Charlotte FC Stock Up, Stock Down: Lindsey takes advantage of his first start, Agyemang misses a big chance
By Sam Vanolinda
Photo courtesy of CJ Hellner/TopBin90
Charlotte FC traveled North to face the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium amongst swirling wind and miserable rain Saturday night; their performance was as depressing as the weather, a 0-1 loss against a struggling team.
The problem is easy to identify for Charlotte. Seven games, six different goal scorers, only six goals. It's not for the lack of chance creation. It's caused by awful finishing and composure amongst the forwards on the team.
Abada had his first start in this game, and despite an underwhelming performance, we will hold off for a couple of weeks before any judgment as he adjusts to the team.
Here is the stock up/stock down for the weekend’s game.
Stock up
Jaylin Lindsey
Lindsey returned to the squad after Byrne was inactive for the game.
The fan-favorite took advantage of his opportunity on Saturday, with a solid performance, proving why he still deserves to be within the team's rotation.
Lindsey was 85% on his passes (56/66), had two successful dribbles, 13 passes into the final third, and on the defensive end had two clearances, five recoveries, and won eight duels.
He came into that right-back position and seemed to be one of the only players showing energy in an otherwise lethargic game.
Bank of America Stadium
There were no other standout players in the match, but Bank of America Stadium’s stock continues to rise as a place that injects energy and passion into the players.
Home and away is night and day for this team, and it shows why the Bank is such an advantage to the Crown. It gives the players confidence to grind out results that they cannot produce on the road.
Stock down
Patrick Agyemang
Agyemang found himself starting after Copetti had been recovering from a knock.
You would think the goal he scored against Colombus would have given him the boost to snatch that starting striker role and go on to score more, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case so far.
Although it was a tight angle, the 23-year-old missed an open goal that would've given the team the lead in the first half, his second shot was also in the first half from close range and it was slightly too high.
Two big chances missed is not ideal for the lone striker. Charlotte FC legitimately could be in a top-three spot in the East if the strikers had the confidence to calmly put the ball into the net from close range, or in 1-on-1 situations.
That being said, it shows why the best strikers around world football are paid the most out of any position, it’s easier said than done to put the ball into the net, especially when confidence is low.
Kerwin Vargas
Vargas just cannot find the final pass or the final shot that can shoot him toward stardom in this league.
He has the skills to put himself in good positions but cannot make the right decision in the end to create goals.
He also tends to go ghost in large chunks of the game, especially on the road when the team faces adversity.
He only had one accurate cross (1/6), and he only attempted one dribble despite it being a successful one. He needs to get himself involved more and demand the ball, especially when trying to fight from a losing position to acquire point(s).
Brecht Dejaegere
Dejaegere playing in that attacking midfielder role, with Westwood and Diani as the double pivots just isn’t working how Dean Smith imagined it might.
Dejaegere sometimes works well on the wing, but Carles Gil, the person who pulled the strings and found that line-splitting pass that created the New England goal, is an exact example of what Charlotte needs in the progressive midfielder role.
Dejaegere only had three passes into the final third as an attacking midfielder. Someone who is in the middle of the team is supposed to be the heartbeat that creates attacking chances, the Belgian is just not cutting it as of now.
Players who are successful in that position do not come very often, but hopefully, Charlotte will find that answer in the attacking midfielder role soon.
Final thoughts
Charlotte FC hosts Toronto FC at home next weekend, a team that struggled mightily last year but seems to have had a bit of a resurgence in 2024
Toronto will be without their key attacker Lorenzo Insigne, who was the reason Charlotte dropped a point in Canada earlier this season, so this should be a great opportunity for The Crown to get some revenge in front of their home crowd.
This upcoming home match-up should give Charlotte an opportunity to wipe this most recent loss from their memory and get their season back on track promptly.
