Ride The Wave Train

Charlotte FC is the talk of the town. That town is Major League Soccer.

Another strong performance at home, putting up four goals emphatically. The defense continues to look strong, even with some rotation. The formula in attack is working, regardless of who is in the lineup. Consistency.

You can see it in the power rankings from around the league. Everyone is taking notice of this Charlotte side's hot start. But—there is always a but—this league will test you week in and week out. Now, The Crown have to head out west once again to a fickle Colorado Rapids side that can easily put Charlotte back on their heels.

Andrew Privett received a dubious red card in the last match and is suspended for this weekend. The international trio of Tim Ream, Patrick Agyemang, and Liel Abada have returned to the side.

Here are the Ingredients of the Match for Charlotte FC to put up their first three-match win streak of the season:

When in Rome, as they say.

Yes, 'wave train' is an official term for rapid riding. Google it. Charlotte is heading to face the Colorado RAPIDS. It's punny.

For Charlotte FC, ride the wave right now. Momentum, energy, and excitement are all high. The squads seem loose but confident. They are enjoying their run of form, but they know this is just the start, and this league can humble you at any moment. So best thing to do right now is ride that wave of consistency. Keep doing the things that are working. Keep strong in the back and look to counter and play fast. Keep maintaining that level of togetherness. The result should come against a side everyone expects Charlotte to beat. But you might fall off if you get too fancy on top of that wave. So enjoy the ride and lock up that first road win of the season.

Get Up Shots

Zack Steffen has been a brick wall to start the season. In their match against San Jose, Steffen put up 12 saves, leading to the Rapids locking up three points. He's in form and hard to beat right now.

Charlotte FC must pepper the net, knowing that Steffen will lockdown a decent chunk of those chances. He just will. He is 2nd in the league in shots saved with 24, 2 clean sheets, and only 4 goals against. For comparison's sake, Kahlina has 2 clean sheets, 4 goals against, and 23 shots saved on the season, but with one extra match played. Steffen was on international duty with USMNT last week.

How will they do it? TBD. Do Patrick and Liel slot right back into the XI? Do they let Idan have another runout? Regardless, Pep Biel is on fire and getting better every match. It will take another masterclass from him to create chances for the group. And we still haven't seen the best of Wilfried Zaha yet. If those two hit their strides on Saturday, peppering the net should be no problem against this Rapids side that gave up three goals at home to the Portland Timbers last week.

.@SachaKljestan sees Charlotte as the biggest threat in the East. If they keep up their home form, they could be a serious problem.

Watch This is MLS👇https://t.co/ovcKht3pNb pic.twitter.com/4cvdvoeyN8
— MLS on Air (@MLSonAir) March 27, 2025

Backline Shuffle

With Andrew Privett's red card, we are likely to see Tim Ream slot in at center back and Souleyman Doumbia get back-to-back starts at left back. This will be the first time those two see the pitch together and the first time we see Tim Ream at his natural CB position this season.

If you remember, back in August, Tim arrived at the club and slotted in next to Malanda. After a few bumpy results, Tim moved out to LB, and Privett returned to the center. The rest is history. That lineup powered all the way through playoffs and into the start of this season.

After a strong debut from Doumbia, it will be interesting to see how this lineup fairs against a strong attacking side. The likes of Rafael Navarro and Djorde Mihailovic can cause a lot of havoc and movement. So, the backline shuffle will most certainly be tested. Communication and support is going to be key.

This challenge could also lead to new horizons. If Charlotte FC unlocks another backline setup that functions and works, they become immediately more dynamic. The ability to confidently rotate pieces and make decisions based on opposing team tactics can open up doors for the rest of the season. It may just be matchday 6 against a Western Conference team, but this one could have big implications in the future with a good result.