Charlotte FC Midseason Review and Chicago Fire Preview

By Brian Maurer and Sean McGuffin (@SeanMCG704)

Photo courtesy of Cisco's Art/TopBin90

With Charlotte FC returning to action post-World Cup, Dean Smith earned his 40th MLS win with the club's 0-2 victory over Red Bull New York last weekend.

The 2026 MLS All-Star Manager is now T-11th in MLS wins among head coaches in their first three seasons in the league*. He is within eight wins of tying Wilfried Nancy (48-30-24), and 10 wins of Pat Noonan (50-25-27) for third- and second-most wins through the first three MLS seasons as Head Coach.

Coaches with most MLS wins in first three seasons (excluding PK era):

1. Steve Cherundolo 54-27-21 (2022 -- 2024)

2. Pat Noonan 50-25-27 (2022 -- 2024)

3. Wilfried Nancy 48-30-24 (2021 -- 2023)

4. Jesse Marsch 46-35-21 (2012 -- 2016)

5. Mike Petke 43-31-23 (2013 -- 2017)

6. Peter Nowak 42-27-25 (2004 -- 2006)

7. Hans Backe 41-26-31 (2010 -- 2012)

Frank Yallop 41-25-18 (2001 -- 2003)

Caleb Porter 41-25-36 (2013 -- 2015)

Oscar Pareja 41-42-19 (2012 -- 2014)

11. Gerardo Martino 40-21-20 (2017 -- 2023)

Jay Heaps 40-41-21 (2012 -- 2014)

Preki 40-29-21 (2007 -- 2009)

Brian Schmetzer 40-22-20 (2016 -- 2018)

Giovanni Savarese 40-29-22 (2018 -- 2020)

Dean Smith 40-30-14 (2024 -- present)

While Smith has been pacing with some of the other top MLS managers in wins to start his career in the league, he has struggled to lead the team to silverware. Something the top 5 on the above list were able to accomplish through their early MLS tenures.

This is what Smith and Charlotte FC's second half of the season will be focused on. Bringing home the club's first trophy.

With the Crown halfway through their 2026 season, they are on 25 points, sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference, and aiming for a second straight top-4 finish. A coveted top-4 spot in the EC is crucial, as no team outside the top four in a conference has won the MLS Cup in over a decade.

There are two questions as the second half of the season begins as the club pushes for that top-4 goal. First, how much emphasis will the club put on Leagues Cup, and if they do not rotate, what could that cost in their place in the table?

Second, can the club get the results needed on the road?

Leagues Cup Rotation

Last season, Smith opted to play most of his starters and key playmaker Pep Biel came down with an injury. While he tried to work his way back into the squad in September he wasn't able to make another start in 2025, leaving him out of Charlotte FC's playoff series against NYCFC. The Crown failed to get past New York, and one of the primary thoughts after the series was what if the club had their assist leader for those games.

How much of that will weigh into Smith's decisions as the club prepares to host Pumas, Atlas, and Pachuca in the First Round Group Stage of the Leagues Cup?

Smith has stated that the team, including Biel, is more robust physically this year than 2025 and that should help the group get through the extra competition. It will be interesting to see how those Leagues Cup decisions play out.

Road Form

Charlotte FC has already dropped more points at home through 10 games at Bank of America Stadium than they did all of 2025. Those dropped points through the first half of 2026 puts extra pressure on Smith and the squad to figure out the road struggles once and for all.

In 2025, Charlotte had a club-best six road wins, a record they will likely need to break to make up the gap from their dip in home form. As things stand, the Crown are on pace for 31 home points which would be the lowest total in the Smith-era. With 10 road games still to play the club can make up ground away from the Bank if they can exercise some demons.

Their road schedule sets up well for Charlotte to change their fate as eight of their last 10 road games are against teams below them in the table. and only three are in the top eight of their conference.

This sets up for an intriguing second half of the season where Charlotte has an optimal opportunity to change the trajectory of their place in the table by getting results on the road, where they typically perform far worse.

More specifically, the next quarter of Charlotte's schedule looks like an important opportunity for the team to pick up road points as they play six of their next nine MLS games away from the Bank. Five of those road games are against teams below them in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte FC's next nine MLS games:

• at Chicago Fire (7th in Supporters' Shield)

• vs Columbus Crew (24th)

• at Toronto FC (26th)

• vs DC United (18th)

• at Atlanta United (30th)

• vs Houston Dynamo (9th)

• at CF Montreal (27th)

• at FC Cincinnati (15th)

• at DC United (18th)

Smith's Tenure

Smith's tenure through two-plus years has started nearly as well as anyone in the modern era of MLS. However, strong starts to eras can be quickly forgotten if they don't include a peak with a run towards silverware.

While Smith's start has put him in the top 15 for most MLS head coach wins, his results so far have signified a high floor but has struggled with the ceiling (i.e. deep playoff run, trophy, Concacaf Champions Cup qualification). Of the 15 winningest coaches through their first three MLS seasons, 10 won trophies during those seasons.

