Christian Lattanzio sits down with the media during Charlotte FC’s preseason. Charlotte FC’s Head Coach makes it point to refer to Anton Walkes in present tense because he believes in spirit he’s very much alive and present in training sessions. He also discusses on how the team looks ahead of this weekend’s Coachella matches.
All right as usual Christian latanzio Here for you I use the raise your hand Feature if you have a question uh let's Start with Jorge today Hey Christian uh good to see you how are You good yoga thank you very much you Good good just want your overall Thoughts so far in terms of uh you guys Heading over to uh California and that First preseason game with uh LA Galaxy I think uh as you know As everybody knows not just in the US But unfortunately everywhere We had a very difficult Start a great start and then after We were hit by Uh this tsunami and then I think the boys are recovering well and They Uh they're doing they're doing really Well they're putting a lot of intensity In the work they are coming together as A group of more and more and so as a Coaching staff I don't think we can ask For more in terms of In terms of uh Attitude commitment to Charlotte FC they Are giving everything that they have Today also is a day which we do a double You can see the boys are really tired But they know that this is Typical of of pre-season because we are Pushing them a lot and I think that Against the lafc gave a good account of
Themselves Uh even I like to mix the themes as I Said in the past And I think that the boys Responded well to the challenges that we Got from a live Galaxy that is one of The teams More with more history and tradition in The league with some very very good Players and I thought that the boys play With a lot of personality in both apps And gave them a really strong game which Is what we wanted to put 45 minutes in the legs that was our First Uh priority and also to start to look Tactically the principle that we want to Keep developing Yes and then could you give me an update On koduho what would be the time frame Like um are you expecting him to be back On the pitch Uh the exact uh time frame is difficult To say because things can Change Over the next few weeks so I don't Really know exactly but I know that one Thing that I know is that Guzman is Fully involved with the team we train Hard every day he started to do part of The warm up with the boys Not in all activities just as the first Part of the warm-up but just to let you Know that Guzman is on the pitch and
He's obviously doing his rehab taking His free up very seriously you know what Kind of character Guzman is and so he's Uh we hope that he's gonna be Available before Before the projected time but we are not Sure exactly on the exact day where we Can resume full train gotcha then one Last one just uh Vinnie Mello last Season didn't get any participation with The team because of injuries Um how's his development going so far Um with this preseason also scoring in LA in California yeah Guinea Meaning I was thinking that the two uh I Guess Galaxy we didn't have the two new Signings We had obviously a modded your plane and We had Jack Niels a young guy playing And also Andrew privet from the college But obviously the two main signings that We had uh Ashley Westwood and and so Coveti didn't play but actually we had a New player in in Vinny in the sense that Now he's training every single session And he's improving on a daily basis we Can see Stalin we can see His ability to play with the team and to Play the striker position and we are Very happy with him uh obviously we are Just at the beginning but in comparison To last season it's just a joy to see Him training on a daily basis with the Team and then not even think about
Anything else but putting him in the Training like every other player so for Me this is also big big Um play a new player that's a new Meaning you know that we are gonna have In in Charlotte for this season Thank you Thanks Jorge let's go to Willie P uh and Then Ashley Mahoney on Deck Hey Christian I wanted to once again Continue to extend uh the condolences For you and the team as I know that what You're doing is a very difficult thing To recover from Um Therapeutic might not be the right Adjective but I guess what would you Describe uh Saturday's Game as from that standpoint and trying To uh be a part of that recovery process Listen will Um as we said in in the ceremony in Honor of Anton of his life as he was Called Uh uh I promise to Anton and his family That we are gonna keep him always in our Memories alive And uh I always talk about him in the Present sentence because I think it's we Want him to be with us and andanto would Be the first one that doesn't want us to You know to be down or to be quiet like His dad told me is that the uh told me Many stories of when he was a kid full
Of energy and that he would be the first One to want us just to move on like we Are doing and we are doing with him we Are doing for him as well as for Obviously for the club the supporters And and ourselves but Anton is very much In our mind and The group is coming together uh strongly I believe I can see it on a daily basis And uh with the Hampton in our mind Every day because it give us energy and Not uh and not anything negative uh that People might think it's just a very very Positive presence in our everyday life In terms of melding your personnel you Mentioned that you know a lot of the Team is very much the same but you do Have some new signings what adjustments Will you make to your style of play Formationally or anything of that nature That you've I guess absorbed from the Training and trying to see how these Pieces fit together this season compared To last year First of all you can't expect me to say You that to tell you that because Now I'm joking well it's just that we Are uh is for me it's good to see also Players in different positions I tried Jan as a left back I'm trying different Uh DJ In a different position than I think That having also People have to take things into
