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By Jorge Gonzales Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC are confirmed to have a significantly reduced roster for tonight’s match against CF Montreal. At least ten players did not travel due to health and safety protocols. Charlotte FC tried to petition the league to postpone the match but they were unsuccessful. The true test tonight will be how Lattanzio can find a result in Montreal with so many players missing. Charlotte FC does have a few players on loan at Charlotte Independence who they may call up to provide some depth for the match. While this helps put names on the roster sheet, there is no other way to spin this than to say that this news is a significant blow to Charlotte FC’s chances in tonight’s match. If Lattanzio can lead the Black and Blues to a result tonight it would be a remarkable feat.

By Brian Maurer Images courtesy of Sport Club Internacional and Orlando City SC Charlotte FC are looking to be active during the secondary transfer window, which is set to open on July 7th. Sources have confirmed that along with adding an attacking midfielder, Charlotte are looking to incorporate a right back. On Wednesday, June 22nd, MLS pundit Niko Moreno reported that Charlotte have inquired about 30 year old Brazilian full back Rodinei Marcelo de Almeida and are also interested in 27 year old Rafael Ramos. Ramos is a Portuguese fullback who plays for Brazilian side Corinthians. Where he has been a regular contributor. He has also played in MLS for both Orlando City and Chicago Fire. Although, Ramos also has some reported off field concerns. According to The-Sun.com, Ramos was arrested last month for using a racial slur towards an opponent. Rodinei is a player that Charlotte FC have had an interest in for quite awhile. According to Brazilian news outlet, Globo, Charlotte made an offer to Flamengo for Rodinei in February of 2021. Over the last couple years he has had limited minutes, but in the 2018/19 season he was a regular contributor for Flamengo as the team became both Brazilian champions and Copa Libertadores Cup winners. Rodinei would bring trophy winning experience to Charlotte FC, as well as a more direct attacking option down the right side. He would provide further competition for minutes with both Jaylin Lindsey and Harrison Afful. Based on both of these players' backgrounds and playing style, it appears that Charlotte FC are looking to add depth at fullback. Specifically with players who are willing to roam up the wing into attack, which is something both Ramos and Rodinei enjoy doing. It also appears that Charlotte are taking a long look at some of the big Brazilian clubs for talent, as both of these players currently play in Brazil’s top league.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC’s first four months have been a pretty wild ride. They have established themselves as a team with quotes and words from staff that quickly go viral. “Screwed” and “speculate” are both words that will trigger many fans’ memories of the ups and downs of this inaugural season. Through all the off-field concerns and discussions, the Black and Blues have shown a lot of competitive spirit and resolve. This energy presents itself strongest when Charlotte FC plays at home. Currently, Charlotte FC have accrued the fourth most points at home in MLS. If they beat Austin FC today, they will have the most points at home of any team in MLS this season. An impressive start for a team that was picked as a wooden spoon contender by many MLS pundits. Taking a look back through the first half of the season, I am going to take a deeper dive into four phases of play, and how Charlotte FC has fared in each so far. I will also discuss part of Charlotte FC’s struggles on the road, and why there is reason for optimism on away matches during the second half of the season. Four Phases In a podcast episode of Soccer 101*, Joe Lowery discussed four continuous phases of play within a football match. These phases are possession, defensive transition, defending, and attacking transition. All phases are used in every match. The question is how effective have Charlotte FC been in these four phases throughout the first half of the season. Images courtesy of Charlotte FC Possession As a squad, Charlotte FC are tenth in MLS in touches per 90 minutes, showing that they are having some success in their desired possession style of play. However, it is important to look at where Charlotte is getting their touches. Charlotte FC has the third most touches in their defensive third. The eleventh most touches in the middle third, and the twenty-first most touches in the attacking third. Charlotte might be able to possess the ball well, but they are struggling to get the ball forward, and possess it in more aggressive areas of the pitch. Charlotte FC will need to show improvement in their possession play, especially when it comes to possessing the ball in attacking areas, if they are going to earn extra points throughout the second half of the season. Not only will this help the team advance higher up the table, but it is paramount if Charlotte FC are going to truly establish this model of play as their foundational philosophy. One alarming possession stat that needs to improve is Karol Świderski’s touches in the attacking penalty area. Currently, Świderski is averaging just 4.21 touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 minutes. Having Charlotte FC’s strongest scoring threat get so few touches in dangerous areas limits the ability of the team to produce goals out of their possession. If Świderski starts to get more touches in the attacking third and, especially, the penalty area, the Black and Blues’ possession stats and goal production from possession should improve through the second half of the season. Images courtesy of Charlotte FC Defensive Transition The defensive transition phase will be the second most important phase for Charlotte FC’s ideal style of play. As this will be the phase where Charlotte quickly tries to regain possession after they lose it. Using an effective counter press can help a team increase how much they possess the ball, as counter pressing helps regain possession quickly. Halfway through the season, Charlotte FC are ninth in MLS in total pressing. However, Charlotte FC are only nineteenth in successful pressure percentage (28.6%). What this suggests is that Charlotte FC are showing a willingness to press their opponents, but they are not pressing efficiently. Efficiency should come with time playing together as a unit. Three players who could play a big part in helping improve the efficiency of the press for the remainder of the season are Titi Ortiz, Andre Shinyashiki, and Kamil Jozwiak. All three have shown a desire to press opponents often, and in limited minutes all three of them have shown an ability to press well. Ortiz leads the team in attempted presses per 90 minutes (23.8), Shinyashiki is also high on Charlotte FC’s pressing list with 19.8. Jozwiak is one of the team’s more effective pressers with a 30.6% successful press rate. If Charlotte FC are to impose their possession type style of play on opponents they will need to continue to develop an effective counter press. All three of these players will likely play a vital role in whether that