There was yet another rain delay Saturday. After two goals in the opening nine minutes, I thought Charlotte was headed to a comfortable win. Columbus has never won at Bank of America Stadium, and it was hard to judge our shape with so much happening so quickly. We looked pretty good. It seems like Columbus always struggles to play well in Charlotte.
Brandt Bronico scored after 29 seconds. Liel Abada made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the ninth minute.
Bronico runs more than anyone else. He has the technical ability to go with it too. I’m surprised he has not gotten more minutes this season. The UNC Charlotte grad has been ready whenever Charlotte has needed him. He has grit, he plays for the badge and supporters love him. The Mayor references in the supporter thread were not a surprise.
His goal was not only about effort. David Schnegg moved down the left, Idan Toklomati occupied the central defenders and Bronico timed his run beyond the striker. Dean Smith said Charlotte had worked on those runs from its No. 8s during the week.
What happened after 2-0
After the lead, the team started to drop back a lot, and had a strong feeling that the Columbus goal was coming soon. Dean mentioned changing the tactics around the hydration break, but I still saw the wingers drop very deep and depend on our counterattacking. At times it looked like there was a line of five across the midfield.
“The hydration break gave me the opportunity to talk to the players and just rejig the game plan a little bit,” Smith said, “because I just felt that we’d just dropped off and were a little bit too passive.”
Toklomati was left by himself, and most of the clearances came straight back. Charlotte looked compact, but Columbus was still able to keep the team stuck near its own box.
The goal came in the 41st minute. Brooks Lennon crossed from the right and Chase Adams headed it past Kahlina.
Once Adams scored, I didn’t think Charlotte would score again. The team tends to settle into moments where it lacks creativity after dropping into a defensive shape. Columbus kept collecting the ball and starting another attack.
Columbus controlled possession and territory but was not able to convert. The Crew took a bunch of shots, had many touches in Charlotte’s box and forced Kahlina to stay involved. Eleven Columbus shots were blocked, and only four were on target. Charlotte gave up a lot of volume, but its own chances were cleaner. Expected goals on target accounts for where an on-target shot was placed, which helps show the difference in finishing.
What Saint-Maximin changed
Charlotte needed somebody who could keep the ball long enough to get the team out. Saint-Maximin gave them that.
Saint-Maximin looked great, and you can tell that he is still getting used to the turf field, something he mentioned in the press conference. His first touch under pressure, quick turns and passing quality immediately stood out. He had sparks of brilliance during his 45-minute appearance, and it seems like he will only get better. He is by far the most talented player on the pitch, but the adjustment period may hold him back for a bit.
He did not stop Columbus from controlling possession, but he could take a pass with a defender close to him and move Charlotte up the field. After almost every first-half clearance came back, that mattered.
Saint-Maximin played the pass that got Charlotte moving on the third goal. Rodolfo Aloko attacked the open space and found Pep Biel, who finished in the 73rd minute. Aloko deserves credit too. He seems to bring something positive almost every time he comes off the bench.
Biel still belongs in the middle
I am not sure why Dean Smith keeps playing Biel on the right and then having to use substitutions or tactical changes to shift him more toward the middle, as that is where he plays the best. Smith brought up the Chicago match, when Biel started on the right, scored and took five or six shots. That is fair, but I still prefer him inside, especially if Saint-Maximin gives Charlotte a natural wide player.
Biel was not at his best Saturday, but he still scored his 10th goal of the season and now has a goal contribution in six straight matches.
What Charlotte still has to solve
The pressure Columbus created also showed where Charlotte’s roster is still thin.
We desperately need a striker. Dean talked about how Charlotte is looking to sign someone after Kerwin Vargas’ departure, so I am hoping we can sign a striker. We have known that we need one for so long. Against Columbus, the problem showed up whenever Charlotte cleared the ball and had nobody who could hold it long enough to give the defense a break.
Westwood is playing way too many minutes. While he is playing extremely well and is very important to the squad, he tends to get tired during the final 20 minutes. That becomes harder to hide when Charlotte defends this deeply. There is also a chance of injury or fatigue after playing so much, so often.
Charlotte goes to Toronto on Wednesday and then plays D.C. United Saturday. Bronico gave Charlotte the early run it needed, and Saint-Maximin gave the team an escape once Columbus took control. It was still a very good win, but the 3-1 score should not make us forget how uncomfortable everything between those moments felt.