Charlotte FC triumphed over Messi, Inter Miami — and so much more — on way to history
The electric regular-season finale concluded the way everyone in Bank of America Stadium dreamed it would: with Charlotte FC history within reach — and with the greatest player of all time staring down a game-tying corner, ready to take it all away.
Pink-wearing fans were chanting: “Messi!,” “Messi!,” “Messi!”
Charlotte FC fans, known to be among the most passionate in Major League Soccer, were yelling out their anxieties.
But Christian Lattanzio, he admitted with a smile after the game, was calm.
“Normally, these moments should take away years of your life,” Lattanzio told a more crowded room of reporters than usual on Saturday night. “But I was strangely calm because I think, ‘It will be what it will be.’”
He added: “I knew the boys will have thrown everything against it. It went as it had to go.”
“As it had to go,” as Lattanzio said, meant city history. What ended up happening was Lionel Messi hit a beautiful top-spinning corner to the goal-line, coming devastatingly close to a score. He then tried again and was denied again. And this all came after Inter Miami was a Kristijan Kahlina fingernail away from tying the score thanks to a brilliant header by Leonardo Campana — which, again, was denied.
And essentially, after Messi’s final corner, that was it. 1-0. Charlotte FC had won by the left-footed shot of Kerwin Vargas in the 13th minute and a stingy defense. The players, moments later, learned that Chicago Fire lost, Montreal lost and New York Red Bulls saw their contest end in a tie — enough to squeak into the playoffs for the first time.
Charlotte FC had beaten Inter Miami. It had dodged the magic of Messi.
But considering everything, it had done so much more.
To list all that this club has been through this season would be a foolishly long exercise. There were sure-fire wins that turned into draws. There was a long winless streak. There were questions about this team’s build-from-the-back, possession-based philosophy from the beginning — which was only emphasized by the team’s 0-3 start and its head coach listlessly apologizing to the fan base after the third.
There were off-field disruptions. There were several notable personnel moves and long-term injuries. There was a required late-season resurgence — one eerily similar to the one a year ago — in which the team had to win four of its last five to have a shot at history.
And, of course, there was the most devastating loss of all that came in January, well before the season began.
“We had many many (low) moments. I didn’t mention Anton (during the season), but every day I have been thinking of him,” Lattanzio said. “He’s been in my thoughts on a daily basis. And I want to think of him, and I want to name him, celebrate him, because he would’ve been unbelievably happy tonight.
“This is part of why I keep calm because I’m thinking of him while all this jubilation is going on.”
Walkes wasn’t only on the mind of Lattanzio. He was on everyone’s. Walkes’ daughter, Ayla, was one of the children who were escorted onto the field pregame, and she stood with team captain Ashley Westwood for the national anthem.
“I can say that when I saw her in front of me, because she was in front of me, it filled me with some bigger power,” said goalkeeper Kahlina. “In important moments, sometimes you forget — like, we don’t forget him, but when you see someone from the family, it is something different.
“For me, I can say personally, it gives me more power. I give something even more from me.”
It’s clear Charlotte was playing for a spot in the playoffs, yes. But it was also playing for hope — the ingredient that kills you, as the beautiful game’s adage goes.
It was playing to rinse itself of all the difficulties of the 2022 season and the first few months of 2023. It was playing for Walkes and for each other and for a community of supporters that through this team have found a home in Charlotte.
It was playing, in so many words, for more.
Vargas thanked God in his postgame press conference. Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino used the word “valiente” to describe Charlotte FC, before adding that the plucky Queen City side “deserved to be in the playoffs.” Lattanzio said he was happy for his players, yes — but also “happy for the city.”
“First of all we are very happy to be in the playoffs, to be alive,” said Lattanzio. He was speaking as the delighted coach of a team that still has plenty to live for.
This story was originally published October 22, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
