Charlotte FC’s third season is underway. In front of over 62,000 at Bank of America Stadium last Saturday, the young Major League Soccer team won its first-ever opening game of the season. With the first win under their belt, fans are excited — and wondering if the team can keep it up.
New head coach Dean Smith is tasked with making sure they do. Smith, hired in December after coaching in the Premier League, said fans will notice a difference this season in how players attack and defend on the field.
But there’s been a major shakeup in the team roster. Gone are some of the team’s more flashier European players, such as Karol Świderski and Kamil Jozwiak. And some of the team’s staple players from last season, like Ben Bender and Brandt Bronico, are injured. Hope lies in Crown Legacy FC, the reserve team for Charlotte FC, which is in the process of cultivating new talent.
GUESTS:
Ashley Mahoney, reporter for Axios
Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Arturo Uzcategui, journalist for Progreso Hispano
