Full Control

What a win last week. Let's do it again, shall we?

It will be no easy feat. New England Revolution are hitting new strides. The Revs have had two straight shutout wins since Caleb Porter adjusted their formation to create more attacking opportunities. It's working, but is it sustainable? The Fortress is waiting.

Charlotte FC has continued its historic start. Putting up club record numbers to start the campaign and sitting first in the East. This weekend is a massive opportunity to stay at the top before a tough road stretch that sees them face Columbus, Nashville, and Orlando, plus a U.S. Open Cup trip to Cary. So, three points now, at home, are vital to maintain momentum.

Here are the Ingredients of the Match for Charlotte FC to extend their home win streak to 9:

Charlotte is starting to find their groove. They have their core identity built and running.

Those basics are key. Charlotte knows how to get the job done at a simple level. Do they still need to sharpen things up? Sure. But things get exciting when they force their will on other teams. We saw that last week against San Diego. The Crown was in total control for the first 30 minutes of the match. They didn't just sit and counter. They commanded the run of play, owned 50% of the possession, and enforced their will on their opponent. The basic components were all still there. Be hard to beat, look for the ball over the top, look to play fast out of the back, etc. But it was less about absorbing pressure and more about winning the ball back quickly and moving up the pitch. Get in the attack and let your front three impact the game quickly. Patrick Agyemang did just that, forcing two early yellows on Andres Reyes, and the game was theirs from there.

New England has the danger in the attacking third to beat you. Carles Gil alone can change the game at any moment, and he is that good and that impactful. Add Leo Campana and Ignatius Ganago, who are starting to click up top as a striker partnership, and this side can open the game up fast.

So, find that level of control early once again. The aggressive and complete play between the backline and the midfield is key here. If they are locked in, good things happen in the attack. Full control.

Keep The Confidence

The boys are 1st in the Eastern Conference.

But this group is still humble. They know they can be better and want to play even better. That's confidence.

Keep that energy against a sneaky New England Revolution side that has won two straight. You can't let them walk into your house and ruin this run. Charlotte is going for nine straight home wins at the Bank. You only get there if you are confident in your game. The depth. The goal scorers. The clean sheets. All of the puzzle pieces are there to keep building levels to their play. They have shown that it doesn't matter who is on the pitch; this team has the "Togetherness" to perform from top to bottom.

So, yes, the boys can play better. They know that. But use that as fuel to put on a show in front of the home fans. Keep the confidence flowing.

Support

When the boys walk down that tunnel and onto that pitch to the raucous crowd, that energy level immediately rises. Then Pepas plays, and Dax McCarty said it best: it scares opponents.

It seems like a silly ingredient to put here every week, but it's so important. If you watched this week's 'End-to-End', you saw Brandt Bronico talking about the Fortress in the huddle before the match. Yes, a player on the pitch minutes before kick, referencing what we and all the fans call our home. Not to brag too hard, but that's some nice brand synergy right there. More importantly, it truly means something to the players as well. They recognize that the fans are a part of this journey of success, and they need you.

So, support. Support the boys. The Bank. The Fortress. Whatever you call it, just be there ready to back the boys in black and blue. It's working. Let's make it nine straight.