The Charlotte FC entered Sunday’s game vs Atlanta United not only looking for their first win but also looking for their 1st goal of the season. One feat was accomplished while another was not.
In a game which saw the Charlotte FC come out flat not only on offense but on defense as well turned completely around at the 40-minute mark of the 1st half. Despite the amazing effort, Charlotte FC lost to the Atlanta United 2-1 to remain winless on the year.
Despite the loss, Adam Armour went down in the Charlotte FC record books, as he scored sixty six minutes into the contest to score the first goal ever for the new franchise “I think it’s important for sure” said Armour talking about scoring the team’s first goal of the year. “It’s kind of like taking the band-aid off.”
Armour continued, “Now that the first goal has been scored, we have the chances, we have the quality. I feel like the goals are going to be coming and coming. I feel like it’s going to be a lot of confidence for them.”
Armour was correct. It did breathe a lot of confidence in this team as Charlotte FC completely out played Atlanta in the 2nd half. Atlanta got on the board first as Josef Martinez successfully knocked in a penalty kick by Kristijan Kahlina at the sixty-minute mark of the game. Six minutes later, Armour made
history with the team’s first goal of the season which was assisted by midfielder Ben Bender.
Bender, Charlotte’s first pick in the 2022 MLS Super Draft, was starting his first game of
the season as a midfielder and he did not disappoint. Afterwards, Bender said, “Left mid. I played there before so I was pretty comfortable”.
The game remained tied going into extra time when, at six minutes of the extra time, Jake Mulraney scored the winning goal which deflected off a Charlotte player and got by Kahlina handing Charlotte a devastation loss. “It’s not the result we wanted and definitely hurts to give up a game like that,” said Armour. “We conceded two goals that we really shouldn’t be conceding.”
When asked about the slow start in the first half and being dominated by Atlanta for the first forty minutes Charlotte FC Head Coach Miguel Angel Ramirez responded, “We can’t do anything to change that. What we needed to do in the match we did. I am very proud of this group and I think they deserved
to win. The first part was theirs, but the second part was ours.”
As for how the team will respond mentally after this tough loss. “Tomorrow they will rest, so Tuesday they have better energy”, said Ramirez. “Now I’m going to show them I care and give them the compassion they deserve. So, they know their coach is very proud of them.” he added. “I want to keep fighting to get the win we deserve.”
Next Saturday they will have another chance at doing just that as Charlotte FC hosts the New England Revolution at what should be another huge crowd at Bank of America Stadium.
