they are in full force. Player of the Tournament: Cristian Arango

Image courtesy of Charlotte FC What makes a successful season? Is it playoffs? Is it a championship? Is it the comradery? It depends who you ask. With a hard-fought 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew, Charlotte FC was officially eliminated from playoff contention. This team’s goal from the start was to host a home playoff game in their first season. They fell short of the playoffs altogether, but this year was still a success to most. It was a turbulent season for Charlotte that saw many highs and some lows, but it was still one to be proud of and build on. From the team’s first official MLS match in DC, the highest attended MLS game in history, an early coaching change, a last gasp playoff push, and everything in between – Charlotte made it a season to remember. Friendships were born and strangers became family. Although the season is over for Charlotte, the comradery will continue and soccer will continue to grow in the Queen City. The Supporters When Charlotte was announced as the newest MLS expansion team in 2019, no one expected that the team would get a delayed start in 2022 due to the COVID Pandemic. However, that only let the excitement continue to brew in the Carolinas until it was ready to explode in the inaugural season. That excitement helped lead to Charlotte FC setting the MLS attendance record with 74,479 fans in their first ever home game against the LA Galaxy. Moments before the game, a new tradition was born when the national anthem performer, Michelle Brooks-Thompson, microphone cut off early in the song. However, the supporters throughout the stadium were there to finish it together and continued to do so for the rest of season. The supporters showed out for every single game despite numerous rain delays to cheer on their team for 90 minutes and sometimes even more. Hours were poured into writing songs and creating tifos to cheer on the team and create an atmosphere everyone could be proud of. Supporters put in hundreds of hours of community service and fundraising efforts to benefit the community and will continue to do so through the offseason. Finishing with the second highest attendance of the season with 35,260, the fans were always there to back the team. That didn’t just happen at home either, Charlotte was well represented throughout the season by our passionate fans in enemy territory as well! Image courtesy of Charlotte FC The Players No one could have predicted the difference between the roster that started in Charleston for preseason compared to the team who finished the season in New York on Sunday. Charlotte first-ever signing Sergio Ruiz didn’t make it through the full season along with Alan Franco, Christian Makoun, and Titi Ortiz. However, along the way Charlotte was able to add some quality players to the lineup including Derrick Jones, Kamil Jóźwiak, Quinn McNeill, Kerwin Vargas, Andre Shinyashiki, Nathan Byrne, Adilson Malanda, and Nuno Santos. The importance these players played throughout the season should give a lot of hope to fans of the black and blue as they all played very key roles throughout the season while being thrown into a somewhat difficult transition for a team. While we lost some players along the way, this squad will forever be Charlotte FC’s first and the fight the team provided down the stretch will be remembered forever. The progression of the squad throughout the year and especially Brandt Bronico, Karol Świderski, Derrick Jones, Adilson Malanda, McKinze Gaines, and Daniel Ríos down the final stretch was immense and the team is trending upwards heading into year two. By the end of the season, you could really see the roster beginning to take shape. With a few key additions in the offseason, this team should be fully capable of meeting their year one goal of hosting a playoff game. TopBin90 will be doing a breakdown of the roster, expansion draft, transfer targets, and contract situations during the offseason to keep the fans up to date on the latest squad information! Image courtesy of Charlotte FC The Team Behind the Team The people behind the club who have helped to connect the supporters to the club have been irreplaceable. Whether it be the beloved Digital & Creative team that used their skills to capture the emotions of the players and fans throughout the season, the broadcast team of Lloyd Sam, Eric Krakauer, and Katie Witham, the Chief Fan Officer Shawn and Fan Experience Coordinator Nezzie, or any of the other departments that helps to make the club run and shine behind the scenes, Charlotte was overflowing with off-the-field talent this year. The importance of the team behind the team can never be understated and everyone is so thankful for them. Often times, these talents aren't recognized, but the Charlotte fanbase has done a great job recognizing and applauding them throughout the year for their efforts to help build and connect the players, supporters, and outside community with the magic of the Queen City and Charlotte FC. The Future Thank you so much to everyone who has supported TopBin90 and Charlotte FC this season! The offseason will seem long, but the wait will be worth it. TopBin90 will be keeping you up to date on the latest transfer news and speculation, MLS Playoffs, World Cup content, and much more as we move toward an even better year two. If you haven’t, be sure to take a moment to watch this beautiful season recap video shared by the club as well!

