CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte FC has been training with heavy hearts in anticipation of its first match on Saturday night.
Player Anton Walkes died in January in a boating accident while the team trained in South Florida.
He was just 25 years old.
The club plans to honor Walkes before, during and after Saturday night's opening match against New England Revolution.
- Pre-match moment of silence to honor the life of Anton Walkes: Manager Christian Lattanzio told his team after Walkes' death, "I’m always going to talk about him in the present tense because I want Anton to be with us."
- Applause at 5:00: When the match clock hits 5 minutes, supporters will clap for 60 seconds to celebrate the life of Walkes, who wore No. 5 for Charlotte FC.
- Post-match singalong to Volare: During one of the final team dinners before Walkes' death, the team wound up singing Volare. Following the match, supporters will sing the song as the players charge and clap to the Supporters' Section.
Over 60,000 tickets have been sold for the match, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
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