North Charlotte Today

Charlotte FC returns home after back-to-back away trips to face the New England Revolution. Following Charlotte’s loss against Orlando, Brandt Bronico emphasized the need for more intensity and aggression.

"I think every team needs more of a little bite to them. I think we could be a little more feisty. I think we need to get in guys’ faces... really applying pressure and making them feel our presence," said Bronico.

This approach involves pressing higher, winning duels, and imposing physicality on New England. Charlotte must ensure their opponents feel constant pressure, especially when out of possession. This aggressive stance will also energize the fans at Bank of America Stadium.

Charlotte’s scoring issues persist as they go six matches without scoring in open play. Head Coach Dean Smith highlighted the lack of exploiting space in the attacking third as a significant problem.

“The name of the game in the final third is to create space for someone to run into it,” said Smith. “Sometimes we create the space, and no one makes a run into it. We’ve got too many players that come towards the ball rather than away from the ball."

To break down New England’s defense, Charlotte needs better off-the-ball movement. Players must identify and run into spaces created by teammates, opening up lanes for decisive passes and dangerous attacks.

MLS is a league built on home performances, and Charlotte FC has an opportunity to take control of their playoff destiny. As Bronico stated, this match is "do or die, must win," with only five games remaining. With three of those five matches at home at Bank of America Stadium, winning two could guarantee a playoff spot, while winning all three home games could secure a home playoff game.

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