After a season that's been more roller coaster than soccer, Charlotte FC finally had something to celebrate Saturday with a 3-2 home victory against the Columbus Crew, snapping a five-game losing streak that included a previous defeat by the Crew this month and elimination from the U.S. Open Cup at the hands of DC United. The breakthrough for Charlotte came courtesy of forward Patrick Agyemang, who netted two early goals making the Columbus defenders chasing shadows, QC News reported.
The back-to-back goals from Agyemang energized the home crowd at Bank of America Stadium, with the forward first striking a corner from midfielder Pep Biel, then within minutes, landing another ball in the net, with an assist from forward Wilfried Zaha, the latter of which was not simply a point on the board it set the tone signaling a potential turnaround for the beleaguered team, and while Columbus did find an equalizer in the second half through Malte Amundsen, The Charlotte Observer detailed the home squad's renewed sense of aggression and urgency that has been sorely missing.
Yet, controversy was not absent from the matchup—a seemingly clear penalty on Agyemang went unnoticed by referees, leading to heated reactions from both fans and commentators alike, soccer commentator Caleb Adams voiced his disbelief on the lack of a call on what some perceived to be a blatant shove on Agyemang, calling into question the referee's decision-making during the key play, as documented in tweets embedded in WFMY News 2's coverage.
Biel eventually put Charlotte FC ahead again with a goal in the 75th minute, an effort described by head coach Dean Smith as a sign of the team showing excellent character, highlighting the importance of game management and the major improvements demonstrated by goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, who made several crucial saves leading to the victory, as Smith shared in an interview with The Charlotte Observer.
