Dean Smith's two eight-game mini-seasons
- Brian Maurer
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
By Brian Maurer
Dean Smith has mentioned on many occasions that he likes to narrow his focus with Charlotte FC. He always wants his players to singularly focus on the game directly in front of them. Leaving the last performance behind quickly, regardless of outcome, and also not thinking too far ahead.
In moments when Smith does widen the lens on the season, he still tends to mark out blocks in the schedule that are bite-sized, not the entire 34-game schedule. After Charlotte's 18th league game against Chicago Fire, Smith said he broke the final 16 games into two eight-game mini seasons. Winning the mini-seasons helps the Crown advance to where they want to be in the Eastern Conference standings in November.
Here is a breakdown of Charlotte's two remaining mini-seasons: where they stand in their first mini-season table, and what the primary storyline of each mini-season looks to be:
Mini Season 1: Aug 15-Sep 19
Aug 15 - vs Columbus Crew - Win 3-1
Aug 19 - at Toronto FC - Draw 3-3
Aug 22 - vs DC United - Win 3-1
Aug 29 - at Atlanta United - Win 2-1
Sep 5 - vs Houston Dynamo - Draw 0-0
Sep 9 - at CF Montreal -
Sep 12 - at FC Cincinnati -
Sep 19 - at DC United -
Charlotte FC currently sits 2nd in this first mini-season table. The outlook for the remainder of this mini-season is: can Charlotte get the points they need on the road? There are several favorable road matchups. Can the Crown take advantage? They slipped against Toronto FC, but multiple opportunities remain to increase their road game volume.
Mini Season 2: Sep 26-Nov 7
Sep 26 - vs Chicago Fire
Oct 10 - vs FC Dallas
Oct 14 - at Columbus Crew
Oct 17 - at Philadelphia Union
Oct 24 - at Portland Timbers
Oct 28 - vs CF Montreal
Oct 31 - vs Orlando City
Nov 7 - at Inter Miami
This final mini-season partially depends on how the first mini pans out, which so far has gone quite well. However, there are already trends that highlight this mini-season's storyline. These final eight games will allow Charlotte to show how they stack up against some of the other top or most in-form teams in MLS going into the playoffs.
The Chicago Fire, FC Dallas, and Inter Miami are all top 10 teams or better, and they all have some of the most talented star players in the league. They will get a chance to host another star in Antoine Griezmann when Orlando City comes to town. Then there's the Portland Timbers and Philadelphia Union, who have changed coaches and regained a better sense of identity and form.
