Aaron Boupendza scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time as FC Cincinnati rallied for a 1-1 tie with host Charlotte FC on Saturday night.
FC Cincinnati (3-0-3, 12 points) had won its previous two matches.
Djibril Diani scored on a penalty kick in the 60th minute for Charlotte FC (2-2-2, 8 points).
Kristijan Kahlina had four saves for Charlotte, while Roman Celetano had just one stop for Cincinnati.
Cincinnati applied pressure during stoppage time and DeAndre Yedlin sent a little tap pass to Boupendza, who was wide open in front of the net and easily smacked the ball into the open net for the tie.
Cincinnati had a 17-15 edge in shots and placed five shots on target to Charlotte’s two.
Cincinnati star Luciano Acosta took two shots and neither was on target. Last weekend, Acosta became just the seventh player in MLS history with at least 60 goals and 80 assists.
The penalty kick for Charlotte was called when Cincinnati’s Yuya Kubo took down Diani in the box in the 58th minute.
Two minutes later, Diani stood at the spot and approached. Celetano dove to his right as Diani hammered the ball right into the center of the net. The goal came in the Frenchman’s third MLS match.
In the 81st minute, when Cincinnati was still trailing, Luca Orellano sent a right-footed shot on goal that Kahlina tipped over the net.
This was the fifth MLS meeting between the clubs. Cincinnati holds a 2-1-2 edge.
Both teams took seven shots in the first half with Cincinnati placing the only two on target.
Corey Baird took a close right-footed shot in the 26th minute that was easily stopped by Kahlina.
Two minutes later, Kubo took a right-footer from the center of the box that Kahlina also saved.
Eight minutes into the second half, Patrick Agyemang had a solid opportunity, but his right-footed shot sailed wide to the right.
–Field Level Media
