Charlotte FC competed with the Philadelphia Union in a hard-fought match that ended in a 2-2 draw at Subaru Park on Saturday, October 17.
The draw breaks the Union’s eight-match winning streak, denying them a ninth consecutive win that would tie Charlotte FC's consecutive win record from last season.
“I felt if we were a better version of ourselves, then we'd have a chance of winning this game,” Head Coach Dean Smith said. “I've mentioned today that you can stop them equaling our record from last season as well, which, I think gave the lads a little bit of impetus for the game as well.”
After an initial push from Philadelphia Union in the first 10 minutes, Charlotte FC began to control possession and the momentum. Idan Toklomati had a 1-on-1 with Andre Blake in the 16th minute but his shot hit the side netting.
In the 20th minute, a Kai Wagner shot from outside the box deflected off the hand of Rodolfo Aloko giving the Union a free kick. On the free kick, the initial shot deflected off Pep Biel and the second-chance opportunity for Philadelphia was saved by Kristijan Kahlina.
However, the referee ruled that Biel touched the ball with his hand on the initial deflection, giving the Union a penalty kick. Milan Iloski scored the penalty, and Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute.
The Crown began a sustained attack on Philadelphia to try and bring the match back level. Allan Saint-Maximin sent in a cross to Aloko but the header from the Benin international went over the goal in the 25th minute. Nine minutes later, Biel laid off a pass to Ashley Westwood in the middle of the box, but the strike went off the right post and Westwood couldn’t put the rebound on net.
The first half saw a trio of yellow cards for Charlotte FC as Maximin, Morrison and David Schnegg picked up cards.
Charlotte FC started the second half hot, scoring in the 48th minute to tie the game.
Toklomati played Aloko into the attacking third and the 19-year-old winger ran away from his defender before squaring up and beating Blake, scoring his second goal for The Crown.
“That was the message (at halftime), keep doing what we're doing and just get it wide a little bit quicker,” Smith said. “I just felt we could draw their wide players out, and get it round the corner, and we've done that for the first goal. So, a great finish for (Rodolfo Aloko).”
Iloski nearly gave Philadelphia the lead back in the 53rd minute with a chance right in front of goal but he knocked the shot off the cross bar. Kahlina preserved the 1-1 scoreline with a save in the 60th minute, denying Frankie Westfield a goal on a volley from the right side of the box.
With momentum on their side, Charlotte FC scored in the 62nd minute to take a 2-1 lead and shock the Subaru Park crowd.
Schnegg crossed the ball into the box and Toklomati rose up to put his head onto the ball. The ball bounced onto the ground heading into the left side of the goal with Blake unable to run over to the other side of the net to stop the shot from going in.
Toklomati broke Charlotte FC’s single-season MLS scoring record with the goal, his 13th of the season. He surpassed Karol Świderski and Biel for the record, doing so in his second full season as a member of The Crown.
“It's a great ball in, but his header, the way he leaps and then to guide it in the far side, it's a (Erling) Haaland-esque header, he's got that ability," Westwood said.
The Union didn’t let Charlotte FC’s lead sit for long, scoring in the 73rd minute when Bruno Damiani scored via a shot from the top of the box that went into the left corner.
Charlotte FC and Philadelphia traded possession as they both looked to find a winner to break the 2-2 score. In the 86th minute, The Crown came close to again gaining a leader but Henry Kessler's header went off the left post.
Cavan Sullivan almost had the Union's third goal but Kahlina denied him with a kick save in the 90+2 minute.
Neither side could find a winner even with 12 minutes of extra time and the match ended 2-2.
Charlotte FC has a week until the final leg of their three-game road trip, facing the Portland Timbers on Saturday, October 24, at 10:30 p.m. at Providence Park.
“To come here and to a team that are free flowing and I thought we matched them and I think we looked the better side, it's certainly pleasing,” Westwood said. “We get a few days to rest now and then it's another road trip to Portland, which we're looking forward to."
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