September 17, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release
Charlotte FC is coming off a tough 2-1 loss to CF Montreal, a game that left the team and fans feeling disappointed. Despite the defeat, Head Coach Dean Smith remained focused on addressing the team’s issues while taking some positives from the match.
“Converting our chances or making really good chances has been our Achilles’ heel all season, but we’ve prided ourselves in not giving away silly goals, staying in games, and being really hard to beat,” said Smith. “The two goals today just isn’t us.”
While conceding goals often leads to defenders being blamed, Smith emphasized that defense is a collective responsibility. The players in front of the backline are just as crucial to preventing goals as the defenders themselves. According to Smith, the team’s recent struggles with conceding can be attributed to not defending as a unit.
“One of our strengths has been if we lose the ball, we go and win the ball or get back into shape quickly. I believe on that first goal, we didn’t get back in shape quick enough and get behind the ball, and that’s something we’ll address.”
A bright spot in the game was a well-executed set piece goal by Tim Ream. Though Ream and his teammates were thrilled for the goal, the most significant takeaway was the successful set piece execution. Set pieces are a key component of Smith’s coaching philosophy, and although the team hasn’t scored many from them this season, there has been noticeable improvement compared to last year.
Westwood has been a key provider in these areas and made Ream’s job easy at the end of the day.
“It was an incredible ball, it was put perfectly,” said Ream. “The way he had it dipping over the final defender, it was probably the easiest header I’ve ever had to put on target.”
Despite the well-taken goal, Ream expressed disappointment in the team’s inability to come away with even a point against Montreal. With the team’s recent form under scrutiny, Ream, a self-proclaimed overanalyzer, believes having a quick turnaround for another match only helps the team, as they’re forced to quickly shift focus.
“Knowing that tomorrow the sun rises, then you have to switch focus immediately, it’s definitely more helpful than a hindrance,” said Ream.
It’s all about how the team responds, and they’re relishing the opportunity to step back on the pitch and make things right.
“You either sulk and put your head down, or you work harder… we now have an opportunity…
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