Thoughts After the Match: Charlotte 2- Cincinnati-0
Charlotte FC defeated FC Cincinnati 2-0 on saturday night to move into third spot in the east, proving the real Queen City is in North Carolina.
One player that I hoped would get going was Patrick Agyemang and boy did he. With a strike in the 50th minute, Big Pat put the Crown up 2-0, a goal that would prove to be the decider. The scoring was opened shortly after the half when Liel Abada won a footrace in the 48th minute and beat the keeper 1 on 1.
The starting XI was the same as last week, which I don’t have a problem with (although I have been critical of some players). There was a different energy this game, the offense looked to attack in the first half, even if the chances didn’t convert. Something clicked at the break as the Crown scored two and the defense held on. A clean sheet!
The second half was not all peaches as Cincinnati player Evander narrowly missed a free kick that would have brought the deficit to one (a moment I held my breath for). A foul put the visitors down to ten men in the second half but the defense held strong and the man between the pipes kept a clean sheet.
After Saturday, Charlotte has seven points, good enough for third in the east while Cincinnati drops to seventh with six points. There is still a lot of season left, but a win feels good. Hopefully the boys can carry this energy and momentum into next week for their match against San Jose next Saturday.