3 days ago
Toronto FC's miserable May ends in 2-0 loss to visiting Charlotte FC
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TORONTO — 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Charlotte outshot Toronto 18-7 (9-2) in shots on target.
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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
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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.
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Laryea was shown a yellow card nine minutes after coming on.
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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).
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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.
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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.
