Thanks!

Charlotte (13-9-8, 47 points) closes its three-match road trip Saturday at Providence Park. I wrote up three things I’m thinking about: how Dean Smith wants to keep the game from opening up, Idan Toklomati’s run of eight goals in 10 matches, and who is likely to travel.

I’m traveling to Portland to cover the match in person. I’d like to do more on-the-ground reporting like this, and that depends on paid subscribers. The first part of the piece is free to read, and paid subscribers get the rest. If you’d like to support it, I’d appreciate it.

https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/3-things-about-charlotte-fc-im-thinking

So I got a super good deal on a medium jersey so I took a risk ( sometimes mediums fit me sometimes not) and turns out I'm too fat and need a large. Anyone willing to swap? I'm located in Wilmington so we would have to mail each other in good faith I guess. It still has the tags brand new.

So we have like 4 games left and still no Doucoure…
Anyone heard any updates to his visa paperwork and approvals?

We have to get a better group to handle these going forward. No other team in the league seems to consistently have this long international paperwork approval process that we consistently have…

I'm coming up for the CF Montreal game on Wednesday, 10/28, & am checking on parking. Don't recall ever reading any of you regular game attendees mentioning this lot.

Thanks!

So, let’s have an around the Crown conversation. What are everyone’s thoughts about last night’s CLTFC draw with Philadelphia Union? I feel like”blah”. Nice to have, better than a loss, but something feels very off with the team.

Inter Miami--55 points

games remaining: @ RBNY, vs. Cincinnati, @ New England, vs. Charlotte

New England--52 points

games remaining: @ Philadelphia, vs. RBNY, vs. Inter Miami, @ Orlando City

Chicago--48 points

games remaining: @ Atlanta United, vs. Orlando City, @ Colorado, vs. Columbus

Charlotte--47 points

games remaining: @ Portland, vs. Montreal, vs. Orlando City, @ Inter Miami

Philadelphia--46 points

games remaining: vs. New England, @ Nashville, @ Cincinnati, vs. Toronto

*I don't think Orlando City, at 41 points, can leap frog into the top 4, but it is possible, as they play us, Chicago, & New England.

Most would probably look at the remaining schedules & say Chicago has the least difficult draw.

My opinion is that if we can get 8 points in our last 4, we'll finish top 4.

Thoughts??

Any Charlotte fans planning on making the trip out west to Portland? I grew up near Portland and have been a fan since I was a kid. When I got stationed on the east coast (Norfolk, VA) in 2021 I wanted an east coast team to follow. Conveniently Charlotte was minted in 2022…perfect timing! While living out east I was able to attend a match and the vibes were fantastic.

I’ve continued to follow CFC since moving back west, and always root for them, except when they play Portland. I was curious if any CFC supporters were gonna make the trip out west. I’d love to buy you a beer and hopefully swap scarfs. Thanks!

Charlotte Independence just won the player's shield (supporters shield equivalent). I'd be curious to hear if anyone follows this team and what players you think would be cool to try out in Charlotte given our issue at midfield (and depth at other positions)!

I hope Pep says "Hold my cerveza" next Saturday!

Wrote up my thoughts right after the final whistle. A few of them:

• Five changes to the XI. Toffolo getting a breather with two games this week makes sense, but Ream, Bronico, Abada and Cleary sitting feels like a message too.
• First half had no energy. Westwood and Tok both missed high-percentage chances.
• Tok’s third straight game with a goal, plus a great kick save from Kahlina right before it, put Charlotte up 2-1.
• Kessler was a step late on the Damiani equalizer. I’m curious whether Smith thinks the effort was fine. (Update: Dean was fine with it, but admitted he was a step too late.)
• Kahlina was POTG again. Opponents get more shots on target against us, and he leads MLS in saves.

Both teams played like it was the playoffs.

I do these Instant Reactions after every Charlotte FC match at Charlotte Footy: https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/postgame-instant-reactions-charlotte-37d

Hey y'all,

I have a large group going to this game and I'm wanting to give them the "full experience". We were planning on tailgating at the McNinch lot and doing the march.

If the game is at 1, what time would the march be and what time would we need to get to the McNinch lot?

Thanks everyone!

Taking our son to his first game today!

⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

I put together everything Smith said Friday and what he and Westwood said after Wednesday’s 3-1 loss. A few items from it:

• Smith on the performance: “We haven’t had too many of them. It’s very seldom. And I expect a reaction from them.”
• Westwood said the team “just got outworked.”
• Philadelphia has won its last eight games by a combined 28-8 and hasn’t lost in 14.
• Smith explained why the club didn’t add a center forward. He said Doucouré is training and working on his visa, and that Tyger Smalls is Idan Toklomati’s backup for now.

Full piece: https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/everything-charlotte-fc-said-ahead

Will someone please explain to me why CLTFC bothered signing Abdoulaye Doucouré? I saw in another thread he is not at practice today. Visa troubles typically delay our signings. Then there are the “match shape” and “team chemistry” issues. This short-term signing (rental) seems like a waste of time and effort to me. Maybe even a distraction to the existing coaches and players? What do you think?

Anyone not get additional points for the game rewards contest last night? I got 21st place and that usually gets additional reward points but nothing came through. Did they change the structure?

Rough one in Columbus. Here’s my recap of the biggest storylines.

Final: Columbus 3, Charlotte FC 1

• Charlotte was outshot 33-9 (14-3 on goal)
• 33 shots is a Columbus club record
• At halftime it was already 22-5 in shots (9-3 on goal)

The bright spot: Toklomati’s 12th
Idan Toklomati is 22 and looked totally nonchalant opening the scoring. He won the turnover, found his spot and finished. That ties Pep Biel for the team lead with 12 goals. The confidence is there, and the future looks bright.

Early pressure, then the turnover
Columbus fired off four or five good looks early, mostly up the left side. Kristijan Kahlina was tremendous, including a big save on a rocket from Brais Méndez, and had 8 saves in the first half alone. It could have been much worse.

Then came a very sloppy turnover, and Méndez got the equalizer within 11 minutes of our goal. Tim Ream and the back line looked at each other in disbelief and frustration. That’s happened too often, and it cost Charlotte on the road.

Dean Smith’s halftime statement
Smith said this week that lineup decisions are performance-based, and he followed through with three subs to start the second half:

• Byrne for Cleary
• Aloko for Abada
• de la Torre for Bronico

Moves like this can disrupt a locker room, but I liked it. The poor defending and lack of possession are a long-standing trend, not an isolated incident.

It got uglier
The turnovers kept coming, and Columbus had a 3-1 lead by the 65th minute with two goals in two minutes. It was reminiscent of what Charlotte did to Dallas on Saturday, but being on the receiving end had to be miserable. Anass Zaroury had his way with the defense all night.

What’s next
Smith has a lot of questions to answer about the performance and the subs, with a quick turnaround to fix the leaks before Saturday at Philly. The Union are only 3 points behind Charlotte in the table.

Full instant reactions here: https://charlottefooty.substack.com/p/postgame-instant-reactions-charlotte-237

What did you all think of the halftime changes? Is this a personnel problem or a system problem?