Match Preview - Charlotte FC
Game Info
Kickoff: 6:39pm CT
Watch: Apple TV
Location: Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC
All-Time H2H Record
Austin FC has a 1W-1D-0L record against Charlotte FC.
The first ever meeting between these two teams came in June of Charlotte’s 2022 expansion season, a 1-0 Austin FC win on the back of Dani Pereira’s 62nd minute goal in front of a large contingent of his friends and family (Pereira attended high school and college nearby).
Last time we saw them square off was in July 2024 at Q2 Stadium, the first appearances by Osman Bukari and Mikkel Desler for Austin. A back and forth affair saw both teams take and then relinquish leads, ending in a 2-2 draw.
Charlotte FC Recent Form
Charlotte FC is one of the few teams in MLS with a shorter history than the Verde and Black. Playing their expansion season in 2022 as the league’s 28th franchise, “The Crown” has enjoyed a much higher floor through their first four campaigns compared to Austin but haven’t been able to find quite the same ceiling as ATX did in 2022.
Last season was Charlotte’s best by almost every measure. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, thanks in large part to a nine-game win streak in the second half of the regular season that spanned more than three calendar months. That tied the longest winning streak in MLS history since the league moved past the shootout-era in 2000.
Despite the 19 wins, 59 points and 55 goals for, Charlotte bowed out of the MLS Cup Playoffs in the first round after a disappointing three-game series against NYCFC that saw The Crown outscored 4-1 on aggregate with their only win coming in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in regulation of Game 2.
There was a good deal of optimism headed into the new season for Charlotte FC. They retained the majority of their top attacking talent in U22 striker Idan Toklomati, former EPL forward Wilfried Zaha, U22 winger Kerwin Vargas and DP midfielder Pep Biel, whose purchase option from Greek side Olympiacos was triggered by a stellar statistical season. The club didn’t have many holes to fill outside of the talent gap left by the departure of stud center back Adilson Malanda, who was sold to Middlesbrough last summer in a deal that included a loan back to Charlotte to finish the 2025 season.
Some of the key acquisitions headed into 2026 included Luca De La Torre, who was transferred from La Liga side Celta de Vigo after spending last season on loan with San Diego FC. They also signed center back Henry Kessler in free agency and picked up left back David Schnegg off waivers after he was bought out in the preseason by DC United. While Kessler was reportedly not the first choice for the club during the off season, the former New England and St. Louis man signed a 1+1 deal, meaning the team can still chase a higher level player in the coming transfer windows.
One complaint I’ve heard from the Charlotte FC fan circles is laments about not being able to move on from DP winger Liel Abada. The 24-year-old was once linked with Austin FC, but ended up with The Crown where he’s mostly been a disappointment given the roster designation assigned to him. Abada has recorded 12 goals and four assists across 57 appearances since arriving in March of 2024, and some fans are hopeful they can recycle that DP slot with some further business in the summer transfer window.
Led by manager Dean Smith, Charlotte has gotten off to a less-than-ideal start in 2026. Their first two matches were away from home, but their opponents were some of the worst that the Western Conference had to offer last season. After two weeks of play, Charlotte sits on just a single point after an opening day draw against St. Louis City SC and a 3-0 butt whooping at the hands of the LA Galaxy last Saturday night.
The lone bright spot for The Crown in the early parts of this season has been the play of goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. The 33-year-old Croatian has been the starting keeper for Charlotte since their expansion season, most recently signing a contract extension in October 2024 that keeps him under club control through 2027.
For any statistical analysis at this point of the year we’re dealing with an extremely small and volatile sample size. But Kahlina has picked up right where he left off in terms of his shot stopping ability. Through two weeks he’s second in G-xG per American Soccer Analysis, one of the best shot stopping metrics we have, behind only Real Salt Lake’s Rafael Cabral (Austin’s next opponent) after finishing fourth in the metric last year.
Saturday will be an electric atmosphere at Bank of America Stadium. The cavernous home of The Crown and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers seats around 74,000 people, and still brings some of the most high energy vibes in the league despite typically being configured with a closed upper deck for MLS matches. With the team needing a win to right the ship in the early parts of the season and a raucous fan base ready to cheer their club on for the first time in person this year, the home field advantage will be an additional hurdle presented to Austin FC on Saturday evening.
Austin FC Recent Form
Looking back on the two home matches to begin the season, Austin FC coming away with four points feels like a fair outcome, though it’s without a doubt an outcome that could have swung wildly based on two key plays so far in 2026.
