Abada, Agyemane, Privett find the net to defend the home pitch.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β Charlotte FC was back home Saturday a week after a road win against CF Montreal. This time, Charlotte was facing the new kid on the block: San Diego FC, which was chartered only recently and is now in its first season with Major League Soccer.
Β San Diego came to the Queen City bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with four wins, two draws and three losses this season. They even have a former Charlotte player on the roster: Hamady Diop, a defender from Senegal.
The black and blue, however, didn’t give the new team an easy time. Rather, Charlotte decided to give San Diego a different welcoming gift: another tally in their loss column, with no chance to answer at all.
Liel Abada, a midfielder, got the scoring started for Charlotte 11 minutes in with an assist from fellow midfielder Pep Biel. A reminder: Biel kicked in the only goal of last week’s away win against Montreal.Β
Charlotte was awarded a penalty, and San Diego defender AndrΓ©s Reyes was hit with a red card after earning two yellows, meaning San Diego had to play the rest of the match with 10 players. Striker Patrick Agyemang found the net just before the break, lifting Charlotte to a 2-0 lead in the first half.
It didn’t stop in the second half, either. Defender Andrew Privet got an assist from team captain Ashley Westwood to give Charlotte a third goal at the 57-minute mark, which was also Privett’s first goal in the MLS.Β
San Diego, ultimately, had no answer, even with four minutes of stoppage time after 90 minutes of regulation play.
Charlotte FC defends its home pitch 3-0 against San Diego, tacking on three more MLS standing points.
The black and blue are back home again on Saturday, April 26, to host New England Revolution. Atrium Health is presenting a special giveaway, with the first fans arriving to get a limited-edition summer scarf.
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