Smith is likely to end up as a top 5 winningest coach through his first three MLS seasons, which would put him amongst a tier of coaches that all won trophies during their inaugural three campaigns. Can he join them with silverware in year three?

Charlotte FC Midseason Grades

I heard this grading set up on the Seeing Red! The New York Soccer Roundup podcast, where they reported the Red Bull New York player grades in descending order by minutes played and gave any player under 300 minutes an "incomplete".

This method felt like a great format to try for midseason grades for Charlotte FC players, so after 17 games here's our midseason grades for the Crown:

Kristijan Kahlina - GK - 1,530 minutes (17 matches/17 starts)

Kahlina just kept his third clean sheet of the season which is far below his high standard in the Dean Smith-era at Charlotte. He has stood on his head in recent weeks which has helped the club earn three points on a couple recent occasions. The goals are far from solely the Croatian's responsibility, but it is still difficult to give him a higher grade when comparing his season to his past years. The overall defense will need to take a step up in the second half of the season and in order for that rise Kahlina will need to be at his best.

Grade: B-

Pep Biel - AM - 1,489 minutes (17 matches/17 starts)

Biel continues to be an attacking threat that Charlotte can count on week in and week out. He just recently hit 20 goals for the Crown after scoring against RBNY this past weekend and he will be looking to build on a potential back-to-back 20+ goal contribution season. Currently he sits at eight goals and five assists on the year.

Grade: A

Morrison Agyemang - CB - 1,395 minutes (16 matches/15 starts)

Morrison was a welcome surprise through the early portion of the season when the club was looking for a change in the guard after defensive blunders in the opening stretch of the season. The 21-year-old has also been a threat on set pieces which has been a big emphasis with Smith's squad this year. The only downturn on his grading is the defense has still looked lackluster at times.

Grade: A-

Ashley Westwood - CM - 1,384 minutes (16 matches/15 starts)

The Captain has been exceptional, especially his passing, since the World Cup break. Lack of control in games is a concern both for Westwood, but also the midfield overall. Regardless, Westwood has been impressive and he continues to show that age is just a number.

Grade: A-

Nathan Byrne - RB - 1,361 minutes (16 matches/15 starts)

Nathan Byrne has continued to be a constant at right back. He hasn’t had that many moments that have popped off the page, but he also has showed a good floor per usual. One area of concern from the wings has been an inability to shutdown crosses coming in. This was on display when Atlanta United made their comeback at the Bank. Another question in the second half of the season is can Byrne fend off Will Cleary who is now competing for minutes.

Grade: C+

Idan Toklomati - CF - 1,276 minutes (17 matches/15 starts)

The expectations for Idan Toklomati have increased substantially after his strong campaign in 2025 and earning the number nine kit. The Israeli forward has struggled to get consistent shooting volume which has reduced the amount of goal production through the first half of the season. In his 15 MLS starts, he has only had 18 shots. Not a great number for a forward looking to build off of a 15 goal contribution season in 2025. While the goal scoring stat sheet is not the only measure for a striker, it is the primary focus for how a nine’s season is going. The young attacker will be looking to make a greater impact in the second half of the season, and go on a streak similar to how he did down the stretch last season.

Grade: C

Tim Ream - CB - 1,035 minutes (12 matches/12 starts)

Tim Ream and the backline has been dealing with a lot of pressure throughout the first half of the season. While Ream’s positioning and ball possession continue to be a strength for him, he has not handled 1v1s all that well or recovering space in behind. Not all of these issues are solely on the US international, but he is the veteran presence on the backline that is expected to help calm the ship, and it hasn’t been that calm on the backline so far this year. His minutes could also be pushed now that Henry Kessler is fit.

Grade: C+

Harry Toffolo - LB - 950 minutes (12 matches/12 starts)

The fullbacks and midfield were not on the same page early in the year, leading to a lot of situations off the ball where the defense got caught out of position. Once the backline and midfield was starting to shift with my synchronicity things improved for Harry Toffolo who showed his two-way ability, but then he picked up an injury down the stretch before the World Cup break. He is back in the eleven and the question will now be can he get on the same page with new signing Allan Saint-Maximin quickly to help unlock the star winger’s ability in the final third.

Grade: C+

Djibril Diani - CM - 702 minutes (16 matches/8 starts)

Djibril Diani was having a good season up until the World Cup break, beating out both Luca de la Torre and Brandt Bronico for starting minutes next to Westwood. However, since the return of MLS post-World Cup, de la Torre has taken that starting spot back. Going from a starting role to a reserve role is not ideal for a player in a contract year, but if he continues to show his ability to play a part as gamestates change throughout 90 minutes he could easily still see a new contract offered his way.

Grade: B-

Andrew Privett - CB - 569 minutes (8 matches/6 starts)

Andrew Privett has had one of the most difficult seasons of any player on the Charlotte roster this year. He started out with a good opportunity to claim a starting role along the backline and then lost it to Morrison Agyemang after the first two games. He has made some spot starts and clearly still has earned faith from Smith but there is no way this season has gone as the former Penn State Nittany Lion has envisioned.

