Leagues Cup finished, Charlotte FC returns to MLS play

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and his Charlotte FC teammates resume MLS play Saturday at Cincinnati, which is second in the Eastern Conference at 49 points, one behind Philadelphia Union. Charlotte is seventh at 38 points.

Not that it matters, but Charlotte moved up on the MLS side of the Leagues Cup table to 13th of 18 clubs competing with a 2-0 win against CF Monterrey Thursday.

Tyger Smalls scored his second first-team goal on a pass from Brandon Cambridge to seal the win over the Mexican side three minutes after Bill Tuiloma’s glancing header off a Liel Abada cross put Charlotte ahead in the 57th.

What does matter is that the Crown left the tournament on a good result, even though both sides, who were already eliminated from the quarterfinals, played heavily rotated lineups with their next domestic league matches coming up – Sunday for Charlotte and Monday for Monterrey.

Dean Smith’s boys are headed to Ohio to take on FC Cincinnati, who are second in the MLS East, one point behind Philadelphia Union (49 points, 15-6-4). Charlotte (12-11-2) sits seventh on 38 points. 
Game time is 6 p.m. and will be televised on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass. 

Queen City Derby – Episode 8

Can Charlotte beat Cincy? Why not? They’ve done it once already this season, a 2-0 win at home on March 15. But that was in the fourth game of the season when the Crown were riding high. Liel Abada and Patrick Agyemang were the goal scorers. That Kristijan Kahlina was the highest rated player for Charlotte that day tells you how easy it wasn’t.

Charlotte won 3-1 at TQL Stadium last year after drawing at home. Their last loss to Cincinnati was a 3-0 verdict in September 2023 after a draw at home. The teams split in 2022, so Charlotte’s overall record against the Ohio players is currently 3-2-2.

FCC drew 0-0 at Messi-less Inter Miami in their last MLS tilt but swamped the Floridians 3-0 at home two games prior after losing at home 4-2 to archrival Columbus. They are 6-1-1 in their last eight MLS games. Charlotte comes in on a four-game winning streak with a draw before that.

The congestion of summer is gone now, and the Crown have no further mid-week games throughout the regular season, allowing for sufficient rest and recovery between matches.

Smith switched out six starters against Monterrey, including Kahlina, Tim Ream, Wilfried Zaha, Vargas, Brandt Bronico, and Djibril Diani. Abada started on the bench but came in for Idan Toklomati at halftime. 

Smith didn’t have a choice with Pep Biel, who left early in the previous match against Chivas with a strained hamstring that may keep the Crown’s most productive player – 10 goals and 12 assists – out four to six weeks. Smith said an MRI ruled out a tear or tendon damage, but the team will be cautious so to ensure Biel’s long-term fitness. 

“Four to six weeks is a number that the medical staff will give you, but we’re all different in how we recover,” he said. “Pep’s come back from injuries quicker before.” He did add that of Biel.

Adilson Malanda has also been out since the win over Toronto on July 26 with a hamstring pull and a cyst on his knee but is expected to be available for selection against FCC. 

Also out, due to yellow card accumulation, will be captain Ashley Westwood. Smith says his intensity will be missed in Cincinnati as well as his vision. It was Westwood’s long through ball behind the Monterrey defense to Cambridge that set up Small’s goal.

“I’ve got to find a balancing act of who best to play in midfield as a three or go two up front and play a 4-4-2,” Smith said. “There are different ways we can go into this game.”

FCC’s leading scorer, Evander (15 goals, 8 assists), came on late in their 2-1 loss to Chivas on Thursday. Evander has put almost half (40) of his 87 shots on target this season. 

“He’s a top-quality player and a standout player we have to be aware of because he can take a game from anyone,” Smith said.

Whether Kevin Denkey (12 goals, 1 assist) will play is undetermined. He returned to training 10 days ago after a leg injury but did not play in any Leagues Cup matches.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie…

Almost five years after Charlotte FC’s second-ever signing, Riley McGree, the club might be getting an Australian who could actually play for the club. 

The rumor mill has 20-year-old striker Archie Goodwin on his way to the Crown. In 26 games for Adelaide United in Australia’s top-tier 2024-25 A-League season, Goodwin was tied for golden boot honors with 13 goals. Adelaide finished sixth in the 13-team league. 

Smith has stated he wants to bring in a striker who would add depth to the attack and compete with Toklomati for minutes.

“That’s what I’ve always said I want at the club,” he said. “I want competition for places. The more competition you get, the better you can be as a team and push players to different levels.”

Whether Goodwin’s coming in healthy is a question. He suffered a hamstring tear during the final game of the regular season on April 26 that kept him out of the A-League playoffs and did not dress for Adelaide’s Australia Cup match against Newcastle on July 30 for the same reason.

McGree, who joined the Crown in 2020, spent the next year and a half on loan at Birmingham City in the English Championship before being sold to Middlesbrough FC on a permanent transfer without ever seeing the field in Charlotte. Now 26, McGree has made 100 appearances across all competitions for Boro with 15 goals and 11 assists. 

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