CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The last time Charlotte FC took on Colorado Rapids was in the black and blue's inaugural season in 2022. Neither team found the net, ending the match in a scoreless draw.
This time, both teams found the net. But history repeated itself as the match ended once again in a draw. Both teams left the pitch at Bank of America Stadium with two goals each and a point added to the Major League Soccer standings.
A draw does mean Charlotte FC only adds a single point to the league standings as opposed to the three associated with a win. But a draw this week with two goals to the team's name is a much different story than last week's road loss against Real Salt Lake.
Neither Charlotte nor Colorado got the scoring action started early by any means. The first half of the match came and went with no goals for either team. 54 minutes in, however, Max Alves found the net for Colorado.
It didn't take long for Charlotte FC to answer. Kerwin Vargas scored just eight minutes later, tying it up with less than 30 minutes left. Kamil Józwiak decided he wanted in on the scoring fun too, adding another goal to the board for Charlotte just three minutes after Vargas.
It seemed that Charlotte would emerge triumphant as the match went on, as Colorado couldn't answer for much of the remainder of it. But after 90 minutes plus a minute of stoppage time, Michael Barrios tied it up with a late goal for Colorado.
In the end, Charlotte and Colorado found themselves at a draw once again, albeit with goals on the scoreboard this time. Final score after 90 minutes of play and seven minutes of stoppage time: 2-2.
Charlotte FC stays at the Bank for next week's match on April 22. Columbus Crew will be in town then for a theme night: Party Like It's 2022. The first fans in attendance will get a royal treat with a limited-edition foam crown.
If history repeated itself with this match ending in a draw, next week could be another case of déjà vu; the last two matches between Charlotte and Columbus in 2022 both ended in draws. The June 2022 meeting ended with a point on the scoreboard for both teams. The second match in October 2022 ended with a 2-2 draw, which eliminated the black and blue from playoff contention that year.