Keep Pushing

There are signs that the squad can put up goals and keep clean sheets. All it will take is a bit of sharpening and consistency for 90 minutes.

Dean sees the pieces coming together. If Charlotte wants to be the top side they dream of being, they will have to start winning more matches on the road. There are plenty of opportunities this month; the next one is on Wednesday in Orlando.

After that, they will come home for a match against Chicago. Then, they will return to the road for the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 in D.C.

That's a lot of matches in a short time, with a trophy shot on the line. Buckle up, folks.

Here are the Ingredients of the Match for Charlotte FC to get a result at Orlando:

Dean Smith keeps stressing the importance of continuing to build. He is seeing his side improve week in and week out. Just the results on paper aren't quite there yet.

So, what's the plan? Keep pushing. Dean sees his team growing 'dimensionally'. There are improvements up and down the field. The two current starting outside backs are under 23 years old and finding great form. The front three are finding space and opportunity. All the pieces are there for good performances.

What needs to happen now is to find ways to be more clinical and sharper, and have that always-on mentality to see out games. Lapses here or there are costing the team on both ends: missed chances, gaps in spacing, and errant passes here or there. These are all easy things to clean up if you keep pushing and keep believing in the work you are putting in. Wins are coming.

Depth Test

Nick Scardina and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty have been put in a difficult position.

Jahk has slotted in and played a role with little time to get to know his teammates. Nick has been asked to jump in and start with little to no playing time with the first team. Both have made their presence felt and impacted games right away, for the better. It's fantastic to see two young players play with confidence.

U.S. Open Cup forced even more rotation on the roster. Some guys got rest on Tuesday, and some had to play for 120 minutes. This allowed Dean to slot Tim Ream in at CB and get his left-footed player in there to see how things went. Andrew Privett got a breather. Nick and Jahk got significant minutes to continue to grow.

Overall, depth will keep being tested, and you need more from guys to put in performances like Marshall-Rutty and Scardina. Everyone needs to play a part to create an impact. Three matches in seven days. Now, six in the next twenty-one. Depth is key to being a top club in this league, and Charlotte needs to embrace it. Will we see more rotation in Orlando? Likely.

Stay Organized

Two moments of lapse in shape allowed Nashville to score. That was the match.

Charlotte FC created chances and found pockets of time to control the match. They scored first, had the higher xG, and did not allow Nashville many clean looks. All it took for Nashville was to up the pressure and stretch the backline and midfield from each other. That allowed enough space at the top of the 18 for Nashville to create opportunities, and they took advantage. When you give the likes of Hany Mukhtar those little pockets in and around the box, he can make you pay instantly. Similar to what happened against New England and Carles Gil. Two top number 10s in the league.

Orlando can bring the same level of threat and pressure. They have the attacking power from the likes of Luis Muriel and Martin Ojeda that can beat you at any moment. Ojeda put up a hat trick on New England, which is one of the top defenses in the league right now.

If Charlotte is to get a result on Wednesday, they must stay organized at the back and find ways to bring more numbers to help defend. Wilfried Zaha did an impeccable job in Nashville, coming back to stop multiple opportunities—that willingness to defend needs to bleed to the whole group. The chances will come at the other end if they are consistently hard to beat and organized.