Idan Toklomati scored his first career MLS hat trick to bring his season total to 11 goals and Charlotte FC won their ninth consecutive MLS game, defeating Lionel Messi and visiting Inter Miami 2-0 on Saturday night.
Reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Kristijan Kahlina made five saves to preserve his 10th clean sheet, including denying Messi’s penalty in the 32nd minute when the match was still scoreless.
Wilfried Zaha provided an assist and earned a late penalty after Miami defender Tomas Aviles was sent off in the 79th minute for a second booking.
That was enough for The Crown (17-11-2, 53 points) to earn a result that could see them finish the night only four points behind Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia.
It also continued a streak that ties an MLS record since the league stopped deciding regular season ties matches via shootouts in 1999. Charlotte’s nine consecutive wins match the Seattle Sounders’ nine-game winning run from July 21 to Sept. 15 of 1998.
Miami (13-6-7, 46 points) was shut out for the second consecutive match in all competitions for the first time this season and missed an opportunity to move up from sixth place in the East.
Ten of Toklomati’s team-leading goals total has come since June 25 as he has inherited the center forward role vacated by the outgoing Patrick Agyemang.
On Saturday, Toklomati opened the scoring in the 34th minute on a well-worked Charlotte break.
Ashley Westwood’s excellent diagonal ball played Kerwin Vargas into space down the right. Vargas dragged a low cross back toward the penalty spot, where Toklomati met it in stride for a first-time finish between goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and the left post.
The 21-year-old doubled Charlotte’s lead two minutes into the second half after what may have been an even more impressive buildup.
This time it was Zaha slaloming in from the right and then laying off a clever pass to play Brandt Bronico’s run into the box.
And Bronico played the low cross for the late-arriving Toklomati’s emphatic finish.
Kahlina made another crucial save in the 72nd minute to deny Tadeo Allende on a breakaway chance Messi created. Seven minutes later, the match was effectively over as Aviles cynically pulled back Toklomati on a potential counterattack and received a deserved second caution from referee Sergii Boiko.
Toklomati nailed a penalty in the 84th minute for the 3-0 final.
–Field Level Media
