In yesterday’s first midweek match of the season, Charlotte FC Head Coach Dean Smith made strategic changes to his starting eleven to land a historic Charlotte FC win. SuperDraft pick Tyger Smalls made his debut start on the wing, Joao Pedro stepped in for the injured Jere Uronen, and Junior Urso and Nikola Petkovic replaced Djibril Diani and Brandt Bronico.
The match’s crucial moment came in the 58th minute when Ashley Westwood expertly placed a penalty kick into the top corner of the net, securing a 1-0 victory for Charlotte FC against Chicago Fire FC. This win marks Charlotte FC’s third consecutive triumph in the MLS.
Put the 𝐖𝐈𝐍 in Windy City 😮💨💨#ForTheCrown pic.twitter.com/zypxZ7gE8W
— Charlotte FC (@CharlotteFC) May 16, 2024
Charlotte FC (6-5-2) maintained their lead with the help of goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, who made two dramatic saves in the closing minutes, achieving his third straight clean sheet. The first half ended scoreless, with both teams displaying strong defensive performances.
The decisive penalty was awarded after Chicago’s Carlos Teran fouled Charlotte’s Patrick Agyemang inside the penalty arc. Despite Chicago’s (2-7-4) persistent pressure in the second half, Kahlina successfully stopped all four of their shots on goal.
With this Charlotte FC win, the team climbs to fifth place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings, level with New York City FC in points (20) and goal differential (1), but trailing in goals scored (16-14). Charlotte FC is now just eight points behind conference leaders Inter Miami CF.
Looking ahead, Charlotte FC prepares for a home match against LA Galaxy (5-2-6). In their last encounter in May 2023, Charlotte FC secured a 1-0 win over the Galaxy.
