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CHARLOTTE – Less than 60 hours away from the historic season opener for Charlotte FC, head coach Miguel Ramírez is making sure to keep his excitement and nerves in check by focusing on the present. 

“I try to not overthink too much, I try to be focused and present, and it helps me to be right here, right now. If I start to overthink, of course I will get more excited and more nervous, so I prefer to just focus on the work. But of course, I am so happy to get back to a league, a competition, it has been too many months, this has been the longest time I’ve been away from the competition.” 

With the impending season, Ramírez has noticed a shift of energy in his players in the training sessions building up to the start of the Club's inaugural season.

“They [the players] are so happy, so happy. They are super excited; they are really looking forward to the game. You feel the energy in trainings, you feel a special energy, that is the competition."

Ramírez has previously mentioned that he's liked how the team has progressed tactically but is most proud about the tight-knit culture the team has built. 

“We have an amazing group that is learning from the experience, from the trainings, from the games we’ve played. We have already built a relationship to talk, to discuss, to share ideas and points of view. They now know me, and know they are free, and don’t need to be scared to talk or share ideas with me. I like to work as a team with my technical staff but also with my players, to have a proactive approach to grow together.” 

The next step in growth for the team is playing in competitive matches. No amount of training or analysis prepares a team better than matches themselves. 

“The game is always the best teacher, always. Competition is always the best coach. We are looking forward to have games every week to tell me what I need as a coach and what my team needs.” 

In a results-based industry like sports, it’s undeniable the importance of them but still really early into the team’s development, Ramírez shares what he sees as success this weekend. 

“I feel proud and happy when I see my team able to compete, later the results are another thing. There is too many factors in a game that you can’t control, even when you are better than the opponent, you can lose the game. 

“But if I have the feeling that they [the team] are competing, and we are able to be in their half and control the tempo. This for me is a success because it is what we can control. 

"I want to see a team that fights until the very end, like we did in Charleston... Even if we are winning, we stay locked in and focused. I also just want us to be smart and recognize things tactically. This would make me happy."