Charlotte FC's predicted starting XI vs Philadelphia Union

By Sean McGuffin - @SeanMCG704

Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/TopBin90

Charlotte FC returns to the Bank two weeks after breaking the team scoring record in a 6-1 win over New York Red Bulls. The Crown will hope to carry that momentum in their matchup against a winless Philadelphia Union. 

Here is our predicted Charlotte FC starting XI for tonight's game:

Defensive unit

Kristijan Kahlina stays in goal against Philadelphia. Kahlina failed to secure the second clean sheet of the season, but still recorded six saves during the match. The defensive performance against New York was overshadowed by the high-scoring offense, as the defensive unit allowed seven shots on goal. The backline of Harry Toffolo, Tim Ream, Morrison, and Nathan Byrne still looks to be Dean Smith's defensive foundation. 

The Union has only scored three goals on the season so far. If Charlotte can take a comfortable lead, Smith may experiment with the backline with Andrew Privett and David Schnegg available. Henry Kessler was given a runout at Crown Legacy and is probably still one week away from being available for the First Team, according to Smith.

Midfield

Djibril Diani had his second start of the season against New York, replacing Brandt Bronico in the starting 11. Diani would play until the 66th, in which a returning from injury Luca de la Torre would sub in. Bronico would later sub in for Pep Biel. Tonight's match against Philadelphia could be a great chance for de la Torre to get more reps coming back from injury. Diani also earned a yellow card early in the match against New York, which could affect his chances of a start. Brandt Bronico remains the safe option for the position, continuing to use his veteran experience on the field. Biel continues to be one of the club's most dynamic players and will feature in the XI. Captain Ashley Westwood will round out the midfield.

If Bronico starts the match, de la Torre and Diani will be available from the bench.

Forward line

Two weeks ago, we saw the greatest offensive performance in Charlotte FC history. The starting line of Wilfried Zaha, Idan Toklomati, and Kerwin Vargas all scored one goal, making up half of the Charlotte scoring against the Red Bulls. Vargas showed he is worthy of a starting spot on the wing. Liel Abada nearly scored the seventh goal of the game in added time after subbing in, but it was ultimately called offside. Archie Goodwin scored his first two goals of his Charlotte FC career and showed himself to be a scoring threat off the bench. 

The starters of Zaha, Toklomati, and Vargas will likely stay the same, with Abada and Goodwin available as substitutions. 

Predicted Starting XI