Charlotte FC won its first MLS game under new coach. Now it’s time for the next step
Much like horses, changing coaches in midstream is always a delicate proposition. And one successful game under the new guy also doesn’t mean you’ve solved all your problems.
With that caveat, though, Charlotte FC certainly looked impressive Saturday afternoon under new interim coach Christian Lattanzio, whipping the New York Red Bulls 2-0 in what was the team’s best victory of the season.
Goals by rookie standout Ben Bender and substitute Derrick Jones pushed Charlotte FC to the win, along with a strong defensive performance against a New York team that is likely playoff bound.
Charlotte FC didn’t miss a beat after firing head coach Miguel Angel Ramirez, who lasted less than half the season before being surprisingly dismissed on May 31. Team captain Christian Fuchs had said earlier in the week in a news conference that under Ramirez there had been “fractures” between the players and the coaching staff.
“I think there was a little bit of players not really buying into what (Ramirez was) trying to achieve,” Fuchs said.
Lattanzio’s changes were “not a lot,” the coach said after directing his first game for a shorthanded Charlotte FC team that was missing five key players due to injury or international absence. He kept adding things like “The boys executed very well” and “the boys did even better than I expected,” sounding very much like a proud father.
But there were indeed changes, particularly on defense, before a home crowd of 32,064 that included Charlotte FC owner David Tepper.
Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, one of the team’s best players and leaders, characterized Lattanzio’s defensive style as a more compact and safer approach where the players had more chances to “protect each others’ backs.” Lattanzio’s Italian heritage, Kahlina said, has meant that he wants to play a style seen more commonly in Italy. The goalkeeper added that Ramirez’s style was more “open” on defense, which sometimes translated into defenders having to win a lot of one-on-one battles against the opposing team’s strikers.
“In this case, if you’re not much, much better than the striker (that you are responsible for guarding), you can have really big problems,” Kahlina said.
Against New York, Kahlina faced only one shot on goal the entire game, saving it and then jumping on the loose ball while absorbing a kick to the face.
Charlotte FC negated the Red Bulls’ aggressive, pressing style and possessed the ball 61.2% of the time. One key officiating call also went in Charlotte FC’s favor, as a penalty kick originally called against Charlotte FC in the 60th minute was eventually waved off.
All of it added up to a convincing 2-0 win. Both goals came in stoppage time — Bender’s at the end of the first half and Jones’ at the end of the second after some remarkable footwork by fellow sub Sergio Ruiz to set it up.
“Amazing,” Lattanzio kept saying in his press conference, and for an afternoon, it was.
The next step, though, is for Charlotte FC to win a game on the road, where it plays its next two games in Columbus, Ohio, and Montreal. Remember, Charlotte FC won at home under Ramirez, too, but never on the road. The team is currently 6-2 at home and 0-6-1 on the road, which would still be good enough to edge into the Eastern Conference playoffs if the season ended today.
Bender’s progress has been positive. The rookie midfielder, out of Maryland, was the No. 1 overall pick by Charlotte in January’s MLS SuperDraft. At first he couldn’t believe the speed of Major League Soccer.
“The spaces close really fast,” he said.
But as the season has progressed, Bender said he’s been working on “getting my first touch right under my feet and playing it quickly.” He now is second on the team with three goals and first with three assists. He also has one of the best names in soccer, which has to count for something. I mean, c’mon — Ben Bender?
Bender’s goal Saturday was a blast that deflected off a New York defender, thus gaining a bit of luck on its course. But it was also an aggressive play where Bender decided he was going to try to make something happen in a hurry and did.
Lattanzio did as well, winning in his first time out against a New York team that had been the best in MLS on the road so far this season.
“It meant a lot to give us confidence and give him confidence moving forward,” Bender said. “It’s not an easy time, but I think we stepped up, and we showed everyone.”
Well, sort of. Start winning on the road, and then you’ll make a whole lot of believers.
This story was originally published June 12, 2022 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Charlotte FC won its first MLS game under new coach. Now it’s time for the next step."
