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Charlotte FC Mid-Season Recap

  • Writer: Sam Vanolinda
    Sam Vanolinda
  • Jun 5
  • 4 min read

By Sam Vanolinda



Starting 11 before the Columbus Crew (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90)
Starting 11 before the Columbus Crew (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90)

As Summer begins and we reach the bye week, Charlotte FC has the exact same number of points as it did at this point in the 2024 season, 25.


While it seemed at the beginning of the season that The Crown would surpass the point total from the previous year, the five-game losing streak was a significant setback for the team in terms of results and table position.


From the foundation of Charlotte FC, every time the team improves in one aspect, it seems to find a way to regress in another. Charlotte has found a significant number 10 in Pep Biel, and Wilfried Zaha is starting to dominate, but now they have become a mess defensively, and Kahlina is not the same game-saving goalkeeper as he was in 2024.


The reality is that for Charlotte FC to make that step towards silverware, everything has to click for the team at the right time. 


With that said, there are plenty of positives this season, and the team has played in some exhilarating games. The goal scoring has become more consistent, and the attack has much more firepower.


Let's take a second to analyze this season so far and to compare it to last year’s campaign:


Differences:


There are notable differences between the 2024 team and the current squad. Despite Dean Smith approaching games with a similar style and using the same 4-3-3 formation he has always employed with Charlotte (except for a few instances), in May 2024, Charlotte didn't allow a single goal. In 2025, they allowed 23.


That stat paints the picture for the season so far. 0 goals allowed in May of 2024. 23 allowed in 2025. While the competition Charlotte FC faced in May was brutal, including the Columbus Crew twice, Nashville, and Orlando, the number of goals scored is unexpected, especially considering the team's manager, Dean Smith.


You can attribute some of it to injuries. Before Nathan Byrne’s injury, Charlotte seemed like the same defensively sound team that they were in 2024. The Crown had four clean sheets before Byrne got his surgery on May 1st.


Since then, they have only one. Having to sub in young players like Nick Scardina and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty has destabilized the backline. Even though they have both done a good job of subbing in, they don't have the same chemistry that Byrne has with the rest of the back four.


Injuries aside, there seems to be a lack of concentration from even seasoned players this year on the defensive end.


Andrew Privett, Tim Ream, and Adilson Malanda have all been guilty of losing focus and not closing down or marking opponents tightly enough.


The midfield has also undergone significant rotation. Without Brandt Bronico backing him up, Ashley Westwood looks slower defensively and in build-up play.


And the cherry on top is that Kahlina is not the same goalkeeper as he was last year. Some speculate that a head injury plays a role in this. Whatever the issue is, he is making mistakes he did not make last season.


When you add all of that together, it equals a lopsided amount of goals conceded. 


Improvements


While Charlotte has conceded far more goals, they have also scored 10 more at this point in the season. 


Last year, they had 18 at this point; this year, 28. As usual, since Karol Świderski left the team, the goals have been spread out quite a bit this year.


Despite Agyemang improving in the last few games and taking the top spot on the goalscorers list with six, Abada has five, Biel has five, Zaha has four, Vargas has two, and five players have one. 


The team has not found that dominant goal scorer, but plenty of players are getting into the correct position and taking advantage of chances. 


The Crown has 27.8 xG this year and 28 goals, so they are finishing at an average pace, even though in some games it felt like they could’ve scored 10. 


Another improvement and a great decision has been continuing the loan of Pep Biel. Who knows where this team would be without him this year? Especially with the defensive struggles. 


Biel has 12 goal contributions this year, tied for fifth behind Lionel Messi, Tai Baribo, Sam Surridge, and Andres Dreyer; that's with a nagging hamstring injury that had him sidelined for a few games.


Another improvement has been the addition of Wilfried Zaha. The Ivorian has had some growing pains and frustrating moments, but the advanced stats don't lie.


Is he filling up the regular stat sheet? Not to a fantastic extent with six goal contributions so far, but when you dive into his dribbling and passing stats, it's rather impressive. 


Stats Courtesy of fbref.com
Stats Courtesy of fbref.com


91st percentile in successful take-ons, 91st in progressive passes, and I couldn’t find a “times fouled” stat, but Zaha has to be one of the most fouled players in the MLS.


Overall, the firepower has increased on the offensive end. If the defense can solidify, let's hope the offense doesn’t slow down.



Summary


Charlotte FC's season so far can be defined by an incredible start in which the team looked like a Cup contender, and a miserable May in which the team unraveled.


Luckily for the Crown, they were able to defeat a struggling Toronto FC team right before this week-long break.


That means the players entered this relaxation time with a positive mindset, which would keep them motivated for the rest of the season.


The Philadelphia Union match on June 14th will be a massive test. If Charlotte can secure at least a point from that game, it could give them the boost they need to regain early-season momentum and push back into the top four.



Who is your player of the season so far?

  • Pep Biel

  • Wilfried Zaha

  • Patrick Agyemang

  • Brandt Bronico


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