Karol Swiderski scored on two first-half penalty kicks and assisted on a second-half goal and Charlotte FC defeated visiting Toronto FC 3-0 on Wednesday in a matchup of two of the bottom teams in the Eastern Conference.
Brecht Dejaegere scored in the second half, the midfielder’s first MLS goal in seven career games.
It was a long-awaited outcome for Charlotte FC (8-11-12, 36 points), which was winless in its previous six matches (0-4-2).
Charlotte scored three goals by the 56th minute, equaling the team’s highest total in an MLS match this season.
Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina made three saves for his fourth clean sheet of the season.
Toronto (4-18-10, 22 points) lost its fifth consecutive game. The team has allowed at least three goals in the past four defeats. Goalkeeper Luka Gavran was credited with three saves on Wednesday.
Swiderski has 11 goals this season, including four in his past four matches. He is the 10th player in MLS history to reach at least the 10-goal mark in each of an expansion team’s first two seasons.
He deposited both penalty kicks in the left corner, with those coming in the eighth minute and in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.
Swiderski’s first scoring chance came after Gavran’s bad foul on Kamil Jozwiak in the penalty area following a Charlotte corner kick. The second penalty kick came after Alonso Coello’s foul on Ashley Westwood in the box.
Swiderski helped set up Dejaegere’s goal as Charlotte produced nifty passing in the box to be in position for a goal on a highlight-reel scoring sequence.
Swiderski subbed out in the 79th minute, ending his chances to go for a hat trick.
Toronto defender Sigurd Rosted departed late in the first half with an injury.
Charlotte ended up with a 10-5 edge in corner kicks.
The teams played to a 2-2 draw on April 1.
–Field Level Media
