Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina is a star on the rise in Major League Soccer

Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina has been a linchpin of Charlotte FC’s roster. He’s defended the net for all of the MLS expansion team’s league matches this season, recording a save percentage of roughly 77% and four clean sheets.

The Croatian-born Kahlina arrived at Charlotte from Bulgarian club Ludogorets and has performed at a high level in front of a much larger audience than he was accustomed to in Europe.

He spoke with The Charlotte Observer about his Charlotte sports fandom, his biggest Major League Soccer moments and which MLS player he most wants to exchange jerseys with.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Alex Andrejev: You’ve made an immediate impact for this team with (at least) 43 saves and four clean sheets and you’ve had some big moments for the club. Which match or moment stands out for you?

Kristijan Kahlina: For me, the most important game was the first home game when we played the LA Galaxy, because it was our first game at home and I immediately showed my quality for all of our fans when they came to our game. I think I played really well this game and in the end, we lost 1-0, but at the start of the season, I had four or five really good games and I just need to keep this going.

AA: How different is the stadium atmosphere (at Bank of America Stadium) compared with the European clubs you’ve played with?

KK: I cannot even compare with my previous clubs because the maximum (number of fans) I had for away games, not home games, was like 13,000 people in the stadium. And now I have in the first home game like 74,000. You cannot compare this. The audience, how they scream, it was really, really nice. But for me, I don’t know. It was easy to adapt to this. Maybe it was more difficult where every game you have a home game that’s 30,000 people and if I come somewhere to play with 500 or 1,000 (people) and being used to it in Bulgaria, then maybe it will be a bigger problem cause it’s like a friendly or training, and yeah, maybe this is a bigger problem than when you have fans.

AA: How have you been liking Charlotte? I’ve seen pictures of you at Hornets games, so it seems like you’re a fan of other sports teams. How’s it been settling into the Charlotte area and Charlotte sports scene?

KK: Charlotte, the city, is very nice. It’s similar to my city where I was born, in Zagreb. It’s easy to adapt to a city like this. We have a lot of sports here. I really like all sports and it’s an opportunity for me to go to basketball games. When the NFL will start I will go for sure to these games. I need to go to some baseball games. I (haven’t) yet, but yeah, I’m a fan of sports. If I have an opportunity, I will go.

AA: When you say that your hometown is similar to Charlotte, in what ways is it similar?

KK: It’s similar in population. It’s similar about how big the city is. This is the biggest city in Croatia. And I think this is a really big city, and outside it’s not really comparing uptown or downtown. Zagreb is all similar, like you have downtown. Here, it’s like you have big buildings in downtown and then outside is more houses. In Croatia, everywhere is buildings, like all of Zagreb is full of buildings. We don’t have so many houses. Only like 30 minutes away or 45 minutes away from Zagreb, then you have these houses, but normally in the city, it’s all buildings. But how big Charlotte is compared to Zagreb, I’m used to it.

AA: It seemed like last weekend against Montréal you were playing a lot of balls out of the back. Is that something that was specific to Montréal or is this something that the team is going to continue? Do you like doing that?

KK: Yeah, I like this because it’s our style of football from our coach. He wants this. Sometimes I had more balls (against Montréal) because this team pressed us very well...but if we control the game better, then maybe we will be more up and we won’t need to pass to me so many times, but I like this because I like to play with my feet, and I think that we play very well from behind but sometimes we must progress better. But this is about time, because three, four months we’ve been together and for this, you need more time, and I think we will progress better and better.

AA: How do you think Charlotte FC has performed up to this point in the season? Other players have said that you’re someone who talks about playoffs. Do you think Charlotte is at a good spot to eventually get there?

KK: I think that we have good results, but even some games we played really, really well, but we didn’t take even one point. Until now, every time I look at the standings, for me, it’s like every second game you must win if you want to play in the playoffs, because I looked at last year ... We need like 3-4 wins in a row or something like this, very good results in a row to make the playoffs without the pressure of needing to win the last five games in a row to make playoffs.

AA: Zoran (Krneta) and Miguel (Ángel Ramírez) have both talked about how they think you have the potential to make the Croatian men’s national team. How do you feel about that opportunity?

KK: This is one of my dreams to be on the national team because we have really big players and to be inside of that group, it would be fantastic for me, but in this moment, they didn’t decide to call me up. What can I say about this is I must work. I hope they will look this way, because MLS is a really strong league and I think I compare here with really good players, players who are on a high level and I play good games. But this is about the coach and he made the choice and I want all the best for the national team. If he will call me one day, I will be so proud and so happy, but now I must do work … For me, my focus is to be concentrated on Charlotte FC and my performance and it will come. I’m sure of this.

AA: Do you think it’s harder being in MLS to get on a coach’s radar like that versus if you were still playing back home or in a different league?

KK: Yes, I think it’s more difficult because even the time difference is like six hours. When we have a game at 8 o’clock, it’s like 2 o’clock in the morning there. It’s not easy to follow my games (from Europe). ... But I’m here and MLS is a great, great league. I will repeat again, with big players, with big teams, with big coaches, and I’m happy that I’m here, even if there is this problem with the national team, because this is my way to success and I don’t care. I am here and I want to be the best here, and I will show my quality more and then I will get my call for sure, one day.

AA: I’ve seen you exchange jerseys with a couple of MLS players. Is there a player out there you really want to get a jersey from?

KK: I’m sad because I didn’t take the jersey from (Carles) Gil from New England, because he’s a really fantastic guy and player. We played them two times already and until now I didn’t take the jersey from him, but I hope maybe next season or playoffs, I will (get his jersey). When I like somebody, I want to take their jersey. I don’t mean that when I don’t take it, I don’t like somebody ... Sometimes I choose to change (with other players or give to fans). Sometimes I choose to keep my jersey. When we played against the LA Galaxy, I chose to keep my jersey because it was the first home game. If it was a fifth home game, probably I will trade with Chicharito or somebody, Douglas Costa, or I don’t know who is interesting for me, but yeah, sometimes I decide to give to somebody or keep for myself.

AA: George Marks has stepped into goal for the U.S. Open Cup games when you’ve been out. How have you seen his game improve?

KK: I think he played really good games. He has a good attitude, good body shape, really good goalkeeper. With (Charlotte FC goalkeeper coach) Andy (Quy), we can grow up together, not just me and him. We also have Pablo (Sisniega) is a really good person and a great, great goalkeeper. We have quality in the goalkeeper position and I believe in them when I’m not in the goal and (the coaches) choose them. They’re really good goalkeepers. George is really young. He came from college. I expected that he wouldn’t be (as good) because I didn’t know how he trained at college, whether he had a good coach, bad coach, goalkeeper coach, but what I’ve seen is really good. And he will have a good career.

AA: How has it been working with Andy Quy?

KK: For me, it’s one of the reasons I came here, was because of the coaching squad who came from Europe, the Premiership (EFL Championship). He was eight or nine years in Stoke City, a goalkeeper coach. One of the points I came here was that I can learn something from him. Honestly, I think I progressed 30 percent from my performance in Europe. When I came here, with him, it’s like I’m really satisfied with how we train. It’s really hard. Sometimes I die at training. I cannot go with my feet, but the most important is my performance in games, and I’m really satisfied with how I feel in the games, how I feel in some situations. What I’ve had in the last two or three months, I didn’t have in the last five years in Europe. Great, great to work with him and I think we can progress more from my side and I will just keep working hard.