The Real Queen City

Will the real Queen City please stand up?

The series between Charlotte and Cincinnati is level all-time at 2-2-2. The last time they faced each other, Charlotte came out on top in Porkopolis with a 3-1 victory. It was an important three points after coming off a heartbreaking loss to Miami. Sound familiar?

Charlotte FC is looking to bounce back after an unfortunate result in Ft. Lauderdale against 10 men. Chance creation was problematic as Miami locked up shop and won 1-0.

There is no better environment to return to than The Fortress to light a fire again for the boys and return to winning ways. What will it take? As Dean always says, 'togetherness.'

Here are the Ingredients of the Match to see Charlotte victorious on Saturday:

Play Fast

If you haven't watched this week's episode of For The Crown, you can watch it now, then continue reading this Ingredient.

Zaha was double-teamed, triple-teamed, quadruple-teamed, or whatever other nomenclature you want to call it. He was fouled non-stop. He currently sits tied for third in MLS in fouls suffered, with one less match played than those around him. Clearly, teams will plan to target him tactically but also not be afraid to play aggressively. What does that mean for Charlotte? Play faster.

You heard Zaha say that was his message at halftime of the Atlanta match, and it worked. The principle remains. Charlotte either has to get him the ball sooner, so he has more time to create and go at defenders, or those around him need to be actively ready to receive the ball from him early in the open space. If teams continue to overload his side of the pitch, someone will have more space somewhere. That requires everyone to play the ball quicker, be quicker in their decision-making, and exploit the space Zaha creates for others. It's a dynamic Charlotte has never had in their tool belt. But as this team evolves and becomes accustomed to their new attacking tactics, speed and decisiveness in the attack will be the game's name.

Kevin!

When you look at the Cincinnati attack, you become Kate McCallister.

(That's a 'Home Alone' reference for all you Gen Z and Gen Alpha's out there.)

Kevin Denkey's attacking ability jumps off the page. He has two goals in three MLS matches so far and is sixth in the league in xG. He's a threat, and he can't be forgotten.

Much like the approach to Latte Lath of Atlanta, Charlotte must focus on Denkey's movement and how he looks to play off of his attacking support. If the Crown can stay together in their defensive approach, locking down Denkey can be a recipe for success against this FCC side. A momentary lapse in Miami from the backline allowed a moment of magic for Luis Suarez and Tadeo Allende. You can't let that happen again here.

So, stay tight to Kevin. Don't lose him. Looking at you, Mrs. McCallister.

A battle for QC bragging rights.

This is one of those matches where The Fortress needs to stand tall. Cincinnati is an Eastern Conference favorite. Despite losing Lucho Acosta in the offseason, they immediately filled his role with the ever-dangerous Evander. Plus, they added the aforementioned Kevin Denkey, which was an MLS record fee at the time. But as Captain Westwood said, " If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best."

Yet another big test early in the season for this Charlotte FC side. And they are ready for the task. It is the first home match of the season at night. First time wearing the new Fortress Kit at home. It should be an electric atmosphere that can feed energy to the boys. Show 'em who the real Queen City is.