effective press does transpire during the second half of the season. Defending The development of Charlotte FC’s defensive shape has been one of the brighter spots of the team as the season has progressed. Charlotte FC have only conceded 15 goals in their last 14 matches. They have also not had an expected goals against (xGA) in a match higher than 1.5 since matchday six. While there were some bumps on the road early, the defensive structure of the team appears to be stabilizing. A major contributor to this defensive stability is Guzman Corujo. He is the only player on the roster who has played every MLS minute for Charlotte FC thus far. He has also made many clutch tackles, and is one of the leaders on the team in several defensive statistics. What has also been impressive about Corujo is that even though he has played every minute he has only made one error leading to an opponent's shot. Anton Walkes, who has just recently become Corujo’s backline partner, has also yet to put a foot wrong since becoming a weekly starter. If this partnership continues to flourish, Charlotte FC may have found a stabilizing defensive pairing for several years, as both Corujo and Walkes are about to enter the primes of their careers. Another key contributor to Charlotte FC’s defense is their keeper, Kristijan Kahlina. Kahlina provided many clutch saves early on in the season, and has continued his strong play. He just has not had to make as many saves as he did early on as the defense has become more stable. Kahlina is currently in the top ten of MLS keepers in both save percentage (76.8%) and post shot expected goals (PSxG)** minus goals against (GA) per 90 minutes (.14). Charlotte FC will be hoping that he can maintain his current pace, while also reducing a few of the critical errors he has made playing out of the back. A surprise defensive standout has been Joseph Mora. While he started his season slowly, he has come on as one of the team’s strongest defensive players. His successful defensive pressure rate is 40%. That stat leads the team among players with ten or more starts. He also has a dribbler tackle rate of 75%, again the highest on the team among regular starters, while also leading the team in tackles won per 90 minutes (2.22). It will be interesting to see how the captain, Christian Fuchs, gets worked back into the lineup, when fully fit, since the backline has really started to gel even with his absence. Attacking Transition Charlotte FC’s attacking transition is one of their weakest phases of play. They are currently seventeenth in completed passes progressing into the attacking third per 90 minutes (27.4); and they are twenty-third in overall progressive passes per 90 minutes (29.1). Charlotte FC have, simply, not been very good at moving the ball forward into attacking areas with consistency. While these progressive passing stats do not differentiate between counter situations and more standard possession sequences, these stats still show the limited amount of progression occurring. With a team that wants to press high and win the ball back quickly, there should also be more balls progressed forward. Which is what these progressive stats show is missing in many of Charlotte FC's current performances. This had been one of the complaints that players had with former coach, Miguel Angel Ramirez’s methods. It will be interesting to keep an eye on whether the current coach, Christian Lattanzio, can improve this phase of play for Charlotte FC in the second half of the season. If Ortiz continues to earn a starting spot under Lattanzio, his progressive and attacking creativity will be a key to whether Charlotte FC can improve their attacking transition. Currently, Ortiz only averages 2.03 attacking third progressive passes per 90 minutes. He also only puts just over one progressive pass into the penalty area per 90 minutes. Neither of those numbers are good enough from a starting attacking midfielder. He is only now starting to get regular minutes, so both of those numbers could start to rise. Another way Charlotte FC could help improve their attacking transition play is if they invest more heavily in attacking midfielders. One of the front office goals that sporting director, Zoran Krneta, set for the summer was to bring in another attacking midfielder. If a signing can be made, and the new player becomes a hit, Charlotte FC’s attacking transition could be much improved through the second half of the season. Road Concerns The greatest area for overall improvement for Charlotte FC is obviously their road performances. If Charlotte FC were averaging just a half a point from their road matches they would be right at the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. The lack of road results is the primary cause for why they are sitting back in ninth. There is reason to believe that their road performances should improve over the second half of the season. The primary reason is that they face weaker competition. Charlotte FC have lost seven matches on the road so far this season. Of those seven losses, five of the teams they faced currently sit above the playoff line. The two teams that do not currently sit above the playoff line are Atlanta United and DC United. Atlanta is very likely a playoff contender once their players get healthier. DC United was Charlotte FC’s week one matchup and at the time they had no designated players (DPs) set to play. Charlotte FC’s final eight road matches include four teams that are currently sitting outside of the playoffs (Houston, Inter Miami, Toronto FC, and Chicago). One of the teams that Charlotte plays on the road, that are currently above the playoff line, is FC Cincinnati, a team that Charlotte have already been able to beat at home. When Charlotte has played a team on the road that is not in the current playoff picture, the results are nowhere near as dire. They are obviously still winless but they have picked up two draws out of their three matches on the road against non-playoff teams. Charlotte FC fans should expect a minimum of four points from their remaining non-playoff road schedule. That number could improve quickly with a first road win against a beatable Houston team over the weekend. Overall, the second half of the season on the road looks less ominous. It will also be less daunting if Charlotte FC are able to add more pieces during the summer transfer window. This summer transfer window will be crucial. If Charlotte FC are able to land one of their main targets at attacking midfielder during the summer, they should be able to make a strong push towards the playoffs as the signing would greatly improve the phases of play where Charlotte FC are currently struggling the most. If they are unable to make a strong attacking midfield signing during the summer, a push for the playoffs becomes significantly harder, and the pressure on the current roster becomes far higher. *I highly recommend the Soccer 101 podcast, even for people who have followed the beautiful game for a while there are sure to be historical and informative facts and stories that will entertain people with all varying levels of understanding of the sport. **PSxG-GA is probably the best advanced stat currently available to analyze how well a goalkeeper is playing. This stat takes the total amount of probable goals faced and subtracts it from the actual goals allowed. A positive number signifies a keeper giving up fewer goals than expected, while a negative number indicates a keeper giving up more goals than expected. This stat plus a few others, such as save percentage, help indicate how well a keeper is doing regardless of their teams overall performance. ***All stats for this article were found on FBref.com

