Charlotte FC added Nathan Richmond to its matchday group on Saturday, making the forward available for Charlotte Vs Cincinnati after signing him to a short-term agreement from Crown Legacy FC. The move gave Charlotte another option for the meeting at TQL Stadium on September 12, 2026, as the club set its roster for the trip.
That timing is what makes the update matter now. The announcement came the same day as the match, so Richmond moved from Crown Legacy FC into Charlotte FC's available pool just in time for kickoff, with the club's starting XI and substitutes already set around him. Charlotte opened with Kahlina, Cleary, Kessler, Ream, Schnegg, De la Torre, Biel, Diani, Saint-Maximin, Toklomati and Abada, while Miller, Aloko, Bronico, Coulibaly, Morrison, Neeley, Privett, Richmond and Smalls were listed among the substitutes.
For Charlotte, the short-term agreement is a practical way to lift a player from MLS NEXT Pro into MLS matchday use without a longer commitment. It also explains why Richmond appears in the squad listing for this one game: he was promoted from Crown Legacy FC and made eligible for the match at TQL Stadium, where Charlotte needed flexibility as it managed its options before the first whistle.
What the listing does not say is whether Richmond will actually take the field. He was available, and he was on the bench, but the club did not identify him in the starting XI, leaving his role in the game unresolved until the match itself decides it. For a roster move announced on the day of the game, that is the only part that still matters.
The update sits inside a larger matchday notice that also carried radio and streaming details, plus a later club promotion, but the key development was the same-day addition of Richmond to Charlotte FC's available players. In a roster move built for immediate use, availability is the point. Whether it becomes minutes is the part still waiting to be answered.
