Charlotte FC aims to get right at home vs. FC Cincinnati

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Charlotte FC, which returns to Bank of America Stadium Saturday against FC Cincinnati, play four straight home matches ahead of the World Cup break.

Charlotte FC is a much better team at Bank of America Stadium.

After losing four straight matches across all competitions – three on the road – the Crown (4-5-2, 14 points) will try to get right Saturday against FC Cincinnati (4-4-3, 15 points) in the first of four home matches before the World Cup break. Charlotte, seventh in the MLS Eastern Conference, has been a tough out on its home pitch since joining MLS in 2022, going 40-16-16 over that span and outscoring opponents 43-21 over their last 14 games at BofA.

Road performance is more problematic with a 1-3 mark over their last four games away from Charlotte – all against Eastern Conference opponents.

“To play back home is good to play in front of the fans,” midfielder Djibril Diani said, “and we know it’s tough to come play there. We are a strong team at home.”

Said coach Dean Smith: “[I’m] looking forward to being at home. It seems a while away since we hope we were last. Hope we don’t get the weather we got against Philly (with steady rain), but hopefully we get the result we got against them.”

Charlotte has also been strong against Cincinnati with a 4-2-2 record all-time and 3-0-1 during Smith’s tenure. The Crown won both games last season with clean sheet results and a winning result Saturday would vault Charlotte past Cincinnati, which is tied with D.C. United for sixth in the East.

“No idea” about Charlotte’s dominance of the series, Smith said. “It’s one of (those) things. We go from game to game, and you work on what you think our strengths are, what we can employ against the opposition that you come up against. And all teams will have certain strengths and weaknesses that you define when you watch them and that’s the same with Cincy.”

The Crown reports improving health with centerback Tim Ream fit to play for the first time since an injury at New York City FC on April 18, which was the last time Charlotte FC won a game. Smith didn’t commit to Ream joining the starting lineup, but his presence would stabilize the backline.

“He’s available,” Smith said. “He’s come through training, no problem. He feels good, so he’s available for selection.”

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