Charlotte FC have no time to dwell on their consecutive losses as they head into a midweek six-pointer against Orlando City.
Here are the three ingredients of the match:
Win Midfield Duels
Charlotte FC’s defense has been the foundation of their most successful MLS campaign to date under Head Coach Dean Smith. However, in recent weeks, the once-reliable defense has shown cracks. With the team struggling to score and now conceding more goals, securing points is hard to come by.
“We can’t give stupid goals away…,” said Smith. “We know converting our chances or making really good chances has been our Achilles heel all season, but we pride ourselves in not giving silly goals, staying in games and being really hard to beat. And the two goals today just wasn’t us.”
A key difference between Charlotte’s earlier defensive strength and their current struggles lies in their ability to win duels in the midfield. In the past, Charlotte’s midfield was crucial in disrupting attacks and forcing teams to play wide, limiting options. Recently, however, opponents have been able to bypass the midfield with ease, as was evident in their match against CF Montreal.
If Charlotte wants to stifle Orlando’s dangerous attack, their midfield trio must return to applying relentless pressure, marking tightly, and making themselves difficult to bypass.
Passing with Intention
Another week, and Charlotte FC still hasn’t been able to figure out how to break through in the final attacking third. The team hasn’t scored a goal from open play since their July 20th clash with Austin FC, and that drought is a major concern. A key to changing that narrative will be passing with intention. Charlotte must move the ball with purpose, ensuring each pass is aimed at creating a genuine attacking threat.
Against a strong, in-form Orlando City side, careless or slow ball movement won’t generate the chances they need. Quick, precise passes combined with better off-the-ball runs can unlock Orlando’s defense, leading to clearer goal-scoring opportunities. If Charlotte can focus on making every pass count, they stand a much better chance of ending their open-play goal drought and picking up vital points.
'Bouncebackability' Tested Again
The Crown find themselves under pressure once again after suffering back-to-back losses as they prepare for a critical six-point matchup. This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Charlotte, who have endured three other stretches this season where they dropped consecutive games.
Yet, there’s a silver lining in these situations. Each time Charlotte have faced a similar slump, they’ve bounced back with a victory in the following match. On two occasions, they even put together impressive unbeaten runs after those tough stretches.
With a proven ability to rebound, Charlotte FC has shown they can fight their way out of difficult moments, and they’ll be aiming to do it once more against Orlando.
Just two points stand between these two sides in the Eastern Conference standings as they vie for every possible advantage heading into the playoffs.
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CHARLOTTE FC vs NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Be here September 21 at 4:00 p.m. as The Crown return back to The Fortress. The first fans to arrive will receive a Charlotte FC limited-edition reversible bucket hat.