By Tyler Trent Image courtesy of Tyler Trent Soccer is the world’s game. However, in the United States that hasn’t always been the case. It has been overshadowed by football, basketball, baseball, and hockey for years. However, research has shown that fans under 45 comprise a larger interest in soccer compared to other sports, which is promising for the continued growth of the sport in the United States. Soccer has been rapidly growing throughout the United States over the last decade. According to Nielsen research, the growth of Major League Soccer has saw a 27% increase in public interest since 2012. With Charlotte finally getting their chance at their own MLS team, it was bound to bring in new fans who may have never watched the sport in their life in the Carolinas and surrounding regions. Being able to share Charlotte FC and soccer with potential new fans is an amazing feeling and makes for a unique experience for many people each gameday. There are many options to make a great experience out of a first gameday, and what makes that day special for each person is unique. I had the pleasure of taking my longtime friend, Alex Stallard, to his first professional soccer game. Alex, a resident of Rock Hill, South Carolina, shared his experience and how it compared to other sporting events he has attended in the past. Primarily a basketball and football fan, Alex was ready to give soccer at try with Charlotte FC making an entrance to the Carolinas. The First Game On May 7th, 2022, Charlotte FC was set to face Inter Miami in an Eastern Conference matchup. Alex began his day traveling to the Supporter Tailgate before the match with friends, including myself. I recommended the tailgate lot as a way to meet some new people and get an introduction to what makes supporting a soccer club so special and different. Alex hung out around the Uptown Ultras tent and wandered throughout the tailgate lot to take in all the different sights and sounds. La Femme Footie was running their Can4Can event with NoDa Brewing Company to raise money and donations for Safe Alliance. After donating to the fundraiser, we grabbed two cans of NoDa's Plum Gose before the rain struck. Luckily, it didn’t last long and the pre-match party continued. Next, it was time for the supporters to march to the match. The chants rang loud as the supporters groups all came together to head toward the stadium. We are Charlotte. The mighty black and blue. We are from the Carolinas. Sangre Negra Y Azul. This is where the biggest differences started to appear for Alex. “The march to the match was probably my favorite part. It was an incredibly unique experience compared to what I've been accustomed to as far as sporting events go. The singing and chanting were super fun during the march as well.” Alex soon arrived at Bank of America Stadium and picked out his seats in the supporters section before going to grab a beer and some food. The section was lively with anticipation for the match. “It was completely different from an atmosphere/energy perspective. It's hard to describe, but most of the people there seemed way more excited to be there than a majority of other sporting events I've been to.” That energy was about to be amped up to another level. The Poznan began when the sounds of the hit 2021 song Pepas broke out over the speakers. Before the match, I told Alex about the Poznan tradition that started at Charlotte FC. I told him it was a way to honor the three Polish players on the Charlotte roster, and generate an even bigger atmosphere going into the start of the match. The Poznan celebration is most associated with the supporters of the club Lech Poznan in Poland, but many teams throughout the world have their own rendition. With arms linked and backs to the pitch, the Poznan began with Alex and friends jumping in unison with the entire supporters section. Growing up near Virginia Tech, this was reminiscent of their football team’s entrance to Enter Sandman for Alex. After a scoreless first half, Andre Shinyashiki scored in the 68th minute right in front of the supporters section. The sound that erupted from the stands was deafening, and the chaos began in the supporters section with fans cheering and jumping in celebration. Charlotte went on to win the match 1-0 and the electric atmosphere continued all the way back to the parking lot. I asked Alex if he was interested in attending more games this season, and there was no hesitation in his answer, “I’d absolutely want to make it to another game and it’s definitely something made even better with a group of friends.” Was a Charlotte FC Match Your First Professional Soccer Experience? Were you new to soccer and interested in speaking about your first experience with the beautiful game watching Charlotte FC? Reach out to me on twitter and let me know! Everyone’s first soccer experience is unique and we would love to share more of your stories discovering the sport we all love and what you enjoyed the most about your first match! For many of us, we have been attending professional soccer for years. Do you remember your first professional soccer experience? Let us know about it in the comments below!

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Sources confirm Inter Miami are Interested in bringing Charlotte FC defender Christian Makoun back with the Venezuelan international not being opposed to making a return to Miami, a team who he saw regular team action last season with over 20 MLS starts. Makoun had previously removed all of his Charlotte FC posts on his Instagram account. However earlier Wednesday afternoon he posted his Charlotte FC photos back and posted an Instagram story saying "Relax Guys" . His minutes have been limited, recently, with both regular starting CB spots being taken by Guzman Corujo and Anton Walkes. CB is one of Charlotte’s deepest positions as they also have Jan Sobocinski and Christian Fuchs available. Fuchs has been playing left back of late, but could be rotated back to CB if Corujo or Walkes were injured. With this much depth and minutes being hard to come by for Makoun, a transfer could make sense for both parties involved. The Venezuelan international was traded to Charlotte FC from Inter Miami in January of this year, for their number one spot in the MLS Allocation Order. Makoun has made twelve appearances with eight starts for the Black and Blues so far in the club’s inaugural season. Makoun also had two starts for the Venezuelan National Team this year during World Cup Qualifiers. It is yet to be seen if Inter Miami will look to work out a deal with Charlotte FC to acquire Makoun back but one thing is for sure, Interest for the Venezuelan from the Florida team is there.