‘Where he belongs.’ Vini Mello’s brilliant MLS debut lifts Charlotte FC against RBNY

The hoopla and energy and story of Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night could be separated into two eras:

Before Vini Mello and After Vini Mello.

And the latter era lifted Charlotte FC (1 win, 3 losses, 1 draw) to a much-needed 1-1 draw against Eastern Conference foe New York Red Bulls.

Much of Saturday’s contest resembled a rockfight more than it did a soccer match. There were several stoppages for injury. Several for shoving arguments. Players on both sides got in the referee’s face. The word “bully” was used at least six times by Charlotte FC head coach Christian Lattanzio in his postgame press conference — saying, in part, “If anyone bullies us, we will bully back.”

The Queen City side dominated possession early and never stopped. But very little of that was in the attacking third, and one of those possessions went awry and led to an easy Elias Manoel goal to put RBNY up 1-0 right before halftime.

In many ways, though, the game seemed to flip on its head late in the second half.

It changed shortly after the 68th minute, really — when Mello jogged onto the pitch to make his MLS and Charlotte FC debut — and it piqued in the 74th minute: Mello found himself with the ball on the left side, stepped over the ball to create some space and then lifted a perfect deep ball to the feet of Kerwin Vargas, whose cross found the feet of RBNY’s Andrés Reyes for an own goal.

That tied the score at 1.

And it punctuated what was already a special night for Mello.

“It felt absolutely incredible,” Mello said post-match, translated from Portuguese.

Mello signed with Charlotte FC in December 2021. The 20-year-old center forward was the first attacking player Charlotte added to its inaugural roster, but a fracture in his dominant left foot he sustained prior to arriving in Charlotte and a chest injury at the beginning of this season has largely kept him off the pitch.

Until Saturday.

“I’ve been here for over a year and a half, and I haven’t played at all,” Mello said. “So to get on that field is just pure joy, pure happiness.”

Added Lattanzio: ”Vini is a young guy, very talented, as everybody could see. We couldn’t have him last year for a number of reasons, mainly because he got injured twice, and so it’s tough for a young guy coming from a different country that is learning the language, learning the culture, and becoming a player. He went through tough moments, but credit to him and all the lads who supported him.

“We got him back to where he belongs. And I think he could be a very very important player for us.”

Lattanzio said that he has seen for a long time what Mello can do and who Mello can be for this team — particularly this winter, when he proved his creativity this preseason.

“His attitude is always good,” Lattanzio said. “He’s an introvert, but it’s also understandable when you are in a different country where you are still learning the language and the culture. But he’s a guy who comes to training: you can see that he has passion and love for the game, and I think there is a lot more to come from him.”

The game seemed to pipe up after Mello’s moment. After the era of “After Vini Mello” dawned. The crowd was revived. More and more opportunities cropped up. There was more flair and life in the attacking third.

Lattanzio wouldn’t pinpoint any moment as a change in energy. The coach said that McKinze Gaines — who Mello replaced — played well. He added that the team notched 73.9% of possession, which is exactly the identity Lattanzio has tried to instill since being hired as the team’s second head coach.

Lattanzio also addressed the many issues he’ll have to tackle in the coming weeks. One involves the “emergency” at center back, as Lattanzio called it, where right-back Nathan Byrne had to fill in as a central defender (and largely played well besides blundering a pass that led to RBNY’s aforementioned goal). Another involves accounting for the temporary absences of some key leaders: Starting forward Karol Świderski is training with the Polish national team for the Euro Qualifiers at the moment, and captain Ashley Westwood as well as center back Bill Tuiloma are each sidelined with thigh injuries.

Another involves who will be Charlotte FC’s goalkeeper of the future. George Marks turned in his second great performance in as many starts on Saturday, proving how great a shot-stopper he is in several of his five saves. Pablo Sisniega also played well earlier this year. Last year’s starting goalkeeper, Kristijan Kahlina, is still recovering from back surgery, and he’ll be in the mix at some point this season, too.

But Lattanzio had a pleasant surprise in Mello on Saturday.

Around the 80th minute, with the game’s complexion already changed, Mello received a pass and had a chance to send it into the box. The crowd shed a collective and audible gasp in that moment — the kind of noise that induces goosebumps and sounds like possibility.

The kind of noise that this stadium has waited a while to hear again.

“He came on, and he found that pass, but we know that he can find even other passes, other ways of playing the ball,” Lattanzio said. “He plays with a lot of confidence, a lot of belief.”

Added Mello of his performance: “I will always strive for more.”