South Charlotte Today

The journey to this moment has been wild for 23-year-old Patrick Agyemang. He has taken the long and hard road to reach this point. Over the past five years, he has climbed through the college ranks, starting at a Division III school. He quickly proved he was too good for that level, earning a shot in Division I with the Rhode Island Rams.

Fast forward to the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, and the former D3 player was drafted in the first round by Charlotte FC. Once again, he had to prove himself, and he was sent to Charlotte’s second team, Crown Legacy FC, where he dominated the competition, scoring 12 goals in 12 games.

Now, Agyemang is the starting striker for the first team. Against Philadelphia, he notched his first brace for the club, a little over a year after his first-ever goal in MLS.

“It just makes me realize how much I’ve grown,” reminisced Agyemang after the match. “Where I’m at now compared to a year ago, it’s kind of crazy."

“I’ve got memories of the goal I scored against Philly as well,” he said, referencing a goal in MLS NEXT Pro against Philadelphia’s second team, which was also nearly a year ago to the day. “And to be able to score two here against the first team... it’s just crazy because it’s something I never thought would happen.”

However, Agyemang had to combat some adversity leading up to his brace. He had gone seven straight matches without finding the back of the net but in Agyemang’s own words, “it just clicked” against the Union.

“It felt like a sense of relief, so I felt a little more relaxed and fluid in my play,” said Agyemang. “When the second goal came it was because of the confidence I regained. No striker wants to go seven games without a goal, but I’m happy to get two tonight.”

Everyone talks about Agyemang’s physical and technical strengths but largely overlook his maturity and mentality at his age. His story is a reflection of his never-give-up attitude that was instilled in him early on in life through his immigrant parents.

“That’s what I do... continue to work when things aren’t going your way. That’s how I was raised. My parents did a lot in that aspect, so I learned a lot from them.”

His own head coach Dean Smith was quick to praise Agyemang’s relentlessness both on and off the pitch: “He just keeps going.”

Agyemang hasn’t even hit 1,500 minutes played in MLS but finds himself as a critical piece under Dean Smith as the current leading goal scorer for the team. Despite natural ups and downs that come with being an inexperienced player, you can bet on Agyemang’s self-belief never wavering.

“I was never in doubt of my abilities; it’s just a matter of time of it all coming together. Now that I’m in this position, it’s just going and running with it.”