Charlotte FC entered the Leagues Cup 2025 tournament with all the momentum they could possibly need. Heading into the competition, The Crown had won four straight regular season matches and were five unbeaten in total. All three Leagues Cup matches were hosted at Bank of America Stadium, where The Crown had a stellar 9-2-1 record in the MLS regular season.
The momentum from the regular season was nowhere to be found, though, as the campaign began with an inauspicious 4-1 defeat at the hands of FC Juarez. In a competition where only four out of 18 MLS clubs would qualify for the knockout stages after three phase one matches, starting with a loss and a -3 goal difference would make qualifying almost impossible.
However, that didn’t stop The Crown from taking an early lead against Chivas Guadalajara in the second phase one match, though, when Liel Abada found the back of the net.
Chivas would find the equalizer, and eventually take the lead, and an injury to star midfielder Pep Biel dampened the spirits of the Charlotte fans in attendance at the Fortress. A Kerwin Vargas free kick goal from a seemingly impossible angle sparked the team to life.
Unfortunately, a 2-2 draw and a penalty kick shootout defeat to Chivas all but eliminated The Crown from the 2025 edition of Leagues Cup.
At the time of the C.F. Monterrey match on Thursday, August 7, Charlotte FC was officially eliminated, which allowed Head Coach Dean Smith to rotate his lineup, rest his stars, and give some less regular players a chance to shine. Shine they did, as goals from defender Bill Tuiloma and Tyger Smalls lifted The Crown to a 2-0 win over Rayados.
A tournament of ups and downs, but after a disappointing result to start, the results only improved, showing that the fight remained throughout the roster. Charlotte FC now turns their attention back to the MLS regular season and the upcoming playoff push with only nine matches remaining. The Crown currently sits in seventh place, five points above the playoff cut line, and will travel to FC Cincinnati with the intent of extending their Club-record regular season winning streak alive.
NEXT AT HOME:
AUGUST 16 // CHARLOTTE vs. SALT LAKE
The action is back for Charlotte FC! The Crown takes on Real Salt Lake on August 16 at 7:30 p.m.
