Charlotte abuzz after MLS All-Star

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Ashley Westwood’s hair was still perfectly coiffed and his royal blue MLS All-Star jersey sweaty Wednesday night, when he reached into his locker in Charlotte FC’s dressing room and pulled out a can of Modelo for a celebratory swig. 

His next-locker-over mate, Son Heung-Min, otherwise known as Asia’s best soccer player, had just scored two goals in a span of three minutes to lead the MLS All-Stars over Liga MX 4-3 at Bank of America Stadium. There was much to savor.

Westwood, Charlotte FC’s captain, served as the link between Major League Soccer’s two biggest stars not named Lionel Messi, who took All-Star festivities off to recuperate from Argentina’s World Cup run. When Heung-Min’s 30-minute shift came to an end during the first-half hydration break, he kissed the MLS captain’s armband before slipping it onto Westwood’s arm. Westwood wore it for 30 minutes, then handed it over to Thomas Müller, the affable 36-year-old who won the 2014 World Cup with Germany and some 34 other major trophies along the way. 

Westwood exchanged embraces — having already exchanged phone numbers — with both “Sonny,” whom he had faced in the English Premier League, and Muller, whom he’d idolized watching in the Champions League. Earlier Wednesday, Westwood had taken Heung-Min, a relatively new golfer, for a round at Quail Hollow Club. By game’s end Wednesday night, they hugged like friends who had just bonded at summer camp. They weren’t the only ones.

Longtime opponents, who were acquaintances swapping pleasantries as of Monday’s practice, spent three jam-packed days of appearances and events forming new connections. Those showed both on the field and off. New England’s star midfielder Carlos Gil found Heung-Min, now of LAFC, twice like they’d been practicing together for months. Nashville striker Sam Surridge one-touch passed to Cincinnati’s dynamic midfielder, Evander, to make the game-winning goal look entirely too easy. 

And Westwood? He was passing the ball around like it was a hot potato. 

“That’s my game,” he joked afterward. “Give it to the better players.”

Through Westwood and fellow Charlotte FC All-Stars Tim Ream and Pep Biel, as well as Coach Dean Smith, the Charlotte faithful got to experience the MLS All-Star game up close for the first time, just as some of the most chiseled of European players did, too. 

“It's different for the Englishmen, for the Europeans,” said Westwood, who played 10 seasons in the Premier League without anything like an All-Star game. “But once you're in it, it's incredible. I've embraced American culture. I've fully embraced the All-Star culture, and it's been a pleasure to be a part of. It’s something I will always remember for the rest of my life.”

For Tim Ream, coming off the World Cup run with the U.S. men’s national team, the All-Star game was a chance to let down his hair, at least proverbially.

His smiling face was on camera throughout the four days, as he interacted with fans, media and teammates alike. He won the passing challenge in Tuesday night’s skill competition at Truist Field, beating both Gil and Heung-Min, to the great delight of his three children watching nearby. His youngest, daughter Lilia, 7, bounced up and down as he walked over to high five her afterward.

Ream, now 38, was playing in his second MLS All-Star game and first since his second year in the league with the New York Red Bulls in 2011. 

“It's been a million miles an hour for what seems like three months now,” Ream said. “To be able to take your foot off the pedal a little bit, to enjoy it [is fun] because it doesn't happen very often. I know we have an All-Star game every year, but you're never guaranteed another [appearance]. Dean said it before the game: This group of players will never be together again, so enjoy the moment and do it with a smile on your face.”

Smiles were hard to wipe off for Pep Biel, too, as he savored the chance to reconnect with Evander, whom he’d faced in Denmark’s Superliga. And even Smith, who’d seemed apathetic about the concept of an All-Star game before (and even after) being named head coach, seemed to enjoy it. That’s despite the fact that he had to work 18 hours a day to keep up with both his All-Star and Charlotte FC schedule throughout the week.

“What I really enjoyed about the All-Star game was meeting all the players,” Smith said. “They were really good people, and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did spending time with them.”

Even skeptics like former baseball writers, who think the Major League Baseball All-Star game is far and away the gold standard, were taken aback by Wednesday’s pre-game pageantry, packed press box, dynamic play on the field and crowd reaction. A robust combination of American and Mexican fans was announced at 35,197, which was considered a sell-out of the lower bowl at Bank of America Stadium. 

It was the fifth-largest crowd in the 29-game history of the MLS All-Star game dating back to 1996, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. It was the largest crowd since the MLS All-Star game was previously held at a stadium shared with the NFL. In 2018, a crowd of 78,416 watched MLS All-Stars play Juventus of Italy’s Serie A at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Charlotte did itself proud.

“(The players) said how much they've enjoyed it,” Westwood said. “The facilities — when they walked into this locker room, they were blown away. So we've put on a good show. Sonny enjoyed Quail Hollow. It's been great for the city, and everyone's enjoyed it. We put on a good performance when we needed to, and all in all, it was a great week.”

◼️ Maximin acquires visa: New Charlotte FC winger Allan Saint-Maximin has secured his visa, Coach Dean Smith said Thursday, and is due to travel to Charlotte from his native France on Sunday. He is not going to be available for Saturday’s game in Chicago, Smith said, but is expected to begin integrating into the team during the Leagues Cup. Charlotte has upcoming matches against Mexico’s Pumas, Atlas and Pachuca.

“Speaking to him, he's been working hard to keep up his fitness,” Smith said. “Obviously, he’s not played a match since the French Cup final (May 22), but he might have to get match fit during games. That's one of the options that we'll look at, and give him part games (meaning limited minutes in games) in some when he gets here. But we'll assess him when he gets here.”

◼️ Vargas to sign with Brazilian team: Charlotte FC announced this morning that Kerwin Vargas is joining Club Athletico Paranaense on a permanent transfer, a move that was widely expected.

In a news release, general manager Zoran Krneta called Vargas a “consummate professional [who] worked hard to develop into the player he is today.” He added: “His play for Charlotte FC has caught the eye of many clubs across the world, and it’s no secret that we have turned down multiple bids in previous seasons. After this latest offer and interest from Athletico Paranaense, we spoke with Kerwin and his representatives and now feel a sale is in the best interest of all parties.”

He said the team wishes Vargas the best in his career.

Vargas, meanwhile, left his mark, literally, on his good friend and Charlotte FC teammate Pep Biel. The midfielder addressed media after Wednesday’s All-Star game with a scratch on his cheek. He said Vargas caught him with a fingernail hugging, while celebrating Biel’s goal in a 2-0 win against the Red Bulls Saturday night, Vargas’ last with Charlotte.

“I'm sad [to see him go], but I'm happy for him,” Biel said. “I think it's a good step for him. He will enjoy it, and I hope all the best for him.”

◼️ Berchimas injured: Charlotte FC homegrown player Nimfasha Berchimas is injured again. Berchimas, a talented 18-year-old prospect who made his MLS debut in 2024, had to be carted off with a calf injury playing Tuesday with the U.S. Under-19 men’s national team in Mexico. Smith said Berchimas flew back to Charlotte from the tournament to be X-rayed and further evaluated.

Berchimas missed three months last season after breaking a bone in his foot and undergoing surgery in March of 2025.

“It’s hard having another setback, but I’m so blessed that I got the opportunity to represent my country once again,” Berchimas posted on his Instagram account @Official_Nimfa. “I’ll come back stronger.”

When/Where: 8:30 p.m. Soldier Field, Chicago

How to watch: Apple TV. Find information about how to subscribe for the season here.

How to listen: WFNZ 92.7 in English, WOLS 106.1 in Spanish.

Notable

Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her fifth season covering Charlotte FC. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!