Momentum: Ingredients of the Match: Charlotte FC vs D.C. United

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Momentum: Ingredients of the Match: Charlotte FC vs D.C. United

July 16, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release


Make that four points out of the last two matches.

Charlotte have a chance to put back-to-back home wins on the board for the first time since the beginning of April. No better time than against D.C. United and earn a little revenge after the U.S. Open Cup bout.

D.C. enters the match 13th in the Eastern Conference without a win in their last six matches. Christian Benteke has returned to the side after an injury left him out of the roster for about a month. He has yet to score since his return, but still leads the side with six goals on the season.

Here are the Ingredients of the Match for Charlotte FC to earn back-to-back wins at home:

Momentum

Two straight matches with two goals and points.

Last week, we said keep building. Idan Toklomati and Pep Biel are in strong form, and Wilfried Zaha was added back into the mix. The result was a 2-0 victory over NYC. On Wednesday, it's about momentum.

Stacking results will do wonders for the mentality in the locker room. Confidence is important. But to do so, they need to keep some consistency on the pitch. Dean Smith was still not totally pleased with the overall performance on Saturday, and that's a good thing. The standard is still high. So this next match is about getting into that momentum groove and playing mistake-free soccer. Three points will be massive in the march to the playoffs. And it's two days before the squad heads to Atlanta.

Working For Each Other

There were moments last match where Charlotte could have been undone by NYC.

But we saw from the entire squad that everyone was willing to fight and help each other. Something that, while not necessarily missing, we haven't seen enough of in the last two-month stretch. But in order for Charlotte to push through the bumps in the road, they need to back each other up. Togetherness has always been Dean's mantra.

And right now, they need that more than ever. Wednesday night's match isn't necessarily a must-win, but it's a match Charlotte should be taking all three points if they want to be at the top of the table. Not to mention, a tight turnaround right into a rivalry match down South. Battle of the South means all guesses, expectations, etc. are off the table, and it's anyone's game. Carrying three points into that match and the Togetherness mentality will make for a big week for Charlotte.

JULY 16 // CHARLOTTE FC VS. D.C. UNITED

Charlotte FC takes on D.C. United at Bank of America Stadium on July 16 at 7:30 P.M. Come celebrate Charlotte's Soccer Heritage with The Crown!

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