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Caleb Adams

Mexican giant Cruz Azul awaits Charlotte FC in the Round of 32 as The Crown look to keep their Leagues Cup run alive.

Here are the three ingredients of the match.

Cruz Azul’s Achilles heel this season has been poor defensive structure. They have good individual defenders but as a collective have struggled for any cohesiveness. Charlotte can take advantage of this with something they already did in their last match against Necaxa.

We saw Charlotte’s two more advanced midfielders, in this case Brandt Bronico and Scott Arfield, consistently make dynamic runs in and around the box. This created confusion and both players ultimately found the back of the net. A team that has poor defensive structure will struggle to track several runners into the box, which suits a team like Charlotte that push numbers into the box.

Exploiting Slow Fullbacks

Charlotte FC can effectively exploit Cruz Azul's slow fullbacks, Juan Escobar and Ignacio Rivero, by utilizing their pacey wingers such as Kamil Jóźwiak, Justin Meram, and Kerwin Vargas. These speedy wingers can look to exploit the space behind the fullbacks, making penetrating runs down the flanks. By stretching the defensive line wide, they can force Escobar and Rivero to defend in isolation, increasing the likelihood of creating one-on-one situations that favor the faster player.

The wingers should also utilize their agility and quick dribbling to take on the fullbacks directly, forcing them into uncomfortable defensive positions. Overlapping runs from Charlotte's attacking fullbacks can further pin down the slow fullbacks and provide additional options for crosses into the box. Quick and accurate diagonal through balls from the midfielders can release the wingers behind the fullbacks and catch Cruz Azul's defense off-balance.

Play on Your Terms

Head Coach Christian Lattanzio has consistently emphasized the desire for his team to establish control over matches and set the pace of play. Despite this, they have encountered challenges in consistently asserting their dominance against opposing teams this season. They've often found themselves adapting to the opponent's style rather than dictating the game, but this wasn't the case against Necaxa.

“As the game went on, we managed to do something that I am very proud of which was to play the game on our terms,” praised Lattanzio after the match.

With the newfound confidence and momentum from their encounter with Necaxa, replicating the same approach against Cruz Azul could provide Charlotte with a distinct advantage. By continuing with their patience, precision, and astute decision-making, Charlotte can seize control of the game by playing on their terms and gradually bolster their confidence as the match unfolds.