“I’m pissed with it”: Smith demands a response ahead of tonight's match against Philadelphia Union
By Rylee McKinney (@rylees_roster)
Charlotte FC look to bounce back from Wednesday’s disappointing performance as they prepare to face a Philadelphia Union side sitting just one point behind them in the Eastern Conference standings. With the playoff push heating up, the Crown will need a strong response against one of the conference’s most in-form teams.
Despite the importance of the matchup, Dean Smith does not believe there is any added pressure heading into the game.
“Just perform. That's your job. You're in control of that,” Smith said.
Smith Expects a Reaction
According to Smith, Charlotte struggled with third-man runs, individual duels and turnovers in Wednesday’s match. Defensively, the Crown also conceded 33 shots from Columbus Crew, 14 of which were on target.
Smith believes the performance was uncharacteristic of his squad and expects the players to respond.
“There's a lot of teams who are in worse shape than us, who've had a lot more performances like that. We haven't. It's very seldom, and I expect a reaction from them.”
Philadelphia's Young Talent Brings a Challenge
Philadelphia have found their stride under an interim manager, Ryan Richter, following a coaching change earlier in the season. Despite fielding a younger squad, the Union has maintained remnants of the playing style that helped them win the Supporters’ Shield last season.
With Cavan Sullivan among the young players making an impact, Philadelphia's tempo and attacking energy will challenge Charlotte throughout the match.
Idan Toklomati's Form and Attacking Depth
With Archie Goodwin on the season-ending injury list and Tyger Smalls as the only backup striker, Smith dismissed concerns about Idan Toklomati playing two consecutive full 90-minute matches, pointing to the 21-year-old's recent performances.
“He's in a rich kind of form, scoring goals,” Smith said.
However, Charlotte will need contributions from across the attack. Smith emphasized the importance of finding goals from different areas despite Pep Biel and Toklomati each recording 12 goals so far this season.
Charlotte's path to a result starts with limiting turnovers, winning individual battles and improving their defensive organization against Philadelphia's energetic attack.
Wednesday's performance may have been an outlier, but the Crown now have an opportunity to prove it. A disciplined display and a more varied attack could be crucial to keeping Philadelphia behind them in the standings and building momentum ahead of the playoffs.
