CHARLOTTE – Charlotte FC earned back-to-back wins for the first time since Week 5 of the MLS season. It was an emphatic 4-1 victory over fellow Southerners Nashville SC.
For the first 30 minutes, Charlotte FC picked up where they left off against the Houston Dynamo. Taking early control of the match by pressing high and giving Nashville little room to breathe. Nashville struggled to get out of their own half and when they did Charlotte were able to defend with relative ease.
The Crown’s persistence in staying aggressive and keeping a strong line was rewarded in the 25th minute when Sergio Ruiz won a penalty after receiving a tantalizing ball from Yordy Reyna. It was none-other than the captain, Christian Fuchs, who buried the penalty to score his second of the season and give CLTFC the lead.
In the last 10 minutes of the half, however, Nashville were able to get into a rhythm off some sloppy play from CLTFC. Their best chance came in this window when a cross landed in front of MVP contender Hany Mukhtar who hit the crossbar.
In the second half, Charlotte looked sharp once again. Striker Karol Świderski was finally able to break his goal drought early in the half. Another threatening cross from Reyna led to a wonderfully headed goal by the Pole. But against the run of play, Nashville earned a penalty of their own and Muhktar converted to bring the match to 2-1.
In the final minutes of the match, things were tense as Nashville looked to equalize. But a savvy play from first round SuperDraft pick, Ben Bender, led to a Sergio Ruiz tap-in goal. And just two minutes later, Andre Shinyashiki scores a screamer from outside the box to seal the game.
High Press Success
Once again, Charlotte’s high pressed proved to be effective in limiting chances for their opposition. Nashville had to resort to long balls to just have chance of getting out of their own half.
And even though Charlotte aren’t the most athletic team, their discipline, organization, and willingness to battle for every ball has made all the difference in the team’s stellar defensive stretch.
Momentum Builder
Leading into the match, interim head coach Christian Lattanzio stressed that the next step for his team was to "carry on the momentum" by earning back-to-back results. And carry the momentum they did.
The Club not only earned back-to-back wins but did so in convincing fashion. It's consecutive performances and results like these that will serve as momentum builders for the challenges ahead and be crucial in keeping the team alive in the tight playoff race.
