Jun 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith reacts on the sideline during the match against Houston Dynamo FC at Shell Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Charlotte FC will look to regain the momentum it built before Major League Soccer’s month-long hiatus when it hosts the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.
Charlotte (10-8-7, 37 points) was 1-0-2 in three road games before the League Cup break, which began July 26.
The unbeaten streak has left Charlotte in sixth place in the Eastern Conference after the break, and coach Dean Smith believes the trio of road tests will continue to pay off.
“They were all tough games and we came away with five points thanks to a good performance in all three games,” Smith said. “We will definitely take something positive from it.”
The Red Bulls (10-4-11, 41 points) are on an eight-game unbeaten streak in MLS play, going 2-0-6 since a June 8 loss to the New England Revolution. It’s New York’s longest unbeaten streak since 2021.
However, coach Sandro Schwarz says the club is not yet satisfied.
“I wasn’t told I had to become champion immediately, but we have high expectations of ourselves,” Schwarz said.
New York’s roster may be on the mend.
Peter Stroud, Serge Ngoma and Emil Forsberg could all return from injury for the Red Bulls after missing time before the break in the schedule.
“It looks much better,” Schwarz said. “We’ll see. There’s a lot of progress.”
As for Charlotte’s roster, attacking midfielder Pep Biel has joined the team from Greek club Olympiacos. He is on loan for the remainder of the season, with the potential to fill any gaps in the roster.
“As complete as it’s going to be,” Smith said of the lineup.
This week, Charlotte also added forward Idan Toklomati from Israeli club Maccabi Petah Tikva, although he is currently considered a prospect.
On May 29, the Red Bulls defeated visiting Charlotte 3-1, with two second-half goals from Forsberg. That was one of six games this season in which New York scored three or more goals.
In all competitions, Red Bulls forward Elias Manoel has six goals and one assist in five career games against Charlotte.
–Field level media
