North Charlotte Today

Charlotte FC begins a stretch of five away fixtures in six matches with a trip to Chester, Pennsylvania, to conclude their regular season series against the Philadelphia Union. Here are the three key aspects of the match:

Philadelphia Union is known for its aggressive high press and quick transitions, which have been crucial to their success over the years. A significant element of their press is their defensive midfielder, José Martínez, who forces opponents into mistakes and capitalizes on turnovers to create scoring opportunities. However, he is currently on international duty, potentially opening up opportunities for Charlotte FC.

Charlotte FC must focus on composure and precision in their build-up play. Building from the back, defenders and midfielders need to remain calm under pressure, using short, quick passes to bypass Philadelphia's pressing traps. Players like Ashley Westwood will be essential in orchestrating play and finding outlets through the flanks or via long balls to exploit spaces left by the pressing Union.

Quick transitions and maintaining possession in tight areas will disrupt Philadelphia’s rhythm, allowing Charlotte to dictate the tempo and avoid costly errors.

Philadelphia Union often employs a system that heavily utilizes their wingbacks, Kai Wagner and Olivier Mbaizo, to provide width and support in attack. While this strategy creates overloads on the flanks, it also leaves space behind them that Charlotte FC can exploit.

The pace and agility of Charlotte’s wide players, particularly Kerwin Vargas and Leil Abada, will be crucial in this game. By positioning themselves to take advantage of spaces left by advancing wingbacks, they can create opportunities on counter-attacks.

Accurate through balls and quick switches of play can catch the Union off guard, isolating their center backs and providing opportunities for direct runs towards goal. The key will be quick transitions from defense to attack, catching Philadelphia's backline off balance and creating one-on-one situations.

Through May, Charlotte FC established themselves as a formidable team at Bank of America Stadium with a home record of six wins, four draws, and just one loss. In contrast, their performance away from home has been less impressive with only two wins, five losses, and one draw. However, Head Coach Dean Smith has been working on changing the team’s mindset to replicate their home-game approach when on the road.

"We shouldn’t be scared or timid to play on the road," stated midfielder Brandt Bronico. "We should go out there and do what we do here and take points from opposing teams."

This positive shift in attitude is starting to bear fruit. The recent 3-2 victory over Atlanta exemplifies Charlotte FC's growing confidence away from home. As they prepare to take on Philadelphia Union in Chester, they aim to build on that momentum.

When it comes to Match Day preparations for fans, Harris Teeter offers deals from brands such as Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonades and Fruit Drinks as well as Purina Beneful for pets. Harris Teeter is an official grocery store partner of Charlotte FC.