Charlotte FC back at training with simple-sounding goal: ‘Try and win something’

Dean Smith has a simple message for Charlotte FC entering its fifth MLS season: Finishing fourth isn’t good enough anymore.

“We finished top four. We couldn’t get it done,” Smith said Monday as the Crown opened 2026 preseason training. “Now the only way you can get better is to try and win something.”

It’s a striking shift in expectations for a club that’s made consecutive playoff appearances, but hasn’t advanced past the first round. Smith’s squad finished fourth in the Eastern Conference last season with 59 points before falling to New York City FC in the opening round, a defeat that still stings months later.

Here are five key storylines as Charlotte begins preparations for its Feb. 21 season-opener against St. Louis CITY SC:

Playoff failures drive new championship standard

Smith hasn’t forgotten the two losses that defined Charlotte’s 2025 season.

“I’ve walked off the pitch twice disappointed,” Smith said. “It’s funny that when I look back and review the game at the end of last season, we actually went out the best we played in the playoff competition. Sometimes football can be cruel.”

The Crown won nine consecutive MLS matches during a torrid late-season stretch, building momentum that evaporated in a single playoff series. Smith sees championship potential in a roster that returns largely intact, but potential means nothing without hardware.

Charlotte hasn’t made significant roster changes this offseason beyond adding USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre and losing center back Adilson Malanda to Middlesbrough FC. The core that won 59 points remains. Now it needs to prove it can win when it matters most.

De la Torre adds World Cup-year depth

Charlotte’s lone major addition addresses a specific tactical need. De la Torre, a 27-year-old USMNT midfielder acquired from Celta de Vigo on Dec. 30, spent 2025 on loan with expansion side San Diego FC before returning to MLS.

“He’s a player who connects. He can connect the ball from the back to the front,” Smith said. “He’s really tidy on the ball as well.”

De la Torre joins a midfield rotation that includes Ashley Westwood, Djibril Diani, Brandt Bronico and 19-year-old Baye Coulibaly. That depth matters in a season bisected by the FIFA World Cup, which runs June 11-July 19 and forces MLS into a seven-week hiatus.

Smith emphasized attracting American talent as a priority, particularly challenging given that most high-level Americans pursue European opportunities.

“I’ve always said it is difficult to bring the high-level Americans in,” Smith said. “They do look to go abroad and go and play in Europe a lot. I think it was a big pull for us to get Luca here because they are hard to come by.”

Malanda’s departure creates urgent need

Adilson Malanda’s $8 million transfer to Middlesbrough FC stripped Charlotte of its best defender. The 23-year-old French center back earned player of the match honors in his Jan. 4 debut for the English Championship side, a 4-0 win over Southampton.

Smith’s assessment was blunt and proud.

“We’ve lost one of our best players in Adi Malanda,” Smith said. “The reports I got back from his first game for Middlesbrough were he was outstanding. I fully expect if they don’t get promoted this year that there’ll be Premier League teams looking at him.”

Charlotte has held “three or four meetings” with potential center back replacements, but Smith acknowledged the January window’s limitations.

“Historically, the winter market is always a tough market to bring players in because a lot of the rest of the world is still playing,” Smith said.

Andrew Privett, who started strong last season before losing his spot to Tim Ream and Nathan Byrne, will compete for increased minutes. Smith praised Privett’s professionalism despite the 2025 dip, noting it wasn’t long ago the defender was in U.S. national team conversations.

Zaha returns after AFCON duty

Wilfried Zaha and Pep Biel both triggered performance-based contract options during 2025, securing their returns for the World Cup year. Zaha’s loan from Galatasaray extends through June 30, while Biel joined permanently from Olympiacos after Charlotte exercised his purchase option.

The duo combined for 20 goals and 22 assists across 57 matches last season, crucial production after Charlotte sold striker Patrick Agyemang to Derby County mid-season.

Both should be available for Charlotte’s Feb. 21 opener. Zaha has been competing in the African Cup of Nations, with Smith planning Rodolfo Aloko’s return in approximately one week and Zaha’s return in 10 days.

“Their break has been obviously a lot shorter than everybody else’s, with the AFCON playing over the Christmas period,” Smith said. “So we’ve given them both a little bit of extra time.”

The staggered return means Charlotte will ease its attacking stars back into training rather than rushing them for the season opener against St. Louis CITY SC.

Thompson partnership addresses foster care crisis

Charlotte FC expanded its partnership Monday with Thompson Child and Family Focus, elevating the Matthews-based nonprofit to primary training kit sponsor. The logo debuted on Charlotte’s training gear during the first session of 2026 preseason.

“This partnership is a direct effort to solve a real problem in the Carolinas,” said Will Jones, Thompson’s chief executive officer. “Partnering with Charlotte FC allows us to raise awareness, mobilize the community and build the foster care capacity needed to ensure every child has a safe, loving home.”

Thompson provides prevention services, mental health support and foster care programs for children ages 0-18. The organization aims to serve 8,000 children and families annually by 2030.

This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 3:18 PM with the headline "Charlotte FC back at training with simple-sounding goal: ‘Try and win something’."