Charlotte FC missing key pieces against Red Bulls

PHOTO | TROY HULL

Charlotte FC striker Karol Swiderski (right) is on international duty with Poland and won't be available for the Crown against New York Red Bulls Saturday.

Mistakes will always be a part of the game, a part of sports.

Life in general for that matter. Most are subtle errors that most won’t see or recognize. In soccer, that could be as simple as giving an attacker a half step too much respect. Or, it can be glaringly obvious, setting the twittersphere on Defcon one until the next viral moment happens.

Without mistakes, it would all be quite boring, wouldn’t it? That’s why the overriding objective is minimizing your team’s mistakes while enticing more on the part of one’s opponent in an ever-changing and evolving 90 minutes.

That’s what Charlotte FC did last week in Orlando in achieving the club’s first win. Just because it’s that simple doesn’t mean it’s that easy. After commanding the first half, scoring two goals, Charlotte ended up surviving the second, giving up one on a sequence of mistakes.

It’s what they will have to do again Saturday evening against the New York Red Bulls at the Bank. The teams played three times last season, two in MLS and one in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup where the Red Bulls knocked Charlotte out of the competition 3-1. Both teams won their home matches by 2-0 scores.
The game in Charlotte was the first in charge for head coach Christian Lattanzio. About his move from assistant to man-in-charge, he said, “Every day is a challenge. Every day I cherish. I feel at home here in Charlotte, Now is the time to put the head down and work.”

New York comes into the game with a 1-1-2 record, 10th in the East, two points ahead of the Crown in 14th. They downed Columbus 2-1 last week.
Lattanzio said his team must play with focus and intention.

“The game nowadays is played with high intensity, and everybody has to give that as a bare minimum. They have to be committed to the cause for the duration of the game.”
Only after that, he says, come the considerations of quality and the characteristics of players that might provide advantageous matchups.

 
Swiderski on international duty, Ashley Westwood injured

Karol Swiderski, who did not play against Orlando, won’t be an option for Lattanzio this week as he is on international duty with Poland. He came on in the 46th minute in a 3-1 loss to the Czech Republic in the UEFA Euro qualifiers on Friday. Next up for Poland is Albania on Monday in Warsaw.

Swiderski was an unused substitute in Orlando as Lattanzio made several adjustments to change the mojo that had not produced a result in the first three matches. Asked why he didn’t have the Polish striker/midfielder in the lineup, Lattanzio said he would rather talk about those who did play than those who didn’t.

Another key player who won’t be available is midfielder Ashley Westwood, who came out of the Orlando game at halftime after a collision left him hobbling. Westwood has been an influential player for Charlotte this season, distributing the ball not only in the run of play but on almost all free kicks. He has also been wearing the captain’s armband, a testament to his leadership on and off the pitch. He is listed as a right thigh injury.

That same description has centerback Bill Tuiloma listed as questionable for the match. If Tuiloma is out, it is possible that Lattanzio may partner Derrick Jones with Adilson Malanda as centerbacks, or more likely Jan Sobocinski.

Lattanzio could also throw new homegrown signing Jack Neeley into the deep end of the pool. An academy player, Neeley was a second half substitute twice in Charlotte’s 3-0 pre-season win against the Charleston Battery and a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Coachella Valley Invitational.

“He’s a mature character,” Lattanzio said of the now 18-year-old who more than held his own against the older and more experienced competition in the Charleston game. “Football-wise, we need to be patient with him. He is here at the moment because we don’t have central defenders.”

He is the club’s third homegrown signing following Brian Romero and Nimfasha Berchimas.

“I’m very excited to get to continue doing what I love to do on a professional level with Charlotte FC,” Neeley said. “I’ve had a love for the game and today is one of the best days of my life. I’m ready to represent the Carolinas on the Major League Soccer stage and wouldn’t want to begin my career anywhere else.”

Crown Legacy opener

Charlotte’s newest team, Crown Legacy FC open their inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season on Sunday afternoon against Huntsville City FC at the Matthews Sportsplex stadium. First kick is 3 p.m. for what is now the second team for Charlotte FC.

Along with players signed directly for the Legacy, the game-day squads may also include first team players who need match time, especially the recent Superdraft picks. Currently, there are ten Academy U19 and U17 eligible players on the roster as well.

Three players are listed as unavailable. Iuri Tavares and     Marko Filipovich are still in the process of getting their visas coordinated. Nikola Petkovich, a 20-year-old defensive midfielder from Serbia who made his debut for the senior national team in January, is on international duty. He captained his country’s U21 side in a 2-0 loss to Italy on Friday. According to a match report, he left the game due to injury in the 68th minute.

Legacy will provide Charlotte FC with a true second team that will create a bridge between the first team and the academy while providing more directly linked spots for player development. Previously, the club had a strong relationship with the Charlotte Independence where Christian Fuchs, Brandt Bronico, Adam Armour played in 2021, and Chris Hegardt recuperated from knee surgery last season along with Koa Santos, who is no longer with the Crown.

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