Beating red-hot Inter Miami CF and Lionel Messi will be a tall task for Charlotte FC, but if the club has any chance to upset the tournament favorites, they will need an elite performance from their top striker, Karol Świderski.
The 26-year old Polish striker was the first-ever Designated Player signing for Charlotte FC when he was announced January 26, 2023.
At the time of the signing Charlotte FC sporting director Zoran Krneta said, “We’re delighted to welcome a player of Karol’s caliber to Charlotte FC to spearhead our attack. He’s proven to be a lethal goal scorer at both the club and international level, and to secure his signing as our first Designated Player is an excellent achievement for our club,”
It was no surprise the team was excited about his signing. He’d been a part of three cup-winning teams while on the Greek side PAOK Salonika (2019 Greek champion and 2019, 2021 Greek Cup champion) and also had European club competition experience in UEFA Europa and Champions League qualifying. He also came in with national team experience, javing been capped by the Polish National Team.
“His performances for Poland on the international stage speak for themselves and we’re confident Karol will be one of the toughest strikers to defend in the league,” Kmeta said.
He hasn’t disappointed since he’s joined the club.
In his first season, he tallied ten goals and four assists in 30 appearances for the club and nearly helped the expansion side reach the MLS playoffs. It was the first time in four years a player had tallied at least ten goals for an expansion team.
This season Świderski has found the back of the net seven times, and tallied three assists, in 20 appearances. In Leagues Cup 2023 play, he has two goals and two assists in four appearances. He’s also been tabbed the first penalty taker for penalty shootouts. He’s made one and missed one in two shootouts.
This also won’t be the first time Świderski takes the field against Messi. Świderski’s lone appearance in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar came as a halftime sub in Poland’s final group stage match against Argentina, 1 2-0 loss.
