Under the bright lights of BMO Field, Toronto FC hoped to turn the tide of their turbulent season. But Charlotte FC had other plans.
TFC Head Coach Robin Fraser made four changes to the lineup that started Wednesday’s match against the Philadelphia Union with Henry Wingo, Derrick Etienne Jr., Alonso Coello and Theo Corbeanu making way for Kosi Thompson, Lazar Stefanovic, Maxime Dominguez and Lorenzo Insigne. Winger Federico Bernardeschi was absent due to a muscle strain.
From the first whistle, the visitors dictated the pace. Toronto’s goalkeeper, Sean Johnson, was forced into some early saves, denying Charlotte’s Patrick Agyemang with a stunning goal-line clearance by Raoul Petretta in the 18th minute. The home crowd roared in approval, but their optimism was short-lived.
Charlotte struck first in the 56th minute. Wilfried Zaha and Liel Abada combined beautifully, threading a pass to Spanish midfielder Pep Biel, who calmly slotted the ball past Johnson. Toronto scrambled to respond, creating chances through Ola Brynhildsen, Jonathan Osorio, Maxime Dominguez, and Lorenzo Insigne, but none could find the back of the net.
As the clock ticked down, Charlotte sealed their victory in the 90th minute, Agyemang broke free, weaving past defenders before firing home the second goal. The final whistle blew, confirming Toronto’s 2-0 defeat.
It was a frustrating night for TFC, who had hoped to salvage something from their difficult run. But as they looked ahead to their next challenge against Los Angeles FC on June 13, they knew they had to regroup, refocus, and find a way to turn their fortunes around.