Six things to know from Charlotte FC’s GM as team charges into MLS playoffs
Another year.
Another slew of “bests” for Charlotte FC.
The Queen City side, now in the final stretch of its fourth season, finished a franchise-best fourth in the Eastern Conference table for the 2025 regular season and will open its postseason with a best-of-three series against New York City FC in Bank of America Stadium on Tuesday evening. Such a moment is cause for celebration — a large dose of excitement for a city’s sports fandom that has been clamoring for some.
And to get you prepped for that excitement, here are six bite-sized bits of news that should help tide you over to the beginning of Charlotte FC’s run through the MLS Cup playoffs, courtesy of Charlotte FC general manager Zoran Krneta.
Putting numbers to Charlotte FC’s best season
Charlotte FC stated outright before the season that its goals started with finishing in the Top 4 at the conclusion of the regular season. The team accomplished that, no doubt, and that alone is a victory. But the team also saw remarkable highs on the pitch this season that go beyond its record.
Among the metrics that have broken club records: Supporter’s Shield standing (7th), points in the table (59), goals scored (55), goal difference (+9), home wins (13) and road wins (6). That’s all without mentioning the fact that the Crown notched a nine-game win streak to conclude the season — tying the longest streak in the post-shootout era in MLS.
For Krneta — who was one of Charlotte FC’s first employees, before the pandemic delayed the team’s inaugural season — such sustained growth is what he’s been aiming for his whole tenure.
“We want to win trophies, and the only way to win trophies is to secure the position in playoffs so you can have a home advantage,” Krneta said. “And you know what home means for us. We are the most successful home team in the league.”
MVP candidate Pep Biel will be back next season
Krneta confirmed to reporters Tuesday that Pep Biel will be back next season. Such is big news because Biel has 10 goals and a still-team-leading 12 assists to his name and was a massive reason for the team’s late-season ascension before injuring his knee last week. How massive? At the time of his injury, he was a legitimate MVP candidate.
Krneta explained that Biel met all the required performance metrics and thus the team had the option to purchase from Greek club Olympiacos. While Krneta didn’t disclose the details of the deal, he allowed that it would be a “multi-year agreement” and that Biel “isn’t going anywhere.”
“He’ll be here,” Krneta said. “He’ll recover here. To be honest, there’s an outside chance if we go very far — and hit the coldest months in Charlotte — that he might be available for the final.”
Playing on a Tuesday? Krneta doesn’t love that
Charlotte FC opens its 2025 postseason at home, which is great. The team, after all, is 13-1-3 at home this season — and throughout its four-season tenure has a remarkable home record furnished by one of the most beautifully boisterous fanbases in all of MLS.
There’s a problem, though. The team opens their postseason run on a Tuesday. Krneta voiced his displeasure with the slot with local media, adding that he was also disappointed with the scheduling the team had to endure during the season.
There was one stifling stretch — during the thick of summer, for instance — when Charlotte had to play eight of 10 MLS regular-season matches on the road.
“Thank you, league,” Krneta said with a wry smile. “Especially during the summer under the extreme heat, it was very difficult.”
Wilfried Zaha is suspended for Game 1
Wilfried Zaha — the codified, well-traveled, self-assured star Charlotte FC had been seeking since its inception — has had a really great year. That’s in the words of Krneta, but the stats bear that out as well. Zaha is second in the team in assists with 10 and tied for second in goals with 10. He’s also been quite available, starting in all 31 games he’s played; the only player to start more than him is standout defender Adilson Malanda.
Unfortunately, Zaha will miss the team’s playoff opener. The goal-scorer was given two yellow cards in the team’s season finale against Philadelphia Union, marking him unavailable for the team’s playoff opener against NYCFC in Charlotte.
“One person’s loss is another person’s gain,” Krneta said. “So this is an opportunity for Liel Abada to claim his place in the team.”
Speaking of Liel Abada ...
Abada, one of the team’s three designated players, is not logging minutes with regularity anymore. That’s in part thanks to the emergence of Kerwin Vargas, but also the fact that Abada hasn’t been on the field during the team’s MLS-record 9-game winning streak. After all: How can you change the lineup when the roster is playing that well together?
When asked about Abada’s future with the club, Krneta didn’t hesitate in saying that the team is still quite invested in him. He’s still started 17 of the 32 games he’s been available for. But there is a silver lining to his dwindling playing time, Krneta said.
“That’s actually a statement of the quality of the squad if the player that we spend money on, who is a DP, who plays very well in Europe, cannot get the minutes. That means that another player took over. So that’s something that any coach in the world would want. Frankly, the front office wants it as well; it means the competition.
“I’d like to have all three DPs on the bench. That means that the three players are playing are (better) than the three DPs. This league is getting closer to the European leagues.”
It’s no longer the league of David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic who would come to MLS and score five goals a game, Krneta said.
“That’s not happening anymore,” he said. “This league is way too good for that.”
Idan Toklomati is untouchable ... still
Back in August, in the throes of the season, Krneta told local media that Idan Toklomati isn’t for sale. In fact, his exact words were a bit more pointed: “It would take an MLS record sale — ever — to move Toklomati. And even that, it wouldn’t be that.”
Toklomati, 21, went on to have a masterful run during the team’s late-season resurgence. He now leads the team in goals with 11.
“He is someone we’re building the club (around),” Toklomati said. “He’s quickly becoming the face of the franchise, a little bit. So yeah, Idan, he’s here to stay. It’s very difficult in this business. You never know who is going to come and be interested.
“We don’t really have interest in (selling) Idan; we’re not picking up the phones for that interest, and I won’t be picking up the phone for the forseeable future. What happens in the two years’ time, I don’t know. It’s difficult to predict. But right now, Idan is not going anywhere.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