Grade: D

Luca de la Torre - CM - 544 minutes (13 matches/6 starts)

Luca de la Torre started off slow as he adapted to the team which he said has been a common theme in his career. He also stated now he feels far more comfortable and familiar and that has shown from Smith adding him to the starting lineup in back-to-back games post-World Cup. The first half of the season has not had the impact from the midfielder that fans would have hoped but it appears that things could be moving in a positive direction for him if he can keep building momentum alongside Westwood.

Grade: C-

David Schnegg - LB - 519 minutes (9 matches/5 starts)

The Austrian left back had opportunities to earn minutes when Toffolo was out hurt and showed flashes especially with his set pieces and attacking runs. However he got caught out several times defensively and one led to a red card. Young prospect Cleary looks to be pushing for some of the reserve minutes at fullback now so we will see where Schnegg stands in the group in the second half of the season.

Grade: C

Brandt Bronico - CM - 503 minutes (13 matches/5 starts)

Brandt Bronico has earned less than 100 minutes since the beginning of May highlighting how reduced his role in the team has become. With de la Torre impressing Smith since the club returned to training those minutes don’t look to be coming back anytime soon but you can never count out the Mayor pushing his way back into a regular role.

Grade: C-

Liel Abada - RW - 495 minutes (11 matches/6 starts)

It has to be difficult for Liel Abada as the entire fanbase expects the winger to leave this summer after struggling to fulfill expectations for the third straight season in Charlotte. He had his minutes reduced again this year by Kerwin Vargas who just earned a move to Brazil. Since Wilfried Zaha’s departure and Allan Saint-Maximin’s visa delays there have been opportunities for Abada to earn minutes and he has been productive in back-to-back starts. How long will this situation last?

Grade: C-

Chicago Fire vs Charlotte FC Player Matchup Preview: Andrew Gutman vs Rodolfo Aloko

Charlotte FC's starting right winger post-World Cup had been Kerwin Vargas who was just transferred to Athletico Paranaense. Head Coach Dean Smith mentioned Rodolfo Aloko, Tyger Smalls, and Pep Biel are all options on the wing for tonight's game.

Aloko is the most likely candidate, and if the Benin international gets the start he will likely be up against Andrew Gutman who is one of the best attacking fullbacks in MLS.

Andrew Gutman

The former Indiana Hoosier had his most productive season in 2025 with 12 goal contributions (3g/9a). Gutman hasn't been able to stay on the field as consistently this year but he does now have one of the best forwards in the world with Chicago's recent addition of Robert Lewandowski.

If Gutman gets the start he will be looking to get forward to help provide service to the Polish striker, who will be making his home debut in front of the Fire faithful.

Rodolfo Aloko

Aloko hasn't made a start for Charlotte since April, but the team's wing depth is thin until new star signing Allan Saint-Maximin is able to get his visa issues sorted. The 19-year-old has yet to contribute to a goal with the First Team, but Chicago's struggling defense looks like a good opportunity for him to have chances.

The Fire have allowed three goals in their last two games since the World Cup and have allowed three goals in their last five games against Eastern Conference opponents in the top eight.

While the attacking opportunities should be there for the Benin winger, the pressure will be on for him to support defensively as well as his defensive matchup Gutman is going to want to push high and tilt the field for the Fire.

Summary

This matchup is about an eight-year MLS veteran going up against a player who would be making his eighth career MLS start. According to Opta, the Chicago Fire have more open play ball control from their left wing, meaning Aloko is likely going to have to deal with some pressure and show he can be willing to put a shift in defensively.

The upside for Aloko is that Gutman should be pushing high so there will be opportunities for him to exploit space in behind if he can get his timing right against a vulnerable Chicago defense who is missing one of their key center backs in Mbekezeli Mbokazi.

Charlotte FC's predicted starting XI vs Chicago Fire

Here's our predicted lineup for Charlotte FC’s at Chicago Fire:

Defensive Unit

Kristijan Kahlina held a clean sheet against the New York Red Bulls in his last appearance and will continue to be trusted in goal. Harry Toffolo will be alongside MLS All-Star starter Tim Ream and Nathan Byrne in the backfield. Morrison Agyemang could round out the defense, but Henry Kessler has a real chance of starting in his place.

Tyler Miller, Andrew Privett, Will Cleary, and David Schnegg are available as subs.

Midfield 

Ashley Westwood and Pep Biel both return to league play after appearing in the MLS All-Star game. Westwood and Biel will both start in midfield with Luca De La Torre likely starting in the defensive midfielder position next to the Captain. A position that Dean Smith has options for and will likely continue to rotate as we enter Leagues Cup in the coming days. 

Brandt Bronico and Djibril Diani will be available as subs.

Forward line

Charlotte FC’s offense has lost a major component with Kerwin Vargas departing the club for the Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense. Rodolfo Aloko will likely start on right wing, with Liel Abada starting at left wing as Allan Saint-Maximin is still unavailable. Idan Toklomati will play striker. 

Archie Goodwin and Tyger Smalls will be available as subs.

Predicted Starting XI

*excluding PK era