The homestand continues. Next up? The 2025 MLS Cup champs, Inter Miami CF.
The star-studded squad led by none other than Lionel Messi will be in town this Saturday, March 14, with Dean Smith and his squad looking to keep away three points from the visitors. Kickoff for the Eastern Conference duel is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium.
Here are the three Materials of the Match presented by Rubbermaid for this Saturday’s matchup against Miami:
Keep Cohesion, Build Consistency
The Crown finally found its groove in its last outing against Austin FC last Saturday, with just about everything from the attacking line trio to the backline clicking for a strong 3-1 victory. While Charlotte was up a man for most of the contest, they still took care of business in controlling fashion, peppering ATX with a Club-record 25 shots and 12 shots on target and holding the visitors to only one shot on goal.
Smith pointed out that not only did individual performances improve, but the team’s togetherness and tenacity were on full display. They turned up, for the Club and for their supporters, now it is time to start carrying it over match-to-match. And what better time to do it than in front of your home supporters?
The Elephant in the Room
Okay, we’ll address the elephant in the room, Messi (and co.). The Argentine forward has had a storied career and will be looking for his 900th goal for club and country, but The Crown has actually handled the attacking threat well. In three regular season matches Charlotte has seen Messi, they have held him to only one goal and a saved penalty, thanks to the Croatian keeper Kristijan Kahlina.
New to the Florida based side is that of Mexican striker German Berterame, who has yet to score for Miami through four matches, but bagged 68 goals in all competitions for CF Monterrey in the past four seasons.
Miami has a multitude of attacking threats not mentioned, but they also made improvements on the defensive end of the pitch, welcoming the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Dayne St. Clair, who kept 10 shutouts last year and held a 1.00 goals against average. Additionally, Miami signed Spanish left back Sergio Reguilon, who has yet to appear in a match since early in the preseason, but made his return to the bench this past Wednesday in the club’s Concacaf Champions Cup match against Nashville SC.
Take Advantage
Speaking of Miami’s midweek matchup, a great opportunity has opened up for Charlotte to take advantage of tired legs. A hard-fought nil-nil outing at Nashville’s Geodis Park is sandwiched between Miami’s road trip to Baltimore to face D.C. United and this weekend’s battle. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano opted for just two substitutions (Not counting the injury to Maximiliano Falcon, which forced the centerback off in just the seventh minute), replacing left winger Telasco Segovia and right back Facundo Mura in the 72nd. Going a full 90 with an Eastern Conference foe just three days before walking into The Fortress should be a challenge, and The Crown will need to apply pressure to make sure of it.
MARCH 14 // CHARLOTTE vs. MIAMI
The Crown continues their early season action on March 14th at 7:30 p.m. against Inter Miami CF. The first fans to arrive will receive the limited-edition Crown Hat presented by Atrium Health.
