Charlotte FC Falls 4-1 to Chicago Fire at Home: Defensive Struggles Continue
- Emmanuel Martinez
- May 17
- 2 min read
Updated: May 21
Charlotte FC suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Chicago Fire at Bank of America Stadium, marking their second consecutive home loss.
Chicago opened the scoring in the 42nd minute with Jonathan Bamba netting his second goal of the season, assisted by Brian Gutiérrez. The Fire extended their lead in the second half, with Gutiérrez scoring in the 60th minute and Philip Zinckernagel adding another in the 64th minute. Gutiérrez sealed the victory with a penalty goal in the 79th minute, completing his brace and contributing to all four goals in the match.
Charlotte’s only goal came in the 70th minute when Patrick Agyemang scored his third goal of the season, assisted by Eryk Williamson. Despite holding 53% possession and taking 12 shots, Charlotte managed only four on target, highlighting their struggles in the final third.
This loss drops Charlotte FC to a 6-1-7 record, placing them eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. The team will need to address defensive lapses and improve offensive efficiency to regain their form in upcoming matches. After the match Dean Smith was seemly upset about Chicago not having a mid-week game like almost every other team in the league, a schedule decision that is made by the league.
" It looked like one team had had six days to build up to it and it looked like one team had been on the road a lot, and only two days to build up to it because they look fresher than us, not an excuse. It's a reason, and we didn't play well enough, we didn't." said Dean Smith.
Although, recovery time could be a factor, Charlotte's problem stem from the lack of stability in the back line. At the begining of the season we saw a strong Charlotte side that transitioned from attack to defense smoothly and could play out of the back. However, it all started to notably go down hill after right back Nathan Byrne was treated for his neck injury. Ever since, coach Dean has made several rotations to supplement his absense such as the addition of Scardina and Jack Neeley to the mix. However, despite good performances from scardina and Neeley, the team have not performed as a collective.
Charlotte FC returns to Audi Field to face DC United in a Round of 16 US Open Cup Match on Wednesday, May 21 at 7:30 PM.
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