The black and blue tried to even the board, but the effort fell short. Chicago’s successive goals early in the match set the tone.
CHICAGO β We’ll cut to the chase for this one: Charlotte FC lost on Saturday in a road match against the Chicago Fire. They were aiming for revenge from a previous home loss, but the black and blue were beaten again, this time 3-2. And Saturday’s loss came just days after another road loss, where Sporting Kansas City beat them 2-1.
The big question: what happened on Saturday? The answer: Chicago came out swinging, and Charlotte couldn’t hit back hard enough.
Chicago’s scoring happened early and back-to-back. Midfielder Philip Zinckernagel shot the ball in just 23 minutes into the match with an assist from fellow midfielder Jonathan Dean. Just two minutes later, Zinckernagel helped fellow midfielder Brian GutiΓ©rrez find the net. And eight minutes later, striker Hugo Cupers kicked it in to make it a blistering 3-0 game for the home team.
The black and blue did try to come back in the second half. Midfielder Pep Biel got a leg up from winger Wilfried Zaha to put Charlotte on the board 56 minutes into the match. Three minutes after that, striker Idan Toklomati got a boost from Biel to make the score 3-2.
Charlotte just needed one more goal to even the scoreboard and at least leave with a draw. But that didn’t happen. The black and blue couldn’t muster it, and Chicago defended its home pitch. Charlotte loses three MLS standings points as a result of the burn.
Charlotte returns to Bank of America Stadium for a home match on Saturday, July 5, facing Orlando City SC. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Eastern, and it’s a special giveaway night presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield NC. The first fans to arrive will get a limited-edition straw hat emblazoned with the club’s logo.
Download WCNC+ on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV or Apple TV, and stream the news that impacts you for free.
