Rocket man: Dean Smith ignites Charlotte FC second-half comeback | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

Most coaches have their particular style of stern rebuke required to shake an underperforming team out of the doldrums before it’s too late, most commonly delivered at high volume in the locker room at halftime.

The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson’s version was dubbed “the hairdryer treatment” at Manchester United; on Saturday, we learned Charlotte FC’s Dean Smith prefers a more galactic metaphor for the angry dressing-down he delivered after his team’s poor start to their clash with Nashville SC at Bank of America Stadium.

“First half was like watching a testimonial game. The second half, we actually came to play,” Smith told reporters in his postgame press conference. “I had to give them a little bit of a rocket at halftime, and they came out refreshed.”

That helped spark a dramatic comeback, The Crown rallying from a 1-0 deficit to snatch a 2-1 victory via late goals from Wilfried Zaha and substitute Idan Toklomati that extend Charlotte’s home record to an MLS-best 4W-0L-0D and nudge CLTFC into second place, at least for a few hours, in both the East and Supporters’ Shield standings.

"It was massive"

It’s a result that seemed quite unlikely for most of the afternoon. Despite plenty to play for against a resurgent opponent with whom they were deadlocked in the Eastern Conference standings at the start of Matchday 7, The Crown sleepwalked through the game’s opening half-hour and deservingly found themselves down 1-0 via NSH’s well-crafted goal from Hany Mukhtar.

“I like the fact that it shows character. I just didn't like the first 32 minutes. I thought we were too passive in general terms,” Smith said of his side’s rally. “We can't be that. We have to be on it every game. If you're not, you get found out.”

With unseasonably warm weather in North Carolina pushing the heat index north of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, hydration breaks were in effect, and Smith and his staff took advantage of one shortly afterward to adjust their team’s shape and approach to possession buildups.

But there were still heated exchanges at the intermission, with Smith not the only one to raise his voice.

“First half, we didn't get near them; the intensity wasn't there,” said Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood.

“The gaffer changed a few things at halftime, a few things were said. And that shows where we are as a group. There was heavy words said between a lot of us, and yeah, it shows the character we've got now. We're not even playing at our best, and I think we're just standing second in the league.

“So to show the character today, to come back and win that game, it was massive.”

The Bank a "fortress"

A grisly injury sustained by Walker Zimmerman in the 71st minute may have also played a role in the last-gasp turnaround, Nashville’s center back and spiritual leader taking a boot to the face from CLT winger Kerwin Vargas as he headed away a cross into the NSC penalty box. Zimmerman was taken to the hospital and his NSC colleague Dan Lovitz later acknowledged the “unique situation, something that no one ever wants to see happen” affected their focus despite their best efforts.

The 29,591 Queen City faithful in attendance also played their role, and Westwood went as far as to credit their noise for his squad pulling out all three points. CLT now boast an impressive 29W-12L-14D all-time in regular-season action at the Bank.

“Ever since I've been here, it's been a fortress. We feel confident here. We were awful today again, but the fans, certainly that section behind the goal, that gets you through games,” said the English midfielder.

“It's not us that won the game today. I think that was them that won the game today. So we thank them for that. We've got a great connection with our supporters and the whole city, and we need more of that, and hopefully they'll push us to win a few trophies.”

Toklomati shines

Toklomati’s well-taken strike was his first in MLS play and notably, Westwood made no secret of the fact the young Israeli’s breakthrough could light a fire underneath starter Patrick Agyemang, who still has just one goal for CLT in the season’s opening months.

It’s that sort of depth and internal competition that can fuel big achievements.

“He was fantastic,” said Westwood of Toklomati. “Pat's been phenomenal for us, but now Pat needs to get back to what he was doing, because now he's got a fight in his hands. But that's what makes you better as players. Now we're all competing for the starting spot with the lads who have come on today and have put a good performance, and it makes the manager’s decision harder next week.”

WATCH: Charlotte stun Nashville with late comeback