Stakes high for Charlotte FC, Columbus Crew as they meet 2 months after postponed match
The stakes were high enough in July — when Charlotte FC was set to play the Columbus Crew in the middle of a three-match homestand that could’ve changed the course of Charlotte’s season.
And yet, somehow, the stakes have risen.
The Queen City side (13 wins, 17 losses, 2 draws) will restart the match it began, halted and ultimately postponed two months ago against Columbus (10-7-15) at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Here are the five things you need to know before Wednesday’s match.
1. A closer look at MLS playoff standings
Charlotte FC has weathered two different emotional seasons since its postponements with Columbus.
And that’s no understatement.
After those 16 minutes of scoreless football on that stormy July 30 night, the Queen City side lost four of its next five matches, burying it in the MLS Eastern Conference table — only to have a resurgence that’s bordered on the unthinkable: Charlotte FC has won three straight games for the first time in club history heading into Wednesday, the last of which was a 4-0 drubbing of MLS giant Philadelphia.
Charlotte now finds itself, for the first true time this season, in a “must-win” game. Any result other than a win eliminates the team from MLS Cup playoff contention.
“I don’t think there is any change,” head coach Christian Lattanzio told reporters on Tuesday, when asked if the stakes of Wednesday change the team’s preparation. “We’ll prepare like we’ve always prepared, because we believe in the way we work. The boys have put in very good intensity (Tuesday morning). They trained with a lot of positivity and intensity.”
A win would go a long way, too. Like Charlotte FC, Columbus sits below the seven-team cutoff line in the MLS playoffs. The Crew has 45 points; Charlotte has 41. (A win delivers a team three points. A tie, one point. A loss, nothing.)
Each team has two matches remaining, and they’re each still mathematically within range to supplant Inter Miami (with 45 points), Orlando (45) and Cincinnati (46).
2. MLS rules force Charlotte FC to play with new lineup
This won’t be the same Charlotte FC team that has reeled off three wins in a row.
MLS rules state that any player in-play at the time the match was postponed who is “subsequently injured or unavailable due to a trade, loan or transfer” can only be replaced by “a substitute on the official match roster of the postponed match.” (There are exceptions for goalkeepers.)
So what exactly does this mean for Charlotte FC?
It means that Lattanzio — who didn’t hide his frustration with the rule with reporters on Tuesday — might have to get a bit creative.
For one, it means that Charlotte FC cannot play Adilson Malanda, Nathan Byrne or Nuno Santos on Wednesday, three guys who played invaluable minutes against Philadelphia and who have been an important part of the team’s resurgence. The three came over to Charlotte FC after its “deadline day” in August.
For another, the coach will have to replace Guzman Corujo on the back line. The defender and leader sustained a season-ending injury in August, and he’ll likely be replaced by one of the two defenders on the team’s bench: Jaylin Lindsey or Jan Sobocinski. (Christian Makoun, another Charlotte defender on the bench in that game, was traded this past summer.)
And finally, Lattanzio will have a pair of questions to answer: What should he do with Daniel Rios, the guy who scored a club-record four goals against Philly this past weekend? And what should he do about Kamil Jozwiak, who also is playing his best, most creative soccer right now?
Both started on the bench in the game in July. Inserting them into Wednesday’s lineup is allowed, but it would go toward the club’s five-substitutions-per-match quota.
“We are thinking of different options,” Lattanzio said, not revealing any personnel choices on Tuesday. “But as I said before... if we start those guys, we then cannot play the players they will (replace).”
Another rule consideration: The match will begin with a dropped-ball restart with 15:57 on the clock. The score will remain 0-0.
3. Kristijan Kahlina is still being evaluated
Lattanzio provided an update on the team’s steely goalkeeper, Kristijan Kahlina, who had to miss the team’s win over Philadelphia on Saturday with a finger injury he sustained during warm-ups.
The coach said that Kahlina saw a hand specialist and has “looked good in training.” The team is still evaluating whether or not he’ll be good to go on Wednesday.
“If he’s ready, he starts,” Lattanzio said. “If he’s not ready, he’s out. It’s as simple as that.”
4. How to get tickets to Bank of America Stadium vs. Columbus Crew
- When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
- Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
- Rescheduling reminder: For those who purchased tickets to the match back in July, those tickets are still valid for the match on Wednesday.
- Tickets: As low as $40 on ticketmaster.com as of late Tuesday afternoon.
5. How to watch Charlotte FC vs. Columbus Crew
- 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 October 5, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
