Toronto FC (3W-4L-1T, 10 points) fell 3-2 to Charlotte FC (3W-3L-2T, 11 points) on Saturday night in North Carolina. The hosts emerged victorious in the five-goal thriller at the Bank of America Stadium after goals from Kerwin Vargas, Liel Abada and Patrick Agyemang cancelled a pair of equalizers from TFC forward Prince Owusu.

First Half:

TFC Head Coach John Herdman made three changes to the starting lineup from last weekend’s trip to Vancouver, with Sigurd Rosted, Alonso Coello and Raoul Petretta coming in for Shane O’Neill, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Tyrese Spicer in the Reds’ second and final MLS regular season matchup against Dean Smith’s Charlotte FC in 2024.

The two goalkeepers were called into action early on in Charlotte, with Kerwin Vargas and Deybi Flores testing Sean Johnson and Kristijan Kahlina respectively with long-range efforts in the opening 10 minutes. Kahlina then produced another fine save to deny Federico Bernardeschi, when the Italian wing-back cut in from the flank and tested the Croatian goalkeeper from close-range in the 27^th minute.

Eight minutes later, Charlotte opened the scoring on the night, when a long ball from Bill Tuiloma found Enzo Copetti to set up Kerwin Vargas, who unleashed a right-footed shot from the top of the box into the Toronto net. The Colombian winger’s 37^th minute goal proved enough to give the hosts a lead to protect going into the break for only the second time this season.

Second Half:

The Reds made two changes at the interval with Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Prince Owusu replacing Raoul Petretta and Deandre Kerr. Prince made an instant impact at the Bank when the forward showcased awareness and instinct to smartly redirect Bernardeschi’s low cross and equalize for the Reds just four minutes into the second half. The combination between Prince and Bernardeschi marked the German’s second MLS goal of the season and the Italian’s first assist for the Reds in 2024.

The Crown found the net five minutes later through Liel Abada’s shot following an intelligent set-piece delivery from Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood. The 54^th minute effort, however, was chalked off instantly with referee Allen Chapman adjudging Scott Arfield to have fouled Marshall-Rutty in the build-up. Fifteen minutes later however, Charlotte took the lead for the second time on the night when Israeli winger Liel Abada fired past Johnson at the far post to score his first goal for the Crown.

TFC wasted little time and hit back with a quick response of their own when Prince Owusu cleverly tapped home a deflected effort from Marshall-Rutty past Kahlina in the 78^th minute. The goal, Prince’s second of the night, marked the German’s first brace for Toronto FC and the club’s first brace since Jonathan Osorio recorded a pair of goals against FC Cincinnati on September 30, 2023.

Charlotte FC, however, responded soon after with a neatly worked goal when Patrick Agyemang converted Brecht Dejaegere’s low cross in the 85^th minute. The Reds were reduced to 10 men late on as Irish defender Kevin Long picked up a second yellow card for a last-man challenge on Agyemang in the final minute of play. The fifth goal of the affair proved to be decisive with the American forward’s strike standing as the game-winner and Charlotte FC held on to edge out Toronto FC 3-2 at the Bank of America Stadium.

LINEUPS

CHARLOTTE FC – Kristijan Kahlina; Jaylin Lindsey, Bill Tuiloma, Andrew Privett, Jere Uronen; Scott Arfield (Brecht Dejaegere 67’), Ashley Westwood (C), Djibril Diani; Liel Abada (Júnior Urso 90+1’), Kerwin Vargas, Enzo Copetti (Patrick Agyemang 79’)

Substitutes Not Used: David Bingham, João Pedro Reginaldo, Brandt Bronico, Nicholas Scardina, Nikola Petković, Iúri Tavares

TORONTO FC – Sean Johnson; Sigurd Rosted (Aimé Mabika 79’), Kevin Long, Nicksoen Gomis; Federico Bernardeschi, Alonso Coello (Kobe Franklin 76’), Deybi Flores, Matty Longstaff (Kosi Thompson 71’), Raoul Petretta (Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty 46’); Jonathan Osorio (C), Deandre Kerr (Prince Owusu 46’)

Substitutes Not Used: Luka Gavran, Cassius Mailula, Andrei Dumitru, Ayo Akinola

NOTABLES:

• Prince Owusu scored his first brace for Toronto FC
• Federico Bernardeschi registered his first assist of the 2024 Major League Soccer campaign.

POSTMATCH SOUND

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