Toronto FC's comeback failed as a late Ajemang goal gave Charlotte FC a 3-2 win.

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Substitute Patrick Agyemang scored in the 85th minute to send TFC to its third straight loss in Charlotte's 3-2 win over Toronto FC on Saturday.

The six-foot-four forward outpaced two Toronto defenders in front of goal to reach a low cross from an unmarked Brecht Dejaeger on the right flank. It was his second goal of the Senior football season.

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Salt was added to the wound when Toronto centre-back Kevin Long was sent off for a second yellow after bringing down Agyemang in second-half stoppage time.

Toronto (3-4-1) appeared to salvage a point in the 70th minute with Prince Owusu's second goal of the night after Israeli international winger Liel Abada put Charlotte (3-3-2) ahead. his first MLS goal.

Abada pounced on an errant pass from Toronto midfielder Alonso Coello and beat defender Nixon Gomis with a well-placed low shot past Sean Johnson. The young signing, who has been dangerous all night, is making his third start since joining the club from Scottish side Celtic.

Toronto responded eight minutes later with Owusu again in the right place at the right time, tapping in Jehkiele Marshall-Rutty's deflected cross for his third of the season. TFC's attack started with a steal from Italian Federico Bernardeschi.

Toronto, which is missing half a dozen players due to injury, is 10-3 in its last three games.

Toronto was forced to defend for most of the first half, looking to counterattack as much as possible. Both teams lacked clinical finishing in the early stages.

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That changed in the 39th minute when Toronto couldn't handle a long ball aimed at striker Enzo Copetti. The ball fell to Charlotte's Kerwin Vargas, who beat Johnson from the edge of the penalty area with a low shot past the defender's legs.

The 22-year-old Colombian striker celebrated his first season with a back-to-back strike in his 50th regular season MLS game.

Owusu stuck out his left foot in the 49th minute and Bernardeschi scored from close range. The German forward, who had just come on, perfectly timed his run to stay in the game.

Abada hit the post, then deflected the rebound in the 55th minute when a free kick was found in the Toronto penalty area. But referee Allen Chapman killed the game, seemingly for Charlotte, who prevented Marshall-Rutty from tagging the Israeli player.

The visit to Bank of America Stadium marked TFC's fifth road game in eight games and its second against Charlotte.

When the two teams met at home in Toronto on March 9, TFC won 1-0. Lorenzo Insigne, who won that day, was among the injured in Toronto. The win improved TFC's record to 2-0-1. But John Herdman's club is 1-3-0 heading into Saturday's game, including a 4-0 loss in Vancouver last Saturday.

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Charlotte, which improved to 3-0-1 at home this season, lost 1-0 in New England last time out and has won just once in four games (1-2-1) since the Toronto game.

Toronto entered the weekend in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte was down two points in the ninth.

Charlotte, still winless at 0-3-1 this season, was 2-0-1 at home through Saturday, where its average attendance this season was 30,778 — second only to Atlanta's 50,961.

Scoring has been a problem for both teams, with just six goals against in their first seven games – an average of 0.86, which ties the two for 25th in offense. Compare that to Vancouver's 2.33 goals per game, tops in the league.

Both teams were better defensively, with Charlotte third in the league in allowing an average of 0.86 goals per game. Toronto's numbers gave up 1.29 goals per game after losing to Vancouver with Herdman's team tied for 12th.

Marshall-Rutty and Owusu started the second half for Toronto in place of Raul Petretta, who missed the previous four games with a groin injury, and Deandre Kerr, who went down briefly in the first half.

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Toronto was without injured Insigne, Richie Laria, Shane O'Neal, Jordan Perruzza, Brandon Servania and Tyrese Spicer.

Injuries prompted TFC to sign 17-year-old Toronto FC II midfielder Andrej Dumitru to a short-term MLS deal.

Herdman made three changes to his starting XI, with Sigurd Rosted, Petretta and Alonso Coello replacing Shane O'Neill, Marshall-Rutty and Spicer. Petretta had missed the last four games with a hip injury.

Former Canadian captain Scott Arfield started in a backup role for Copetti for Charlotte, who were without defenders Nate Byrne and Adilson Malanda and midfielders Ben Bender and Brandon Cambridge.

Toronto hosts New England next Saturday, and Charlotte hosts Minnesota the following day.

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This Canadian Press report was first published on April 13, 2024.

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