Charlotte FC Stock Up, Stock Down: Kahlina unbeatable; Zaha steps up; Charlotte FC with five straight MLS wins.

By Sam Vanolinda

Wilfried Zaha (Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/Topbin90)

Coming into the game with four straight MLS victories, Charlotte FC faced a tough test against MLS Cup contender FC Cincinnati away from home on Sunday evening.

While Charlotte was dominated for much of the game, a combination of solid defending and heroics from Kristijan Kahlina kept the game deadlocked. After a silly red card by the opponents, Wilfried Zaha’s world-class volley secured a fifth straight win.

This was a statement game for Charlotte. While the home form is impressive, the away performances this year have been disappointing. This away victory against one of the best teams in the MLS is a great indicator.

Charlotte continues its longest-ever win streak and owns the longest current streak in the MLS. They did not let a disappointing Leagues Cup run get them down.

Here’s whose stock is up or down after Charlotte FC’s 1-0 victory over FC Cincinnati.

Stock Up

Kristijan Kahlina

Kahlina has had some fantastic performances in his Charlotte career, and this one is right up there with them.

Facing constant pressure from the likes of MVP-contender Evander and the rest of the strong Cincinnati attack, the Croatian was a brick wall.

Eight saves, 1.56 goals prevented, six diving saves, three saves inside the box. This was a signature Kahlina performance, demonstrating why he was named the goalkeeper of the year in 2024.

It was great to see this version of Kahlina, who can single-handedly keep the Crown in a game, after his struggles earlier in the season.

This could’ve been an easy three or four-goal game for FC Cincinnati if Kahlina’s reflexes weren’t so on point. They routinely tried to catch him off guard at his near post through set pieces, but never succeeded.

While his acrobatic diving saves were impressive, the save that stuck out most for me was the 98th-minute stop. The ball was whipped in by Evander right into the feet of Gerardo Valenzuela, but Kahlina was fearless and stuck his foot out to deny a goal that would’ve taken two points from the Crown.

Wilfried Zaha

Zaha was placed in the number 10 position in this game, replacing Pep Biel, a position with which he is not too familiar.

It was obvious Cinincantti’s game plan was to deny him the time to turn and attack the defense, and they did it well. In the first half, Zaha felt pressure every time the ball was at his feet. 

He was being tripped, pushed, and grabbed whenever he touched the ball, which is frustrating, to say the least, as an attacking player.

One thing we know about Zaha is that he will continue to push even when the odds are against him; when the Cincinnati midfielder, Brian Anuga, made an awful challenge on Djibril Diani and was sent off, he knew it was the opportunity to steal three points on the road.

From that moment on, he suddenly had time to drive towards the goal, and when Toklomati headed a ball into the sky, he lined up a divine volley into the bottom left corner to score the game-winning goal.

When you think of bringing a star DP player over to your team, these are the moments you expect, and Zaha has stepped up to a different level recently.

In a day when Crystal Palace won their second trophy of the year, Zaha had to shine through; it was destiny.

Tim Ream 

This was a classic Tim Ream game, a glowing example of why he was such a consistent Premier League player for all those years.

Both excellent in build-up play and alert in defensive scenarios, Ream had one of his best games in a Charlotte FC jersey.

Not only did he pass the ball with 95% accuracy, with 10 of them being into the final third, but he also had two blocks, eight clearances, an interception, and three duels won.

While Kahlina did bail out the defense often on Sunday night, Ream also had an outstanding performance and showed why he is one of the best American center-backs ever. 

Stock Down

Liel Abada

Abada showed very little in this game and was subbed off in the 73rd minute. Oftentimes, he puts himself in good positions, but his issue is that the final pass, shot, or dribble from him can be disappointing. 

While the entire offense did not have much impact for 90% of the game against Cincinnati, Abada was the player who had the least impact.