CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Inter Miami CF's Benjamin Cremaschi slid a pass into the net in the closing minutes of a match to give his team a resounding 2-1 win over Charlotte FC.
Both sides were locked at 1-1 for the entirety of the second half until Cremaschi broke through in the 86th minute courtesy of a pass from Julian Gressel.
Wednesday's loss is the second in a row for Charlotte (9-8-5). It's the first time since March that the team has lost two games in a row.
Miami (13-3-5) got on the scoreboard first with a score from Robert Taylor after some ping-pong passing in the box from his teammates.
Just before the end of the first half, Patrick Agyemang received a thrown-in pass and sprinted halfway down the pitch before he blasted a shot past the Miami goalkeeper to tie the game. A VAR check was made to see if Agyemang fouled a Miami defender when receiving the throw-in, but the original call was upheld.
The match stayed deadlocked until Cremaschi's sliding score in the 86th minute.
Agyemang was red-carded for "violent conduct" during stoppage time. Charlotte was attempting a late foul kick near the Miami goal when players on both sides began pushing and shoving for their position in the set piece. During the jostling, Agyemang made contact with a Miami player who fell to the floor but was ultimately not injured. Agyemang received a yellow card in the first half, leading his second yellow to result in the red.
Miami continues to play without international superstar Lionel Messi, who is playing with the Argentina National Team in Copa América.
The loss leaves Charlotte sixth in the MLS Eastern Conference. The team's next match is against FC Cincinnati on July 13.