Toronto FC's miserable May ends in 2-0 loss to Charlotte FC

Globe and Mail

2 days ago

Second-half goals by Pep Biel and Patrick Agyemang lifted Charlotte FC to a comfortable 2-0 win over Toronto FC in MLS play Saturday.
It was largely one-way traffic in the first half with Charlotte, with the wind at its back, in control on a sunny, blustery evening before an announced crowd of 19,406 at BMO Field. The visitors outshot TFC 12-0 (4-0 in shots on target) in the first 45 minutes with Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson, celebrating his 36th birthday, keeping Toronto in the game.
TFC began to show signs of life in the second half, only to fall behind to Biel's 56th-minute strike. Ivory Coast attacker Wilfried Zaha started the play, finding Liel Abada on the right edge of the penalty box. The Israeli forward cut inside, drawing defenders, before feeding an unmarked Biel for a tap-in in front of goal.
Johnson continued to make big stops in the second half. But he could not stop Agyemang, on a solo run, in the 90th minute. It was the sixth goal of the season for the U.S. international.
Charlotte outshot Toronto 18-7 (9-2) in shots on target.
The game marked a return for Toronto fullback Richie Laryea, out since March 1 with a hamstring injury, and former Toronto winger Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, on loan to Charlotte from CF Montreal, in his first game back at BMO Field since being traded away in August 2024
Laryea came off the bench to cheers in the 77th minute, his first action since TFC's second league game of the season. And the abrasive fullback wasted no time getting in the face of Zaha and Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood.
Laryea was shown a yellow card nine minutes after coming on.
May has been a month of missed opportunities for Toronto (3-10-4), with two wins and five losses. All the more wasteful given Toronto went 1-5-0 at BMO Field, collecting just three of a possible 18 points at home (a 2-0 victory over D.C. United on May 10 remains its lone home win of the season).
Charlotte (8-8-1) went into weekend play in ninth place, the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference — five places and nine points ahead of Toronto. Charlotte also had a poor May, going 2-6-0 in all competitions before the Toronto visit.
Charlotte went into Saturday's game with a 1-6-1 road record, which ranked 28th in the 30-team league. Toronto's 1-6-2 home record, meanwhile, ranked 29th.
The visitors came close in the 18th minute with a diving Johnson stopping Biel's shot. Seconds later, defender Raoul Petretta's desperate goal-line clearance denied Agyemang.
Johnson stopped Zaha from close range in the 30th and 35th minute.
Toronto brought on Derrick Etienne Jr. and Sigur Rosted to start the second half and began to show signs of life.
Captain Jonathan Osorio recorded Toronto's first shot, albeit off target, in the 53rd minute. And Charlotte goalkeeper David Bingham was finally called into action a minute later, coming off his line to stop Ola Brynhildsen
Toronto was coming off a painful 2-1 mid-week loss to visiting Philadelphia, which scored 86th- and 92nd-minute goals for the win.
Charlotte lost 4-2 mid-week at the New York Red Bulls after a 3-2 home win over Columbus last Saturday that snapped a five-game league losing streak.
Toronto coach Robin Fraser made four changes to the starting 11 that faced Philadelphia with Lazar Stefanovic, Kosi Thompson, Maxime Dominguez and Lorenzo Insigne slotting in.
It made for a young starting back three with 18-year-old Stefanovic and 21-year-old Zane Monlouis playing alongside the 28-year-old Petretta.
Winger Federico Bernardeschi, who like Thompson was suspended mid-week, did not dress due to a muscle strain.
Bingham, making his first league start since October 2023, replaced Kristijan Kahlina, last year's MLS Goalkeeper of the year, in the Charlotte goal. Kahlina's form has been spotty of late.
Charlotte, which joined the league in 2022, recorded its second-ever win north of the border (the first came April 12 in a 1-0 decision at CF Montreal). It is now 2-5-2 in Canada.
Saturday's victory was also Charlotte's 50th in all competitions (50-50-29).
Toronto was missing injured defenders Nicksoen Gomis, Henry Wingo and Kobe Franklin and forward Deandre Kerr.
Saturday's game was TFC's annual Indigenous Heritage Night.
It also marked the working debut of one of the four new video screens to be installed ahead of next year's World Cup — one at each corner of the stadium. The two screens at the north end are now in place but only the northwest one is working at this time.
With the FIFA international window looming, Toronto doesn't play again until June 13 at Los Angeles FC. Seven of TFC's 17 remaining games after the break are on the road.