Idan Toklomati scored the tiebreaking goal on a header during a set piece in the 87th minute as visiting Charlotte FC ran its winning streak to eight games with a physical 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass.
Toklomati’s game-winner came moments after Charlotte’s Kristijan Kahlina made a diving save on Carles Gil in a contest that featured 37 fouls. Charlotte (16-11-2, 50 points) survived five players getting yellow cards and committing 22 of those fouls.
Charlotte capitalized late when Liel Abada won a free kick after being fouled by Mamadou Fofana and Ashley Westwood took the kick against a nine-man wall. Westwood hooked the ball to the right and Toklomati punched in a powerful header to the lower left side of the net after leaping over a defender.
It was Toklomati’s eighth goal of the season and fifth during Charlotte’s 8-0-1 stretch.
Kahlina made five saves and set up the game-winner by making a diving right arm save on Gil’s shot from the top of the box in the 86th. Kahlina capped his latest win by easily stopping a free kick in the final seconds of stoppage time.
Brandt Bronico scored in the 12th minute for Charlotte, which earned the franchise’s first road win over New England.
Ignatius Ganago scored in the 24th for New England (8-13-7, 31 points), but the Revolution dropped to 3-9-2 at home.
New England goalie Matt Turner finished with three saves.
Bronico secured his first goal since March 22 when he finished off a second effort after getting the rebound of his own header. Bronico initially got a headed ball from Kerwin Vargas, but the first header was stopped before he put the ball by Turner’s right arm.
A minute after Alhassan Yusuf clanged a shot off the left post, New England got the equalizer. Leo Campana got Kahlina out of position and Ganago chipped in a left foot shot from the center of the box past New England defender Tim Ream.
–Field Level Media