Consideration when you we play the first Half against LA Galaxy and they play Against Chicharito they play against You know some of the most skillful plays The glass costs and so forth and then we Have DJ and Jack 17 years old and at the Back and we only considered a penalty That for me is also dubious because I Think Chicharito play really well The the play You know waiting for our young to to be Close and then but anyway so I think It's this is a time just to come to your Question to try things and to establish And to reinvigorate our Um principle of play so we want to Become a team that's very aggressive That hunt the opposition that are Aggressive with the ball and without the Ball and this is what we are working on Trying a couple of different things with The ball Different way of pressing uh in Different zone of the field without the Ball and so it's just a moment in which We are trying things and reinforcing Things at the same time Thank you Thanks well we'll go to Ashley now I Love Carol Walton on Deck Coach I'm sure you're going to hear this From every single one of us today but we Do really appreciate your time this Afternoon
Enzo capetti was for many people last Week the first time that they saw him Here in Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium Um circumstances Heartbreaking of course but was his Arrival in the United States for the Celebration of life something that he Said he wanted to do or was did it just Happen to line up that his paperwork Allowed him to be here in time for it Not both both actually in the sense that The paper we wanted the answer to come To Charlotte as soon as possible as soon As the paper I arrived but there was a day in which He had to do the medical and uh He could have easily uh not be present But he wanted to be present with the Team he asked expressly that he was with Us And so we actually delayed this medical Part of his medical the day after Because uh and so wanted to be part of The team and you know he knew obviously Being a football player how much an Event even if he didn't know Anthem Personally But he knows how the team can be Affected and he wanted to show his uh His presence and his uh Support to his new family so I thought That he was very welcomed and he was in My opinion the right thing to do
That being said he's been with the club For about a week now how is he adjusting And adapting into the system so far All right so it's another one like Ashley that obviously actually is also Helped by the fact that he speaks He speaks English As a personal language but then so Despite this is learning English and Still is not fluent but if he did in Really well and is uh Is determined to to be a player that Bring people together so you arrived and Immediately looks like he has been part Of this team they was surprised yeah I Was surprised to see how well he fitted Into the the family and seamless you Know seamlessly it was he arrived and Starting to talk with everybody also to Try his English and making fun of Himself but you can tell that he's a guy That is interacting with everybody and Uh and he's a character that we we all Like apart from his ability and from for It from him from his experience in Playing in Argentina and In a in a big Club in Argentina but at The same time he arrived and impressed Everybody with his uh with his attitude Really Smiley really positive on a daily Basis And lastly in terms of Anton's death in Florida whose call was It to return to Charlotte
Um as quickly as the team did and how Were you informed of the boating Accident Who were informed by the medical team That there was an accident and And then we were kept in formu because We had Our head of security and one of the Medical staffs in the hospital trying to Get As many info as possible as they were As they were coming through so I thought That there were all the time All the time Given to us and yeah it was a collective Decision because I think that it was too Painful For everybody to be anchored to a place That You know the our heads were not Uh into training mode and I wanted Everybody to regroup to go back to the Family and also welcome Anton's Family Charlotte You know uh once we knew the news it was Uh we needed to to regain our focus and Thoughts because it was a very painful Moment and When you are leaving a situation like That you want to be surrounded by your Dear ones and you don't want to be in Somewhere to the Precision you know for Two or three days I think it wasn't Nobody was in the right frame of mind to
Train To think about training will where Just morning and Digesting the The Unbelievable sad news Thank you Thanks Ashley uh let's go to Carol uh And then we'll have Arturo on Deck Christian I'm so sorry for your loss Um thank you just can't imagine and I'm Curious how Is there someone that you turn to who You can go to for advice I mean this is A tough tough thing you know and I'm Kind of curious how you how you're going To balance Doing your job and the job everybody Needs to do but also paying respect and Not just minimizing what you guys are Dealing with mentally No but uh Carol thank you very much for Your For your words but we also had A lot of help and support from Professionals in the field that they Came around to To give us support and help if we need It Was available to everybody Um We had One person that came To help us to manage the immediate Situation Market that is still with us
Here that is help us to regain our Thoughts on the very Pressure situation under very sad Circumstances And then the Panthers also helped and The MLS also helped we had our own And Mr pepper was extremely Understanding extremely supportive so Anything that we needed it put us a Disposal and so everybody Was really Together to Give us ourselves support and strength In a moment in which she would have been Easy to lose our heads and you know our Emotions but actually staying together He was it was the best thing to do and We stick together and everybody played a Very important parts I mean I cannot Tell you now exactly what everybody did But everybody at the football club was Extremely Helpful and successful in helping people And supporting people and if we could go Through that Uh Is because of the commitment that Everybody put into that and the love That everybody put into that so I'm very Proud of being part of Charlotte FC I Can tell you that without any shadow of A doubt Is there anything you're already working Into your routine if even if it's taking
