What's next for Swiderski and Charlotte FC?
Plus: Agyemang breaks scoring drought, Captain Westwood sits on Saturday, Cam Newton celebrates Bronico's Superman and previewing the Houston game
It’s time for Fútbol Friday, The Charlotte Ledger’s weekly newsletter getting you up to speed on Charlotte FC, the city’s new pro soccer team.
➡️ Need to sign up for Fútbol Friday and other Charlotte-focused email newsletters from The Charlotte Ledger? You can do that here.
➡️ Ledger subscribers can add or drop individual newsletters on their “My Account” page.
Swiderski set to return to Charlotte FC, at least for now
Charlotte FC’s leading scorer from the past two seasons, Karol Swiderski, returns from his loan to an Italian team. (Photo by Kevin Young of The 5 and 2 Project.)
Professional soccer is international, but it’s definitely got a wild, wild west feel. We’ve already seen that in 2 1/2 seasons of Major League Soccer here in Charlotte. Never has it been more clear than in the situation with the club’s original designated player Karol Swiderski.
After two highly productive seasons in Charlotte, Swiderski let it be known he was ready to make the jump to Europe — both through his native Polish press and in face-to-face conversations with Charlotte FC general manager Zoran Krneta. So Charlotte arranged to loan out its leading scorer (22 goals in two seasons) to the Italian club Hellas Verona. He departed a few weeks into the first preseason under new coach Dean Smith.
The transfer was purported to include a clause saying should Verona avoid being relegated to a lower league — finishing in the top 17 of Serie A (the highest level of Italian soccer) — Verona would buy out Swiderski’s contract (a.k.a. keep him). But a month ago, Verona “moved the goalposts” as Krneta described to WFNZ, and despite avoiding relegation, refused to retain Swiderski anyway.
So with the loan expiring June 30, and Swiderski finished with his EUROs stint with the Polish national team, Smith revealed this week he’s set to return to Charlotte. Smith said Thursday Swiderski is scheduled to be back at the team’s practice facility July 8 as they resume training after the Inter Miami game July 3. Swiderski would not be eligible to play in a game for Charlotte FC until the summer transfer window opens July 18, so he would play July 20th in Austin at the earliest.
“Listen, he decided he wanted to go and pursue Europe and we were happy for him to go and do that,” Smith said. “It’s not happened at the moment for him to join anyone, so he’s coming back. And as I say, we want good players at the club, I believe he’s a good player. As long as he comes back, his attitude and application are top like it was before he left, then not a problem.”
Indications are that Charlotte FC has not ruled out attempting another transfer if a deal materializes. Europe’s transfer window is open until the end of August.
“Whether there’s talk still going on, that’s down to his representatives and not me,” Smith said. “I’ll just see him as a player for our first team, and if I see him better than what we’ve got, he’ll be in.”
With Swiderski in the fold, Charlotte FC has just one available designated player spot (meaning, a player signed with less financial restriction). Liel Abada and Swiderski are the other two DPs. Smith indicated Thursday that the club’s priority is to bring in another striker.
“I think we need a No. 9 at the club,” said Smith, who has just one true striker at his disposal at the moment in Patrick Agyemang. “I want a natural goal scorer who’s going to go compete for us.”
That also means he doesn’t look at Swiderski as an everyday striker. “I think Karol can play a No. 9 (striker), No. 10 (attacking midfielder) and on the outside (at winger) as well,” Smith said.
Charlotte FC has reportedly shown interest in veteran English striker Callum Wilson of Newcastle, though there are other English Premier League teams and Saudi Arabian teams interested in him, which would make that difficult. The club is still pursuing U.S. National Team and Fulham center back Tim Ream and could sign him to a non-DP contract if necessary. Each MLS team is allowed a maximum of three designated players.
Agyemang breaks out of scoring slump with two goals vs. Philadelphia Union
Patrick Agyemang dialed up his first multi-goal game in MLS with two goals in Philadelphia, including the choice for MLS Goal of the week. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC.)
Charlotte’s 6-foot-4 striker Patrick Agyemang has broad shoulders. Just ask any center back he’s faced in Major League Soccer. They’ll attest. He’s had a lot of weight on them for the past two months, too. He’s 23 years old and in his second MLS season. He makes just over the MLS minimum ($71,401). He doesn’t drive a car; he rides to practice with teammate and uptown neighbor Nathan Byrne.
Yet Agyemang has been Charlotte’s FC’s primary (and pretty much only) striker and expected goal producer since Charlotte parted ways with Enzo Copetti almost two months ago. Agyemang scored a goal against Nashville in the first game after Copetti’s departure, then didn’t score another for seven games.
“At that point, I was like, ‘OK, now I have to show what I can do,’” Agyemang said. “I know this is a golden opportunity for myself in my career, so I wanted to be able to take advantage of this opportunity and really solidify myself in this league.”
MLS defenders started to adjust to him, and in the case of Chicago’s Carlos Teran, mark Agyemang all the way to the sideline during an injury timeout, just to get under his skin. Officials don’t often give Agyemang the benefit of the doubt with foul calls, given his size advantage. And when they do, he hears it from opponents. “How can you go down, you’re 6-5, you’re a baby,” Agyemang recalls some saying.
He mistimed headers, sailed shots high, and turned the ball over after extra touches in the penalty box. Agyemang said even his inner circle — his old high school and college teammates from Hartford, Conn. — were telling him in online chats he’s “too tense.”
The message hit home last week when his twin older brothers, Enoch and Emmanuel who are two years older, came to visit. “Even they told me I was looking tense,” said Agyemang, who normally takes “chill” to a new level. He said he and his brothers can be together for hours, in silence, without it feeling awkward. (P.S. Mrs. Agyemang, if you read this, please know that as a mom of twin boys who have a brother 20 months older, I understand they didn’t do this as young kids!)
