To Agyemang? Or not to Agyemang?
Where do Charlotte's Youth Stand Before the Summer Window? That is the Question.
The youth movement at Charlotte FC is happening before our eyes. The Crown has moved on all three of their designated players (DPs) and has given the team’s reins over to the youngsters. Half of the roster is now under 23. But there is a huge summer right around the corner. Charlotte has 2 open DP slots and can add at least 1 max TAM player. That’s 3 starting-caliber players that the club can add this summer. But what roles will these new players fill? And who is going to be displaced? Let’s take a look at the youth players and see what role they might play in the second half of the season.
The Youth Overview
Charlotte has 15 players on the roster who are 23 years old or younger; 9 of them have already started a match this season. The 15 players are:
Nimfasha Berchimas (16, Homegrown)
João Pedro (21)
Nikola Petković (21, U-22 Initiative)
Hamady Diop (22)
Jahlane Forbes (22)
Kerwin Vargas (22, U-22 Initiative)
Adilson Malanda (22)
Liel Abada (22, Young Designated Player)
Tyger Smalls (22)
Brandon Cambridge (22, Homegrown)
Nick Scardina (22)
Iuri Tavares (23)
Ben Bender (23)
Patrick Agyemang (23)
Andrew Privett (23)
Before the summer window, let’s examine how these players are doing so far and what roles they might occupy for the remainder of the season. I’ve ranked them and organized them into 4 tiers: Cemented Starters, Top Contributors, Something to Give, and One for the Future. First, a look at the players I’m looking at for the future.
One for the Future
These players don’t seem quite ready to jump to MLS but are getting there. I don’t expect them to play a role this season, but they are still developing, and we should look out for them in the future.
Nimfasha Berchimas
Nimfasha Berchimas is definitely one to keep an eye on. At just 16 years old, he’s at least five years younger than anyone else on this list. In Charlotte’s season opener against NYCFC, Berchimas made his MLS debut, becoming the 9th youngest player ever to feature in the MLS. He’s also regularly featured for Crown Legacy, having 2 goals and 1 assist in slightly more than 900’ minutes for the second team. Nimfasha Berchimas isn’t ready for extended first-team minutes yet, but the day that changes isn’t far off.
Jahlane Forbes
Jahlane Forbes is a new addition from this year’s draft. At Wake Forest, Forbes became the starter at left back in his freshman year, playing in 66 games over his four years and recording 8 goals and 17 assists. He was also a member of the US U-17 National Team in 2018. So far this year, Forbes has been a constant for Crown Legacy, starting at left back in 8 of their 10 games. He was on the bench for Charlotte’s home opener versus NYCFC but hasn’t made the squad since, not even when starting left-back Jere Uronen picked up an injury. It looks like Jahlane Forbes will spend this season primarily with the second team, hopefully allowing him some time to adjust to the Charlotte system.
Nick Scardina
Nick Scardina was a prolific winger in college for the University of Washington but has been converted into a wing-back by Charlotte. In Scardina’s junior year, Washington made the final of the college cup; in his final year, Scardina made the Pac-12 All-Conference First Team as UW was ranked 2nd in the nation. Last year, Scardina played nearly every minute of the Crown Legacy season as a right-back, with 3 goals and 4 assists for the first-time defender. This time around, Scardina has gotten some time to play as a right-winger. He scored a goal in his 3 attacking starts this season and looked experienced while doing it. Nick’s versatility has helped him make the bench 8 times already, but he has yet to feature and probably won’t, given the current depth at right-back and right-winger. Still, Nick Scardina’s solid performance for Crown Legacy makes him an excellent asset for the future.
Hamady Diop
Hamady Diop was the Crown’s 1st overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. At Clemson, Diop won the College Cup, defeating Nick Scardina’s Washington team in the final. Naturally, he’s a left-sided center-back, but Diop can also play as a wing-back, something he did 3 times for Christian Lattanzio last season. Unfortunately, Diop’s final match saw him become the victim of a double substitution where he was taken off the field just 14’ minutes after coming on as a substitute himself. Diop didn’t make the squad again that season, but 2024 has been different. He’s been named to the bench 9 times this season but hasn’t featured yet despite injuries to Jere Uronen and Adilson Malanda. Even if he doesn’t play this season, Hamady Diop still possesses great skill and is in a great position to contribute in the future.