A moment before training or Um Is that kind of something that will Happen organically you think Yeah he's up and organically and there's A sold you for me was it gave me a lot Of strength to talk with Anton's dad and The family that obviously everybody is Talking about the legacy of Anton but The legacy of Anton is in a sporting Ways in our hands so it's up to us it's Our responsibility And we want to come together Stronger Than before because we have entered with Us so It is something that organically we are Getting Used to it even though in a way you Never get used to it but I believe that uh Anton is giving Something more individually and Collectively I can feel that I don't know how it's Difficult to explain this kind of thing But I just I just feel it and Uh is I I see as my special assistant on A daily basis for example And then I have two quick soccer Questions one is do you expect either Westwood or capetti to get in on some of These scrimmages coming up Yeah I'm actually still uh actually
Still uh in England waiting for his Interview for the for the green car Sorry for the for the Visa so that it Can be officially can play official Games for for us so I don't know if you Will be able to lay a part in in the Game that will play Saturday against Vancouver I certainly would not be able to play Against the DC yet unfortunately but and So will and so we'll play a part I mean Touching wood and something happened Between now and and Wednesday but this Training he might not be able to play Uh as many minutes as we would like uh Because he he was training on his own But he's already working hard and he's One of those guys that is really intense In the way things football he plays Football and he will take a part in the Game on on Wednesday great one last Question about Adam armor is he is he Full go with where you guys are is he Still maybe by the start of the Season Gonna be full Go yeah Adam is a guy That uh is a player that we want to You know want to nurture really Carefully because he had this big Accident and he started the physician Really well and then uh maybe it was uh Or we were over Keen but uh he's fine He's fine he's well he's training he's Trained again today uh we we are
Managing his load because uh We want him when he come back with the Team we want him to stay with the first Team and we don't want him you know Maybe to go To losing for another uh even for Another week is not a good idea so we Are managing his load he's with us he Does all the activities with us uh it Doesn't take part on the pitch in every Activity that we do but uh the situation At the moment is he looks uh he looks Fine and promising and we monitor him on A daily basis And I cannot foresee any major setbacks With that Still thinking of him as a Winger or go Back or either Soda football so the football we do Cattle so maybe even a goalie No but I I I like his ability to play as An attacking player because I think he Has a knack to score goals uh he's quite Acrobatic in his play he has a good foot He's good in the air as he show even in The first goal that is called in Atlanta I think he has got a special talent to Score goals and so when you have a play That can contribute with that you don't Want to play too much at the back you See so My idea was to try him a little bit Higher on the pitch and we will see we Still have got time between now and the
Beginning of season but is that actually Something that I will try even during The season in any case Okay thank you you're welcome thanks Carol let's go to Arturo uh and then We'll get to Mike Solarte after that Um I don't know if we can keep it to one I'd like to get a couple people here at The end uh we're putting close on time We have a second session that coach has To get to Thanks Sure Christian nice to talk to you again Um Could you give us an update on colina's Uh injury we saw him at Anton's Celebration of life he was walking uh do You guys have a time frame for him uh to Start uh practicing again and maybe uh Using him for the first month or the Second month of the Season thank you Okay you're welcome yeah kale is Um is another player that uh We Monitor and I don't have an exactly Time frame especially for him because After the operation Is uh is evaluating his uh progress on a Daily basis one I spoke with him last Time and uh no It was very he was feeling a lot better And that was very promising because for Few weeks he felt this discomfort that Prevented him from Even moving right let alone training but
Now he feels a lot better and the we Left him in Charlotte because he's doing A lot of rehab and I we thought that it Was the best thing to do so Just focusing on coming back and get Back to track I think also Christian is A guy that works really hard he's a Worker called work colleague like uh Like Guzman and so these guys I don't Have any doubt that they are sometimes He's one of those guys that you have to Push them back a little bit rather than To push them forward because they are so Keen and they want to come back as soon As possible so again with him we are Monitoring the situation Uh depending on how each physio session Goes but I know that he's moving on Moving along quite nicely Thanks Arturo let's go Mike Hello Christian good to see you again Sir uh see again our our thoughts are With you and the team uh as you guys Battle through I know that you have Anton uh in your in your thoughts as you Guys move forward as you've said but as You as as you go through this training Session and you know Florida to California and all the things leading up To the season uh you know you mentioned The team is coming together stronger and Quicker Um how are they adapting to the game Model that you want to play because for