Agyemang flanked by his twin brothers Emmanuel (left) and Enoch prior to the Orlando game last week. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte FC via Enoch’s Instagram account.)
His brothers and friends encouraged him to relax, not rush in scoring opportunities, and play like he knows he’s capable. Agyemang gave an indication a breakout was coming that night against Orlando, when he jilted two defenders and left a perfect pass for a Brandt Bronico goal.
Then on Saturday night in Philadelphia, Agyemang scored two goals for the first time in 31 games (15 starts) in MLS. He headed in a cross from Jere Uronen for his first goal, and caught defender Jakob Glesnes off-balance with a stepover move and scored his second with a blast to the near post with his weaker left foot. The second one earned him MLS Goal of the Matchday.
Agyemang now leads Charlotte FC with five goals, and his electric smile is back. Charlotte has four more games before the transfer window opens and that leaves him more time to make his mark.
“I'm going to continue playing the way I know I can play,” Agyemang said. “I’m enjoying the game I love. Whoever they bring, if they come in through my spot, I’m going to do the same thing I did the first time I got here. I love the competitiveness that’s in the team, and I’m going to continue showing it no matter what and try to take the spot.”
Westwood out Saturday in Houston because of yellow card accumulation
Captain and midfielder Ashley Westwood will have to sit out Saturday’s game in Houston for yellow card accumulation, ending a stretch of playing every minute of every game through Charlotte FC’s first 20 games this season. That’s 1,800 minutes. He picked up his fifth yellow card in the final minutes of last Saturday’s win in Philadelphia.
Westwood told the Charlotte Soccer Show on Sunday that he had a bet going with second-year center back Andrew Privett over which field player would make it longer. (Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina has yet to come out of a Charlotte game this season either.)
Losing that bet and watching from home this weekend gives Charlotte FC a new challenge in Houston, playing on the road without the leader, both in terms of poise on the ball, vocal leadership and calming influence both on and off the field.
Immediately after the game in Philly, he handed his captain’s armband to veteran left back and fellow Englishman Nathan Byrne — so he told Charlotte Soccer Show — though Coach Dean Smith said Thursday he would be choosing the captain and would notify players Saturday. The first name he brought up was Bronico.
Westwood is currently second in MLS with 236.85 kilometers covered through the first 20 games. (That’s roughly 147 miles or 7.4 miles per game — and we’re not talking at a jog.) The MLS leader in that category — Cole Bassett of the Colorado Rapids is 23 years old. Westwood is 34.
Bronico’s “Superman” goal celebration finally gets a reaction from its originator, Cam Newton
Former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton saw a clip of Brandt Bronico’s “Superman” goal celebration and this is his reaction. (Screenshot from Bronico’s instagram account.)
North Carolina native Brandt Bronico is in his third season doing a “superman” goal celebration in homage to former Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton. This week, Newton finally saw it, and his reaction is making the rounds on social media, including Bronico’s.
“Cam saw the Superman Celly” Bronico said on his Instagram account and followed it up with three emojis.
In the YouTube broadcast of his 4th and 1 podcast, Newton can be seen watching a clip of Bronico’s goal and celebration from last Wednesday against Orlando at Bank of America Stadium. Newton flashes his famous smile as Bronico ripped his proverbial jersey and yelled, at which point Newton broke into a yell himself: “Yeah!!!!”
Then Newton acknowledged the roar of the Bank of America crowd, saying “that crowd was lit” and seemed to get nostalgic for the days he played in front of them. If it wasn’t the slight shake of his head, then it was the comment he made a few minutes later, when his competitive juices started flowing.
“Ain’t nobody do it like me though,” Newton said, then went through the origin of his Superman celebration (he got the idea by watching former USC and New Orleans running back Reggie Bush extend his arm after a touchdown) and others like his first-down celebration and the “dab.”
Bronico reposted the segment and wrote: “No one can do it like Cam but glad I can keep his legacy going in the Queen City.”
Up Next: Charlotte FC (9-6-5) at Houston (7-6-6)
When/Where: 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Shell Energy Stadium, Houston
How to watch: MLS Season Pass on 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:
Charlotte is 6-1-3 in its past 10 games and has shown offensive life lately, scoring eight goals in its past four games.
Junior Urso is still out with an Achilles injury at a time when his veteran midfield leadership would have come in handy, minus Westwood. Smith said Urso received an injection in hopes of speeding his recovery.
Scott Arfield is back from his red card suspension and available. Ben Bender is coming off his first start of the year in the midfield.
Charlotte defeated Houston 2-1 the last time the two teams met. It was a Leagues Cup game that they were forced to play at Shell Energy Stadium because of a previously scheduled Beyoncé concert at Bank of America Stadium.
Houston just signed a new DP striker in Ezequiel Ponce of AEK Athens but will have to wait until July 18 to register him to play.
The Dynamo, which advanced to the Western Conference finals last year, is like Charlotte in that they’re hard to score against. They’re unbeaten in their last five games, going 2-0-3.
Carroll Walton is a longtime baseball writer with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution now in her third season covering Charlotte FC. She would love to hear from you. E-mail her with questions, suggestions, story ideas and comments!
Need to sign up for this e-newsletter? We offer a free version, as well as paid memberships for full access to all 4 of our local newsletters:
➡️ Opt in or out of different newsletters on your “My Account” page.
➡️ Learn more about The Charlotte Ledger
The Charlotte Ledger is a locally owned media company that delivers smart and essential news through e-newsletters and on a website. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Like what we are doing? Feel free to forward this along and to tell a friend.
Social media: On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Sponsorship information/customer service: email support@cltledger.com.
Wow! Such good news ! Fun!