Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith believes his side would be in the top three of the Eastern Conference if they had taken several of their big chances ahead of their meeting with FC Cincinnati.
The Crown were beaten 2-1 in their last MLS fixture against Inter Miami last time out, with goalscorer Patrick Agyemang sent off late on at the Bank of America Stadium.
The result leaves them in sixth place, three points behind New York City, a position Smith believes could be significantly better had his side taken their opportunities in recent weeks.
“I think we are missing too many chances in too many games,” Smith said. “If we were taking those chances we would be in the top three for sure.
“With the way we’ve played in games and the way we have restricted the opposition and some of the big chances we’ve missed, that has been our biggest problem.
“We are always looking to bring people in who can come and improve the team. But we’re working hard with the players on the roster to improve them as well.
“That’s part of the coaching job.”
Cincinnati, however, enjoyed a positive result against the same opponents in their top of the table clash at the TQL Stadium last time out.
The Orange and Blue thumped Inter Miami 6-1 to go to the summit of the Eastern Conference, earning them a third consecutive victory in the process.
However, head coach Pat Noonan believes their battle with the Herons in August will be a completely different affair as they were without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, who were both away on international duty at the Copa America.
“You have to beat good teams if you want to be at the top of the table, at the top of the conference, and playing home games in the playoffs," Noonan said.
"Guys stepped up tonight with both teams missing key pieces. We won't look past that.
"We'll see them at the end of August. It'll look entirely different based on likely personnel. So, they still have a very strong team. And that's why I'm very pleased about the performance."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta
In Cincinnati’s triumph over Inter Miami, Acosta was the star man for the home side, scoring a goal and providing two assists during the encounter at the TQL Stadium.
Acosta now has 10 goals and 17 assists this season, the third time he has registered over 25 goal contributions in the MLS. The only other player in MLS history to hit those marks in three seasons was Sebastian Giovinco in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Charlotte FC – Kerwin Vargas
With top scorer Patrick Agyemang suspended for the trip to the TQL Stadium, Kerwin Vargas looks likely to lead the line for Charlotte.
The Colombian has four goals and two assists so far this season and will be key for Smith’s side to end their losing streak. Should he find the back of the net, he will take his overall tally for the Crown into double figures on his 72nd appearance for the club.
MATCH PREDICTION: CINCINNATI WIN
Cincinnati come into the game on the back of an impressive run in the league, winning 12 of their previous 14 MLS fixtures, becoming only the second team in the post-shootout era (since 2000) to do so after Seattle in 2018.
Nine of those 12 wins have been by a one-goal margin, and their record against Charlotte will give them confidence of remaining top of the Eastern Conference table having gone unbeaten in their previous four encounters (W2 D2).
Charlotte’s defeat to Inter Miami last time out saw them record back-to-back losses after losing just one of their previous 10 matches (W6 D3). It’s been over a year since Charlotte lost three straight matches, doing so in its first four matches of the 2023 season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
FC Cincinnati – 59.6%
Draw – 21.1%
Charlotte FC – 19.3%
Furious Flick says Barcelona were fortunate to draw at Celta
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick said his errant players only had themselves to blame for their 2-2 draw at Celta Vigo in LaLiga, adding they were fortunate to even escape with a point.
Barca opened a two-goal lead thanks to efforts from captain Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, but after Marc Casado was sent off in the 82nd minute, the hosts fought back with two late strikes.
Alfon Gonzalez and Hugo Alvarez were on target as Celta denied Barca the chance to move eight points clear at the summit, and Flick said his side could have few complaints.
"It wasn't only the last few minutes, we played a really bad game tonight," Flick told DAZN.
"If you don't play at 100% you can't win. That's just the way it was the whole game. We have to be honest.
"These things happen. It was a bad game. The players are not happy. Everyone can play better than what we did today. You have to stay focused. Sometimes it may seem that what we do is easy, but it is not."
Flick would not point fingers at Casado for the red card or defender Jules Kounde for a bad mistake that led to Celta's first goal. Instead, he criticised his side's collective effort and performance levels.
"The red card and Kounde's mistake are just a consequence of the bad game from the team. We made a lot of mistakes and lacked confidence on the ball throughout the match," Flick said.
"We didn't play the football we are used to but we were lucky with some situations and in the end got a point but we have to react because it cannot be repeated.
"I hope what we saw today doesn't have a negative impact in our Champions League game against Brest on Tuesday. We have to learn with the mistakes we move on."
Barca top LaLiga with 34 points, five ahead of Atletico Madrid in second and seven ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who have two games in hand.
'In eight years we never lived like this' – Guardiola shocked by City drop-off
Pep Guardiola admits he has been surprised by Manchester City's alarming dip in form, saying: "In eight years we never lived like this".
