Queen City Clash | Materials of the Match: Charlotte FC at FC Cincinnati

Charlotte FC turns to its second leg of a three-game road trip, facing FC Cincinnati in a clash of playoff-hopeful Eastern Conference teams.

Kickoff from TQL Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 12, and fans can watch the game on Apple TV.

Let’s look at the Materials of the Match presented by Rubbermaid to see how Charlotte FC can continue to claw towards earning a spot in the MLS Playoffs.

Last Time Out

Charlotte FC gained an important three points in their playoff push, beating CF Montréal 2-1 on a rainy night at Stade Saputo in Montréal on September 9.

Montréal struck first when Luca Petrasso sent in a cross, finding the head of Daniel Ríos and putting the shot past the outstretched hands of Kristijan Kahlina. The Crown answered with a goal of their own in the 37th minute with Pep Biel, Allan Saint-Maximin and Liel Abada combining to level the game.

David Schnegg was booked in the 71st minute, sending him over the yellow card allowance and causing him to miss Charlotte’s game against FC Cincinnati.

With time ticking down and the chance to grab three points dwindling, Schnegg and Idan Toklomati connected in the 81st minute to give The Crown a decisive second goal. Schnegg made a run down the left side of the pitch, sending a pass into the box past two Montreal defenders to Toklomati’s left foot for the game-winning score.

Next Man Up

With the suspension of both Ashley Westwood and Schnegg for Saturday’s match, Head Coach Dean Smith will find two players to step into the midfield and backline.

In the midfield, Luca de La Torre slotted in for Westwood against Montréal, playing 68 minutes before being subbed off for Brandt Bronico. De La Torre commanded the center of The Crown’s 4-3-3 formation, completing 32 passes.

Schnegg’s absence in the backline will be a deep hole to fill after he started the previous nine games at left back. He tallied a goal and three assists and held down the left side of the field during a span in which The Crown allowed seven goals. Nathan Byrne came on for Schnegg in the 85th minute in the 2-0 win against Atlanta, the only game that the Austrian defender didn’t play the full 90 minutes.

Byrne is one such replacement for Schnegg against FC Cincinnati. The five-year Charlotte FC veteran has played 20 games this season, starting 18 of them. Another replacement at left back could be Will Cleary. The Stanford product started four consecutive games at right back going into the game against Montréal until Byrne took over the duties. Whichever player Smith decides to slot in for Schnegg has proven experience this season that they can hold their own.

Queen City Clash

The clash between the two Queen Cities brings more than just bragging rights over a moniker — there are playoff positioning implications as well. Charlotte and Cincinnati are fifth and seventh, respectively, in the Eastern Conference table with eight points separating the two clubs.

A win against the Orange and Blue for Charlotte FC would mean becoming three points closer to a top-four place in the conference and home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, with Cincinnati right behind The Crown, a win provides them the chance to be within five points of Charlotte.

The game marks the tenth time the two teams will meet, with Charlotte FC boasting a 4-2-3 record. However, under Smith against Cincinnati FC, Charlotte FC is unbeaten with a 3-0-2 record. The two teams drew 2-2 earlier this season on May 9 in a game where Idan Toklomati and Pep Biel scored back-to-back goals a minute apart in the second half to neutralize Cincinnati’s two-goal first half and earn a point for The Crown.

Keep the Points Coming

Charlotte FC in the last six matches hasn’t dropped a game, going 4-0-2, grabbing 14 points. The Crown have outscored opponents 13-6, including Abada (3G+2A) and Biel (2G+3A), both collecting five points in the span and Maxi recording four assists in the last three games.

Charlotte could jump up to third place in the Eastern Conference with a win against FC Cincinnati. Third-place New England and fourth-place Chicago face off on September 13. A draw between the two teams combined with a win for The Crown would push them into third place. A loss for either team combined with a Charlotte FC win puts them in fourth place. Charlotte has a large chance on their hands against FC Cincinnati, with an opportunity to step into a playoff spot that comes with first-round home-field advantage.

Scouting the Orange and Blue

Cincinnati boasts one of the most electric offenses in the MLS, scoring 49 goals, the third-most in the league. Twelve different FC Cincinnati players have found the back of the net this season, including five players with five or more goals. One such player is forward Kevin Denkey. The Togolese forward has scored 11 goals across 21 games this season. He, however, has been held goalless since July 25, facing a six-game scoreless streak heading into Saturday’s competition.

Denkey is usually complemented in the attack by Evander, who is tied for fifth in the MLS in goals (13) and is tied for second in assists (11), but he will miss Saturday’s match due to yellow card accumulation. The Orange and Blue will also be missing Obinna Nwobodo, a crucial piece of their midfield who has started 10 of their last 12 games but was given a red card in their 5-0 loss to Philadelphia on September 9.

The five goals allowed against Philadelphia were a microcosm of an FC Cincinnati team that has allowed 56 goals this season, tied for the second-worst total in the league. For a team like Charlotte FC, which has outscored opponents 18-10 in nine games since coming back from the World Cup break, continuing the trend of netting multiple goals and limiting the opposition’s attack will be crucial in picking up three points.