South Charlotte Today

Charlotte FC returns to Bank of America Stadium this Wednesday for a match against the league leaders, Inter Miami CF. It will be a rare summer home match for The Crown, as they are coming off a two-match away trip and will be embarking on a four-match away stretch through the rest of July. Head Coach Dean Smith and his players will then be looking for a big home result to grab some momentum to carry them through the rest of the summer.

Match: Charlotte FC vs Inter Miami CF

When: Wednesday, July 3

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET

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“Starting strong.” It’s perhaps one of the most overused phrases coaches will use before the start of a match. Everyone wants to come out swinging, leveraging a strong start to dominate the entire game. So, why is a generic “strong start” important in Wednesday’s match?

First, Charlotte FC decidedly did not have a strong start last time out against Houston. They allowed a goal just five minutes into the game, creating a deficit the team would ultimately never overcome in a 1-0 loss.

Here’s Head Coach Dean Smith in his pre-match press conference:

“Reviewing the game, we were just off it intensity-wise in the first half of the game… we just lacked the intensity we normally have, in terms of when we go and hunt the ball down. And that was what was disappointing, to be honest.”

That poor first-half hour in Houston was especially shocking because of how good CLTFC has been over that period this year. Before that 5th-minute goal, Charlotte had yet to concede a goal before the 31st minute.

So far this season, maintaining defensive intensity from the first whistle has been key for Charlotte's success. Smith felt his team dropped below their standards against Houston but expects them to address this issue immediately given their resilience and home crowd support at Bank of America Stadium.

However, it’s not just about Charlotte FC in this match. Inter Miami CF are league leaders with 13 wins and 44 points due to their attacking prowess rather than defensive strength.

Inter Miami consistently achieves results through high-scoring matches despite conceding many goals and high-quality chances. Therefore, it’s crucial for Charlotte FC not to let Wednesday’s game get away from them early on since they aren’t built for high-scoring matches.

“We've got to make sure that we're right at the top of our game,” said Smith. “We can't start like we did against Philly and last week at Houston. We have to make sure we're ready right from the off."

Smith also believes fans will play an essential role in boosting team performance from kickoff.

Inter Miami is well-known for its superstars and Supporter’s Shield-leading performances but will be without Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as both represent Argentina and Uruguay respectively at Copa America. Despite missing these key players, Miami has continued winning games under Head Coach Tata Martino with contributions from other squad members like Julian Gressel and Ian Fray.

Jordi Alba remains influential with recent decisive goals while Sergio Busquets continues setting midfield tempo effectively despite Messi's absence.

The real question is whether this game resembles typical controlled low-scoring matches under Dean Smith or turns into another high-scoring shootout characteristic of Inter Miami games this season.

Miami has surged atop standings via offensive firepower despite allowing many expected goals against; hence slowing down their attack while exploiting defensive weaknesses could determine Wednesday's outcome favorably for Charlotte FC.

Relatedly:

CLTFC started strong with gritty wins over New York City FC followed by mixed results throughout April but regained form during May securing multiple victories leading up current position seeking rebound after recent road loss at Houston aiming favorable result back home "Fortress."