Match Preview: Charlotte FC at Columbus Crew

July 17, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release

The two biggest results of last weekend belonged to Charlotte FC (3-1 win at FC Cincinnati) and the Columbus Crew (5-1 win at LAFC). Now, these two will match up just four days later in Columbus. The Crew is looking to continue their charge up the table in their Supporter’s Shield chase, while The Crown is attempting to solidify themselves as a top-four contender.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Wednesday’s match.

Match: Charlotte FC at Columbus Crew

When: Wednesday, July 17

Where: Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: 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.

Previous Matches:

FC Cincinnati 1 – 3 Charlotte FC (Major League Soccer | July 13)

LAFC 1 – 5 Columbus Crew (Major League Soccer | July 13)

Eastern Conference Table: For the full live table, click here.

1. FC Cincinnati – 48 points, 23 GP

2. Inter Miami CF – 47 points, 23 GP

3. Columbus Crew – 42 points, 21 GP

4. New York Red Bulls – 37 points, 23 GP

5. New York City FC – 36 points, 23 GP

6. Charlotte FC – 35 points, 23 GP

7. Orlando City SC – 30 points, 23 GP

8. Toronto FC – 27 points, 24 GP

9. Nashville SC – 26 points, 23 GP

———- Playoff Line ———-

Momentum and Belief

A few weeks ago, this period of the schedule may have filled Charlotte FC fans with trepidation: the top three sides in the Eastern Conference (Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati, and the Columbus Crew), who are all overall Supporter’s Shield contenders, with two of those three matches played away from home.

Not exactly a stretch of matches that past CLTFC teams would have expected results from.

However, as has been demonstrated time and again, the 2024 version of Charlotte is a different beast. Under Head Coach Dean Smith and Club Captain Ashley Westwood’s leadership, the team has transformed into a legitimate top four contender. Smith has gone on record in the past saying that his team would be in the top three alongside those aforementioned teams if they finished chances more effectively.

While the team fell to a 2-1 loss at home to Miami, Smith believes it was one of the team’s better performances of the year. Some wayward finishing and an opportunistic Miami team without Lionel Messi combined for a disappointing loss, but internally, the team gathered belief from the match that they could go toe-to-toe with the top…