March 1, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Charlotte FC News Release
Charlotte FC started their third season with a bang on the opening day, notching a 1-0 victory over New York City FC in front of 62,291 fans at Bank of America Stadium. New Head Coach Dean Smith has yet to lose a game in charge, leading the team to three wins and three draws in preseason and now his first regular season win.
Up next, Smith and the squad get their first taste of difficult MLS away travel with a cross-country flight to Canada for a match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Match: Charlotte FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC
When: Saturday, March 2
Where: BC Place
Kickoff: 7:30pm ET
Watch: FREE on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV – How to Watch & Listen
Listen: WFNZ 92.7 FM (English) & WOLS 106.1 FM (Spanish)
For all other radio station affiliates in the Carolinas, click here.
Overcoming MLS Travel
Charlotte FC secured a victory at home in their season opener last weekend. However, playing at home in MLS is one of the biggest advantages in world soccer, a fact especially true for a CLTFC team playing in front of huge, passionate crowds every time out at Bank of America Stadium.
Playing away in MLS is very challenging. One of the primary factors contributing to that trend is the difficult travel scenarios the league presents with a geographical spread across both coasts of the United States and Canada.
This weekend, Head Coach Dean Smith will get his first taste of that notorious MLS travel with one of the most difficult trips: a 5-plus hour flight to Vancouver across three time zones. Previously, the Englishman has only coached in the United Kingdom, a country roughly the size of the state of Oregon, just south of where CLTFC will be on Saturday.
“[I’m curious as to] whether it’s going to be like a 5-hour bus journey in the UK,” Smith said in his Thursday press conference. “Or is it a five-hour plane ride that will really take it out of you?”
“I’ve got to sample that for the first time, but it’s led by our performance and coaching teams who have done it many times before.”
On Saturday, it will be pivotal for the entire CLTFC technical staff to make sure the players are prepared and ready to perform physically on the back of a huge travel day.
Improving on the Ball
Charlotte FC took down NYCFC with a defense-focused approach last Saturday. The team took an early lead through Adilson Malanda’s 8th minute goal and protected it extremely effectively through the rest of the match. Kristijan Kahlina…
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