Most teams would be content with a 1-1 draw against the fourth-place New York Red Bulls, but Charlotte FC Head Coach Dean Smith was far from pleased, particularly with his team’s overall performance.
“I thought our standards weren't anywhere near where they should be, and I told the players that afterwards,” said Smith.
Smith has been outspoken about the urgency that surrounds the team in this crucial final stretch of the season. His aim is not merely to secure a playoff berth but to climb as high as possible in the Eastern Conference standings. Smith has made it crystal clear to his players that the goal is to remain unbeaten for the rest of the season.
“I'm not here to be liked, especially at this top part of the season. I'm here to win football games and get into the playoffs as high as we can, and then compete in the playoffs against teams we've competed against well this season.”
One of the key areas where Smith expects improvement is in the attack. Although there were promising opportunities to exploit a recovering Red Bulls defense, Smith pointed out that there simply weren’t enough players supporting the forward movement.
“I didn't think we supported the ball going forward as quickly as we should have done on Saturday... You look at the good chances that we had in the second half, where we got in and around the penalty box, and we only had two or three players running into the box.”
With that match behind them, the team's focus quickly shifts to a high stakes encounter with Atlanta United. This is the first time these rivals have met this late in the season. Atlanta is fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive, while Charlotte is pushing hard for a top four finish, so the pressure is palpable.
This upcoming match marks the sixth time these two sides have faced off. Though the rivalry between these cities has been longstanding, the soccer rivalry is relatively new. However, after three seasons, it has grown into a genuine contest, filled with emotional and memorable moments for both teams.
“It’s genuinely developed into a real rivalry where you can get the energy from their fans and from ours. You can feel it a lot more through your bones,” said midfielder Bandt Bronico, a Charlotte native. “It gives you that extra motivation over Atlanta, and you want to win that game for the supporters.”
A win this weekend would allow Charlotte to sweep Atlanta, with their previous away leg in the series ending in a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Crown. Over 2,000 Charlotte fans traveled to that match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and witnessed one of the most electrifying games of the season. Smith acknowledged the fans as a crucial factor in securing that win, as well as in their recent draw against the Red Bulls, and emphasized their importance for the upcoming game.
"I know how much of a win it was. We took two and half, three thousand there to Atlanta,” said Smith. “It was a great day, but we've got to be good, and we need our supporters to help us.
“I thought our supporters were the reason why we ended up walking away with a point on Saturday [against Red Bulls], rather than defeat. So, we'll need them again. It will be a better performance from us against Atlanta; it needs to be."
