Charlotte FC hopes to channel magic again vs. Philadelphia as its playoff fate looms
Charlotte FC broke the MLS attendance record on home-opening night in March. It defeated Premier League power Chelsea in an exhibition match in July. It even came back from a 2-0 deficit on the road in mid-September — scoring a goal in extra time that delivered the team a win over Chicago and somehow kept its fragile playoff hopes alive.
Turns out that this weekend could make for another memory, too.
Charlotte (12 wins, 17 losses, 2 draws) will host the top team in the Eastern Conference table Saturday when it plays Philadelphia Union (18-4-10) at 5:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium.
It’ll be an undeniable spectacle.
The biggest reason for Saturday’s hype? Charlotte FC’s playoff fate is in the balance.
Charlotte can be eliminated from 2022 MLS postseason contention in two ways on Saturday: with a loss and an Inter Miami win over Toronto FC; or with a loss and a Columbus Crew win over New York Red Bulls. The team has won its past two matches and will likely need to win its final three to squeak into the postseason.
Head coach Christian Lattanzio told reporters earlier this week that everyone trained well in the league’s fall break earlier this month, and that “the group is healthy” — physically and mentally.
“Everybody trained really well,” Lattanzio said. “Everybody brings character to this team. And I think we can do even more.”
Another way Saturday will be a spectacle is because of how full it might be. Tickets in all of Bank of America Stadium — not just the lower bowl, as has been per custom for most of the season — are up for grabs for this weekend’s match.
Charlotte FC hopes to channel its first-match fan fervor in what might be its most important game so far in club history.
“When you start winning games, there’s more and more hype around teams,” midfielder Brandt Bronico said, when asked if he thought his team could recapture that first-game magical atmosphere on Saturday.
“So I obviously think that it’s possible.”
5 Charlotte FC points to consider
▪ Make no mistake: The Queen City side will be the underdog on Saturday. Per Action Network, Philadelphia Union opened as favorites heading into the weekend. A lot of that has to do with Philly’s dominance as of late: The team hasn’t lost a regular-season match since Aug. 17 — a 1-0 loss to Dallas — and it is tied in points with LAFC in the race for the MLS Supporter’s Shield (regular-season champion).
Philly boasts the third-leading scorer in the league with Daniel Gazdag (19 goals on the season). It also rosters goalkeeper Andre Blake, who has recorded the most amount of clean sheets in MLS on the year (14). The Union defeated CLTFC, 2-0, when the teams met first in April.
▪ Lattanzio told reporters on Thursday that the game is expected to go on as scheduled despite the less-than-ideal weather that will pass through Charlotte this weekend. Per local forecasts, the worst of the remnants of Hurricane Ian will have largely dissipated by Saturday night. (Another weather consideration: Bank of America Stadium will have MLS and NFL field lines painted on its turf on Saturday.)
▪ Christian Fuchs, who notched a red card late in the second half of CLTFC’s win over New York City FC Sept. 10, is still serving his MLS-imposed two-game suspension. The absence of the veteran defender, team leader and fan favorite is a disadvantage that Charlotte FC might not be able to afford on Saturday.
▪ A league source confirmed to The Observer on Thursday that Charlotte FC is in negotiations to bring Lattanzio, who’s currently the interim head coach, back as the permanent manager. The coach with a Premier League pedigree took over in May after CLTFC fired inaugural coach Miguel Angel Ramirez.
▪ Rumors that Karol Swiderski — Charlotte’s leading goal scorer and a member of Poland’s World Cup team — might land at another club next year swirled earlier this week. They came after Swiderski’s agent reportedly shared that there was a burst of interest in Swiderski after the striker scored in Poland’s 1-0 win over Wales last weekend, an important victory for the Poles as they finished preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Lattanzio reacted to the rumors Thursday: “With the little bit of experience that I have, I assume that when a player, a striker who is the captain of his team and plays in a good league... I believe the interest on the player is gonna (rise). That’s just logical.”
Here’s what else you need to know.
How to get tickets to Bank of America Stadium Saturday
- When: Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
- Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
- Special night: Fan Appreciation Week Finale. In addition to opening up the upper bowl and selling tickets for cheaper than normal, the team will also provide free T-shirts to everyone admitted Saturday. (The team also ordered 25,000 ponchos, which will also be free to fans on a first-come, first-serve basis.)
- Tickets: As low as $15 on ticketmaster.com.
How to watch Charlotte FC vs. Philadelphia Union
- Stream: CLTFC Live or via Charlotte FC app. ESPN+ is available for out of market viewers.
- Cable (English): WAXN-TV (Channel 64). Find channels for non-Charlotte markets on the Charlotte FC website.
- Cable (Spanish): Telemundo Charlotte
- Radio: WFNZ (92.7 FM or the WFNZ mobile app)
This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 3:56 PM.