Something to Give
The players in this tier are capable of playing in the MLS—they have already shown us that—but the summer additions could limit their minutes. If they want to contribute heavily during the second half of the season, they’ll need to show a little more.
Tyger Smalls
Tyger Smalls has played in Charlotte’s last eight consecutive matches, seven times as a sub and once as a starter. After starting the season with Crown Legacy, Smalls has become a regular with the first team; however, his role is under threat. He’s been good as a cover defender, but in his 274’ minutes with Crown Legacy and 154’ minutes with the first team, Smalls has failed to register a single attacking return. He’s come extremely close to scoring on several occasions but hasn’t found the same spark he had in college. Others returning from injuries and new summer additions will probably limit his minutes, but Tyger Smalls will still have the chance to show what he can do this season.
Iuri Tavares
Iuri Tavares has improved steadily over the past two seasons in Charlotte. Last season, as a Crown Legacy player, Tavares started 24 matches and scored 12 goals. His good preseason performances saw him promoted to the first team. He’s already started 6 games this season and scored once, but his best contributions have been defensive in nature. Tavares is in the top five among wingers per 90 in tackles, clearances, and blocks. He’s also been dominant in the air, winning three times more aerial duels than the average winger. Given his two-way skills and the fact that he can play in the center or out wide, I would expect to see Iuri Tavares on every matchday squad.
João Pedro
João Pedro was the Crown Legacy standout of last year. After coming in on loan from Athletico Paranaense, he started 23 games for MLS NEXT Pro’s second-best defense and was named to the league’s Best XI. He was also one of the league’s best passers; the Brazilian led the league in assists, chances created, and crosses among centerbacks. He has already started five matches this season; four have been clean sheets. João Pedro has undoubtedly earned the minutes he’s gotten so far and likely even more in future matches.
Nikola Petković
Nikola Petković kicked off his time in the USA with a bang. During a January friendly between Serbia and the USMNT, Petković made his senior national team debut. He was among the best players on the pitch as Serbia won 2-1, earning him a $3 million transfer to Charlotte. Due to Charlotte’s roster situation, he had to spend last year with Crown Legacy, scoring 3 goals and assisting 4 across 13 appearances. This offseason, Charlotte finally could add him to the roster. He has already made 10 appearances, and his creativity has been on full display. He’s in the 93rd percentile of shots and shots on target per 90 among central midfielders. With his effort at the forefront, Nikola Petković has a bright future in the Queen City.
Brandon Cambridge
Brandon Cambridge had only played 17’ minutes in the MLS before coming on as a substitute against Chicago. In a magnificent display, Cambridge scored 2 goals and won player of the matchday. After that match, Cambridge made just 5 more appearances as a substitute before being sent to play with Crown Legacy. He was highly productive there, scoring 4 and assisting 4 goals in 10 matches. Even without extended MLS minutes, GM Zoran Krneta said he fielded more calls last off-season about Cambridge than any other young player. Unfortunately, Brandon suffered an ankle injury during preseason that made him miss the first part of the season. Now that he is back, we should see more Brandon Cambridge in the second half.
Top Contributors
This group consists of the players I expect to see a lot of this season, regardless of the summer additions. Even if they aren’t always the starter, they should constantly play and, most importantly, contribute.
Kerwin Vargas
Kerwin Vargas just extended his contract with Charlotte, and it’s easy to see why. In the last two seasons, Vargas has scored 7 goals and provided 5 assists in 2,900 MLS minutes, including the 2 goals against Inter Miami that sent Charlotte to the playoffs last season. Last season, he led the league in crosses into the penalty area per 90 and was in the top 10% in ground passes of the same kind. He’s also been highly productive in recovering and keeping possession. Vargas is dispossessed nearly three times less than the average winger, and he intercepts and blocks passes at a rate twice that of his peers. The Columbian also wins possession in the final third once a game, and he is four times more likely to challenge a dribbler and win. If he isn’t starting, he is the first name off the bench; whether we need a goal or to protect a lead, Kerwin Vargas is a great choice.
