Charlotte FC looks to extend their winning streak to six games as Zaha aims to make history with goal contributions in 10 consecutive matches

By Billy McGee

August 14, 2025

Photo: Charlotte FC

Charlotte FC looks to extend their MLS-best five-match winning streak this weekend at home against Real Salt Lake, following a strong road win coming out of the Leagues Cup. The club currently sits seventh in the Eastern Conference, just three points shy of a top-four spot.

The Crown had a disappointing Leagues Cup performance, failing to advance past Phase One. A crushing 4-1 loss to Juárez to start their campaign was only made worse by an 80th-minute red card shown to Idan Toklomati, leaving the club without their striker for their second match against Chivas.

Charlotte put up a much better fight against Chivas, ending regulation tied 2-2 after Kerwin Vargas scored a direct free kick from a difficult angle in the 90th minute to force a penalty shootout. They went on to lose 4-2 in the shootout and were eliminated from advancing before their final match.

Head coach Dean Smith opted for a rotated squad against Monterrey, giving minutes to players who had not featured much recently. The Crown went on to win the match 2-0 with two quick second-half goals. Bill Tuiloma scored on a header confirmed after a VAR check in the 56th minute, followed by a Tyger Smalls goal in the 60th minute, assisted by Brandon Cambridge.

The competition proved costly for Charlotte, as Pep Biel suffered a hamstring injury against Chivas that will sideline him for four to six weeks. 

“He’s got a hamstring strain,” said Smith after the win against Monterrey. “It’s not a tear, it’s not the tendon, so usually between four to six weeks. But as we all know, they’re all different — so some can be sooner and some can be later.”

Charlotte’s first match coming out of Leagues Cup posed a difficult challenge — a road trip to face FC Cincinnati, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, without their leading goal scorer (Biel) due to injury and their captain (Ashley Westwood) due to a yellow card accumulation. With Biel and Westwood missing from the lineup, the Crown got creative, starting Wilfried Zaha in the midfield as a No. 10 with a front line of Liel Abada, Toklomati, and Kerwin Vargas.

Charlotte’s attack struggled for most of the match, managing only three shots in the first 70 minutes before Cincinnati midfielder Tah Brian Anunga was sent off with a red card for serious foul play. After the dismissal, Charlotte pressed forward, taking five shots (four on target) including Zaha’s winner in the 85th minute. The goal extended his contribution streak to nine matches, the second-longest for any first-year MLS player. With a goal contribution on Saturday, Zaha would join Ronald Cerritos (1997) as the only first-year players in MLS history with 10 straight. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina looked like his 2024 self, making seven saves, holding Cincinnati to their only scoreless home match of the season, and earning a spot on the MLS Team of the Matchday.

On Saturday, Charlotte will face a Real Salt Lake side fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. RSL currently sits in 10th place, just one point behind a wild card position and three points out of seventh. Their recent form has been mixed — they were eliminated from Leagues Cup after winning on penalties in their first game, losing on penalties in their second, and winning 1-0 in regulation in their final match. In their most recent outing, they fell 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls after conceding a penalty in second-half stoppage time, with forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting converting in the 99th minute to seal the win.

Charlotte will have an advantage in the match, as RSL will be without their star player, Diego Luna, who leads the team in both goals and assists. Luna was shown a second yellow card in the 85th minute of their match against the New York Red Bulls, resulting in a one-game suspension. Real Salt Lake has struggled to score this season, ranking fifth-lowest in the league with 27 goals. Luna’s eight goals make him the only player on the roster with more than three.



RSL’s attack shouldn’t pose much of a threat to Charlotte’s defense, which has recently welcomed back Nathan Byrne from injury, but their defense has been much stronger. Real Salt Lake is tied for the eighth-best mark in goals allowed (32). The Crown could face challenges in attack, as they are missing their main creative engine in the middle and lack another midfielder with Biel’s profile. His absence may push Charlotte to rely more heavily on the wings to create chances, with an in-form Zaha likely serving as the primary attacking outlet.

Charlotte FC has been active in the transfer market, making two new signings: fullback Harry Toffolo and striker Archie Goodwin. Toffolo joins the team on a free transfer with a three-and-a-half-year deal. The 29-year-old Englishman has spent his entire career playing in his home country, most recently with Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League. Goodwin joins Charlotte on a transfer from Adelaide United for a reported fee of around $2 million. The 20-year-old Australian is coming off his best professional season, tied for the most goals in the A-League with 13 in 26 appearances.

With the MLS summer transfer window closing on August 21, the club is still looking to bolster the squad as they push for a top-four playoff spot.

“There is still stuff that we’re looking at. Whether that gets done in time or not, I don’t know,” said Smith when asked if there was anything else the team is working on. “There’s always stuff that we’re looking to improve on.”

The match against Real Salt Lake is set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, August 16. It will be available to stream on the Apple TV MLS Season Pass, and tickets for the game are available here

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