What’s up, I’m Caleb Adams, the staff writer for Charlotte FC. Welcome to the first edition of my bi-weekly mailbag. First off, I just want to thank every who submitted questions, received a lot of great ones but my time is limited so unfortunately couldn’t get to all them. Make sure to submit any questions you may have for next time here.
Anyways, we’re early into CLTFC’s inaugural season, so there are still quite a few questions surrounding the roster and how head coach Ramírez wants to play. I’ll be addressing these plus some personal tidbits and a small preview for the upcoming match against the New England Revolution.
What was your first memory of coming to love the game of soccer? – Ridge, Charlotte, NC
This may come as a surprise to a lot of people but growing up I wasn’t a fan of soccer. Not that I didn’t like the sport, it was more of I just cared more for others, specifically basketball. But that all changed on June 16th, 2014.
At the time I was in Nicaragua doing volunteer work, a country that is soccer crazy. The group I was with decided to cheer on the USA in Brazil and so we huddled around this tiny TV to watch the matches.
The first group stage match was against Ghana, the match where Clint Dempsey scored the iconic 39 second goal. After witnessing that moment, I was hooked.
Who is your favorite European soccer club? Why? – Michael, Greenville, NC
I have found that the majority American soccer fans that I have met started their soccer journeys by following a team from Europe. Which makes complete sense considering the history, caliber, and global prevalence of the clubs across the Atlantic.
However, my story is a bit different. I first got into soccer through the U.S. Men’s National Team, so naturally I wanted to watch the teams that my favorite American players were at.
That’s when I began to watch MLS because at that time, around 2014, the majority of the American players were playing domestically. It was through watching MLS that I was introduced to European soccer which normally it is the other way around.
That’s the long answer to say that I don’t have a favorite European club. However, I tend to pull for whatever teams Americans play on but wouldn’t consider myself a fan of any of these teams.
What does an ideal profile of midfield for MAR (Miguel Ángel Ramírez) look like? Is it a #6 and dual 8s in either a 433 or 4141? Is it 2 #6s and a #10? As a possession style manager, it would seem like he would want 3 in the middle with balance of bite and creativity. – John, Charlotte, NC
So Ramírez's preferred formation is a fluid 433 with one holding midfielder (#6) and two box-to-box midfielders(#8s). If the wingers drop back in this set up, it becomes a 4141, so one could argue that the 433 and the 4141 can be the same thing depending on how the 433 is set up.
Back to the Ramírez's midfield... the #6 is Ramírez's system is a defensive orientated player who can cover ground, disrupt play, possesses smart positioning, and is composed enough to build out of the back under pressure.
As for the #8s, Ramírez tends to prefer a combination of a true box-to-box who contributes of both the offensive with a more attack-minded, creative midfielder. But all the midfielders require good spatial awareness and technical abilities to get the most out of Ramírez's system.
Do you by chance know of when we will fill the 3rd DP spot, and if so are there any candidates? – Jeremiah, Charlotte, NC
Charlotte FC Sporting Director, Zoran Krneta, has always stated that the Club wants to allow for some flexibility in the roster for the summer transfer window and that the Club is fully intending on using the 3rd DP slot. So, it’s safe to assume that the 3rd DP slot will most likely be filled in the summer.
We are currently in March, and most leagues around the world just aren’t open for business. It’s very difficult to sign a DP in January when the winter transfer window is open around the world, let alone in March.
The majority of these leagues end their seasons early in the summer and use that transfer window to prepare for the next season. Clubs are more willing to negotiate for their players during this window, making it the ideal market to sign a DP in.
CLTFC’s scouting department is hard at work continuously looking for additions to improve the squad. However, we’re only three matches into the season and it takes longer than that to assess a roster who is playing together for the first time.
With that said though, I wouldn’t be surprised if they already have some potential players in mind that could fill that 3rd DP spot.
With New England playing in the CCL 3 days before the CLTFC game. Do you think that swings the momentum to Charlotte FC? Does that really affect them in the game? – Sean, Charlotte, NC
I wouldn’t say it shifts the momentum because at the end of the day this is still the record breaking 2021 Supporter’s Shield winners. But it certainly will affect them.
Every MLS club that has had to balance CONCACAF Champions League with their regular season has had struggles in these early stages of the season. These are their records three games into the regular season:
Seattle Sounders: 1 Win 2 Losses
CF Montreal: 0 Wins 3 Losses
New York City FC: 1 Win 1 Draw 1 Loss
New England Revolution: 1 Win 1 Draw 1 Loss
New England has a comfortable 3 – 0 lead on Pumas, but at the end of the day, it’s still a Pumas side that is capable of coming back if the Revolution approaches it too confidently. I mean look at the close disaster that happened just last night to the MLS Cup Champs, NYCFC, against Comunicaciones.
So, the question is, do New England play it safe and start their full-strength roster against PUMAS and play a rotated side against Charlotte FC like they did against Real Salt Lake? Or do they risk potentially throwing their CCL lead by playing a rotated side and starting a full-strength lineup in Charlotte?
It could also be a mix of those options, with only a few positions rotated but keeping a core set of players in the lineup. Whatever they decide on, Charlotte will have the edge fitness wise because of the longer break between games they had.
However, despite their current record, the Revolution still has a talented roster, the most successful coach in MLS history, and the 2021 MLS MVP. They are a force to be reckoned with, but this is probably the best time for CLTFC to be playing them.
That wraps up the first edition of mailbag, if I missed your question, it could be featured in the next edition, so there is still hope! Make sure to submit any questions you may have for next time here.
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