CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After a rained-out match at home ended up getting rescheduled, Charlotte FC hosted its rematch against DC United. This time, the black and blue blocked out United from a win.
The scoring started early for Charlotte, albeit with a member of the opposing team accidentally finding the net for them. United defender and team captain Steve Birnbaum got a bit too close to his own goal during a Charlotte drive, inadvertently knocking the ball in and granting Charlotte FC a point 13 minutes into the match.
The next two goals would be scored well after the half. Karol Swiderski found the net at 64 minutes, while Quinn McNeill did so three minutes later. Even into stoppage time, DC United could not answer Charlotte FC, and the black and blue got their revenge at 3-0.
This win is poetic for Charlotte FC; the last time the two met, DC United walked away with a hefty 3-0 win.
Charlotte was 5-9-1 against Eastern Conference opponents before Thursday and sixth in the conference giving up only 31 goals. United was also 5-9-3 in conference games and 3-0-0 when it records three or more goals.
This past weekend, Charlotte FC welcomed the Columbus Crew to the Queen City to see who could break the tie from their first meeting. The last time both teams met, the match ended on a 1-1 draw. But lightning persisted through the night, forcing the match to be postponed until Oct. 5, 2022.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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