Queen City Football Chronicle

03/22/2025

Charlotte FC’s hot start at home will be tested Saturday.

The Crown, which is 2-0 at Bank of America Stadium, takes on San José Earthquakes without three starters due on international duty: Patrick Agyemang and Tim Ream with the United States national team and Liel Abada with the Israeli side. Agyemang left Charlotte with a gift by scoring the second goal in the Crown’s 2-0 win last week against FC Cincinnati, his first of the MLS season.

Regardless of lineup changes, Charlotte FC is looking to build on the best start in team history after four games at 2-2-1 for seven points that’s fourth best in the Eastern Conference. The Crown has picked up where it left off at the end of 2024, where they’re unbeaten over the last five home matches with two straight clean sheet wins to open the 2025 campaign.

Crown off to best start after 4 games in franchise history

03/22/2025

As he was coaching North Carolina State to the 1983 NCAA national basketball title, the late Jim Valvano coined the expression "survive and advance" to describe his strategy for the tournament. Win one game so you can play the next one, and do that until you’ve lost and gone home or are cutting down the nets.

Two thousand, eight hundred miles apart, on opposite sides of the country, two professional soccer coaches were experiencing different sides of that approach.

In Los Angeles, Mauricio Pochettino was leading the men of the United States National Team against Panama in the first semifinal of the Concacaf Nations League tournament. Jeffries’ squad was in Garden City, N.Y., taking on the USL2 Long Island Rough Riders in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious soccer tournament.

Win and advance – the Jacks did in US Open Cup; USA stumbles vs. Panama

03/22/2025

Charlotte FC coach Dean Smith will be on the sideline for at least two more seasons.

Smith, who signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Crown through the 2027 campaign, is already the most successful coach in franchise history after leading Charlotte to its first MLS playoff berth and most points (51) last year – his first with the team.

Coach and team agree to a two-year deal

03/15/2025

If you’re a supporter of Charlotte’s professional soccer teams, your focus will be tested Saturday night.

That’s when Charlotte FC, Carolina Ascent, and Charlotte Independence matches will overlap, including two home matches.

CLTFC and the Ascent, the top tier teams, kick off at 7:30 p.m., with the Crown playing FC Cincinnati in MLS’s Queen City derby, and the Climbers challenging towards the peak of USL Super League. The Independence open their USL League One season at home against the Richmond Kickers at 7 p.m. All games will be televised, so even if you are watching one live, you’ll still need two screens to achieve the treble.

If you want the regional quad on the day, the North Carolina Courage begin the NWSL campaign at 5 p.m. at Racing Louisville.
https://www.thecharlottepost.com/news/2025/03/15/qcfc/charlotte-soccer-fans-triple-delight-on-saturday/

03/14/2025

Some of the world’s best-known soccer clubs are coming to Charlotte for a new global tournament.

The inaugural FIFA Club World Cup will include four matches at Bank of America Stadium June 22-30 headlined by global powers Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The four matches kick off with Real Madrid (Spain) against Pachuca (Mexico) on June 22, followed by Benfica (Portugal) against Bayern Munich (Germany) two days later. The round of 16 (No. 1 in Group C vs. 2 Group D is June 28 and Group E’s winner against the second seed from Group F is June 30.
https://www.thecharlottepost.com/news/2025/03/14/qcfc/fifa-club-world-cup-to-feature-top-clubs-in-charlotte/

03/14/2025

The Sports Charlotte podcast is here, and co-hosts Herb White and Cameron Williams are talking about the FIFA Club World Cup coming to Charlotte. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are among the teams playing at Bank of America Stadium June 22-24.

03/14/2025

Patrick Agyemang confirmed his place among the United States’ best soccer players.

Agyemang, a Charlotte FC striker, was named to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League finals roster along with teammate Tim Ream, making the Crown the lone MLS side with two players on the team.

“It’s definitely a good feeling,” Agyemang said earlier this week. “Makes me feel like that I’ve done something well when I was in camp, and now I know I have opportunities to play with the guys from Europe as well. Now I could really compete with players in that caliber and just puts me in an environment to ultimately develop more.”

The U.S. will play Panama on March 20 at 7 p.m., followed by a match against Canada or Mexico on March 23 in the final or third place game.

Crown is only MLS side with two players on Concacaf Nations League roster

03/05/2025

Wilfried Zaha’s MLS debut couldn’t have been more of a whirlwind.

The Charlotte FC winger scored a goal and added an assist in the Crown’s 2-0 win against Atlanta United, making him the second Charlotte player to score in his first outing, joining André Shinyashiki. The match capped a busy week for Zaha, who was away six days for the birth of his daughter.

“I would call it hectic to be honest, but my mentality is, obviously it’s non-negotiable being there for my daughter’s birth, but then at the same time, work is work,” he said. “I’m there for my daughter, but then I know that I've got to go back and do what I’ve got to do. Everyone understands, so, yeah, don’t complain. I just get on with it.”

