In a disappointing turn of events, Charlotte FC suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to rivals Atlanta United over the weekend. The defeat was particularly disheartening given the stakes at this crucial juncture of the season.
Both head coach Dean Smith and captain Ashley Westwood were candid in their post-match assessments, expressing frustration with the team’s performance while emphasizing the need for improvement. Reflecting on the match, Coach Dean Smith did not mince words.
“Disappointing. Disappointing result, for parts a disappointing performance,” he said.
Captain Ashley Westwood echoed his coach’s sentiments, acknowledging the team’s lackluster performance and the importance of returning to their previous form.
“Another disappointing performance, and at this stage of the season, we can’t have many more of them; otherwise, we will regret it,” warned the captain.
It was a familiar pattern for the season, with the defense holding strong and limiting the opposition’s chances, but the attack still showing signs of inconsistency. Although Charlotte FC managed to create more promising opportunities compared to their previous match against the New York Red Bulls, they struggled to turn those chances into real threats, often failing to challenge Atlanta’s goalkeeper.
“The final third, again, was our undoing,” said Smith.
“I think it was our choice of shots. I thought we had good chances to get into areas, but we hit straight down his throat. When you aren’t working the balls into corners, you’re making goalkeepers make easy saves,” Smith explained, pointing to a key issue that has plagued the team in recent weeks.
As the game progressed, it turned into a fast-paced, end-to-end affair, with both sides exchanging attacks but failing to find the back of the net. “It became a bit basketballish; it was end to end,” Smith observed.
Amidst the back-and-forth, Pep Biel's first-ever start offered a silver lining. The Spaniard had fans standing in their seats every time he touched the ball. Smith was encouraged by the early signs of chemistry between Biel and his teammates, particularly in the first half.
“With Pep now, we are starting to link with him; they’re starting to get used to what he’s about,” Smith noted, pointing to Biel’s potential impact in the attacking third. “I thought he showed really good moments. He connects it a lot better to get us up the pitch.”
However, he was quick to caution that there is still work to be done.
“But we have to work on our link-up in the final third and how we can move people,” he added. “We’ve had some really good link-up in the first half between Pep and Liel, where we got in a number of times, but our final ball just didn’t connect.”
The international break arrives at an opportune moment, offering the team a chance to regroup and recalibrate for the final seven matches of the season. During this time, they can focus on refining their attacking sequences and strengthening the chemistry within the squad.
“We need to pick ourselves up, work hard the next couple of weeks; we’ve got another weekend off,” said Westwood. “We need to come off the blocks because we have a really important stretch of the season.”
He also pointed out that the team has strayed from the effective strategies that brought them success earlier in the season. Westwood emphasized a return to fundamentals as key to overcoming their current slump.
“We’ve been flat; it’s not been good enough,” said Westwood. “We’ve gone away from what we were doing before the break, putting it in behind and stretching teams. We need to go back to the basics.”
As Charlotte FC prepares for the next phase of the season, the message is clear: there’s no more room for error. The team must refocus, regroup, and recapture the form that made them playoff contenders if they hope to achieve the lofty goals they’ve set for themselves.
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