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of LAFC Charlotte are monitoring the situation of 25 year old midfielder Latif Blessing. Sources close to Blessing stated that he could make a move to Charlotte FC during the summer window. Blessing (25 years old) is an attacking midfielder who plays for Los Angeles FC (LAFC). What Would Blessing Bring To Charlotte FC? Blessing is an attacking midfielder about to enter his prime, who has been a player for LAFC since their inaugural season. He would bring MLS experience, and more specifically, experience playing for an MLS expansion club. This is his sixth season in MLS, and fifth for Los Angeles. Besides experience, Blessing also provides a high energy work rate. In all five seasons for LAFC, Blessing has been one of their top three presses per 90 leaders of all regularly contributing players. In fact, through his five years with LAFC he has 25.8 defensive pressures per 90. That stat would lead Charlotte FC amongst their regular contributors. His 30% pressure success rate, through five seasons, leads all of Charlotte’s current midfield contributors. Blessing would also provide some fire power and stability in possession. His five year passing completion rate is 84.2%. This rate would be higher than all Charlotte FC midfielders besides Quinn McNeill, who has started three games, and Brandt Bronico. Through five seasons he also has 5.87 progressive receptions per 90. Which would lead all Charlotte FC midfielders. These two stats would point to Blessing being able to help maintain possession with his passing, and also find space to receive the ball in progressive areas where the team can than advance into attacking areas. Adding Blessing would provide Charlotte FC with an asset as both an attacker and as a high energy defender in the midfield. His energy would be a welcome boost to a team that is starting to show signs of tired legs. Why Would Blessing Leave LAFC? Playing time. LAFC have been making some major moves in several different positions. While Blessing has been a mainstay in LAFC’s starting lineup through their first four seasons as a club, he has only made nine starts through twenty-one games so far this season. The recent addition of Jhegson Méndez further clogs an already very clogged midfield. The regular minutes Blessing has been accustomed to over the years may be starting to dwindle. Also, Blessing was brought in during Bob Bradley’s coaching tenure. New coach, Steven Cherundolo, is likely in the process of putting his own blueprints on an already successful squad. Blessing may not be a part of that blueprint in the future. Blessing is also on an expiring contract*. He will be a free agent at the end of this season, although he does have an option to extend his contract. Blessing may be interested in finding a new team in order to increase his minutes during the remainder of the season to help increase his options going into next year. Whether that is extending his contract, or by increasing the teams interested in his services through free agency. The only way he can garner more interest from other clubs is with minutes and production. Charlotte FC could provide those minutes. Why would Charlotte FC make this move? It is a low risk, high reward type move. It is a low risk move because the trade would cost a relatively low fee, as Blessing is on an expiring contract, which may also be less likely to be extended since LAFC have been making other moves to bring in midfielders. It is also low risk because if Blessing does not end up being a good fit Charlotte FC would not be contractually obligated to keep him long-term. They would be able to let him walk if it does not work out, or exercise an option or contract extension if the fit is solid. This would be a high reward move because they would be signing a player who is about to be entering his prime and has already shown an ability to succeed at the MLS level. If Blessing were to be a hit, similar to how Andre Shinyashiki has been since his signing, then Charlotte FC would be giving themselves an extra option in terms of the direction they can take the midfield's roster development in the winter window. Another benefit is that Blessing is familiar with Charlotte FC’s desired style of play, and has started in a similar system regularly. Specifically, Blessing is used to being one of the two 8’s in a 4-3-3 single pivot, which is what both Charlotte FC and LAFC prefer to play. He would be an immediate plug and play starter. Final Thoughts Fans would most likely prefer Charlotte FC to spend big on a young designated player (DP). However, if Charlotte FC are not able to land their preferred target, and are not interested in rapidly switching directions with large sums of money, then Blessing is an absolute no-brainer signing. His playing style would fit well with what Charlotte FC want to do, he has plenty of success and experience playing in MLS, and he is about to enter his prime. *Found on the MLSPA's upcoming free agents list **All player stats found on fbref.com

By Brian Maurer Images courtesy of Charlotte FC The 2022 MLS All-Star game is just over a month away. It will be played in Minnesota, and Minnesota United’s coach, Adrian Heath, will be the MLS All-Star Team coach. Heath will be leading the team against the Liga MX All-Star Team. The question I wanted to look a little deeper into was whether Charlotte FC could have a representative at this year’s event. There are a few aspects of how the All-Star team is constructed that should be addressed before comparing any statistics. First, the roster is partially constructed around popularity. The first twelve players are voted on by fans, media, and players. The fans and media votes will likely have a strong pull towards more popular players in the league. Popularity is something that Charlotte FC is short on. Outside of Christian Fuchs, most people did not know who many of the players on the roster were before the season started. On popularity alone, Charlotte FC were going to receive a pretty limited amount of votes. There also has not been a player on Charlotte FC who has stood out so remarkably that they have boosted their popularity at the national level. All this means that Charlotte is unlikely to get a player voted in by the fans, media, and players. Image courtesy of Minnesota United Second, Heath will be selecting twelve all-stars for the match. Perhaps he has kept an eye on Charlotte FC, but since Charlotte are not playing Minnesota United this season I would not bank on him keeping to close an eye. This is just speculation, but unless something really stood out to Heath about one of Charlotte’s players so far I do not think that Heath will likely be selecting a player from Charlotte as things currently stand. Third, Don Garber is making the final two all-star selections. These picks, to me, are interesting, as Charlotte FC have had a solid start to their expansion campaign off the field, especially with ticket sales and team promotion. Garber might be interested in providing a boost to that promotion by sending a Charlotte FC representative to the match. Garber’s two picks are where I think a Charlotte FC player could be selected. Image courtesy of MLS The chances of a Charlotte FC player getting selected will also depend on how the following month goes. July could be a great opportunity for a few of Charlotte FC’s more consistent contributors to push themselves into the conversation for either Heath or Garber. Since the voting for fans, media, and players ends July 1st I don’t