Charlotte FC winger makes a splash in his MLS debut

03/03/2025

The Carolina Ascent need their defensive mojo.

Starting with today’s match against Fort Lauderdale, they’ll need it to get on track towards solidifying a playoff spot and a chance for USL Super League glory in their inaugural season. Kickoff is 3 p.m. at American Legion Memorial Stadium.

The positive way in which the Ascent started the campaign was pleasing both to the eye and to the ego though the string of draws that kept them unbeaten and at top of the table for most of the first 14 matches would have its own consequences as other teams improved through the course of the season.

Must score goals while maintaining strong defense

03/03/2025

Video: Wilfried Zaha's MLS debut with Charlotte FC was a raging success. He scored a goal and added an assist in the Crown's 2-0 win against Atlanta United.

03/01/2025

It's the 2025 home opener for Charlotte FC against I-85 rival Atlanta United, and we have a preview of today's match, including the MLS debut of Wilfred Zaha.

Though rivals, teams are bonded by a common love

02/22/2025

Carolina Ascent were resilient as Teflon for 80% of the first 14 matches of their debut season.

But their last three games dropped them from the top of the table to third as the first half of the USL Super League’s inaugural campaign went into winter break. For the first 13 weeks, the Ascent stood atop the standings. They won the first-ever Super League match at home in front of 10,500 fans at American Legion Memorial Stadium and were undefeated for 11 consecutive matches with five wins and six draws.

While impressive, the lack of points allowed Brooklyn FC and Dallas Trinity FC to catch and pass the Ascent. Combined with improvement across the league, with injuries to key players disrupting team lineups, and previous serendipity abandoning them late in games, the Ascent lost their last three matches.

Ascent start second half of the season third in the table

02/22/2025

Erika Yohn has joined the Charlotte women’s soccer staff.

Yohn spent two years as goalkeeper coach at Howard, where the Bison advanced to the Northeastern Conference semifinals both seasons and swept the regular season and conference tournament titles in 2024 to earn their first NCAA tournament berth since 2018.

Trinity Knox, Yohn’s goalkeeper at Howard, won back-to-back NEC goalkeeper of the year recognition and the Bison swept the conference’s defensive, midfield, rookie, and coach of the Year awards.

Goalkeepers coach worked previously at Howard and West Virginia

02/22/2025

Another Charlotte women's soccer player is headed overseas as a professional.

Former 49ers defender Charlotte Harris signed with AFC Bournemouth earlier this month, making her the third 49er to join a professional team. The Cherries play in the Division One South West League of the FA Women's National League. The league is the fourth tier of women's soccer in England.

Harris, who grew up in Liverpool, England, joins Martha Thomas (Tottenham Hotspur, 2018) and Tash Hudson (Apollon Ladies F.C. in 2024). Harris’ brother, Archie, plays for Bournemouth's men’s development side.

Liverpool, England, native is third alum to sign with a women's professional side

02/22/2025

Wilfried Zaha, brought in to add horsepower to the offensive engine of Charlotte FC this season, says he’s not a talker.

But he was more than comfortable in his first meeting with local media in the Queen City on Wednesday.

Adorned with a black New York Yankees cap, even in tone, calm in demeanor, Zaha adapted quickly to an environment that in the other countries he’s called home during his professional soccer career, could be far more cunning and confrontational. Questions were asked, and answers were given.

Zaha said in simple terms he is a simple man, one who doesn’t define himself through what others may, or may not think of him. He wants what we all want – a little love. He said all the right things that Charlotte supporters will want to hear but without shaping his words to achieve that end. It was just a quiet declaration, take it or leave it.

Former Crystal Palace standout gets opportunity to give and receive love

02/13/2025

Charlotte FC is moving closer to the lineup when the whistle blows in Seattle on opening day. Kristijan Kahlina minding the net.

New signing Wilfried Zaha hasn’t joined the team since flying back to London to sort out his visa.

Pep Biel was still unavailable against LA Galaxy due to a slight injury though he has returned to training.

The back four included Byrne on the right, Malanda and Ream in the middle, and rookie Mikah Thomas at left back.

Lineup is rounding into shape ahead of Feb. 22 debut

01/29/2025

In the space of a week, the enthusiasm for Charlotte FC’s attack going into the 2025 season got two big shots of adrenaline.

Patrick Agyemang, last season’s leading scorer, shone in his debut for the U.S. National Team in a pair of friendlies. The Crown also announced the signing of former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha. Both events drew national acclaim. TNT analyst and SiriusXM FC host Brian Dunseth, a former USMNT and MLS centerback, says he’s super excited.

“Between Wilfried Zaha and Patrick Agyemang, my God, the attack in Charlotte!”

Agyemang to Zaha, the Crown fields a potent attack for 2025

01/22/2025

Charlotte FC did good last year.

And that won’t be good enough for head coach Dean Smith, general manager Zoran Krneta, the players, or the fans this year. They want more.

Crown gears up for a run at the Eastern Conference's top spot