By Billy McGee
November 22, 2024
Photo: Charlotte FC
Charlotte FC’s season came to an end after a game three penalty shootout loss to Orlando City in Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Crown held a lead until they gave up a penalty in the seventh minute of added time which was confirmed after a VAR review. Facundo Torres had his penalty kick saved by Kahlina, but scored on the rebound forcing a penalty shootout for the second consecutive game. In the shootout, Orlando converted all four attempts by Torres, Luis Muriel, Kyle Smith, and Rafael Santos, while Ashley Westwood was the only Charlotte FC player to score.
Despite the disappointing ending, this season was Charlotte FC’s most successful to date. In Dean Smith’s first year as head coach, The Crown tallied 51 points, 46 goals scored, and only allowed 37, all of which are club records. They also had their best finish in the standings, ending the season in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, securing a playoff berth.
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A few players stood out for Charlotte this season, most notably, Kristijan Kahlina. Kahlina was named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, becoming the first Charlotte FC player to receive an individual MLS award. He ranked first in the league in save percentage and minutes played, while being tied for second in clean sheets with 12. Luckily for Charlotte FC fans, Kahlina signed a contract extension with the club in October, keeping him with The Crown through the 2026 season with an option for 2027.
Other standout players for Charlotte were Patrick Agyemang, Świderski, Brandt Bronico, and Adilson Malanda. Agyemang led the team with 10 goals in a breakout season and Świderski came back from a loan spell with Hellas Verona and scored seven goals in the second half of the season. Bronico tied his career high with five assists and Malanda appeared in and started 32 games, helping anchor one of the best defenses in the league.
Charlotte’s offseason will be a busy one, as the club has several players with expiring contracts. They’ve already exercised the options for Agyemang, Ben Bender, Brandon Cambridge, Hamady Diop, Jahlane Forbes, George Marks, Andrew Privett, Nicholas Scardina and Tyger Smalls; declining the options for Júnior Urso, Jamie Paterson, and Queen City native Jaylin Lindsey. The club also declined the purchase option for Pep Biel following the end of his loan spell, opening a designated player spot on the roster.
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Over the last two transfer windows, The Crown have not been very active bringing in many impact players, with Liel Abada being the only major signing. During the last primary transfer window, Charlotte lost designated players Kamil Jóźwiak, Enzo Copetti and Karol Świderski, although the latter did return on loan for the second half of the season.
After a full season under Dean Smith, knowing what the team needs to improve, and a newly opened designated player spot on the roster, Charlotte could be a lot more active this offseason. One position that could help The Crown improve is an attacking midfielder. Charlotte struggled at times during the season with creativity in the midfield, servicing their attackers with chances. With Charlotte moving on from Biel (who was brought in as an attacking midfielder, but played on the wing during the final stretch of the season), the club could also look to bring in a veteran winger to compete with Kerwin Vargas and Iuri Tavares for the starting spot opposite Abada.
Charlotte could also look to sign Crown Legacy players to first-team contracts. The most likely candidate from Crown Legacy would be Aron John, an 18-year-old midfielder who finished the MLS Next Pro season tied for the most goals (8), also leading the team with 10 assists.
There are a few key dates in the MLS offseason for Charlotte FC fans to pay attention to. During the MLS Expansion Draft for San Diego FC on December 11, Charlotte will protect twelve players from their senior and supplemental rosters and could possibly lose an unprotected player if they are selected with one of San Diego’s five expansion draft picks.
On December 12, free agency opens and clubs can begin negotiating with players who are eligible. Free agency eligible players are 24 years or older with at least five MLS service years. The MLS SuperDraft will take place on December 20.
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