South Charlotte Today

Charlotte FC is back on the road this weekend for a cross-conference match against Houston Dynamo FC. Last week, the team collected 10 out of a possible 12 points from a three-match week to vault themselves to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. Head Coach Dean Smith will look for another away victory to keep climbing the table.

Match: Charlotte FC at Houston Dynamo FC

When: Saturday, June 29

Where: Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, TX

Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET

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In Major League Soccer, the common wisdom has always been that away points are harder to come by compared to other leagues. The numbers align with that belief as MLS teams earn fewer points on average away from home than in the top five European leagues.

However, Head Coach Dean Smith – halfway through his first season in the States – thinks this away disadvantage isn’t all it’s perceived to be. In press conferences, he has consistently spoken about how the team’s mentality around away matches needs to change and that he doesn’t believe travel has as big of an impact as others believe.

“The biggest difference,” he noted, “has been that there are not thousands of away fans traveling to support the team for momentum swings.” Other than that, he doesn’t believe in making excuses.

Still, Charlotte FC had a rough start to the year on the road with zero wins, four losses, and one draw. The "difficult away games" narrative came up consistently in press conferences.

Recently, however, the team has turned around their away form. Three wins from their last four matches away from Bank of America Stadium have vaulted CLTFC up the standings to fourth place. It’s clear their mentality on the road has shifted and there is a belief in the squad that they can walk into hostile grounds and leave with all three points.

This weekend will be another test of that belief. Houston in summer is one of the toughest places to play due to heat and humidity creating a significant home advantage for Dynamo.

CLTFC will also have to do it without their captain Ashley Westwood who misses out on the match through a yellow card accumulation suspension. It will be interesting to see who Smith names as captain in his place and where they will find leadership in pressure situations.

Ultimately, Charlotte will need to believe their recent excellent away form is genuine if they want to stay within the top four of the Eastern Conference through summer.

Charlotte FC has played Houston Dynamo FC twice before; once each year previously and both times away. In their inaugural year of 2022, Houston was where CLTFC secured their historic first-ever away win. Then in 2023 during Leagues Cup Round of 16 they advanced with a win against Houston.

In 2024, Houston has been one of Western Conference's better teams currently sitting seventh place just clear of Wild Card spots amid tight playoff contention battles under Ben Olsen’s leadership since his hire ahead of 2023 season which saw them finish fourth advancing till Western Conference final but falling short against LAFC by two goals.

Houston maintains similar identity this year; midfield anchored by Hector Herrera while goal-scoring led collectively including Latif Blessing's five goals so far though Sebastian Ferreira remains notable following recent hat trick performance despite limited playtime while absence like Coco Carrasquilla competing internationally might affect dynamo attack depth further impacting game dynamics significantly amid key matchup scenarios overall related;

CLTFC started well winning gritty home opener versus New York City FC followed rocky road trip earning only single point then rebounding at Bank America Stadium defeating defending champions Columbus Crew drawing Supporter Shield holders Cincinnati eventually fluctuating April series including thrilling Toronto victory via Patrick Agyemang late winner yet facing disappointing losses elsewhere reigniting form throughout May tallying three wins alongside draws offsetting singular loss confidently overcoming rivals Atlanta United ending month positively before crucial climb via successful intense three-match sequence capped off winning DC United drawing Orlando ten-men strong concluding solid Philadelphia victory setting high anticipation upcoming challenging encounter aiming sustain competitive momentum decisively amidst crucial seasonal phase ongoing competitively ultimately.