By Billy McGee
March 12, 2026
Coming off a disappointing first two games of the season, Charlotte FC picked up their first win of the year in their home opener against a shorthanded Austin FC side and now head into a matchup with Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Saturday under the lights at The Fortress.
Head coach Dean Smith opted to make a couple of changes to the starting lineup that we hadn’t seen yet this season, inserting midfielder Brandt Bronico and center back Morrison Agyemang in place of Luca de la Torre and Andrew Privett.
Charlotte gained a huge advantage in the 25th minute after a VAR review upgraded a yellow card to a red for Austin defender Guilherme Biro for serious foul play against Idan Toklomati, leaving Austin down a man for the remainder of the match. Charlotte capitalized on the advantage minutes later when Toklomati caught the defense sleeping at the back post after a pass across the face of goal from Wilfried Zaha in the 29th minute to make it 1-0. The lead would not last long, however, as Morrison attempted to head a long ball away from danger following the restart but instead sent it into his own net for an own goal in the 31st minute.
The Crown appeared to retake the lead in the 55th minute with a set-piece goal from Pep Biel, but after review it was ruled to have deflected off Brandt Bronico’s arm, disallowing the goal for a handball offense. Biel would get his goal in the 68th minute, tapping the ball past Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver after a pass from Liel Abada. Biel later put the game on ice in stoppage time, adding his second and Charlotte’s third goal of the match, with Luca de la Torre providing the assist for his first goal involvement in a Charlotte FC shirt. Biel nearly completed the hat trick, striking the crossbar with the final kick of the match for the home side.
Biel was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for his performance. The match also saw an academy player make his debut, with Aron John subbing on in the 90th minute after signing a first-team contract prior to the game. Despite scoring the own goal, Morrison Agyemang earned praise from Dean Smith for his resilience in bouncing back.
“He scored the own goal and I thought he showed great composure to handle that, because some people can sink very quickly if that happens,” said Smith. “He had the personality to deal with it and dealt with it really well.”
Inter Miami has gotten off to a decent start to the season, sitting on six points through three games after losing 3-0 to LAFC in their season opener before defeating Orlando City SC 4-2 and D.C. United 2-1. In the match against D.C. United, the Herons took a 2-0 lead early with a 17th‑minute goal from Rodrigo De Paul and a 27th‑minute goal by Lionel Messi before allowing a 75th‑minute goal to Tai Baribo as the match finished 2-1.
The last time Charlotte and Inter Miami faced off, the Crown came away with a huge 3-0 win behind an Idan Toklomati hat trick and a Kristijan Kahlina save on a Lionel Messi penalty, helping Charlotte tie the MLS record for consecutive wins with their ninth straight victory. This season’s Miami team is different from the one Charlotte defeated last September, with a few key additions including reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair and Mexican national team striker Germán Berterame.
If Charlotte is to win against Inter Miami, they will need their attack to show up for a second consecutive match. While it is unlikely they will replicate the 12 shots on target and 25 total shots they had against Austin, they should be able to put on a strong performance with Biel and Zaha finding their form and the rest of the attack starting to show what they can contribute. The defense will also need to stand firm as a unit against one of the league’s best offenses. While they limited Austin to just five shots, with only one on target, Charlotte had the advantage of playing with a man advantage, which made defending easier. Saturday will be a real test for the defense to see how much they have grown as a unit since their shaky start to the season. If they hold up, Charlotte should be able to come away with at least a draw, and possibly all three points.
Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami takes place on Saturday, March 14 (7:30 p.m.) at Bank of America Stadium and will be available for streaming on Apple TV.
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