Charlotte FC and the New England Revolution clash at Bank of America Stadium for a must-win match for both sides.
Match: Charlotte FC vs New England Revolution
When: Saturday, September 21
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. ET
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV – How to Watch & Listen
Listen: WFNZ 92.7 FM (English) & WOLS 106.1 FM (Spanish)
For all other radio station affiliates in the Carolinas, click here.
Previous Matches:
Orlando City 2 – 0 Charlotte FC (Major League Soccer | September 18)
New England Revolution 2 - 2 CF Montreal (Major League Soccer | September 18)
Eastern Conference Table: For the full live table, click here.
3. Columbus Crew – 50 points, 27 GP
4. Orlando City SC – 43 points, 29 GP
5. New York Red Bulls – 43 points, 29 GP
6. New York City FC – 40 points, 29 GP
7. Charlotte FC – 38 points, 29 GP
8. Toronto FC – 36 points, 30 GP
9. Philadelphia – 33 points, 29 GP
---------- Playoff Line ----------
14. Chicago Fire – 29 points, 30 GP
- New England Revolution – 28 points, 28 GP
Fan Fueled Offense
Charlotte FC's offensive struggles have been a persistent issue, with the team going six straight matches without a goal in open play. However, their home advantage at Bank of America Stadium could be the key to reigniting their attack. While Head Coach Dean Smith has pointed out the team's difficulty in exploiting space in the attacking third, playing in front of their home crowd offers a unique opportunity to turn that around.
Bank of America Stadium has the potential to become a Fortress for Charlotte, especially in these final five matches of the season, with three of them being on home soil. It's crucial for the team to utilize the energy in the stands, translating it into intensity on the pitch. Faster transitions, better positioning, and quicker decision-making are all areas that can improve when a team hears the roar of its fans.
For a team struggling to score, those little advantages—like the noise of the crowd urging them forward—can make the difference between another goalless outing and a much-needed breakthrough. Scoring is never easy, but with the passion of a home crowd behind them, Charlotte’s attack could rediscover its rhythm, turning Bank of America Stadium into the launching pad for their resurgence.
Related Article: Find the Space | Ingredients of the Match
The Opponent
New England Revolution’s season has fallen short of expectations, even with star playmaker Carles Gil and experienced MLS Cup-winning coach Caleb Porter at the helm. Despite their individual talent, the team has struggled to find consistency, which has led to frustrating results. After an impressive 5-0 win over CF Montreal a month ago, the Revolution have gone winless in their last four matches.
Their recent struggles include a 3-0 loss to Orlando City and a 2-2 draw against Montreal. Yet, despite 16 losses this season, New England remains in the playoff race, sitting just five points away from a play-in spot. As the pressure mounts, they know their next match is a crucial opportunity to stay in contention.
Charlotte FC Head Coach Dean Smith doesn’t expect many changes from the Revolution’s usual approach. He highlighted that New England's structure and style will likely be similar to their previous encounter. Carles Gil, who scored the winning goal in their last matchup, will again be the focal point as New England looks to secure a much-needed win.
The Season So Far
Despite a poor run of form, CLTFC still find themselves in a prime position to achieve their regular season goal of finishing high enough in the table to host a first MLS playoff game in the Queen City. Head Coach Dean Smith has the team in 7th place in the Eastern Conference through 29 of 34 regular season matches with six games to go.
This summer, the team went on an impressive road run. In eight days, they took down Supporter’s Shield contenders FC Cincinnati 3-1, drew defending champions Columbus Crew 1-1, and then drew Austin FC 2-2.
After a brief Leagues Cup run in which the team beat Cruz Azul in a penalty shootout at home, they were ultimately eliminated in the group stage and were off for three weeks. Since then, their journey to regain that prior has been slow, as they've gone winless in their last four matches.
A relatively disappointing 1-1 draw with the Red Bulls opened up the stretch, followed by an end-to-end 1-0 loss against rivals Atlanta United and then losses against CF Montreal and Orlando City. Now, they return home to Bank of America Stadium to begin their last 5 matches of the season, starting with the New England Revolution.
CHARLOTTE FC vs NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
Be here September 21 at 4:00 p.m. as The Crown return back to The Fortress. The first fans to arrive will receive a Charlotte FC limited-edition reversible bucket hat.