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Derrick Jones has emerged as a pivotal piece of Charlotte FC’s midfield over their final stretch of games. Throughout the course of the season Charlotte have lost the midfield battle consistently. Charlotte’s head coach, Christian Lattanzio, opted to add Jones to play alongside Brandt Bronico seven games ago against NYCFC and he has not looked back. Jones has appeared to be a missing piece that has helped Charlotte actually take control in the middle of the park more regularly. In a few of Jones’ recent performances there are several traits he has that stand out as to why he has been such a key performer for the Black and Blues. Anticipation Jones’ ability to anticipate opposing teams’ movement both defensively and in possession is one of his skills that stands out the most. Against the Chicago Fire, Jones consistently had a read on where they were trying to move the ball, and used his positioning and long frame to intercept multiple passes and to poke heavy touches. He would do this by subtly shifting with the play and scanning for who the nearby passing options are and then waiting for the ball to be passed and then jumping in the passing lane to disrupt the attacking build up. Time and time again he did this against Chicago and against Toronto FC. Jones’ anticipation makes him a very efficient defender, which can be observed both when watching him play, and in several defensive statistics. Jones’ successful pressure rate is 38.2%*, which is the highest among all regularly contributing Charlotte FC midfielders. His ability to time his tackles against dribblers is also astoundingly high at 80%. His overall tackles won rate is 60.9%. Jones’ defensive efficiency has made him a regular standout performer since being added to the starting lineup. His efficiency does not stop with his defensive abilities. Jones also uses his anticipation when Charlotte FC are in possession as well. He scans well and notices how the opposition is marking and pressing to help him predict where the space is going to open up so that he can then shift his body into those spaces to make himself available for passes from his centerbacks. He does this with very little movement, often only needing to take a step or two, because he notices when and where the space is going to open up before it does so he can make his way over to it efficiently. Possession Skills When Jones is in possession of the ball he also has several skills that help him maintain possession and progress the ball forward. He uses his body extremely well to help him keep control of the ball, often shrugging off defenders when they attempt to press him when he’s dribbling. He uses a combination of his strength and ball handling skills to turn and carry the ball forward into attacking areas and away from the opposition’s press. While he does not take defenders on often, when he does he is very good at doing so, as he has a successful dribble rate of 80%, showing his efficiency on the ball. This rate leads all regularly contributing midfielders. He is also clever in receiving the ball. Part of this is his anticipation, as discussed earlier, as he is good at figuring out where the space is going to open up during build up play. He also uses his strength to shield defenders away from the ball and technique to keep his touches close, making it very difficult to take the ball off of him when he is receiving a pass. Jones’ receiving success rate is 97.2%, and is also the highest among regularly contributing midfielders**. Size and Strength It would be ridiculous to ignore the fact that Jones is a massive midfielder, and it is definitely an asset. However, this is the third trait on this list because it is his technique and awareness that are what make him so good. He uses his size and strength to then enhance his technique to make him even more difficult to play against. For example, his technique allows him to keep the ball close to his body and is able to help him maintain possession of the ball and to carry it forward. He then makes his possession of the ball stronger by using his frame to shield defenders away, and his longer legs to give himself a reach advantage over other smaller attacking midfielders, who are regularly the ones pressing him. The other asset with his size is that he is strong in the air both on long balls in the middle of the park, and on set pieces. Again, in aerial duels, it's not just his size that makes him an asset. On a corner kick against the Chicago Fire Jones put a header off the post, missing a goal by inches. He created the separation from his defender by alertly seeing the space open up on the back post. He then shook his defender with a shifty move. His size did not play a role until his diving lung towards the back post. Up until that point he had already anticipated the space that was opening up and craftily found a way to beat his defender to that space. His lunge and strength at the end of the play is where his size then comes into effect. The point again here is that he is big, and strong. That is obvious by just looking at him. But what is most important to understand is that he uses these physical attributes to enhance his other ball playing skills. What Has He Done For Charlotte Lately Since earning the starting job in New York, Jones has become a mainstay in Charlotte’s starting lineup. Here is a look at some of his underlying numbers in his past seven starts and a comparison of how he has done during that stretch of games compared to other Charlotte FC midfielders. Passing Possession Defensive If there is one trend that sticks out the most across all three of these categories it is that Jones is a very efficient