see any Charlotte player’s being voted in by then. Unless Ben Bender grabs a hat trick and an assist against Austin FC on Thursday. Over the next month, I think Kristijan Kahlina, Guzman Corujo, Brandt Bronico, and Bender could all make a claim from the fringes if they can continue to perform consistently and elevate their overall production. A few wins would also help solidify a claim, since winning will draw the interest from outside of Charlotte, and validate the production of the players. Kahlina got off to a very strong start, making many clutch saves which helped Charlotte FC secure points early on. His play has dropped slightly, and the defense has improved, which has meant Kahlina has had to make fewer saves. A good thing for the team, but not for padding his stats as an all-star candidate. Kahlina has stayed in the top ten in MLS in save percentage (76.8%) and in post shot expected goals minus goals against (PSxG-GA)* showing that he is capable of hanging with some of the better keepers in the league. However, players like Andre Blake, Dayne St. Clair, Sean Johnson, and Steve Clark are all having solid seasons this year. St. Clair, specifically, is having a breakout year, which could make it difficult for Kahlina to find a place on the all-star team. However if he goes on a heater and gets two or three more clean sheets, with a couple wins, that could change things. Corujo is another Charlotte FC candidate who could make a push if Charlotte FC’s defense continues to maintain its stability, and Charlotte can continue to grind out results. Several of his defensive actions stats are strong and hold with several other center back all-star candidates. Corujo currently averages 6.59 successful defensive actions** per 90 minutes. When comparing his defensive stats to other quality center backs like Aaron Long (7.58), Alexander Callens (5.86), and Walker Zimmerman (6.75), he can clearly hold his own. Whether he can make a bid, I believe, will be whether the team can continue to get results and hold another couple of clean sheets. Corujo is essentially in the same situation as Kahlina. Bronico and Bender are both in difficult situations. They have both performed well in their positions, but their positions are also where some of the best producers in the league play. Bender has arguably no shot, at this point, of making the roster regardless of how he plays because he is competing with players like Sebastián Driussi, Carles Gil, Dániel Gazdag, and Hany Mukhtar. All of these players, and more, are competing for the MVP award. Bender, as a rookie, has little to no shot of competing with this strong production group of central midfielders. Of course, an extremely productive July could at least add him to the conversation. Bronico puts in a strong shift every time out. Unfortunately, his work rate does not come attached with a lot of final production, which several of his defensive midfield counterparts have. Bronico has solid defensive statistics that can compete with many defensive mids, however there are several players who provide a ton of ball progression going forward. Players like Marco Delgado, and Ilie Sánchez are brilliant at progressing the ball up the field. In the modern game, ball progression stands out far more than strong defensive play. Which, in this case, could hurt Bronico’s potential all-star stock. Overall, I would say these four players have been Charlotte FC’s most consistent performers, and the most likely to get a nod towards the all-star game, depending on how July goes, and what traits Heath and Garber are looking for when making their selections. Images courtesy of Charlotte FC Others who could also be on the fringe, and who have received a top ten in their positions' share of votes since MLS last updated the voting tally on June 22nd, are Fuchs and Jaylin Lindsey. However both Fuchs and Lindsey have seen limited minutes over the past few weeks, so time will tell whether or not they can join the all-star candidate conversation. The upside, when it comes to July, is there are several games where Charlotte FC could get some much needed points, and provide some production which could help boost their stock towards being represented in the all-star game. If there was a stretch of games to make a claim to both solidify a position in the playoff hunt, and to prove to Garber and Heath that Charlotte deserves an all-star representative, this stretch of games through July is the time to make it happen. *PSxG-GA is probably the best advanced stat currently available to analyze how well a goalkeeper is playing. This stat takes the total amount of probable goals faced and subtracts it from the actual goals allowed. A positive number signifies a keeper giving up fewer goals than expected, while a negative number indicates a keeper giving up more goals than expected. This stat plus a few others, such as save percentage, help indicate how well a keeper is doing regardless of their teams overall performance. **For the successful defensive actions stats I took the successful defensive pressures per 90 minutes, interceptions per 90 minutes, and tackles won per 90 minutes and added them all together. The purpose of this stat was to see how many times a defensive player takes an action that leads to a positive outcome (regaining possession) per match.

By Jorge Gonzales Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC are looking to cut short Cristian "Titi" Ortiz year loan with the Black and Blues this transfer window. The Argentine has found life difficult at Charlotte, in 15 MLS appearances the playmaker has just managed to register 1 goal and 2 assist. When Interim head coach Christian Lattanzio was asked about the exclusion of Cristian in the 27 men squad that featured against Chelsea his response was "I prefer not the talk about that and let the club" further adding to the speculation of the playmakers eminent departure. In January, Charlotte FC signed Cristian Ortíz from Mexican side Club Tijuana on a year loan with an option to purchase. At Tijuana Titi made 17 appearances in Liga MX after joining from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle, where he scored 19 goals and provided 10 assists. Cristian Ortiz will become the second player to depart Charlotte FC after Ecuadorian International Alan Franco’s loan deal was also cut short with the player signing for Argentine side Talleres de Cordoba. With the departure of Ortiz another International slot will also open up in the Crowns roster. It is to note that no additions have been made to this squad but we are beginning to see changes in this inaugural roster as two men that Miguel Angel Ramirez requested are no longer part of the plans moving forward.