Austin FC’s Jon Gallagher came off the bench to produce the equalizer in the 80th minute as the homestanding Verde came from behind to forge a 2-2 draw with Charlotte FC on Saturday in an interconference match, just the second ever between the two sides.
Austin (8-10-7, 31 points) snapped a two-match losing streak and goes to the Leagues Cup break in 10th place in the Western Conference standings. Charlotte (10-8-7, 37 points) drew for the second straight contest and remains in sixth in the East.
The Verde struck first as Alexander Ring headed home a pass from Dani Pereira in the 11th minute after a pass from Jader Obrian. Ring swooped in at the back post for a pass from Pereira after a short handoff from Obrian on a play that actually began with Ring’s pass to Obrian.
But what Ring giveth, he also gave away. The Austin midfielder was whistled for a foul in the box against the Crown’s Iuri Tavares in the 32nd minute, granting Charlotte a penalty kick. Karol Swiderski converted from the spot a minute on, beating Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver and tying the match at 1-1.
Swiderski had a chance to give the Crown the lead a minute after the halftime break but clanged a shot off the crossbar from the left side of the box. He also had a chance in the 52nd minute on which Stuver made a fabulous save on a shot that carried a 35 percent chance on goal expectancy.
Tavares put Charlotte on top in the 56th minute when he netted a left-footed shot from the center of the box after a soft crossing pass from Ashley Westwood. Tavares outfought Austin defender Hector Jimenez for the pass then slipped into the right corner of the goal.
Tavares had another chance in the 63rd minute as did the Verde’s Diego Rubio in the 77th minute, but both opportunities were stopped.
Austin produced the equalizer in the 80th minute when Gallagher beat Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina at the near post after a dynamite pass from Rubio. Ring also got an assist on the goal for the pass that started the scoring chance.
The Crown’s Ben Bender had a final shot on goal in the sixth minute of added time but it was saved by Stuver, and the sides split the points.
–Field Level Media