The Full Time Clip: Charlotte FC Earn Another Point on the Road in Back-And-Forth Match at Austin FC

July 20, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Charlotte FC News Release

On Saturday night in Austin, both teams debuted new Designated Players for the 2024 season. For Austin FC, Osman Bukari – a full Ghanaian international and right winger – made his first appearance on the right wing. For Charlotte FC, it was a more familiar face in Karol Swiderski, who freshly returned from a half-season loan at Verona in Italy’s Serie A.

Bukari was the first one to craft a chance, lifting a cross towards Gyasi Zardes inside the box. Zardes climbed high and a bit backward to reach the header, and so couldn’t direct the ball on goal.

However, in the 11th minute, Alexander Ring struck first for Austin. Charlotte was sloppy, playing out from the back and turning it over, giving Dani Pereira a chance to dink in a cross over Andrew Privett’s head. Ring arrived behind the young defender and headed the ball down into the net past a helpless Kristijan Kahlina.

Swiderski had his first good chance in the 17th minute. Djibril Diani quickly slotted the ball forward for the Polish striker, and he turned with space and time on top of the box. After taking some time to size up the shot, he fired it over the bar.

In the 25th minute, Diani went on another long run down the left sideline (where he was finding a lot of room through the opening quarter hour). He found Iuri Tavares in the box with his cross, who went for an acrobatic scissor kick that went wide of the post.

CLTFC was dominating most of the possession since that early Austin goal. Eventually, just over the half hour mark, that dominance paid off with a penalty kick. Nathan Byrne served in a long cross to the back post, where Diani nodded it down to Tavares. The forward had his back to goal, and Ring swung through his back legs to send him to the ground. Referee Jon Freemon pointed to the spot without hesitation.

Then, it was (of course) Karol Swiderski who stepped up to shoulder the penalty, taking responsibility. In the 33rd minute, he sent Stuver the wrong way and slotted the ball into the right side netting for the equalizer.

Austin flashed a few signs of danger over the remaining minutes of the half. However, most of it passed without much to note, and the sides went to the locker rooms knotted at ones.

Second Half

Lineup: Kahlina, Byrne, Malanda, Privett, Uronen, Westwood, Diani, Bronico (82′), Vargas (71′), Tavares (71′), Swiderski (65′)

Substitutions: Agyemang (65′), Smalls (71′), Dejaegere (71′), Bender (82′)

Just twenty seconds…