Minnesota United’s late charge up the left side of the field in the opener, culminating in Kelvin Yeboah’s equalizing goal snatched two points from the Verde and Black. Then last weekend, new addition Christian Ramirez turned an 82nd minute deadlock into three points for ATX with a game winning header in The North End.
Heading into the first away match of 2026, one could argue that Austin FC should be sitting on just two demoralizing points. You could also convince me they deserve to have all six. Again, four feels like a fair outcome for how this team has played, shorthanded, through the first pair of games.
Now Austin FC will meet Charlotte FC for the third time ever and the second match between the two at Bank of America Stadium. It’s a daunting place to play, at least if we’re going by 2025 standards, when Charlotte recorded 40 points from their 17 home games, tied with Supporter’s Shield winning Philadelphia Union for the most home points in the league.
ATX should receive a personnel boost with the expected return of Mikkel Desler. He should be available in a reserve capacity off the bench and could be a big help in the waning moments of this match in relief of presumed starter Jon Gallagher to help deal with the likes of Zaha down that right side of the back line.
As we discussed on Thursday’s Episode 288, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see the same eleven players listed in the starting lineup on Saturday evening, though one popular positional fan debate this week is something to keep an eye on. Joseph Rosales beginning the season as the team’s right winger surprised just about everyone. Some fans desire to see Estévez swap sides for Rosales and Jayden Nelson, to put the versatile Honduran back on his more natural side.
While Rosales has looked out of place (or maybe just too one-footed) at times through the first two games, in my opinion he’s done well enough for himself that I’m not the group of fans calling for this change just yet. I both trust the opinions of the coaching staff on this being the best way to structure the lineup with the absences at hand and I also would like to keep Nelson on his preferred left side as long as Rosales isn’t causing sigificant structural issues (which he is not). Those thoughts may change after Saturday, but I expect to see an identical run out from the starting unit against Charlotte.
Another conversation happening in some circles is about the striker position. After the heroics from Ramirez on Sunday, I’ve seen some fans suggest benching Myrto Uzuni for the new toy. Put me as far away from that take as you possibly can. Once Brandon Vazquez makes his return to the field and is able to go 60-plus minutes, then I’ll entertain the prospect of benching Uzuni. For now, he’s our guy up top.
Injury Report
ATX:
Mikkel Desler (Questionable - Groin)
Robert Taylor (Out - Knee)
Owen Wolff (Out - Sports Hernia)
Brandon Vazquez (Out - Knee)
CLT:
Henry Kessler (Out - Lower Body)
Charlotte FC Players to Watch
Pep Biel - A 29-year-old midfielder, Biel was on loan from Olympiacos for his first season and a half in Charlotte. Now fully a member of The Crown after his purchase option was triggered at the end of last season, Biel has recorded 28 goal contributions across his 37 Charlotte FC appearances, including the lone goal the team has scored in 2026. He pulls the strings for this squad and will provide a significant challenge for the likes of Dani Pereira and Ilie Sanchez in the defensive midfield as he tries to feed balls to his talented forward line of Toklomati, Vargas and Zaha.
Wilfried Zaha - Speaking of Zaha, the former Crystal Palace forward was plenty productive in his first MLS season, recording 10 goals and 10 assists across his 31 appearances in 2025. He likes to cut inside off the left wing, getting to his dominant right foot to put pressure on opposing defenses with a combination of speed and unpredictable movement. Wearing the number ten for The Crown, he assisted Biel on the lone Charlotte goal so far this season and will look to link up again with the Spanish midfielder on Saturday. Zaha will provide the toughest challenge yet in 2026 for Jon Gallagher and the right side of the Austin FC back line.
Austin FC Keys to the Game
Handle Adversity - At some point this Saturday evening, things are going to go wrong for Austin FC. Hopefully it’s just for a fleeting moment of the 90 minutes, but things are always tougher when you’re on the road, especially in MLS. Through two weeks, home teams have won 21 of the 30 matches played while losing just four of them (and two of those losses belong to Orlando City!). Austin FC was just about a bang average road side in 2025 and could have maybe done more to bolster that record if they hadn’t somewhat tanked their final three regular season road matches due to U.S. Open Cup preparation or being locked into their playoff position prior to Decision Day. How Austin handles the adversity presented to them, whether it’s the environment in the stadium, the opposing players, officiating crew or Charlotte’s version of The Plague Rat, Saturday could go a long way in shaping how ATX will comport themselves away from home in 2026.
Predictions
ZG - 1-1 Draw
E - 2-1 Austin FC