player for Charlotte FC when in possession and defensively. My personal speculation as to why he is more efficient than any of Charlotte’s other midfielders is because of his anticipation and his ability to read the game. When watching Jones play he is constantly scanning for positions to set himself up to make a defensive play or to receive a pass. This attribute is, to me, what separates him from the rest of Charlotte’s current midfield options. He is an efficient ball player in both attacking and defensive phases of play, which is what Charlotte FC have lacked for most of their season until the last few weeks. Which is when Jones was given the starting position. Team Impact Another area that can be looked at to help understand Jones’ impact on the team is seeing how well the team has performed overall since he took over a regular starting role. In Charlotte FC’s past seven games that Jones has started, the team’s expected goal difference (xGD) is +2.3. In the previous 25 games the team’s xGD is -6.3. To put those numbers into a game-by-game perspective, when Jones became a starter, Charlotte’s xGD improved by more than half an xG per game (from -.25 to +.33). Obviously, Jones is not the only factor that has changed the results of Charlotte’s form, but it can definitely be considered one of them. A New Feel in Midfield For the past few games Charlotte’s midfield has looked quite different than it did early on in the season. Jones, Bronico, and Karol Świderski have been the midfield trio of late. This change has shown an improvement in technicality in the middle of the park, as well as an ability for Charlotte to impose their will centrally at times. Something they could not do for most of the season. Bronico and Świderski have both gotten a lot of respect and admiration for their work throughout the course of the season, as they should. But it should not go unnoticed how big of an impact Jones has been in several facets of the Black and Blues' recent games. He will most likely continue to play a major part in Charlotte’s last ditch playoff run, and could force the hand of the Charlotte FC front office to exercise the option in his contract through his exceptional play to end the season. * All stats found on FBref.com unless otherwise noted. ** Nuno Santos has a higher percentage than Jones, but as he has not started yet, I would not put him in the regularly contributing category quite yet. ***Found on MLSsoccer.com (Jones' turnover/90 stat is based on the entire season as the MLS website would not let me look at Jones' turnover stats in each of the games he played)

By Tyler Trent Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC is finalizing a new 3-year deal with interim head coach Christian Lattanzio to become the permanent manager of the club. Christian Lattanzio was named as Interim-manger after the sacking of Charlotte FCs first official Head Coach Miguel Angel Ramirez at the end of May.Lattanzio has led the team to 7 wins, 1 draw, and 9 losses (22 points) since taking over as interim-manager with three games remaining and playoffs still possible, albeit unlikely. Lattanzio has proven once again his knack for helping to develop players, with McKinze Gaines, Brandt Bronico, and Ben Bender all praising the 1 on 1 work with Lattanzio and crediting him with helping their improvements. Nothing is official yet but negotiations are heading in the right direction and deal will soon strike.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Ben Bender’s first professional season is almost done. After a successful year, which was capped with being awarded a place on the MLS’ 22 under 22 list this past week, I decided to talk with Bender about his season in Charlotte. The 22 Under 22 List A few weeks ago Bender would not have known what the 22 under 22 list meant in MLS. When asked about what it meant about being added to this list as a player from the college ranks Bender said, “Well to be honest, I didn’t even know what it was. Someone texted me a picture and I was like ‘what is this?’ and then I looked it up. And yeah, now I’m super thankful and grateful to be honored in that list. Like some of those players are top, top players. So it is just cool to see my name on that list. But I have so much work. And yeah, it's, it's cool to represent NCAA too.” Bender is clearly not focused on receiving accolades or praise, but rather he chooses to focus on working and getting better. “I don't really focus on my accomplishments, I just focus on how I can help the team and how I fit in with the system and how consistent I am with working hard every day” Bender said when asked what he felt was his biggest accomplishment of the season. Learning how to fit into a system is difficult for most rookies, but it can be even more difficult if that system changes as it did when Charlotte FC made a coaching change midseason. “Probably the difference in practice, and training, I think the trainings are very, very intense. My body has not recovered as well as the beginning of the season. And I think that's one of the reasons why I haven't been as consistent. And it's good that it's super intense. Because at the next level, everyone's faster, stronger, and they play at a higher tempo.” Bender says on adjusting to interim coach Christian Lattanzio’s coaching philosophy. While his accomplishments on the field have been noticed by media pundits and MLS staff, what could easily go unnoticed is the respect and care he shows for his teammates. When discussing the most recent Charlotte FC win he makes sure to mention how nice it was to see his teammate, Karol Świderski, score a brace and get to do it in front of his family. When asked about his most memorable