
Mentally Engaged: Ingredients of the Match
September 1, 2022 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release
It's another clash of the queen cities but this time around Charlotte FC will be the visitors head to Ohio to faceoff against FC Cincinnati.
Here are the three ingredients of the match:
Playoffs Still in Reach
Last week's loss against Toronto hampered Charlotte's playoff ambitions but all hope isn't lost just yet. Fortunately for Charlotte, several other results went in their favor with direct playoff competitors dropping valuable points within the past week.
"We have six games left, a lot can happen in six games," said CLTFC midfielder Brandt Bronico. "Everybody is still fighting, everybody still very much believes we can make playoffs, and everybody will give their all to try and achieve that."
Charlotte have an opportunity to stay in reach of playoffs with a win against conference rival, Cincinnati. Even though playoffs are an uphill battle, the team can begin to get some wins, they will give themselves a fighting chance.
Sharpness in Attacking Third
Charlotte continues to pay for their lack of sharpness in the final third which has been a trend all season. Against Toronto, Charlotte did a good job of creating threatening moments but because of a poor pass, bad touch, or wrong decision they amounted to nothing.
"Sometimes when you create chances you think, ok, the next one is coming. You have to make every one count as if it's your last one," is what interim head coach Christian Lattanzio had to say about capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
Against a team with clinical finishers like Brandon Vazquez and Brenner, putting away scoring opportunities becomes that much more important. Just a little more quality in that final third could open up the floodgates for Charlotte.
Mentally Engaged
In the aftermath of Toronto, Lattanzio made it a point to stress that the team's priority is not just to improve fitness or tactics but most important mentality.
"The most important thing I told the boys that we have to develop is mentality. To be really strong mentally," said Lattanzio. "Which means to be one hundred percent in every training session, and it's easy to say but difficult to do in the way I see it.
"When they are on the pitch, they have to be really engaged mentally... We need to improve but improve with the right priorities in mind and the number one priority for me is mentality. To play strong in every moment of the game."
For a lot of instances this season, Charlotte's worse enemy on defense has been themselves. Defensive lapses have cost them dearly as they did against Toronto FC and even in the match before that against Orlando City. Staying mentally engaged for 90 minutes straight on a consistent basis is still something the team is building towards to.
They are going to need every bit of focus against Cincinnati who currently have one of the most threatening front threes in MLS. Fitness and tactics are important, but their influence becomes less relevant when a team is not mentally locked in to properly execute.
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Major League Soccer Stories from September 1, 2022
- MLS Disciplinary Committee Decisions Announced - MLS
- Real Salt Lake Loans Chris Garcia to El Paso Locomotive - Real Salt Lake
- Mentally Engaged: Ingredients of the Match - Charlotte FC
- Upper Bowl Open for Fan Appreciation Night on October 1 - Charlotte FC
- FC Cincinnati's Match vs Club Deportivo Guadalajara Will Kick off at 7 p.m. ET - FC Cincinnati
- Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar Voted MLS Player of the Week for Week 28 - Nashville SC
- Nashville SC Midfielder Hany Mukhtar Voted MLS Player of the Week Presented by Continental Tire for Week 28 - MLS
- Fire Memberships for 2023 on Sale Now - Chicago Fire FC
- FC Cincinnati Host Charlotte FC for First Time in Club History - FC Cincinnati
- Kick Childhood Cancer Month Overview - New England Revolution
- FC Dallas Teams up with MLS and Continental Tire for 9th Annual Kick Childhood Cancer Campaign - FC Dallas
- Three Dynamo Players and Head Coach Paulo Nagamura Named to MLSSoccer.com Team of the Week - Houston Dynamo FC
- Timbers Players Zac McGraw, Eryk Williamson Named to MLS Team of the Week for Week 28 - Portland Timbers
- Enchant, Presented by Hallmark Channel, Tickets Available Starting September 15 - San Jose Earthquakes
- Five Points: Not Our Night - New York City FC
- Final FCC 2 Home Matches Moved to Scudamore Field at NKU - FC Cincinnati
- Major League Soccer and Continental Tire Team up for 9th Annual Kick Childhood Cancer Campaign - MLS
- Matchday Guide: Kick Childhood Cancer - FC Cincinnati
- St Louis CITY2 to Host Sporting KC II in Early Preview of Centene Stadium - St. Louis City SC
- LA Galaxy Earn 2-2 Road Draw against Toronto FC at BMO Field on Wednesday Night - LA Galaxy
- CF Montréal loses 1-0 to Red Bulls - Club de Foot Montreal
- Timbers Secure Three Points on the Road with 2-1 Win against Austin FC - Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake Shut Out Minnesota In 3-0 Victory - Real Salt Lake
- MNUFC Falls at Real Salt Lake 3-0 - Minnesota United FC
- Austin FC Falls to Portland Timbers - Austin FC
- Orlando City Stuns Seattle Sounders FC with Second-Straight Stoppage Time Win - Orlando City SC
- Sounders FC Drops Heartbreaker on the Road to Orlando City SC - Seattle Sounders FC
- Dynamo Delights Sellout Crowd with 2-1 Victory over LAFC - Houston Dynamo FC
- LAFC Falls on Road to Houston Dynamo, 2-1 - Los Angeles FC
- Hany Mukhtar Scores Hat Trick in Nashville SC's 4-1 Victory over the Colorado Rapids - Nashville SC
- Rapids Fall to Nashville SC at GEODIS Park in Midweek Meeting - Colorado Rapids
- Cushing Reaction: âÃâ¬ÃÅWe Have to Stay Together in These Moments.âÃâ¬Ã - New York City FC
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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