Charlotte must find consistency to be successful, says Smith

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Dean Smith believes Charlotte FC must find consistency if they “want to be successful” as they prepare to take on high-flying Houston Dynamo.

Charlotte have moved up to fifth in the Eastern Conference after stringing together a four-game unbeaten run (W3 D1), most recently defeating Atlanta United 2-0 on the road.

The Crown kept just their second clean sheet since returning from the World Cup break, though they have scored multiple goals in six of their seven matches in that same time.

Charlotte could move up to third with a win over Houston as they look to cement themselves as serious MLS Cup contenders, though Smith knows there is still room for improvement.

“If you want to be successful, you have to be consistent,” said Smith.

“It’s the biggest thing to have. If you have got consistency, then it gives you a chance to compete at the top levels.

“It’s really important that we continue to grow as a club, evolve as a club. I told the players, ‘We know what our standards are. Don’t drop below, but try and push them even further’.”

— Charlotte FC (@CharlotteFC) September 3, 2026

Houston are second in the West, though they have fallen four points behind leaders Vancouver Whitecaps in recent weeks.

The Dynamo followed a 2-1 defeat to St. Louis City SC with a goalless draw against the San Jose Earthquakes, which came after a five-game winning run in MLS.

Houston’s 0-0 draw with San Jose marked their sixth clean sheet across their last seven matches. All 10 of the Dynamo’s clean sheets in MLS this season have come over their last 16 matches, as Houston’s 10 shutouts are three more than any other MLS team since mid-April.

Charlotte FC – Allan Saint-Maximin

Allan Saint-Maximin recorded the first two goal contributions of his Charlotte career with assists on both goals in their 2-0 win over Atlanta.

It was Saint-Maximin’s second league game with multiple goal contributions in 2026, as he had two assists for Lens against Paris FC on Valentine’s Day.

Houston attempted 10 shots against San Jose, but none were on target; Mateusz Bogusz recorded a joint-team-high two shots.

It was the first time this season a team had double-digit shots and zero shots on target in an MLS match and Houston’s first time doing so since a 2-0 loss to New York City FC in September 2016.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHARLOTTE FC WIN

Charlotte are unbeaten in their last five home MLS matches (W4 D1), with their last two home games both 3-1 victories over the Columbus Crew and D.C. United.

It is the third time in team history that Charlotte have scored three or more goals in consecutive MLS home games, but the club have never done so in three straight.

Charlotte and Houston are meeting for the fourth time across all competitions, but this will be the first time Charlotte have hosted a game in the fixture.

Charlotte won a regular-season match in 2022, and a Leagues Cup meeting in 2023 before Houston scored a 1-0 victory in MLS in 2024.

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