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of Charlotte FC The roster build at Charlotte FC has been one of the most discussed topics during their inaugural season. Understandably so, as this is the first roster in the team’s history. Now that the Black and Blues are just over halfway through the season, and the summer transfer window has been open for nearly two weeks, it feels like the first pivotal moment in the club’s young tenure. Fans and pundits will be keeping a close eye on Charlotte’s sporting director, Zoran Krneta, throughout the remainder of the transfer window, which closes August 4th. Here is a chronological look at the different discussions Krneta has had with the media regarding the summer transfer window. What the discussion was like back in March, and what is being discussed now. By looking at a timeline of summer transfer window discussions that Krneta has had, there is a chance of better understanding Charlotte’s transfer window approach over the last couple weeks of the transfer window. Creating Roster Flexibility A couple days after Charlotte FC lost their inaugural home match to the Los Angeles Galaxy, MLS insider, Tom Bogert, wrote an article about a discussion he had with Krneta regarding the roster building process. One of Krneta’s main points in his discussion with Bogert back in early March was roster flexibility. The method of creating roster flexibility that Krneta discussed was by keeping a designated player (DP) slot open that could be used to sign a high-level player in the summer transfer window. “It’s good flexibility, I like that. We still don’t know what we really need. Maybe we have an idea, but after 10 games we’ll know exactly what we need” Krneta told Bogert. The initial goal to start the season was to see how the initial roster played and grew together. After watching the team play, Krneta and his staff would be able to get a sense of the types of players they would need to sign during the summer transfer window. By leaving openings in the roster, Krneta allowed Charlotte FC to have the flexibility to sign players for possessions of need. The Roster And Where More Pieces Could Be Added After twelve games, Krneta had a press conference where he discussed his thoughts on the start to Charlotte FC’s season. “I think our season has gone well. I’m proud of the players. At the beginning, we said our aim for year one is to be competitive, and I think we have proved that” Krneta told reporters. Krneta also discussed positions of need during the press conference. “I don’t want to commit whether it will happen in the summer transfer window which is our aim, or whether it will happen in January simply because of the business of transfers and deals is unpredictable but we are looking to add an attacking midfielder as our third DP, that is our primary aim” Krneta said. After the first third of the season, Krneta identified the position of need, and that there was a plan in place to acquire that player using a DP spot during the summer, or January if the summer window did not go as planned. This press conference was the first time Krneta mentioned the DP strategy leading towards the summer transfer window. His statements in May showed a clear objective; acquire a high-level attacking midfielder. They also showed a willingness to remain both patient and cautious with their approach leading into the summer window. Thoughts On Roster As Is When the summer transfer window opened on July 7th, Krneta was interviewed by radio broadcasters on WFNZ. “To be honest the squad is in good shape right now, the balance is right, I mean we might need one or two pieces, we are openly looking at them, we have our targets, we are evaluating them” Krneta told The Mac Attack Podcast regarding his thoughts on the transfer window. The response by Krneta, in early July, was similar to how he approached his presser in May. Be patient and cautious, look at targets and see what happens. This approach is able to be maintained by Krneta because of his thoughts on the roster as it currently stands. “I think it’s a playoff roster, there is no doubt about it, with a bit of unluck as you mentioned with the referees, and generally a bit of unluck at the beginning of the season when we lost some games, I think we should have a few more points” Krneta stated to The Mac Attack Podcast. This mindset, and current feelings about the roster is an important reason for why Krneta is discussing such a patient approach transfer window strategy to the public. Looking At Targets Tuesday, Krneta discussed the summer transfer window again with one of the hosts of the Crown Corner, Will Palaszczuk. “The key thing for us is to find the player that is the quality and the difference in the team. This transfer window, the secondary transfer window, is not a window where you gamble with a player. This is the window where you get a player that is a finished article and can come in and start making a difference in the team. We will only move if we can find that kind of player” Krneta told Palaszczuk regarding the summer strategy. “We are trying to see which player or two fits the team and can go straight in the first eleven…there’s a midfielder we are looking at, there might be a help at fullback as well, so there’s a couple positions we are looking at”. Krneta said regarding the level of players that his staff are evaluating, as well as the positions that are being evaluated. In Tuesdays interview, Krneta discussed the current summer transfer window strategy in far more detail than he had a couple weeks before. He clearly stated that the type of player they are looking to sign is a “finished article”, a player who will be capable of jumping right into the starting lineup. His answers to specific positions of interest, midfielder and fullback, appeared to be far more narrowed down than when he was discussing the transfer window on The Mac Attack. This could mean that the front office has made some progress regarding their transfer target evaluations, and that it will depend on whether they can get some of their evaluated targets across the line and signed before the deadline. Something that is never a guarantee, as many Charlotte FC fans likely remember from the winter window. Down To The Wire One of the consistencies in Krneta’s discussions throughout the season from March till now in July, is that his staff is going to take a patient and cautious approach. This is because they are confident in the team they have already put together, and are only willing to add a player that can help the team immediately, who could push them into a more competitive position in the table. A second point that seems more clear by Krneta’s discussion with Palaszczuk is that it appears they have narrowed down their list of targets to two positions and that they are the caliber of player who would be able to start immediately upon signing. Having clear targets will only benefit the club if they can get the deals done before August 4th. The next couple weeks will tell whether the patient approach Charlotte is taking can get new signings in time for the final stretch of the season.

