Agyemang scores brace as Charlotte beat Philadelphia

Updated: Jun 23, 2024, 03:34 am

Patrick Agyemang's second-half brace led Charlotte FC to a 2-0 road victory over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

Charlotte FC are unbeaten (3-0-1) over their last four matches and are 6-1-3 in their last 10 matches.

Philadelphia is winless (0-3-3) in its last six matches. After posting one of the league's most dominant home records over the 2020-23 seasons, the Union are only 1-6-3 at home during the 2024 campaign.

Agyemang put Charlotte (9-6-5, 32 points) ahead in the 56th minute, converting a header off a Jere Uronen cross from near the corner area.

Seven minutes later, Agyemang followed up with his team-leading fifth goal. The striker took the ball outside the box, found a bit of space amidst some light defending from Jakob Glesnes, and then drilled home a big left-footed shot.

Agyemang's first two-goal performance in MLS highlighted perhaps Charlotte FC's best offensive performance of the season. Charlotte's 18 total shots and seven shots on target were both season highs for the team.

Charlotte has scored only 23 goals in its 20 matches, but the club has conceded the second-fewest (20) goals in of any MLS team.

The Union (4-7-8, 20 points) held 56.9 percent of the possession, but were shut out for the third time this season. Two of those clean sheets came against Charlotte FC, as the two clubs also played to a 0-0 draw on May 25.

Kristijan Kahlina made seven saves for his league-leading ninth shutout of the season.

The goalkeeper made an uncharacteristic mistake in the fourth minute that almost led to an early Philadelphia goal. Tai Baribo stole the ball after Kahlina took a casual approach to a goal kick, and defender Adilson Malanda just barely got back in time to clear the ball before Baribo's shot crossed the goal line.

After that miscue, Kahlina returned to his usual form. He denied Quinn Sullivan on a pair of quality chances in the 66th and 67th minutes, first knocking a Sullivan shot over the bar and then stopping Sullivan at close range.