ATLANTA – After coming back from being down a goal, Charlotte FC ends up losing to Atlanta United in heartbreaking fashion from a 97th minute goal off a deflection. It’s a tough pill to swallow for all involved but Charlotte FC head coach Miguel Ramírez continues to be proud of his team’s fight.
“There was nothing we could do to change that, what we could control, we did. I’m extremely proud of this group of players and I think they deserved more.
“Not to say that Atlanta didn’t deserve anything. I thought the first half Atlanta was the better side, but the second half was ours... but we can’t forget the context, we are still a group of players that have been together for a short time. It’s still just the beginning of this story. I think that the Club and fans should be proud that we are starting our history with these warriors.”
A monumental part of this story was written this match when Adam Armour headed in CLTFC’s first-ever goal in history.
“I congratulated him [Armour], he was born in 2002, and he scored the first goal in the history of this Club in the MLS. I just invited him to really think about it and realize just how the game behaves. He was out of the roster last week, he was of course disappointed and angry, but his response the following day after the game was amazing.
“I used him as an example in front of the players, he was out of the roster, out of the game and he came into the week with his best energy. He pushed in training and made the decision difficult.. and the game rewarded him.”
“He brought history to the Club today with that first goal.”
Armour wasn’t the only young American who shined on this historic night. Ben Bender was given his first start in MLS and put in a performance to remember.
“It was impossible not to have Ben Bender in the first eleven today. He’s doing amazing, I will not say anything else because you all saw Ben in the last games and today.
“Today, he was amazing... His first 15 – 20 minutes were a little scared, nervous, and stressed but he’s a 2001 boy playing for the first in an MLS starting eleven which is completely normal.
“But with the minutes... he was the master of the pitch.”
Christian Fuchs compared Charlotte FC’s entry to MLS to a team who just got promoted and has to play against established teams. However, unlike those teams that normally don’t look like they belong, Charlotte FC has stayed competitive throughout their first three games.
“The other day, Fuchs talked to us about teams who just promoted to the Premier League who had to play against top teams like Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Who suffered for 90 minutes of every game, just defending for their lives the whole time.
“But that isn’t happening to us, we aren’t defending for 90 minutes and suffering the whole time. We may suffer at times, but we have used that to turn games around and dominate our opponents... and against really good teams.”
While the game resulted in a loss, it was fitting that the Club's first-ever goal came against their biggest rival. A rivalry that Ramírez hopes continues to blossom.
"It's amazing to have these kind of games, derbies, and classicos. It's always for the good of the game... and I hope with time this game becomes bigger and bigger and more passionate. The game needs these kinds of rivalries."