moments of the season Bender mentions his first career goal, but he also makes sure to mention how special a moment it was to see Sergio Ruiz score a goal against Nashville before he was transferred back to Spain. “I always liked Sergio, he was a super funny guy, but helped me on and off the field,” Bender said of his former teammate. Teammates come and go at the professional level quite often, it's one of the many differences between the college level and the pros. "It's definitely been interesting, because that's just how cutthroat the business is, like people come and go and now, it's definitely been difficult at times because you know, you try and make connections with the teammates and then they leave and then it's like, you might not ever play with them again. But yeah, that's what the tough part about it is" Bender says about dealing with turnover at the professional level. It's another human part of the game that often goes overlooked. Players like Ruiz and Bender can become well connected teammates one day and then play on different continents the next. But what remains, regardless of the coming and going of players, is the moments that these teammates share. And for Bender, when presented with opportunities to discuss his own accomplishments, he instead brings up the accomplishments of his teammates and how special it was to share those moments with them. The Offseason Continuing to work on his skillset is one of Bender’s primary focuses both for the remainder of the season and through the offseason. “Probably getting shots off quicker and long range shooting” Bender says when asked about his skills that he will focus on during the offseason. “And then also I want to focus on when we’re in the building stage, the building out of the back…like if we just win the ball, and people are closing around [me], I want to be able to secure it and really keep possession”. Bender is aware that he is not the biggest or strongest player, but he is also aware that there are other ways to improve his skillset to help strengthen his ability to maintain possession when building out of the back. “I think a lot of people think that MLS is just a big, strong athletic league, but really using your body is a skill. That's what the best players have” Bender says about ways to improve his play while in possession and working on maintaining stronger positions with his body to help control the ball when in possession and when dealing with pressure. Besides the strong work rate and focus that Bender discusses, he also shows humility in acknowledging some of his shortcomings and willingness to improve them. Bender has struggled with his willingness to launch shots at the goal, averaging only 1.29* shots per 90 minutes. Out of his attacking stats, increasing his willingness to shoot as well as his accuracy would go a long way towards helping him become the attacking midfielder he wants to become. Bender’s willingness to discuss his need to become stronger in possession and maintaining possession when under pressure shows his character as this is definitely an area that has been one of his weaker points of his game. Bender leads Charlotte FC’s midfielders in turnovers with 57**. He also gets dispossessed 2.02 times per 90 and fails to gain possession when attempting to control the ball 2.53 times per 90. All three of these stats are the highest among Charlotte FC midfielders, and demonstrate Bender’s struggle with controlling possession and managing oppositional pressure. Addressing this flaw head on and talking about it shows both an awareness of his weaknesses and a goal oriented focus towards sharpening these skills if he can follow through with hard work in training and during the offseason. Bender’s offseason outside of soccer is simple and to the point “spending time with my family and my girlfriend” says Bender about his offseason plans off the field. The Olympics The US U-20 men’s team recently qualified for the 2024 Olympics. Bender had spent some of his youth training with a few of the players on the squad during camps in Philadelphia. “Paxton Aaronson actually trained up with my team when I was on the U14 team, he was with the Union Juniors and I played with him a little bit”. Bender recalls from his youth academy years. “I always knew Paxton was gonna be a pro…you could just see he has the game inside of him.” When asked about the possibility of getting a call up to represent the country for the 2024 Olympics alongside USMNT players, such as Aaronson, Bender said “That would be a huge honor. I mean, that's something that I want to try and work towards. It'd be amazing to represent the country. But for now, I want to just, you know, work on the things that I need to get better at, and maybe that'll happen one day.” Life In Charlotte Bender seems to have taken to life well in Charlotte “I mean, I love it here. I love the location of it. The weather's good. The city's not too big. It's relatively small. And I like the beach and the mountains. And it's right in between there. So I've been able to get to the Outer Banks and also been able to get out in the mountains…the Asheville, Pisgah, Cherokee area. So yeah, I really like the location of it and I've adapted really well” Bender says of his new life in Charlotte. Image courtesy of Charlotte FC “I actually did like two days ago and caught a handful of fish. It was an experience, smallmouth bass. It's my favorite type of fishing. I like trout fishing too, but smallmouth is my favorite” Bender said of a recent fishing trip to Western North Carolina. Bender’s transition to life in Charlotte seems to have been a smooth one off the field. Life for the rookie on the field has also been pretty good, which