The guys that were here last year they Started with a different leader finished Under you so this being your first full Training camp there really is no Playbook for what you guys have gone Through but how are they adapting to Your plan your your game model and and Getting prepped for the season Yeah that's in really well Mike uh I'm We as a coaching staff are really uh Happy we talk on this we talk about These on a daily basis And we are very happy how the boys are Adapting even the guys that came to help With the college boys and the guys that They were trusted And they adopt uh adapted and they Carry good attitude our the players that Came last season that I know from last Season obviously they were used to a Different precision and Um but the principle uh we already had Something As I said in the in the past to you guys I told you that the first until the game Against Cincinnati for me there was our First pre-season because every coach as I said many times has his own way of Playing the game as his own once his uh Doesn't mean they are better or worse Just different and they wanted to give Our team the football that I know and The football that uh I like to play so That that took a little bit of time and
Adjustment and during the season is Obviously a little bit harder because You have to Uh uni unify the results together with The change in the principle of play And then this pre-season is actually Where we can really uh Put on paper and and on the video Session and on the pitch the principle And the guys are adopted keep in mind That This we have been disrupted and this is Uh should be week three but in a way it Feels like week 27 because we're Emotionally has been really strong but On the pitch is actually weak too Because we lost few days and even the Game we played against Galaxy the Galaxy Already played the game against DC we Should have played the game against San Luis which we didn't So we are a little bit delayed with that But I can tell you that the boys didn't Look out of place or out of place Against the Galaxy And we went Toe to Toe in the game even Though the result is not the most Important thing in those games but the Performance but we were very happy and That is a testimony of how the guys are Really working seriously and hard on a Daily basis can't complain you can see Few tired eyes but I can tell you that They are
Pushing hard on a daily basis also Because the coaching staff is behind and Supporting them but make sure that they Give their best uh every day Thank you Christian look forward to Seeing you back in Charlotte thank you Much appreciate it Mike all right guys We're running out of time so we're gonna Go uh final one with Claudio and that Will finish the press conference Um If I understand cloudview I'm not I'm Not so fluent in Spanish as you might Think Roberto Mister See see I from different players uh I Got these are things that they stayed Normally you want to keep them private Cloudy because Because this is a private matter and but Yes yes I got messages not just from Them also from Uh previous from many X plays that now they are coaches or They are [Music] Still active in football in different Matters but uh you know even Many many many people many many players Many coaches reached out to to show To stand the best wishes and condolences For Anton and uh so Roberto did also Davidia that was with us in New York he
Was one of the guys that reached one of The first to reach out and to express Condolences I mean when you work in Football everybody gets touched from Losing the life of a young of a young Player and doesn't matter whether you Knew him or not so you understand that You know this is such a tragic event uh Because he's a teammate and hello And everybody understands in the world But especially for football players that We leave or you know for professional Players in every League Whether it's football whether it's a Basketball American football whatever it Is might be you live as a family because You spend more time sometimes you say Jokingly but it's the reality we spend More time between ourselves that with The with our families because we travel Together we meet on a daily basis Sometimes we do double sessions so we Spend so much time that you become Uh You become a family you become a close Community And so you get touched even if something Happens to another club you can have Empathy and identify with what happens So just uh to let you know that we go I Got many many messages from All the clubs I I work with Russia Okay okay thank you everyone Christian
Thank you for your time as always Um if you have anything don't hesitate To reach out almost appreciated Thank you
Living in Charlotte North Carolina
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Living in Charlotte North Carolina
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Charlotte is a perfect mix of big city convenience and small town charm. It’s a great place for family living, with an abundance of museums, theaters, music venues, sports arenas, and plenty of restaurants.
It’s also a great place for college graduates, as it’s home to some of the top schools in the state. UNC-Charlotte, Queens University, Central Piedmont Community College and Johnson & Wales University all draw a steady flow of students in.
One of the best parts about living in Charlotte is the people you meet! The locals will be more than happy to help you find your way around, and will likely become your friends soon enough.
The weather is beautiful year-round and Charlotte has a lot of events to keep you busy! For example, every spring thousands of race fans travel to Charlotte to see the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
There are plenty of other annual events to enjoy, from food and wine festivals to fun holiday festivities! For instance, the Novant Health Thanksgiving Day Parade is a big hit.
Another annual event is Taste of Charlotte, which takes over Uptown for a 3-day festival that includes samples from over 100 local restaurants. This is a great time to get to know the culinary scene in Charlotte, and it’s free!
Finally, Charlotte has a serious beer and wine culture with more than a few hundred breweries throughout the area. And, with so many lakes, you can easily take a day out of the city and spend some time on the water!