Charlotte FC’s top 3 performers in April

By Brian Maurer

*Ashley Westwood's ability to support the attack added an extra dynamic over the past couple of weeks (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90)*

April was good for Charlotte FC. They kicked the month off with three straight wins, giving them a streak of five wins in six games that tracked back into March. That six-game stretch was the club’s best in club history. They even touched the top of the Eastern Conference for a moment, highlighting how much higher their standards can be and what fans can begin to expect of this group.

The complete 90-minute performance that fans and media were looking for was also put on display against San Diego FC, when the club truly looked like one of the top teams in the East. Unfortunately, the month ended with a 1-0 loss at home, ending a nine-game home winning streak that had lasted since August.

The Crown will need to recover quickly as they have a busy May with many difficult road games coming up.

Here are our picks for Charlotte FC’s top three performers in April:

Pep Biel

Biel continues to be Charlotte’s most important player. He had three more goal contributions this past month (1g/2a), and his nine goal contributions are tied for the most in MLS. He was heavily involved in the shot creation again as he had 10 key passes this past month and 13 shot-creating actions. 10 of those SCAs were in the last two games.

The Spanish midfielder was involved in three of Charlotte’s six goals in April, including scoring one and at this point there is no one else even close to providing the amount of goal production on Charlotte’s roster. When he went down during last week’s loss against New England it was an ominous moment of how dependent the club has become on him.

Ashley Westwood

Westwood has started to provide some serious support in the attacking third over the last couple of weeks. He has 21 passes into the final third in the past two games and has 11 shot-creating actions in that time, including an assist. He also has six key passes across the past two games.

When Charlotte was at their best last year, Westwood was able to make the defensive runs and provide support in and around the box in attack. Ideally for the Crown, the past couple weeks are a sign of more to come from their captain as they need more creativity in the penalty area.

Andrew Privett

Privett won his job back, scored his first career goal, and helped stabilize the defense as they reduced the amount of xGA in the past two games. All this in one month. It’s been a solid showing for the backline, especially the last couple of weeks, as they have been able to help bring down the amount of attacking volume that Kristijan Kahlina has faced.

The former Third Round SuperDraft pick has continued to face adversity with his position being jeopardized by new defensive signings multiple times now in his young career, but he continues to persevere and find his way back on the field. April’s performances were a prime example of what his perseverance means to this club.

Summary

April was a very strong month overall for Charlotte, but it did end on a sour note as they couldn’t get ahead against New England, which allowed the Revolution to pull a smash-and-grab and take the points. The Crown will need to shrug that one off quickly, as they have twice as many games in May as they did in April. Six of those games are on the road, and if they beat North Carolina FC in the US Open Cup Round of 32, they will be adding a ninth game and seventh on the road to an already busy month.

The next two weeks will be a great test to see what the level of the Crown is and how far they can truly go as they face three Eastern Conference rivals who all look capable of finishing in or around the top four in the East. Sprinkle in that US Open Cup match against NCFC, and the team's depth has an opportunity to show they can hold their own during a busy game slate.