After another home win, Charlotte FC cemented itself amongst the top contenders in the league. The power rankings say so, but so does the Supporter's Shield table, as Charlotte currently sits in seventh.
Dean Smith has been adamant that the Shield is something Charlotte is striving to win. To do that, you need consistency. Charlotte is perfect at home to start the season. Now they just need that to bleed over to results on the road. Next up: a trip to Canada for Montreal's home opener.
Take a look at what the pundits across the league have to say:
ESPN: #8
Previous ranking: 8
“It took a late flurry of offense, but midfielder Pep Biel helped jolt Charlotte FC into a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against Nashville SC that keeps them near the top of the Eastern Conference.”
GOAL.com: #8
Previous ranking: 11
“A big, big result for Charlotte. Two goals in the final five minutes saw them come back from a deficit to secure all three points at home - while Wilfried Zaha scored his second goal of the season, striking from the penalty spot.
A stoppage-time winner from 20-year-old Idan Toklomati secured them the victory, with a late surge of confidence and direction steering them to their third victory in their last four matches."
Previous ranking: 8
“Charlotte were second-best for a lot of their 2-1 win over Nashville, yet found a way to turn a 1-0 deficit into three points after Nashville center back Walker Zimmerman exited the game with a head injury. The Crown have been far from perfect this year, but they keep finding ways to get results. Thirteen points in seven games is a great early return.”
Previous ranking: 9
“Charlotte FC have a fun identity, and it’s stellar when it works.
After coming down to earth in the games following his electric debut, Wilfried Zaha was back to his influential self this week, drawing and scoring an 89th-minute penalty to help Charlotte FC win 2–1 over Nashville SC.
Idan Toklomati scored the eventual winning goal in second-half stoppage time after Nashville’s Walker Zimmerman had to be taken to the hospital after suffering a head injury, from which he appears to be okay.
However, outside of the turning point moments, both sides looked good in a tactically intriguing match, particularly for Charlotte. Head coach Dean Smith made several tweaks midway through the game to be more aggressive, but the biggest was in Pep Biel’s approach, moving him centrally and allowing him to play long, curled through-balls to streaking forwards.
While Toklomati made his late chance count off Biel’s typical pass, the potential for Patrick Agyemang to feast on those deliveries is enticing for Smith’s side. They’ll get a chance to have some fun with their tactics next week, too, taking on a floundering CF Montréal.
Things are looking up in Charlotte– Biel leads the league with five assists, and they’ve got a deep and versatile bench to adapt to any game state.”
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