CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Columbus Crew spent much of Saturday night's match with the ball at their feet, but Charlotte FC made the most of its opportunities and came away with a 3-1 victory at Bank of America Stadium.
Charlotte struck twice in the opening nine minutes and never surrendered the lead, handing the Crew their first MLS loss since returning from the Leagues Cup break. Despite controlling nearly 65 percent of possession and outshooting Charlotte 26-9, Columbus was unable to overcome its slow start.
The hosts wasted little time taking control.
Just 29 seconds into the match, Brandt Bronico finished a cross from David Schnegg to give Charlotte an early 1-0 lead. Minutes later, Liel Abada drew a penalty inside the area and converted from the spot to double the advantage before the Crew had an opportunity to settle into the match.
Columbus responded before halftime.
Brooks Lennon delivered a cross into the box in the 41st minute, where Chase Adams headed the ball past Kristijan Kahlina to cut Charlotte's lead to 2-1. The goal shifted momentum toward the Crew, who continued to pressure the hosts throughout the remainder of the first half.
The Crew carried that pressure into the second half, generating chance after chance. Columbus earned 13 corner kicks and repeatedly forced Charlotte into defending deep inside its own end. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina and the Charlotte back line, however, consistently turned away the opportunities.
Charlotte finally created some breathing room in the 73rd minute.
Allan Saint-Maximin, making his MLS debut, started the attack before Rodolfo Aloko slipped a pass to Pep Biel, who finished the sequence to restore the two-goal advantage. It was enough to halt Columbus' comeback hopes despite the Crew continuing to control possession over the closing minutes.
For Columbus, the final score was a frustrating reflection of a match in which the statistics favored the visitors far more than the scoreboard. The Crew completed more than 700 passes, held Charlotte to just over one-third of the possession and matched the hosts in expected goals, but an early defensive lapse and missed scoring opportunities ultimately proved too much to overcome.
What's Next: The Crew continue their road trip Wednesday night when they visit CF Montréal. Columbus will look to bounce back before returning home for another Eastern Conference matchup later in the week.