Patrick Agyemang
Patrick Agyemang is quickly attracting attention from all sides thanks to his stellar performances. The 2023 draft pick stood out for Crown Legacy, scoring 10 goals in 12 matches. In 1,300 minutes for the first team, Agyemang scored 7 goals, an average of one every other 90 minutes. His physical play makes him a nightmare for defenders, and he’s an unlikely league leader in many stats. He’s the league leader in take-ons resulting in shots, fouls drawn resulting in a shot, and carries into the penalty area. The players surrounding Agyemang in the rankings are DPs and TAM players, Patrick is on league minimum. On a dollar-to-performance ratio, Patrick Agyemang would be at the very top.
Ben Bender
Ben Bender was Charlotte’s top attacking asset in 2023. Don’t believe me? In the 2023 MLS season, per 90 minutes, Bender was:
98th percentile for passes into the penalty area
97th percentile for progressive passes received
96th percentile for goal contributions (goals + assists)
91st percentile for aerials won
88th percentile for key passes
88th percentile for goal-creating actions
88th percentile for touches in the opposition box
87th percentile for possession won in the final 3rd
Being injured for 253 days has likely damaged his fitness level, but I expect to see more of Ben as he begins to regain it. Even if Charlotte gets a new DP number 10, Ben Bender will compete for that role, a competition he might yet win.
Liel Abada
Liel Abada is already a seasoned pro. At 22, he’s played 12,000 senior minutes, scoring 53 goals and assisting 34. That’s 0.65 goal contributions per 90 over his career; at Celtic, that figure was 0.77. Already, Abada looks extremely promising. In Charlotte’s rivalry game versus Atlanta, Abada scored a brace to secure the win for the Crown. The only reason that Abada doesn’t fall into the “Cemented Starters” category is that his sample size in the MLS is small. DPs don’t always work out, but if Liel Abada can continue his form, he will cement his place in Charlotte.
Cemented Starters
There are only two players in this category for a good reason. I don’t think there is a realistic MLS addition that could displace these two. Could a veteran center-half like 38-year-old Sergio Ramos or 34-year-old Nacho displace them? No. Could an experienced centerback from the English Championship rock the boat? Probably not. Frankly, any player considering coming to the MLS that plays center-back wouldn’t start for Charlotte.
Andrew Privett
Andrew Privett may have benefited most from Christian Lattanzio’s routine tactical switch-ups. Despite never having played the position, Privett became the next man up at center-back. Since then, Charlotte’s defense has noticeably improved. In 2023, Charlotte’s defense was ranked 29th, dead last, in the MLS without him. With him, it was 5th. Among center-backs this season, he’s in the top 15% of tackles, ground duels, and aerial duels, while he’s in the top 5% of ball recoveries and successful passes and has yet to be dispossessed.
Privett has also shown remarkable durability. He’s made 34 consecutive starts and played every minute so far this season. And, perhaps most importantly, he’s one of the league’s best ball-progressing defenders. Among defenders, Privett is 2nd in progressive carry distance, 7th in progressive passing distance, 6th in medium-distance passing completions, and 1st in long. Andrew Privett is genuinely in the conversation for a USMNT January camp call-up, which is impressive for a guy who’s only been playing as a defender for a year and a half.
Adilson Malanda
Adilson Malanda is a defensive menace. Last year, he was in the top 5% of defenders for aerial duels, ball recoveries, and defensive duels. In the 57 games he’s played for Charlotte, he’s committed just 2 errors leading to a shot. This season, he’s been stepping into the midfield more and has been one of the best center-backs at blocking passes, taking players on, and winning fouls. He’s also been extremely dangerous during set pieces, with the 3rd highest xG per shot of any defender.
His mobility makes him especially effective in Charlotte’s high-line system this season. But his best quality is leadership. He’s been entrusted to guide players like Privett and João Pedro, both of who have taken massive leaps forward. Malanda has plenty of suitors and won’t remain in Charlotte for long. But even when he’s long gone, winning trophies in Europe in 2035, I’ll still remember Adilson Malanda’s time here as a 20-year-old and as one of the top players Charlotte ever had.