CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte FC got a single point added to their Major League Soccer standing after reaching a 1-1 draw Saturday with the visiting New York Red Bulls. But Charlotte's only goal of the night wasn't even kicked in by one of the team's players.
Rather, it was an own goal late in the match, courtesy of defender Andrés Reyes for the Red Bulls.
The first goal of the night was for New York, struck in by Elias Manoel 43 minutes in. Halftime came and went, but for much of the second half, neither Charlotte FC nor the Red Bulls could find the net.
That was, until Reyes inadvertently knocked the ball into the Red Bulls' goalposts
In his debut on the pitch, Charlotte forward Vinicius Mello made a pass to fellow forward Kerwin Vargas, who then took aim at New York's goal. In an attempt to defend, however, the Red Bulls' Reyes slid onto the grass to try to knock the ball away.
Instead, it went into the goal, granting Charlotte FC a point for the match 74 minutes in.
The remaining 26 minutes of official time and seven minutes of stoppage time would see neither team break the tie. The match closed with a draw, and both teams add one league point onto the board.
The black and blue are on the road next week, facing Toronto FC in Canada. The last matchups between both teams resulted in losses for Charlotte. Toronto blanked Charlotte both times in the 2022 season. The first time the teams met was on July 23, 2022. Toronto FC won 4-0 to soundly defend their home pitch. The neighbors from up north would win 2-0 at Bank of America Stadium about a month later.