Charlotte FC's Youth Movement

Dean Smith's kids are definitely alright...but what's this we hear about signing the "Uruguayan Mbappe" ???

Entering year three of the Charlotte FC project, there’s a certain meme-take that’s rooted itself in one part of the fanbase– the moaning and groaning misperception that “we only sign mid-30s midfielders.” Westwood, Meram, Arfield, Dejaegere, one after the other…it became a whole thing, and some folks among the faithful still can’t let it go.

Well, friends, I’m here to tell ya…if you’re still holding on to the notion that we only recruit from the ranks of the really experienced, it’s time to toss it. In 2024 The Crown’s roster moves show full-blown commitment to a Youth Movement.

We heard it from the day Dean Smith was hired: “Yes he’s a great coach…and especially so with young players.” Smith himself hammered it home during his introductory meet & greet with local media, famously quipping “If you’re good enough you’re old enough.” However it plays out, the front office has leaned into that reputational distinction of Deano’s, using the preseason to feature The Kids early and often in friendlies.

We’re seeing big opportunities given to draft picks who’d been banished for spurious reasons last year, as well as Legacy lads looking to leap to the first team this season. Budding superstar Patrick Agyemang is still U23 til November, and Deano’s even taken a long look at one of the youngest teens in camp, a player who’s already made his mark on the international youth stage.

Now, some particularly compelling rumors have started swirling shortly before the season that would provide one of the biggest statements of intent in MLS history, all centered around an Uruguayan prospect born two weeks after the premiere of Legally Blonde 2. 

On Valentine's afternoon, Crown fans were gifted the lovely news from goal.com that Charlotte FC is in “advanced talks” to sign Luciano Rodriguez in a deal that would reportedly be one of the 5 biggest transfers ever in the league…12 million dollars if not a few million more. 

More reporting from Tom Bogert says that Rodriguez and his club Liverpool (No, not THAT Liverpool) were close to a $15 million dollar deal with Feyenoord, one of the top teams in the Dutch league.  

River Plate, one of the biggest clubs in Argentina, also wanted this guy badly and were denied a couple weeks ago. Now this news that he’s close to signing in MLS has the hashtag #RodriguezGate making the rounds in River chats.

I don’t know what will happen with Rodriguez in this final week before we kick off the year, but the late night signs on Wednesday seemed promising.  I love the phrase “advanced talks” because it seems to indicate the hard part is done and we’re just negotiating over the details.  

Remember Dean Smith used the word “certainly” last week discussing his belief that a new DP would be here before the season’s start.  Deals can always fall thru but it seems his confidence was pointed in a southerly direction as he made those comments.

So who is Luciano Rodriguez and why would we pay around $15MM for him? Well, allow him to introduce himself thusly:

That’s a golaaaaaazzzzzooo that Lucho scored in the Uruguayan Cup against rivals Penarol last week…sadly his team would go on to concede 3 after this and lose, but hey. 

Rodriguez is considered one of the very top attacking prospects in all of South America, the president of his current club has called him “The Uruguayan Mbappe” and I’m not exactly sure if he was joking or not. He’s also been compared to Marcus Rashford and Joao Felix in at least one deep scouting report.

He’s come up thru the ranks in his home country, scoring the tourney-winner vs Italy in the U20 World Cup Final last year, and now earning a place in the Uruguayan senior men’s national team for this summer’s upcoming Olympics…he’s expected to be an attacking catalyst for La Celeste in the 2026 World Cup and beyond.

If it all sounds too good to be true…it might be.  Both Feyenoord and River Plate thought they could pry Lucho away from Liverpool Montevideo, only to be told that the starlet was staying put til summertime. 

Could Daddy Tepper’s deep pockets have changed a few minds down there? We can only hope. The general response in South America to the idea of Rodriguez spurning River Plate to come to MLS was disbelief. 

Liverpool begins their own 2024 season this coming weekend, and I feel like if we don’t get him outta there before that first match, he’s probably not leaving home and our window will shut.  Clock’s ticking, stay tuned.

Whether or not Lucho becomes the lynchpin in Dean Smith’s youth movement in 2024, it’s a movement that’s already begun in earnest, and one of the buzziest young talents who’s already in Carolina blue took a big step forward of his own this week. Nimfasha Berchimas scored his first goal for the first team in a friendly vs USL side Phoenix Rising. 

Now, it wasn’t much of a goal of course, bit of a slow-roller and a GK mistake…but they all count, especially your first one with the senior side. Berchimas turns 16 next week and already had a star turn in the U-17 World Cup last year, helping the US advance to the knockouts and scoring several goals of much higher quality. 

He’s started twice now in Coachella…after the first start last Saturday, the gaffer was asked about Nimfa and answered: “Potential is potential.” After his goal on Wednesday, Smith brought up Berchimas unprompted, and saluted the teen for continuing to fight for chances in the 2nd half despite a few misses in the 1st. 

That fight paid off and it seems like Deano can’t get this kid out of his head. Although I would expect Berchimas to get most of his minutes in Matthews this season, don’t rule out a first team debut at some point. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

Deano isn’t the only one taking a special interest in helping Berchimas and other young players in the CLT camp reach the best of their potential. Jaylin Lindsey is not exactly an old guy himself at 23, but he’s been a professional soccer player for nearly a decade now going back to his own teenaged career beginnings in the Sporting KC Academy. This week Jaylin commented that when he sees guys like Berchimas or the Chelsea Slayer Brian Romero trying to find their way, it’s a natural compulsion to jump in and help.

Beyond Berchimas & Brian, the Club also signed its top two draft picks to contracts this week, Tyger Smalls and Jahlane Forbes. Both have earned praise and playing time from Dean Smith out in California and again, it’s just a signal that all the forces within the Charlotte FC camp are being brought to bear and aligned in this Youth Movement. 

But it’s not just all about building blocks and coveted potential incomings. The future is indeed now for the Crown, as well. 

20-year-old Nikola Petkovic is earning the deep-lying playmaker role which is allowing Ashley Westwood to play more advanced. Petkovic had an assist on a free kick vs Phoenix Rising Wednesday. 

20-year-old Joao Pedro and 21-year-old Hamady Diop have played a ton in Palm Desert this month, with Diop scoring a free kick goal and positively beaming in the postgame presser as he talked about the differences between the old regime and the new. 

22-year-old Iuri Tavares might earn a first team spot after bagging 12 goals and 3 assists in NextPro last season. 

18-year-old Jack Neeley is getting experience at Center Back.  

22-year-old Nick Scardina scored vs Phoenix, assisted by 23-year-old Patrick Agyemang, who needs no introduction to Charlotte fans at this point.

Don’t forget that neither Andrew Privett nor Adilson Malanda has seen his 24th birthday yet, and they are essentially the wily old vets of central defense at this point. 

And we have yet to even mention a guy we haven’t even seen in Coachella so far due to green card processing….Kerwin Vargas! Himself only 22 years old and with an MLS playoff golazo to his name already.

The kids are alright my friends, and if you’re still of the memetic mindset that “Charlotte FC is a bunch of old washed up northern European midfielders,” then I don’t know what to tell ya. 

This club’s investment in and commitment to developing prospects is now one of the strongest in all of MLS, thanks to a major push made last year in the first season of Crown Legacy, a total revamping of the Academy system via the Tommy Wilson hire, and an aggressive new gaffer who knows that talent always matters more than age on a football pitch. With the keys handed over to a man who specializes in maximizing these types of players, it’s time to take this Youth Movement show on the road.