Charlotte FC misses chances in 2-1 loss to Inter Miami

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Charlotte FC attacker Patrick Agyemang scored the Crown's lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Inter Miami before he was tossed for drawing a straight red card.

Converting chances into goals was the name of the game in Charlotte FC’s 2-1 loss to Inter Miami.

It was the Crown’s first at Bank of America Stadium in over two months, and highlighted the consistent talent of Inter Miami, which played without stars Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Charlotte had plenty of opportunities to score with 14 shots, yet only two were on target. The scoresheet didn’t tell the full story, however, as momentum swayed between the two teams, with Charlotte dominating shots on goal and possession while Inter Miami was more efficient in front of goal, resulting in an early go-ahead goal by Robert Taylor in the 30th minute and the 86th minute winner by Benjamin Cremaschi.

Charlotte coach Dean Smith expressed his frustrations with officiating and composure in front of goal.

“There were a few decisions that I felt we should’ve had,” Smith said. “I think we’re missing too many chances in too many games, and if we were taking the chances, we would be top three for sure.”

The first half was dominated by Charlotte, with major possession that resulted in the equalizer in the 41st minute by Patrick Agyemang. The Crown looked to continue the momentum in the second half despite conceding the early goal.

“We said at halftime that we were excellent,” Captain Ashley Westwood said. “I thought we dominated the ball, but we let them get one chance and it came from us giving the ball away. “We didn’t force it, we stayed patient on the ball, and we saw players out and found the gaps. I thought we did that magnificently.”

Westwood added there’s a learning experience from the match, because if Charlotte plays like it did in the first half consistently, wins will follow.

“[Miami is] a top side, and we can learn from that, but we can take credit as well because this is going to be referenced very much, as we’ve come away disappointed,” he said. “We
need to read the game [when] it’s starting to get away from us. We need to start to slow down and play like we did in the first half, because if we do, we can dominate any team.”

Charlotte’s youthful roster is still learning how to play together as professionals. Agyemang, for instance, earned a red card late after stomping a Miami player in the 96th minute. As a result, he’ll miss the next match against FC Cincinnati on July 13.

Westwood said he counseled Agyemang that he shouldn’t let his emotions get the better of him since opposing teams are focusing their defense on stopping the forward.

“He needs to take it as a compliment because teams are starting to focus on him now as he’s started to get a name and become recognized,” Westwood said.

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