Charlotte FC earns first home victory in stunning win over red-hot Columbus Crew

Several things are not true about Charlotte FC.

The team is no longer winless at home this season. It is not in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference any more.

And Charlotte FC’s fans did not have much to be unhappy about Saturday night.

That’s what a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew will do for you.

Columbus came to town as one of the league’s hottest teams, sitting fourth in the 15-team Eastern Conference. The Crew had scored 10 goals in a two-game stretch a few weeks ago and leads the MLS in scoring.

But its explosive attack was largely shut down by a Charlotte team that played what might have been its most tenacious defense of the season.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the first half, head coach Christian Lattanzio tightened Charlotte FC’s defense in the second half — a move that proved very effective against a Columbus team that likes to look for opportunities in the middle.

So to keep the theme going, here are three things that are not true about Charlotte FC — according to its coach and a couple of key players.

Not in crisis mode

Charlotte FC entered Saturday’s match with a 1-4-3 record, tied for last place.

But head coach Christian Lattanzio said his team “is not in crisis mode.”

“They are playing good teams,” Lattanzio said of his players. “And they’re giving them good games. I see a team that is growing.”

Lattanzio has said frequently in recent weeks that it’s a long season and Charlotte is a young team.

“It is a team that will get better with work,” he said. “Remember that many of our defenders arrived just before the season.”

Karol Swiderski, who scored Saturday night’s only goal, in the 37th minute, agreed with his coach’s assessment.

“We need more time,” he said. “But game by game, it is getting better.”

The victory vaulted Charlotte into 11th place, and the Crown is only three points out of sixth place in the East.

Lattanzio said Saturday’s victory should have been the team’s second in a row … which leads us to the next point.

Not doubting itself

Charlotte came within a few minutes of beating Colorado at home a week ago, but goalkeeper George Marks fumbled the ball and allowed the Rapids to score the tying goal in a 2-2 match.

Marks and the costly play was a big topic of conversation again Saturday night.

This time, though, Charlotte’s netminder had a clean-sheet victory.

“This was my ninth game as a pro, and it was my first clean sheet,” Marks, a former Clemson standout said.

He said he quickly put last week’s mistake in the rear-view mirror.

“You’ve got to turn the page,” Marks said. “I felt absolutely awful. But like anything else in life, it’s about how you react.”

His biggest test Saturday came in the 20th minute, when the Crew’s Christian Ramirez headed a ball from point-blank range toward the Charlotte goal. Marks responded by batting the ball away.

“In the last two weeks, we got four points instead of six, but we also have a player who has learned a lot,” Lattanzio said of Marks. “We are a better team for that.”

“He’s a strong-minded guy,” the coach added. “He really played well.”

Marks said a series of small mistakes has cost Charlotte so far this season.

“We’ve been a little unlucky,” he said. “That’s been the trend. But if we cut down on the little things, like we did tonight, we can win.”

Indeed, it seemed as if Charlotte FC’s luck changed a bit Saturday.

With about two minutes left in stoppage time, the Crew’s Aidan Morris broke free and appeared to beat Marks with a right-footed shot. But after a Video Assisted Review, Morris was ruled to be offside and the goal was disallowed.

Not looking back

Winning makes a team look forward to the next game – and there will be two contests on Charlotte FC’s schedule in the next week.

The Crown faces South Georgia at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in a U.S. Open Cup match, to be played at the Matthews SportPlex. Then comes a match next Saturday at DC United, which is part of the pack sitting just a few points ahead of Charlotte FC.

“That game is important to us,” Lattanzio said of the U.S. Open Cup match.

And Swiderski, looking ahead to the DC United match, noted, “If we could win two games in a row, that would be really big. It would give us momentum.”

Crown Legacy plays Sunday

Charlotte FC’s team in the MLS Next Pro league, Crown Legacy, will be in action Sunday in Matthews.

Charlotte will face Columbus Crew 2, with a 2 p.m. kickoff set at the SportsPlex.

Crown Legacy has a 3-0-1 record and leads the Eastern Conference.