By Tyler Trent Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Charlotte FC’s play has picked up under the leadership of interim manager Christian Lattanzio, but will the black and blue still be able to make the playoffs? After Saturday’s heartbreaking loss against Inter Miami, Charlotte currently sits at 8th in the table with 26 points. Last year’s cutoff in points to make the playoffs with 7th place in the Eastern Conference was 48 points. With only 13 games remaining, Charlotte would need to average 1.69 points per game over the rest of the season. Throughout the season so far, they are averaging 1.24 points per game. The full TopBin90 writing team of Jorge, Brian, and Tyler, along with special guests Lee (CLTFC Fan TV), Vaughn Pollman (Guesting on all your favorite Charlotte FC podcasts), Carroll Walton (Charlotte Ledger), Kyran (QC Soccer Report), and Matt Swift (Mint City Soccer Show) give their takes on the remaining games on the schedule, result prediction, final point tally, and the big question – do we make the playoffs? The Remaining Games 7/23 - Toronto FC (Away) Jorge: Draw Brian: Win Tyler: Win Lee: Draw Vaughn: Win Kyran: Win Swift: Win Carroll: Win 7/30 - Columbus Crew (Home) Jorge: Win Brian: Win Tyler: Win Lee: Win Vaughn: Draw Kyran: Win Swift: Win Carroll: Win 8/3 - DC United (Home) Jorge: Win Brian: Win Tyler: Win Lee: Win Vaughn: Win Kyran: Win Swift: Win Carroll: Win 8/6 - Chicago Fire (Home) Jorge: Win Brian: Win Tyler: Win Lee: Win Vaughn: Win Kyran: Win Swift: Win Carroll: Win 8/13 - Los Angeles FC (Away) Jorge: Loss Brian: Loss Tyler: Loss Lee: Loss Vaughn: Loss Kyran: Loss Swift: Loss Carroll: Loss 8/17 - New York City FC (Away) Jorge: Draw Brian: Draw Tyler: Loss Lee: Loss Vaughn: Loss Kyran: Loss Swift: Loss Carroll: Loss 8/21 – Orlando City (Home) Jorge: Win Brian: Win Tyler: Draw Lee: Win Vaughn: Draw Kyran: Draw Swift: Win Carroll: Win 8/27 – Toronto FC (Home) Jorge: Win Brian: Win Tyler: Win Lee: Win Vaughn: Win Kyran: Win Swift: Win Carroll: Win 9/3 – FC Cincinnati (Away) Jorge: Loss Brian: Draw Tyler: Loss Lee: Draw Vaughn: Draw Kyran: Loss Swift: Win Carroll: Draw 9/10 – New York City FC (Home) Jorge: Draw Brian: Loss Tyler: Draw Lee: Draw Vaughn: Loss Kyran: Loss Swift: Draw Carroll: Draw 9/17 – Chicago Fire (Away) Jorge: Win Brian: Draw Tyler: Win Lee: Win Vaughn: Win Kyran: Win Swift: Win Carroll: Win 10/1 – Philadelphia Union (Home) Jorge: Draw Brian: Win Tyler: Draw Lee: Loss Vaughn: Loss Kyran: Loss Swift: Loss Carroll: Loss 10/9 – New York Red Bulls (Away) Jorge: Draw Brian: Loss Tyler: Loss Lee: Win Vaughn: Loss Kyran: Loss Swift: Loss Carroll: Draw Total Points: Jorge: 49 points Brian: 50 points Tyler: 47 points Lee: 45 points Vaughn: 44 points Kyran: 45 points Swift: 51 points Carroll: 50 points Image courtesy of Charlotte FC Team End of Season Awards: We thought it would be fun to look at three end of season awards as well to see if there was any consensus on the three main postseason awards for the club. Jorge Leading Goal Scorer: Karol Swiderski Assist Leader: Yordy Reyna Player of the Season: Guzman Corujo Brian Leading Goal Scorer: Karol Swiderski Assist Leader: Yordy Reyna Player of the Season: Karol Swiderski Tyler Leading Goal Scorer: Karol Swiderski Assist Leader: Sergio Ruiz Player of the Season: Guzman Corujo Lee Leading Goal Scorer: Andre Shinyashiki Assist Leader: Ben Bender Player of the Season: Guzman Corujo Vaughn Leading Goal Scorer: Karol Swiderski Assist Leader: Ben Bender Player of the Season: Guzman Corujo Kyran Leading Goal Scorer: Karol Swiderski Assist Leader: Ben Bender Player of the Season: Kristijan Kahlina Matt Leading Goal Scorer: Karol Swiderski Assist Leader: Ben Bender Player of the Season: Brandt Bronico Carroll Leading Goal Scorer: Karol Swiderski Assist Leader: Ben Bender Player of the Season: Guzman Corujo The Bottom Line Jorge (@Bellatorisjorge) Charlotte will be in and around playoff spots the rest of the season. The reality is that the squad build isn't as bad as Miguel portrayed it to be, but it also isn't as good as as a top contending team. Charlotte’s reality is 7th-10th and with a few good away performances and maintaining a good home form, I can definitely see Charlotte finishing 7th in the East. Charlotte have to capitalize on the recent form Yordy Reyna has displayed, the goals from Andre Shinyashiki, and hopefully a revitalized Karol Swiderski to continue to make their push. The away points are far and few now but I think the resilience this team has shown all season will get them the necessary results. Brian (@BAMaurerMedia) Thinking they can get themselves on a heater to end July and to start August. Predicting they grab their longest win streak of the season (4 games in a row) starting this weekend in Toronto. Also predicting Charlotte FC get a couple signings at the end of the transfer window to help provide some depth needed to get some extra points during the tough stretch of games at the end of the season. Overall, my bold prediction is that Karol Swiderski comes into strong finishing form, resoundingly becoming the team’s leading goal scorer, and player of the year. With Swiderski leading the way with his goal scoring the team sneaks into 6th place in the conference and a playoff spot on the road against CF Montreal with a chance to get some revenge. Tyler (@ttrent4) With 47 points, it will be hard to tell if Charlotte FC will make the playoffs. The magic number in past seasons has been 48. I think I have a pretty optimistic take on the above games, but points could easily be dropped in matches I predicted a win. With a potentially impending midfield signing, who knows what could change for Charlotte FC and their playoff hopes. Despite my 47 points prediction, I still have high hopes and belief that Charlotte can make the playoffs in their inaugural season. I think Swiderski will pick up his scoring and finish the season with 10-12 goals. Sergio Ruiz has a solid chance of passing Bender as the assist leader on the team with his recent run of starts and good performances under Lattanzio. Team MVP was a tough pick for me between Bronico and Corujo and I think both are deserving, so it was truly a coin flip for me. Vaughn (@VIPollman) 1.4 points per game. History tells us that’s the rough target for maintaining pace to be a fringe playoff team. Looking at today’s MLS Eastern Conference standings there are 6 teams vying for the 7th and final playoff spot who are chasing that 1.4 ppg target, and we’re among them. Projecting where we finish all depends on our ability to earn more wins on the road and I see our best opportunities to do that at Toronto, Cincinnati, and Chicago. Anything less than 7 points from those games and we will see ourselves on the wrong side of the playoff line unless we can earn some marquee wins against tougher opponents down the stretch. I have us finishing on 44 points, or 1.29 ppg, painfully short of a playoff spot. We’ll have to do better than I project to squeak into the playoffs, and as I predicted before the season, this isn’t necessarily a reflection of us and more so that we are part of a very strong and balanced Eastern Conference. Hopefully I’m wrong (the jinx is on), we can go on a run, and pick up 4 to 6 additional points by finding our scoring boots and finishing with a positive goal differential and a playoff appearance. Kyran (@QCSoccerReport) It will go down to Decision Day, but Charlotte, in my opinion, will miss out on playoffs by a point or two. We can compete against anyone at home, but away matches against LAFC, NYCFC, and Red Bulls will be tough. However, picking up maximum points against clubs at the bottom of the standings (CHI, DC, & TOR) is realistic. I think if there's a club we will pass it will be Columbus, therefore the match against them at home will be crucial. I don’t think we will catch Cincinnati because they are an improving side who we will lose to and 7 of their last 13 matches are against clubs that are not in a playoff spot right now. Swiderski will pass Shinyashiki to end up with 11 goals, especially if we bring in a midfielder to help supply him with