A brilliant and sudden second-half surge by Charlotte FC earned them a hard-fought point in a 2-2 draw against FC Cincinnati.
FC Cincinnati took the lead in the 36th minute. A sensational one-handed save by Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina denied Cincinnati midfielder Evander’s free kick attempt. However, on the ricochet, Kévin Denkey knocked the ball in past Kahlina to give the visitors the lead.
Although he was denied on the free kick, Evander eventually got his goal. The Brazilian smashed in an impressive right-footed strike to double his side’s lead right before halftime.
But while The Crown were down, they were certainly not out.
A scintillating two-minute stretch in the second half made all the difference for Charlotte FC.
In the 51st minute, striker Idan Toklomati converted on a header effort to cut the lead to one.
Merely two minutes later, midfielder Pep Biel smacked in a gnarly strike to draw the hosts level.
Captain Ashley Westwood came incredibly close to scoring the match-winning goal in the 88th minute, but it was not to be as his shot narrowly missed.
Although Charlotte FC obviously would have liked to grab all three points, coming back to earn a draw after being down two goals is an admirable result.
Up next for Charlotte FC is a mid-week match against New York City FC. Kick-off is slated for 7:15 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium on Wednesday. The Crown prevailed in the most recent meeting, with a 1-2 win on the road last month.
MAY 13TH // CHARLOTTE FC vs. NEW YORK CITY FC
A rematch of the 2025 MLS Cup First Round matchup as Charlotte FC will take on New York City FC on May 13th at 7:15 p.m.
