Toronto FC (3W-5L-5T, 14 points) fell to a 3-1 road defeat against Charlotte FC (5W-6L-3T, 18 points) on Saturday evening at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina.
TFC Head Coach Robin Fraser made three changes from the side that hosted Inter Miami CF last Saturday with Jackson Gilman, Derrick Etienne Jr. and Emilio Aristizábal coming in for Zane Monlouis, Markus Cimermancic and Deandre Kerr.
A frenetic opening half in North Carolina saw the ball hit the back of the net four times in the space of 16 minutes, as both Eastern Conference clubs traded blows in an end-to-end spell of attacking football at the multi-purpose stadium.
Charlotte FC opened the scoring when Kerwin Vargas delivered a cross for Wilfried Zaha, who guided a low finish into the bottom-left corner in the 19th minute.
The Reds responded immediately in emphatic fashion, as Jonathan Osorio picked out Derrick Etienne Jr. on the left flank. The Haitian attacker, who was recently named to Haiti’s final FIFA World Cup 26™ roster, cut inside with neat footwork before unleashing a powerful long-range strike that crashed in off the crossbar to level the match at one apiece.
The 22nd minute strike marked Etienne Jr.’s third MLS goal of 2026 and Osorio’s third assist of the campaign.
Five minutes later, Toronto FC thought they had struck again when Jackson Gilman, making his MLS debut after signing a short-term agreement from Toronto FC II ahead of the match, rose to meet Alonso Coello’s free-kick and powered a header into the net following a perfectly-timed run. The celebrations were short-lived, however, as the goal was disallowed following an on-field VAR review for a perceived foul from Jonathan Osorio in the build-up.
Charlotte restored their advantage when Kerwin Vargas found David Schnegg outside the box, with the Austrian left-back drilling a precise low strike into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
French defender Nicksoen Gomis made his long-awaited return from an Achilles injury in the 58th minute for the Reds, replacing Raheem Edwards for his first club appearance against New England Revolution since May 3, 2025.
Toronto were later denied a penalty in the 64th minute after Kobe Franklin went down in the box, with play continuing after a sequence which saw a ricochet off Franklin's head onto the post.
Seeking a spark in the final third, TFC II winger Fletcher Bank was introduced to make his Toronto FC debut, replacing Malik Henry in the 78th minute.
The Crown were awarded a penalty in the 84th minute after Jonathan Osorio was adjudged to have fouled Morrison Agyemang at the back post from a corner, with Pep Biel stepping up to convert from the spot to make it 3-1 and secure all three points in the Matchday 14 encounter.
The Reds wrap up their MLS regular season action prior to the FIFA World Cup 26™ break with a visit to Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, May 23. Kick-off from Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast globally on Apple TV and on TSN4 in Canada.
LINEUPS
CHARLOTTE FC – Kristijan Kahlina; Nathan Byrne (Will Cleary 75’), Morrison Agyemang, Andrew Privett, David Schnegg; Pep Biel (Luca De La Torre 87’), Ashley Westwood (C), Brandt Bronico (Djibril Diani 65’); Kerwin Vargas (Rodolfo Aloko 66’), Wilfried Zaha, Idan Toklomati (Archie Goodwin 75’)
Substitutes Not Used: Tyler Miller, Henry Kessler, Aron John, Liel Abada
TORONTO FC – Luka Gavran; Kobe Franklin, Walker Zimmerman, Jackson Gilman, Raheem Edwards (Nicksoen Gomis 58’); Alonso Coello, Jonathan Osorio (C), Malik Henry (Fletcher Bank 78’), Dániel Sallói, Derrick Etienne Jr.; Emilio Aristizábal
Substitutes Not Used: William Yarbrough, Adisa De Rosario, Dékwon Barrow, Stefan Kapor, Luca Costa-bile
MEDIA NOTES
- Toronto FC II defender Jackson Gilman made his Major League Soccer debut as a starter for Toronto FC.
- TFC II midfielder Fletcher Bank made his Toronto FC debut as a 78th minute substitute, becoming the 12th player to debut for the Reds during the 2026 MLS season.
