He’s 16 with no license but drove Charlotte FC past one of the world’s best soccer clubs
Everyone who’s part of Charlotte FC wanted to congratulate Brian Romero.
Players and team officials walked down the hallway leading to the team’s locker room and paused to shout words of encouragement his way during postgame interviews. Interim head coach Christian Lattanzio came over and clasped Romero’s hand in a hearty handshake before walking off to his press conference.
The Bank of America crowd had already showered the 16-year-old academy player with cheering renditions of his name as third-string goaltender Pablo Sisniega carried him off the pitch, into the tunnel and onto stardom — at least for a night. Every bit of that attention was earned.
Romero had entered Charlotte’s Wednesday night friendly against Chelsea in the 89th minute, his first on-field action for the club.
With little time remaining and Charlotte down by a goal, he drew a pair of defenders as he swerved to the left corner of the box. His shot caromed off a Chelsea player’s hand, earning the home team a penalty that Daniel Rios would convert to force penalty kicks, which Charlotte FC won 5-3.
“I just got the ball in my feet,” Romero said. “I kept going with my left and then I’m like, ‘Shoot it.’ There’s nothing to lose.”
The rising junior at Jay M. Robinson High School never saw the ref signal for the penalty. Instead he just saw the ball in the middle, a defender lying down and heard a chorus of cheers before piecing the scene together.
“Oh it’s a pen! It’s a pen!” he recounted dramatically. “Then I got so happy and excited.”
After Kamil Jóźwiak’s final penalty kick that sealed the victory, Romero celebrated with his teammates before ambling around the Bank of America stadium. He maintained an ear-to-ear grin as he hugged Lattanzio, took a photo with Chelsea midfielder Jorginho and got hoisted into the air by Andre Shinyashiki.
Emotion finally overcame him as he saw his family. He embraced his parents and cried into their arms — tears they matched.
Charlotte FC scouted Romero from Charlotte Soccer Academy. While he suited up for a pair of preseason matches earlier this year, he remained on the bench for both, making Wednesday’s appearance a special moment.
Romero’s mother, Maria de Jesus Romero-Piza, was driving him Tuesday night (he doesn’t have his license or learner’s permit) when he found out he had a chance to play against Chelsea. The forward began screaming with joy at the news.
While Romero didn’t grow up a Chelsea fan, he’s watched them since he was young and knew the team well from their matchups against his favorite team, FC Barcelona.
When Lattanzio finally tapped him to enter the game, Romero said he couldn’t believe it. Neither could his father, William Carmona-Salado, who said via email that he wanted to scream his son’s name and felt many emotions through his tears.
Romero made his way to the sideline, earning cheers of encouragement from the players on the bench.
“He’s a special player,” Brandt Bronico said. “I mean, he’s a special, special kid. He has a very bright future.”
That future is made brighter by his growth under Lattanzio. The coach, who’s been praised for his player development skills, balances giving Romero freedom to play his game with the discipline a young player needs.
Romero recalled moments in practice where the coach warned him to deliver firm passes and avoid unnecessary dribbles, telling him those were areas to improve as he approached the big leagues.
But he also said Lattanzio lets him dribble when required, advice that paid off when he earned the fateful penalty.
The coach praised Romero’s confidence, saying that he liked his energy and positivity. He also noted that despite his youth, the forward treats everybody on the pitch the same and plays his game rather than being awed by the moment.
“He’s (a) very respectful kid with the players and the staff,” Lattanzio said. “But when he has the ball, he’s not so respectful.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
