FOXBOROUGH – In what was a dogged match, Charlotte FC start their stretch of matches away from home with a tough 2 – 1 loss against the New England Revolution.
After CLTFC ended their streak of eight straight halves of either scoring or conceding in the first 15 minutes against Atlanta United, another early goal was scored by the Revolution to start the match. After some delightful play from New England, they opened up the scoring with a classic Adam Buksa header assisted by Brandon Bye.
CLTFC didn’t panic and responded well to conceding early by taking the game to the Revolution. However, the rest of the half was stale for Charlotte FC as they couldn’t create any meaningful chances, apart from a Daniel Ríos shot that smashed off the post in the 44th minute.
The second half was a much more open affair with CLTFC looked much livelier in the opening minutes. There were signs that an equalizer was coming but a failed clearance that led to a deflected goal off Matt Polster put the home team up by two goals.
However, a strike from CLTFC’s substitute Titi Ortiz in the 85th minute gave Charlotte FC hope of getting a result. In the end, it was too little too late.
Take A Chance
The home version of Charlotte FC isn’t afraid of a little bit of risk. They push numbers forward in the attack, take players on, and just look like they are having fun.
However, the away version of CLTFC this season has looked reserved, void of any creativity, and low on urgency in the attack. Despite having most of the possession in the match, it was in the final third where a bit of speed, pizazz, and taking a chance were lacking.
Overall, it was one of the better away performances from Charlotte FC but perhaps taking a little more risk could go a long way in the upcoming stretch of away matches.
Continued Improvement
That’s now five straight losses for Charlotte FC on the road but the performance wasn't something to be ashamed of. Despite the result, CLTFC showed strides of improvement compared to the last away outing against the Philadelphia Union.
For the most part, the team stayed true to their style of play and never looked outmatched. They held 61% of the possession and managed to get six shots on target, two of the highest amounts they've managed so far this season. It's a strong foundation to work off of for the long month ahead of them.
The Crown will have another shot at getting the monkey off their back next week as they take on the Colorado Rapids. Before then, their first U.S. Open match awaits them in Greenville, South Carolina against Greenville Triumph SC.