chances. Bender will end up with the most assists. Reyna is going to continue to emerge as another playmaker. It’s not a coincidence that the matches where we dominated at home (vs NSH, FCC, & NER) all included Bender assists. Also, I feel McNeill will flourish as a supersub. For Team MVP, I chose between Corujo and Kahlina. Corujo has brought so much stability in our centerback situation. I have more concerns about our fullback situation. I went with Kahlina though. He’s had 3.3 saves per 90 and a save percentage of 72%. Matt Swift (@160_Swiftly) First and foremost, we were never "screwed," and fans will see just how much depth we have in this squad this second half of the season. With an in-form Yordy Reyna, a revitalized Karol Swiderski, and weapons off the bench, I can see us finishing with around 51 points, good enough for 6th place in the East. We have a favorable three-game home stand that should propel us forward and get us where we need to be to finish strong. Carroll (@CarrollRogers) To me, the next four games determine if Charlotte FC makes the playoffs. Do they carry the momentum of the Chelsea win into Toronto and pick up only their second road win of the season? Then they come home to play three games in a week at “the fortress” - all “winnable” games at Bank of America Stadium against Columbus, D.C. United and Chicago. If they win those four - is it possible?! - hold their own against some tough Northeast opponents down the stretch, Swiderski hits his stride, the team continues to grow under Lattanzio, and possibly adds another midfielder, Charlotte makes some more history this inaugural season. Buckle up! Final Thoughts Opinions are divided between the writers of TopBin90 and our guests. This seems to point toward what we all expect going into the end of the season: a team capable of making the playoffs, but still suffering from growth spurts and some poor results early in the season. We all hope Matt Swift, Carroll, and Brian's predictions are the most correct as their point totals would most certainly guarantee playoffs for the inaugural season. TopBin90 wants to give a special shout out to all our collaborating guests. Each of these individuals has put forth an incredible amount of time and dedication into supporting the team, creating content, and making the Charlotte FC community as special and inviting as it is. Please reach out and give each of them a follow and check out their work. Each guest's twitter profile is hyperlinked in the bottom line section above.

By Brian Maurer Image courtesy of FC Porto Charlotte FC are signing José Tavares from Porto's development program to be their first ever MLS NEXT Pro coach. Tavares was Porto’s U19 coach this past season and has been involved in various different positions in Porto’s development program for over a decade. He has also been an assistant coach for Luís Castro, who currently coaches for recently promoted, Brazilian side Botafogo. What Is MLS NEXT Pro? MLS NEXT Pro is the new developmental league for MLS teams. It is a professional league, considered a tier below MLS, but higher than the academy level. One way to look at MLS NEXT Pro is that it is a bridge for players from the academy level to MLS. 2022 was the inaugural season for the league. Charlotte FC will be joining MLS NEXT Pro for the start of next season. Tavares’ Developmental Background One of the great recent achievements was Porto’s U19 team winning the 2019 UEFA Youth League. At the time Tavares was the academy manager. Some of the players on that cup winning side have gone on to become big time prospects around the world. Here is a list of some of the elite talent that came from that team and whom Tavares has helped develop: Diogo Costa, who is now the starting goalkeeper for Porto’s senior team, and who helped them become the 2022 Portuguese champions. Fábio Vieira, who is now a regular contributing midfielder for Porto’s senior team, and also helped them win the Portuguese title this past year. He was sold to Arsenal this summer for a reported 35 million euros*. Fábio Silva, a highly touted prospect who is currently on loan with Belgian side Anderlecht from Premier League team Wolverhampton. Wolverhampton paid** a reported 35 million pounds for Silva in 2020. João Mário, starting defender for Porto’s senior team and 2022 Portuguese champion. Vitinha, starting midfielder for Porto’s senior team that won the 2022 Portuguese championship. Vitinha was transferred*** to Paris Saint-Germain this summer for a reported 40 million euros. What is clear from this recent crop of players is that Tavares is experienced at progressing players successfully through the youth ranks into being regular contributors for the first team. If he can provide a similar leadership role for the players on Charlotte FC’s MLS NEXT Pro team, then Charlotte should see players who are developing from the academy through to the first team using the MLS NEXT Pro team as a bridge to help get them the professional experience they need to succeed. Style Of Play: A Look At Castro’s Shakhtar Donetsk Based on Tavares being an understudy for Castro, Charlotte FC should expect a coach with a similar coaching philosophy to current head coach Christian Lattanzio. Based on an analysis done by Niklas Hemmer-Hiltenkamp on Total Football Analysis⁺, Castro used an attacking style 4-2-3-1 which would transition into a 4-1-4-1 when defending while he was the coach for Shakhtar Donetsk. Hemmer-Hiltenkamp reported that Castro would have the fullbacks push up into the wide spaces and have his midfield stay compact in central areas to provide multiple methods of progressing the ball through the middle. Here is a diagram below to provide a visual example: This is one example of the shape that Castro used to progress the ball through the middle, according to Hemmer-Hiltenkamp. While there were several different methods that Castro used in attack, the main focus was to progress the ball centrally. This is a similar approach to how Lattanzio likes to set up attacking phases. As you can see in the above visual it looks similar to how Lattanzio establishes Charlotte FC’s shape. A difference being that Lattanzio would have a fullback pull inside to become a pivot alongside a single defensive midfielder. Philosophy and Development Tavares looks to be an ideal match to be Charlotte FC’s inaugural MLS NEXT Pro coach. He has over a decade of experience working in the developmental program at Porto, which is one of the best programs in the world. He has success developing players from the academy into high level senior prospects earning big time transfer fees to some of the most famous clubs in the world. This fits with Charlotte’s desire to develop stars in the Carolinas. Based on the attacking philosophy of Castro, who Tavares was an assistant under, it appears that Tavares will be preaching a similar philosophy with the MLS NEXT Pro team that Lattanzio preaches with the senior squad. *Transfer fees and stats were found in articles and links on transfermarkt.us, unless otherwise mentioned. **Found on theathletic.com; article was written by Steve Madeley ***Found on ESPN.com; article was written by Adriana Garcia. ⁺I highly recommend Total Football Analysis, they have a ton of different analytical breakdowns from many different writers from around the world.