is how he received the accolade of being on the MLS 22 under 22 list. He would be the first to say that the work is far from over and that there is plenty of self improvement for him as a player, and that while there have been plenty of ups there have also been downs. Bender is quick to acknowledge that struggling is not always a bad thing “It's good to fail and to struggle sometimes. It allows you to get better, allows for improvement” he says about some of the difficulties he has faced throughout the season. The improvement is what many fans will be looking forward to seeing from the young midfielder as he transitions into his second season. While the improvement of any player can not be guaranteed from year-to-year, Bender’s work rate, focus and being a quality teammate is a guarantee. *All stats found on FBref.com unless otherwise mentioned **Found on MLSsoccer.com

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Since Christian Lattanzio replaced Miguel Ángel Ramírez (MAR) as the interim manager for Charlotte FC’s inaugural season, the questioning of whether Lattanzio should be given the full time job began. Of late, the Charlotte fanbase has been calling for Lattanzio’s head as they have only won three of their past ten games. In this article I take a look at why Lattanzio could actually be the right man for the job moving forward. Development of Players When a club is making a decision on who to have as their coach, there are two major factors that need to be looked at. First is how good a coach is at developing players that are on a team. Second is how good a coach is at recruiting new talent to the club. One of the biggest highlights of the inaugural season has been the season-long consistency of midfielder Brandt Bronico’s performances. When Bronico has been asked about the progressions that he has made as a player this season, he talks avidly about the time and effort that Lattanzio would put in to help him with his growth. While Bronico might be the biggest stand out performer and demonstration of Lattanzio’s ability to develop talent, there have been several others that have shown a benefit from Lattanzio’s tutelage. Winger McKinze Gaines has shown steady improvement throughout the course of the season. While, at first, he was regularly lacking composure in the final third, even if he was getting into the final third constantly, he has started to show an ability to slow the game down a bit and is able to make stronger decisions with the ball which has led him to getting a goal and a couple assists. Undrafted free agent midfielder Quinn McNeill is another player who has developed well under Lattanzio. McNeill would likely not be a name under any consideration as a depth midfielder at all if Lattanzio was not currently the coach. Lattanzio’s resume for developing players is world class. His ability to develop talent has continued both when he started at Charlotte as an assistant, and has continued in his time this season as the interim head coach. The likelihood of Charlotte FC finding a better coaching candidate to develop the talent on the roster is unlikely, which means one of the main things that Charlotte would have to be interested in if they decide to look for a new coach is if they can find one who is capable of attracting players to Charlotte. Similar to how Tata Martino attracted Miguel Almirón to Atlanta United. Familiarity With The Situation Lattanzio has been in this situation before, and has helped an MLS club improve in their second season after a difficult expansion campaign. Lattanzio was Patrick Vieira’s assistant when he took over the reins of NYCFC in their second season. In New York’s inaugural season, the club ended their campaign on 37 points and finished 17th out of 20 teams*. In New York’s second season when Vieira took over as the head coach, with Lattanzio as his assistant, the team improved to 54 points and finished 4th in MLS. Lattanzio has been involved in an MLS expansion project before and has had a direct hand in improving NYCFC into a playoff team from a team that was near the bottom of the table in their inaugural campaign. Out of the potential coaching candidates that Charlotte will likely be considering this winter, there will likely not be any who have actually been in the exact situation that Charlotte are going to be in heading into year two as a club. Lattanzio has been in Charlotte’s situation before with NYCFC, and helped them improve into a playoff team in their second season. Committed To The Club Lattanzio has expressed a commitment and passion to Charlotte FC. He has expressed this in recent press conferences, and also that he has an interest in helping the club longer term. Having a coach who already has a commitment and an attachment to the club could be a great asset, especially if Lattanzio demonstrates that he can help Charlotte achieve their goals long term. Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin started out as an academy coach who wound up getting an opportunity as an interim manager for the Union in 2014. He has since gone on to be a successful coach who has fully committed to the Union in the long term. While that commitment did not pay major dividends in the short term, the Union are now reaping their reward with several successful campaigns in a row. Sometimes committing to the coach who has already demonstrated a commitment to the club can be the right answer, even if the decision is not always the flashy one. Lattanzio was already committed to the project in Charlotte, even without being the coach. Keeping him in the coaching role for next season would ensure that the players are being coached by someone who is for sure committed to the club. Bringing in a new manager brings the chance that that manager may not be committed to the club or the fanbase. This was the issue that the team ran into with their initial hiring of MAR. Setting a Culture and Raising Expectations One of the reasons for MAR’s departure was the lack of intensity in training. The level of intensity in training is a cultural expectation that must be set by the coach. Which was Lattanzio’s responsibility to increase and to change when he was given responsibility for the team. In his time as the coach this season Lattanzio has shown a willingness to commit to a more intense culture and higher expectations in training, which has led him to making unpopular lineup decisions at times. However, having a manager who is willing to make unpopular decisions in order to stay committed to a philosophy and a gameplan is a quality that can be found in many successful managers at all levels of soccer, and in most other sports as well. Bringing in a new manager does not guarantee that that manager will be as committed to establishing a long term culture, or willing to look badly at times in order to help establish that cultural foundation. This is something that Charlotte FC has already seen evidence of from Lattanzio. Ability to Attract MLS Players to Charlotte Lattanzio has both experience in MLS and has spent over a decade developing players in Europe. He will likely be able to attract players both from within MLS and from abroad. Charlotte FC will likely be able to find other candidates who can also attract talented players to Charlotte, but the key will be if they can find a manager who can both attract new players and develop the players that are currently on the roster. These are both things that Charlotte FC’s front office will know Lattanzio can do, so if Charlotte FC decides to make a move away from Lattanzio they will need to be sure that their new manager has a strong track record of developing talent and attracting the needed talent to improve the team. Lattanzio’s Coaching Performance So Far Lattanzio’s coaching performance has been underrated by the fanbase. While MAR’s coaching performance was quite a bit overrated. A speculation to why that is could be how the two managers differ in their interactions with the fans and media in press conferences. MAR was always quick to highlight the flaws in the roster build and the lack of talent that was on the team as to the reasons for poor early season performances. Lattanzio, on the other hand, never brings up limitations in the same group of players and rather focuses on his belief in them and what they can focus on to do better. It should be acknowledged as a testament to Lattanzio’s character that he is not as willing to berate the abilities of the players he coaches as easily as MAR did, especially since Lattanzio was left with even fewer players on the roster than MAR was. When MAR was fired Charlotte FC had 16 points from 14 games. That is a 1.14 point per game (PPG) pace. Lattanzio put Charlotte FC back into the playoff hunt by earning 10 points from his first six games as interim manager. After this start the team’s performances began to slide. At the same time multiple players were sold, reducing Charlotte’s midfield greatly. During Lattanzio’s time as interim manager he has lost four players from the senior roster (Sergio Ruiz, Christian Makoun, Alan Franco and Cristian Ortíz), and the club was rumored to be trying to move on from Yordy Reyna as well. Even with the roster being reduced Lattanzio has still managed to help the team slightly improve on the team’s initial form. The heartbreak that many fans blame Lattanzio for causing is due to the team sliding away from a playoff position. A position that Lattanzio is also responsible for putting them in. A task Lattanzio was able to accomplish with fewer resources provided then MAR, who was given a multi-year deal when he was brought on as the coach. Final Thoughts Keeping Lattanzio for a full season in 2023 would give Charlotte FC a coach who the organization is familiar with, and can know they can count on when it comes to implementing a game plan and culture that the club desires to achieve. He would also provide the ability to continue developing the younger players on the squad who were brought into the club because one of Charlotte FC’s aims is to be known for developing talent. Lattanzio would also provide a plan for success in year two. One that he already has experience with implementing as he was involved in NYCFC’s 17 point jump in their second season. The one area where an argument can be made for a new coach being signed to replace Lattanzio is to have a coach who can attract higher quality talent. However, Lattanzio very well could attract players to the squad based on his previous experience in both MLS and his extensive experience working abroad in Europe. If the squad chooses to bring in a manager who can attract higher quality talent they run the risk of reducing the club’s ability to develop their own talent from within, which Lattanzio has a strong track record of doing. Charlotte FC have also set themselves up with a back up plan as well if they do give Lattanzio a shot next season and he does not work out. When Charlotte FC signed José Tavares as their MLS NEXT Pro coach they brought in a very highly touted coaching prospect. One who has even gotten an offer from a Premier League club. While it would be a very cumbersome situation for Charlotte to need to address a coaching change for twice in their first two seasons, Tavares would be another great prospective replacement for Lattanzio, or whoever else may be signed on as Charlotte FC’s coach for the 2023 season. *All stats found on FBref.com