Not just a  coach, Charlotte FC’s Dean Smith is soccer dad

STEVE GOLDBERG | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Jamie Smith advances the ball for Greenville Triumph in a 1-0 loss against Charlotte Independence April 12 at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Smith is the son of Charlotte FC coach Dean Smith.

In most cases you’ll find Dean Smith intently watching soccer in front of the Charlotte FC bench in his capacity as head coach.

Not as often, but perhaps far more important in the larger scheme of things, you can catch him a bit further back, in the stands, just watching, without any decisions to make and no direct impact on the game. Smith is also a soccer dad, committed to supporting his son on the pitch and getting to games as often as possible.

On Friday at American Legion Memorial Stadium, Smith’s son Jamie was starting in defense for the Greenville Triumph in their match against the Charlotte Independence. Last week, the elder Smith made the four-hour drive from Charlotte to Knoxville for the Triumph’s U.S. Open Cup match against One Knoxville SC, and then back in time for training the next morning. The drive from his home in south Charlotte to Memorial Stadium would be much easier.

The Jacks (2-1-0) withstood a persistent attack from the USL One league leading Triumph (3-1-1) to give them their first loss in five games. The visiting Triumph controlled possession (64%) and outshot Charlotte 22-8 (6-4 on target) but Juan Obregon’s diving header in the 51st minute was the difference in the Jacks’ 1-0 result.

The younger Smith played well, taking four shots from his right back position.

Dean Smith has been open in saying that it was his son Jamie’s elevation to the college game, first at Limestone College in Gaffney, S.C., and later at North Carolina State, that introduced him to the Carolinas, covering more ground than many natives from Ashville, where Jamie played one summer, to Myrtle Beach, where the family bought a vacation home.

While most likely not the top reason, it can be argued that existing personal investment in, and appreciation for the Carolinas helped make the Charlotte FC job attractive to a man who could very well still be pacing a Premier League touchline.

“The beauty of it is I think Dean is his dad, not a coach trying to coach his son up,” Triumph head coach Rick Wright said. “I think they've got a brilliant relationship. I think Dean is Jamie's biggest fan and you know, I’m not far behind that.”

Asked if Jamie exhibited the traits of a coach’s son, Wright said, “He's very soccer savvy. You could tell that he's been around the game a long time. He's also been around good players. He brings a lot to the club. He brings a lot to the dressing room for sure.”

Left in Due West

Like Jamie, the Bermuda-born Wright first came the U.S. to play college soccer in South Carolina. The circumstances, though, are different. Jamie was looking forward to his American adventure while Wright wasn’t as enthusiastic.

In 1976, Wright’s father took him to Erskine College in Due West, S.C., which had a very strong soccer program. He had been in touch with the coach who was looking forward to adding a player of Rick’s skill.

The problem was that Rick, who was already playing in Bermuda’s first division, had no interest in the college game. But his dad suggested he give it a try, at least the weekend, and left for business in Atlanta. Or so he said. His father had flown back to Bermuda and Rick would stay at Erskine, become a two-time All American, and a second-round NASL draft pick.

An assistant coach to John Harkes from the Triumph’s first season, Wright was given the head position when Harkes stepped down after last season.
Both the Independence and Triumph are in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup next Tuesday. The Jacks will host Rhode Island in Charlotte while Greenville will travel to Louisville City FC.

Rematch with Toronto

On Saturday night, Smith will be back in coach mode when the Crown meets Toronto in their first rematch of the year at Bank of America Stadium.

On March 9, Charlotte did everything they needed to bring at least one point home as a souvenir from their trip to Toronto.

Junior Urso, Kerwin Vargas, Enzo Copetti twice, and Jere Uronen on a free kick, all had legitimate chances to give Charlotte the lead, but close misses and big saves kept them off the board. As with last week’s game at New England, it was a story of chances not taken.

Toronto had a few chances, the most threatening being a low hard shot from Federico Bernardeschi that was saved by Kristijan Kahlina. But as it played out, it felt like a draw was the most likely outcome. That was until Lorenzo Insigne did what he had done to a far more dominant New England team earlier in the season: Score a brilliant goal out of nothing.

On the left, he took the ball near midfield, drove down the left side, then cut to his right across the top of the penalty area, just about 25 yards out, gaining a half-step on Scott Arfield who had entered the match eight minutes earlier. The diminutive but lethal Italian took his moment and unleashed a fast-rising curveball that would curry the envy of even the greatest baseball pitchers.

Instead of a win or a draw, it was Charlotte’s first loss of the season. There was a similar feeling in the loss at New England, and the previous draws as well. Chances not taken cost points in the Eastern Conference table, but it’s a long season and Smith sees the silver lining.

“I’ve always said before, if you’re creating the chances, it’s not a bad place to be,” he said. “But we do have to start converting and the players are aware of that. But if you keep making (opportunities), you have every chance that you will.”

And Charlotte is creating chances, especially those you want to see in front of goal with the ball at their feet in strikers Enzo Copetti and Patrick Agyemang. Kerwin Vargas as well. Agyemang has been particularly dangerous but has just one goal to show for it. Copetti has yet to bend the net. The same with Vargas.  Whether that’s a dominant trend or a tight spigot just waiting to be opened remains to be seen.  

Toronto will be another test. One less problem to solve for the Crown will be that Insigne is out with a hamstring injury. Still, they can assure a point by preventing Toronto from scoring, but they cannot win three without scoring at least one themselves.

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