2022 Charlotte FC Season Preview

The 2022 Major League Soccer season kicks off later this month and the Charlotte FC are the fourth team that ONE37pm will be taking a closer look at.

Charlotte will make its MLS debut this season after years of planning its arrival as the league's 28th club.

The North Carolina-based side made an initial splash in 2021 when they revealed Christian Fuchs would be signing with the club after being part of the historic Leicester City side that won the Premier League in 2015/16.

Charlotte continues to build its squad on the fly, but with promising youngsters in the fold like No. 1 overall pick Ben Bender and Adam Armour perhaps they'll make some noise in Year 1.

Here's a closer look at the Charlotte FC heading into the 2022 season.

2022 marks the first season Charlotte will compete in MLS. Charlotte will compete in the Eastern Conference.

Miguel Angel Ramirez became the first coach in Charlotte history in 2022 beginning his managerial career in Europe and South America. Ramirez most recently coached in Brazil with Internacional, where they reached the Copa Libertadores Round of 16 a year ago.

Karol Swiderski (Poland) is Charlotte's Designated Player striker who has 14 appearances for the Poland national team. The 25 year old will likely play a role in the Polish squad that will aim to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar this year.

Sergio Ruiz (Spain) is a veteran midfielder that brings in a lot of quality for Charlotte after playing for years at Racing Santander. Ruiz played for Las Palmas recently and hopes to bring some of that tenacity and creativity into the Charlotte midfield.

Ben Bender (USA) will be getting a lot of time as a rookie after being highly respected from his time in college. He'll anchor that midfield and hope to be a strong two-way player that can help Charlotte control possession in the center of the pitch.

March 5 vs. LA Galaxy

April 9 vs. Atlanta United

April 16 at New England Revolution

August 17 at New York City FC

Charlotte has an underrated squad heading into Year 1 and despite only having one Designated Player to this point there's a very good chance they add players during the season.

The club has been ambitious with its marketing and will have a strong fanbase from the opening whistle that kicks off the MLS season.

Charlotte is reportedly expecting over 65,000 fans for their inaugural home opener against the LA Galaxy, which would be massive for the city and the club.

With veteran presences around the club, including Fuchs and Harrison Afful, don't be surprised if Charlotte is in the playoff mix throughout much of the season.