Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting converted two second-half penalty kicks to help the New York Red Bulls produce a 4-2 victory over Charlotte FC on Wednesday night at Harrison, N.J.
Wiktor Bogacz and Mohammed Sofo scored first-half goals as the Red Bulls (7-6-3, 24 points) won their second straight match and improved to 6-1-1 at home this season.
Kerwin Vargas and Liel Abada scored for Charlotte FC (7-8-1, 22 points), which dropped to 1-6-1 on the road.
Charlotte pulled within 3-2 in the 76th minute after Tyger Smalls created an opportunity. Goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel used his left foot to save Smalls’ closed-range left-footed shot and the rebound went toward the charging Abada, who knocked it in with his right foot.
Charlotte continued to push forward but was unable to get the equalizer. And when Adilson Malanda was called for a foul in the box, Choupo-Moting took another penalty kick and booted the ball into the left corner of the net in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time to sew up the match.
Choupo-Moting leads the Red Bulls with nine goals.
Coronel had four saves for New York, while Charlotte’s Kristijan Kahlina had just one stop.
Charlotte had a 12-10 edge in shots and placed six on target to New York’s five.
The Red Bulls struck first in the 14th minute as Kyle Duncan threaded a forward pass to Bogacz, who sent a left-footed shot into the net.
Charlotte knotted the score in the 26th minute when a loose ball landed near Vargas and he sent a left-footed shot past the dive of Coronel.
Three minutes later, New York moved back ahead when Wiki Carmona sent the ball toward the net and Sofo used the outside of his right foot to deflect it past Kahlina.
The Red Bulls took a 3-1 lead in the 70th minute after Choupo-Moting was knocked down in the box by Charlotte’s Andrew Privett and New York was awarded a penalty kick.
Choupo-Moting stood at the spot and sent a soft shot into the center of the net while Kahlina was diving to his left.
–Field Level Media
