Short-handed and amidst a two-game losing streak, Charlotte FC produced the standout result of Matchday 26 with a surprising 3-1 victory over Supporters’ Shield leaders FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.
Ashley Westwood’s record-setting three assists propelled The Crown to victory on Saturday. Iuri Tavares (20′) and Liel Abada (22′) struck early to give the visitors a commanding lead. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina then preserved the win by saving a penalty from Luciano Acosta, who had pulled one back for the hosts, before Kerwin Vargas sealed the game. Miles Robinson’s red card in the 72nd minute further sealed Cincinnati’s fate.
“It was a statement performance tonight,” remarked Westwood after the match, which kept Charlotte in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 35 points, just two points shy of securing a home Audi MLS Cup Playoff match. “I think we really stepped up tonight and executed our game plan flawlessly in the first 35-40 minutes. They couldn’t handle us.”
“It was a really strong performance tonight. We’ve been working hard all week, and our game plan was impeccable.”
Returning to form Saturday’s victory marked a perfect rebound for Charlotte following consecutive losses to Inter Miami CF and Houston Dynamo FC.
However, head coach Dean Smith downplayed any suggestions that his team sent a message to the league with their performance, instead emphasizing the need for consistency and improvement.
“I keep stressing to our squad how good we can be and the importance of maintaining consistency,” noted Smith.
“We’ve just come off two losses. I thought we played well against Inter Miami. Against Houston, we dropped our standards in the first half and paid the price. So tonight, it was crucial to raise our standards again. It was a solid follow-up to our performance against Inter Miami.”
Displaying confidence Despite missing Patrick Agyemang and with offensive reinforcements required ahead of the Secondary Transfer Window opening on July 18, Charlotte managed to score three goals (and had a fourth disallowed by Video Review) against the league’s top team on their home turf.
“We never give up, and that’s a strong trait to have,” added Westwood. “We face setbacks, but we keep bouncing back. There’s a real unity among the team. Everyone works hard for each other.”
“We know our organization is solid. Everyone understands their roles. Tonight, our game plan was spot-on, and we were confident we could come here and win,” Westwood concluded. “That belief carried us through this game.”
