It's 'Groundhog Day' – the Charlotte FC version

STEVE GOLDBERG | FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST

Bill Tuiloma's header in the 65th minute gave Charlotte FC a 2-0 advantage against Orlando City, but it wasn't enough to avoid a 2-2 draw Saturday.

It’s been Groundhog Day for Charlotte FC going on two months now. 

Like Phil Conners, Bill Murray’s character in the much-deeper-than-you-thought-it-was film, Dean Smith and his team have been living the same day over and over, searching for a way out of the maze. Or should that be malaise? 

There are still more questions than answers heading into Saturday’s home date against NYCFC, the first of 13 regular-season games left on the schedule.

Down two key starters in Tim Ream and Patrick Agyemang against Orlando City, who were without outside back Alex Freeman themselves, Charlotte took a 1-0 lead on a nicely crafted goal by Pep Biel, assisted by Nick Scardina in the 40th minute. Orlando was getting chances, but Charlotte was resolute on defense, especially defined by Scardina hustling back to clear a sure equalizing goal off the line in the 62nd minute. 

Charlotte doubled the lead three minutes later on Bill Tuiloma’s header on a free kick taken by Biel.

The joy was short-lived as Orlando pulled one back in the 69th minute and drew even in the 80th for a 2-2 final. In five visits to Charlotte, Orlando has taken home a point each time.
Currently on 26 points in 10th place, equaling the 51 points that put them fifth in the MLS East last season, Charlotte will have to average just under two points per match to mirror last year’s result. That would provide 25 from the 39 points available.

Immediately ahead of the Crown are Chicago (28 points), NY Red Bulls (30), and their next opponent NYCFC (31).

“That's the moment we're in,” Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood said. “This club's been here before. Certainly, my first year, we were in this stage, and we got through at the back end of the season. And the MLS is about how you finish the season.”

After nine of the last 11 games on the road before the Orlando match, Charlotte has three of the next four at home before the Leagues Cup commences on July 31 for at least three matches at Bank of America Stadium After that, five of the last nine games are at home. In short, nine of the last 13 MLS matches are at home.

“We've been on a tough run,” Westwood said. “It's not been easy at all. It's been unforgiving, and living out your suitcase is not ideal, but we've got no excuses now. Now is the time to perform. We've got a lot of home games, and it's time to make a real push for the playoffs.” 

In and out

The larger looming question over the next few weeks - the MLS transfer window runs from July 24-Aug. 21- will be who will make that run to finish the season. Even though MLS teams cannot add players over the next two weeks, they can lose them to clubs where the transfer window is already open.

While the future of Patrick Agyemang and Adilson Malanda has been the major topic of conversation, two players, Iuri Tavares and João Pedro, have already departed. 

The club announced on Tuesday that Tavares has joined Croatian First Division side NK Varazdin on a permanent basis. The deal includes a sell-on clause where CLTFC would retain 20% of any future sale.

Word came on Wednesday that defender João Pedro has joined Polish First Division side Radomiak Radom on a permanent transfer. CLTFC will retain 40% of any future sale.

Essentially Pedro, 22, was already gone. He joined Rio Ave FC in the Portuguese first division on loan in January during the second half of their season. 

Derby bound?

Most everyone is talking about Agyemang’s departure as imminent with an $8 million fee from Derby County in the English Championship division coming Charlotte’s, and MLS’s way. As rumors go, the Transfermarkt.com site says there is a 90% probability on this being true. 

According to Derbyshire.com on July 4, which referred to American news reports, the British club “have struck a deal worth $8m (£5.8m).”

The transfer game is just that, a rumor mill based on unnamed sources, hopes and prayers, and a lot of reporting on the reporting of others to exponential levels. Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports influencer who has established himself as “the” football transfer news specialist, which many reports that have proven accurate and gained him 25.2 million followers. He posted on June 24 that Derby was “closing in on deal to sign 24-year-old striker Patrick Agyemang from Charlotte FC. Talks underway with player’s green light already in place.”

Chasing it as well is American soccer writer Tom Bogert, who posted last week that “Derby County and Charlotte FC have reached an agreement in principle.”

It has been reported that Luton Town, then in the Championship and in the Premier League two seasons back but now relegated to EFL League One, had a $4 million bid rejected in January.

Sidebar: Just so you can compare estimates to reality, Transfermarkt lists Agyemang’s value at 4 million Euros. The alleged $8M offer from Derby would make his value 6.8 million Euros, 58% higher than Transfermarkt’s estimate. This just goes to prove that the true value of anything is what someone is willing to pay.

Whatever that is, CLTFC will, according to league rules, “receive 95% of the corresponding transfer or loan fee revenue from any transaction, after it has recouped all out-of-pocket cash payments made by the club in connection to that player (if applicable).”

According to Derby County’s website, manager John Eustace will bring his squad together July 14 in Austria to prepare for their season, which begins with a trip to Stoke City on Aug. 9. If the deal is going to be done, it’s a lock that Agyemang won’t take the field for the Crown again this season.

As for Malanda, the rumors are that he’s coveted by Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. That’s the July 5 post by another transfer market “expert,” Sascha Tavolieri (164,000 followers on X), who’s been re-reported locally and beyond.
The 23-year-old Frenchman’s market value according to Transfermarkt has risen 400% from the time he joined Charlotte (1 million Euros) to an estimated 4 million Euros, or about $4.7 million according to Xe.com. His departure would be a bigger problem for the Crown than losing Agyemang. 

Since joining Charlotte in 2022, Malanda’s been a fixture in central defense, starting all of the 92 MLS regular season and playoff matches in which he’s appeared. Only Malanda and Ashley Westwood have played every minute this season.

So, who’s coming in?

Dax McCarty, a former North Carolina midfielder who spent 19 years in MLS with six clubs, the last one helping Atlanta United bounce Inter Miami out of the 2024 playoffs, is a pundit with Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass and on Sirius XM FC. 

On MLSsoccer.com, he wrote, “This all starts with the premise that Charlotte FC will sell Patrick Agyemang this summer,” and added that the fee, which could be up to $10 million with performance add-ons, “… that’s an incredible bit of business for a SuperDraft pick.”

“Assuming the Agyemang deal goes through, I’d like to see Charlotte use their open DP spot and go after a big-name striker. I’m not necessarily saying a mega-star, but someone more polished than Agyemang. He obviously has a lot of physical tools but isn’t always the most clinical and is still learning the role.”

“The right striker signing brings even more out of Wilfried Zaha and Pep Biel. Those two can create chances in a variety of ways. They just need a No. 9 who can routinely finish his opportunities.

“I’d also like to see Charlotte add a midfielder who makes them harder to play against. They have some solid box-to-box players but need someone who helps protect Ashley Westwood a little more with a stronger defensive presence.”

At the end of “Groundhog Day,” Phil Connors evolved and eventually got the girl. Can Charlotte FC do the same and get the playoffs?

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