Guardiola is in the midst of the longest losing run of his managerial career, with City suffering a fifth straight defeat in all competitions on Saturday as they were thrashed 4-0 by Tottenham.
They have also lost three Premier League games in a row and could end the weekend eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, who visit bottom club Southampton on Sunday.
It is their worst run in the competition since they lost three straight between February and March 2016, when they finished fourth under Manuel Pellegrini.
"In eight years we never lived this. I knew sooner or later we would drop," Guardiola said after Saturday's game.
"I never expected to lose three Premier League games in a row but we have been incredibly consistent again and again and again.
"Now we cannot deny the reality that sometimes happens in football and life is here."
City's drop-off has coincided with star midfielder Rodri – who won the Ballon d'Or last month – being sidelined by an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Guardiola's side did not lose any of the 34 Premier League matches in which Rodri appeared last season, winning 27 and drawing seven, though they lost three of four when the Spaniard was absent.
Each of City's last six league defeats have come when Rodri has not featured, but former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes their poor run cannot be totally blamed on his injury.
"We've seen City lose the odd game here, but we've very rarely seen them outplayed in every department, but that's what we're watching," pundit Neville told Sky Sports.
"They look well short. As short as I've seen them since Pep's first season. I've not seen them as bad as this, how they've been in the last few weeks.
"He will have wanted that international break to come, thinking it would be a reset moment. But now here, it further entrenches the opinion this is a City side currently in decline.
"This is more than just Rodri, far more."
Caribbean Premier Showcase offers scholarship opportunities for Jamaican athletes
Coaches from over 35 colleges and universities in the United States are scheduled to scout for players and offer scholarship opportunities, through the Caribbean Premier Showcase (CPS), that will be held over three days at three locations across the island come January 2025.
The Caribbean Premier Showcase was founded two years go with the goal of connecting soccer players with college coaches in expanding opportunities for Jamaican athletes. The showcase began under another name and started only at St. Elizabeth Technical High School for all male soccer players in Jamaica.
That same year the Caribbean Premier Showcase team was invited to the islands of Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago to bring the same opportunities for their high school soccer athletes. Shortly after these stagings the showcases were rebranded to Caribbean Premier Showcase (CPS) reflecting the organizations commitment to the Caribbean.
Rajay Maragh, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner at CPS, said the major objective is mainly bringing players and coaches together to create opportunities for recruitment. Players he said get to see show their skills live, interact with coaches, gather information and processes all with the intention of securing a scholarship to study and play overseas.
“The process is heavily based on the coaches whereas the showcase is not limited to anyone local school or conference but rather each athlete is given the same access, playing time and information to showcase their talent. Once completed coaches will reach out after, gather additional data and also create a player profile of they wish to proceed,” Maragh said.
“There is also the academic check with takes place after, each school have their own admission processes and requirements which crates the second stage of follow up to make sure the student is eligible for recruitment,” he added.
All the members of the CPS team received academic and sports scholarship at some point to attend and or player soccer overseas. Maragh said they understood the value, the complexity and the opportunities showcase like CPS can create and felt the need to pass it on, as it is important for the continuity and development of the region.
Colleges confirmed so far include Iowa Western College CC, Wright State University NCAA DI, Eastern Kentucky University NCAA DI, Pearl River CC, Tougaloo College CC, NYU, UCON NCAA DI, Comberland University NAIA, Lincoln University NCAA DII, Concordia NCAA DII, Missouri Valley NAIA, New College Florida NAIA, Baker University NAIA, Johnson County CC, Lindenwood University NCAA DI, Missouri State University, Keiser University NAIA, Hampton University (Womens Soccer) NCAA DI, Maine Maritime University (Women Soccer) NCAA DIII, Ruben Gap (High School), Broward College CC, Hill College CC, Ranger College CC, Allen CC, Southeastern CC, NIU (NCAA DI), Fairleigh Dickinson University NCAA DI, Daytona Beach CC, North Eastern Community College CC, Daemen College CC, Central Community College CC.
Professional coaches include Atlanta United, Houston Dynamo and CSF Spartanii Sportul (Moldovan Super League).
The Caribbean Premier Showcase will be held on January 8, 2025 at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School; on January 9, 2025 at the Horace Burrell Facility in Kingston and on January 11, 2025 in association with the Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), All DaCosta Cup versus All Manning Cup teams.
Maragh said their team while focused on the Caribbean have been invited to help with other showcases; this past May in Athlone, Ireland and next year in Portugal, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda.
The application process is now open and athletes can register online at carribeanpremiershowcase.com:
https://www.caribbeanpremiershowcase.com/event-page
Persons interested in being apart of the project can email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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