New York City FC host Charlotte FC on Saturday night.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Sam Van Olinda, writer for TopBin90.
Hi Sam, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering Charlotte FC?
I have been covering Charlotte FC since July 2023, a couple of months after I graduated from Appalachian State University with a Journalism degree. Since I started, I have been putting out articles weekly for TopBin90, and regularly drive from Raleigh to Charlotte to cover matches as a media member. I have also been a fan of Charlotte FC since the first match in 2022.
What has been your highlight in that time?My highlight so far has to be when I attended Charlotte's 2-1 win versus LAFC in August of 2023. That was my first game as a media member in the stadium and it was overwhelming getting to see football from such a close perspective. Having just graduated from college, I never expected to be behind the scenes at a professional football game just months after I walked across the stage. It was always my dream to be a journalist who covers football so I was so happy to be there and take in the whole experience, from walking on the field pre-game to watching the fans bounce up and down during the song Pepas, to being able to talk to the players and Christian Lattanzio post-match. The result was the cherry on top.
I also have to throw in the Playoff-clinching game against Inter Miami on Decision Day 2023-- even though I wasn't there, that moment, beating Messi in a sold-out Bank of America Stadium, was something I will never forget writing about.
What were your thoughts on the 2023 season?
Last season was hard to process for both me as a writer and for the fans. It could be viewed as an improvement and success as the team did make the play-in game after beating Inter Miami on decision day, but it also could've gone so much smoother if the team closed out games.
It was almost comical how many times, especially later in the season when I started writing about the team, that Charlotte FC dropped points from a winning position (25 points in total all season dropped).
Christian Lattanzio came from the Manchester City system of coaches so he played a very progressive and modern style of football with this team. When it worked it was beautiful, with high possession stats and great passing leading to goals and generally eye-pleasing play, but the team lacked defensive structure. I felt like I had déjà vu when I would write game recaps- the game would start with the team building a one or even two-goal lead, and then end with a late-game meltdown and either a loss or a draw.
A lot of the time it was due to the team being tired but Lattanzio insisted that they continued to press and look for more goals, which would end up with the other team counter-attacking and outnumbering our defenders.
Karol Świderski was by far the best player on the team, operating in both a striker and number 10 role later in the season, and the team misses his quality (he is currently on loan in Italy with Hellas Verona).
In summary, the team was entertaining, and the matches were exciting, but they lacked structure and it cost them in the end, conceding five in the play-in game versus NYRB and being eliminated.
What are your hopes for the 2024 season?
My hope for this season is that the team finds a reliable goal-scorer. Despite our recent result being a 0-3 loss, the team has done a 360 in terms of style of play this year with former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith coming in to be the head coach.
Charlotte FC is way more defensively structured and solid. Charlotte is also almost last in the league in possession now, and favors a counter-attacking style of play.
This style of play is working, as the team is defending well and generating chances- the problem is the DP striker Enzo Copetti has lost all of his confidence and has still not scored despite having numerous great chances this season.
The team also lacks a creative number 10 who can transition the team from defense to attack and make runs that test the defenders on the opposing team. They recently brought in Liel Abada, a new young DP on the right wing from Celtic who won PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year in 2021. We are hoping that he can provide a spark and the goals will start to flow as the season progresses.
What do you think will be the deciding factor in Saturday's game?
There are two things that I think will sway the game this Saturday. One is the availability of Adilson Malanda, the 22-year-old French center-back who I think is the team's best player so far this year. He picked up a small injury and has been sidelined with Bill Tuiloma coming in to replace him and the team has looked very questionable at the back since that happened.
He was on the bench Sunday against Minnesota, and I’m assuming that he starts on Saturday. He will be key in trying to slow down Santiago Rodríguez who I see already has 5 G+A this year.
The other factor will be the finishing. I’m sure Charlotte will create one or two big chances in the first half. If they finish those chances I think they could squeak by with a win- if they don’t I think NYCFC will take control second half and win by two or more goals. Charlotte has been bad on the road this year, and with a bunch of attackers that already lack confidence, it is harder for them to forget their mistakes when not playing in front of the great support at the Bank.
And for any fans that might be in Charlotte for a game in the near future are there any spots you'd suggest they check out?
I actually live in Raleigh- if anyone ends up there from NY I recommend Oakwood Pizza Box- the closest thing you will get to New York pizza in this State.
I asked my fellow TopBin guys and they recommend the French Quarter and a neighborhood called NoDa which is home to some really cool arts and entertainment venues.
