CHARLOTTE – Charlotte FC faced the toughest challenge of their season in their 2 – 0 loss against the Philadelphia. In Charlotte FC’s last two matches they opened up the scoring early but against Philadelphia they tasted a bit of their own medicine.
In the 4th minute, CLTFC was caught out with a beautiful ball over the top by Philly left back Kai Wagner which led to Julian Carranza giving his team the early lead.
Following the goal, Charlotte responded well and was able to settle into the match. However, CLTFC only managed to create some half-chances from set pieces and a near miss in the 45th minute from midfielder Ben Bender. CLTFC wasn’t able to threaten Philly much in the half.
Unfortunately for CLTFC, the opening minutes of the second half were déjà vu of the first. The Union was gifted an early goal by a rare mistake from CLTFC keeper, Kristijan Kahlina. Apart from the 2nd goal, CLTFC played a significantly better half.
They spent much of it in their opponent's half, but Philly’s defense was unshakable. In the end, the Union were able to get the win and keep a clean sheet as a bonus.
Reality Check
Up until this point, Charlotte FC had faced good teams but none quite at the level of the Philadelphia Union. A team that’s not just competing for playoffs but one that has all the potential to win the MLS Cup.
Going to Philly was always going to be CLTFC’s biggest challenge of their young season so far and the match was every bit as difficult as advertised. And while Charlotte was able to get away with some mistakes in their previous matches, against the Union, they were punished.
This match was an opportunity for Charlotte FC to test themselves against an elite opponent and despite the result in the end it was a great learning opportunity for a team that is still “under construction”.
This Union team, for the most part, is the same one that won the 2020 Supporter’s Shield and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. Charlotte FC were heavy underdogs but the good news for them is that the season is still young, and this experience will only serve to help them grow and improve for the long season ahead.
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