Charlotte FC will be looking to snap their run of eight consecutive MLS games without a win when they play host to Los Angeles FC at the Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night.
Fresh off the back of an emphatic home victory over Colorado Rapids, Steven Cherundolo's men will head into the weekend seeking to pick up successive league wins for the first time since June.
Match preview
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Charlotte's quest for a first-ever Leagues Cup title came to an end in the quarter-finals as they suffered a 4-0 hammering at the hands of eventual winners Inter Miami.
In a one-sided affair at the DRV PNK Stadium, goals from Josef Martinez, Robert Taylor, Lionel Messi and a 78th-minute own goal from Adilson Malanda saw the Herons cruise through to the semi-finals.
Having kicked off the cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against Dallas on July 22, Charlotte thrashed Necaxa 4-1 to finish as winners of the South 4 group before seeing off Cruz Azul and Houston Dynamo in their first two knockout-stage games.
Christian Lattanzio's men turn their sights to MLS, where they are without a win in any of their last eight matches, losing three and picking up five draws since the start of May.
The Crown's last league victory came on May 28, when they saw off LA Galaxy 1-0 at the Dignity Health Sports Park courtesy of a second-half strike from Polish striker Karol Swiderski.
With 26 points from 23 matches, Charlotte are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, level on points with 13th-placed New York City FC, albeit with one game in hand.
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Los Angeles FC, on the other hand, returned to action in MLS on Thursday morning when they picked up a resounding 4-0 victory over Colorado Rapids at the Banc of California Stadium.
Mateusz Bogusz, Carlos Vela and Ryan Hollingshead all found the target inside the opening 36 minutes to put the hosts in a commanding lead before Cristian Olivera put the icing on the cake with an 83rd-minute strike.
This followed a somewhat disappointing Leagues Cup campaign, where they were sent packing in the quarter-final courtesy of a 3-2 loss against a well-drilled Monterrey side on August 12.
Following Thursday's result, Cherundolo's men have now gone unbeaten in each of their last four MLS outings, claiming two wins and two draws since a 2-1 loss at LA Galaxy on July 5.
Los Angeles have won 11 of their 24 league matches so far while losing six and claiming seven draws to collect 40 points and sit second in the Western Conference table, four points behind first-placed St. Louis City.
Team News
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Charlotte remain without experienced goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega, who had been out of action since March's game against Atlanta United through a back injury.
Enzo Copetti came off with an injury in the 1-1 draw with New York City back in June and the Argentine forward is set to sit out his eighth consecutive game.
Off the back of a dominant team display against Colorado Rapids, Cherundolo could name an unchanged XI this weekend with Stipe Biuk, Denis Bouanga and skipper Vela retaining their roles in the final third.
Spanish midfielder Ilie Sanchez has started 22 of the Black and Gold's 24 league matches this season and should form the midfield trio with Timothy Tillman and Mateusz Bogusz.
At the defensive end of the pitch, we expect a back four of Ryan Hollingshead, Denil Maldonado, Aaron Long and Diego Palacios, with John McCarthy starting between the sticks.
Charlotte FC possible starting lineup:
Kahlina; Tuiloma, Corujo, Sobocinski, Byrne; Bronico, Westwood, Arfield; Jozwiak, Swiderski, Vargas
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Hollingshead, Maldonado, Long, Palacios; Cifuentes, Sanchez, Acosta; Biuk, Vela, Bouanga
We say: Charlotte FC 1-2 Los Angeles FC
Buoyed by their resounding victory over the Rapids, Los Angeles FC will lead into the weekend with sky-high confidence. Cherundolo's men take on a Charlotte side who have failed to win their last eight league matches and we are backing them to come away with all three points.
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Joshua Ojele
