Charlotte FC took a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution into the MLS World Cup break Saturday night at Bank of America Stadium. Idan Toklomati scored in the sixteenth minute off a Will Cleary cross — Cleary's first MLS start — and Charlotte spent the second half defending the lead a man down after David Schnegg's red card in the 58th. New England held the ball for most of the half. Kristijan Kahlina kept them out.
The win is the club's second in a row. The record is 6-6-3, 21 points. The regular season does not resume until Wednesday, July 22.
The Goal
Toklomati's fifth goal of the season came after sixteen minutes. Cleary, making his first start in MLS, played a ball in from the right. Pep Biel was credited with the second assist. Toklomati cut through the New England defense and finished. It was the only goal of the night.
The hosts nearly doubled the lead in the 30th minute. New England defender Ethan Kohler gave the ball away in his own half and Wilfried Zaha got a clean look at goal. Matt Turner — the Revolution goalkeeper, and a candidate to make the United States Men's National Team for the FIFA World Cup — produced a diving save, one of three he made in the first half alone. He would finish with four.
At the other end, three minutes later, Carles Gil curled a free kick on target. Kahlina got there. Just before halftime, New England center back Mamadou Fofana cleared a Charlotte chance off his own goal line with a bicycle kick.
Down a Man
Schnegg's first yellow had been on the board since the 14th minute — a tactical foul before Toklomati had even scored. In the 58th, with Charlotte still ahead 1-0, eighteen-year-old New England Homegrown forward Peyton Miller drew Schnegg into a second tactical foul. The referee, Fotis Bazakos, sent him off. Schnegg is suspended one regular-season match.
Moments later, Miller had the equalizer on his foot, a left-footed finish. Kahlina dove and pushed it away.
That was the shape of the rest of the night. New England controlled the ball. Head coach Marko Mitrović sent on four U.S. youth internationals off the bench, including a debut for eighteen-year-old Cristiano Oliveira, a Homegrown from Somerville, Massachusetts. Diego Fagundez, making his first MLS start for the Revolution since October 28, 2020, completed 97 percent of his passes in 79 minutes. Gil led the visitors with four key passes and three shots.
None of them found the goal. New England took 13 shots on the night to Charlotte's 12, and three on target to Charlotte's six. Kahlina finished with three saves.
In the 83rd minute, Biel got a breakaway. Turner stopped that, too.
Into the Break
The match was the final one before the league pauses for the FIFA World Cup. MLS resumes Wednesday, July 22 — for Charlotte, the Schnegg suspension lands on whatever match they play first after the break. New England opens the second half of its season at home against Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium.
The slide from third to fifth in the Eastern Conference that defined the back half of April — losses by multi-goal margins at Orlando and Nashville — has stopped. A fifth straight loss at home to New York City FC on May 13 ended in a 3-1 win over Toronto on May 16. New England made it two in a row.
The stadium will not stay empty in the meantime. The United States Men's National Team plays Senegal at Bank of America on Sunday, May 31 — the Allstate Continental Clásico. The USMNT roster is announced Tuesday. Matt Turner has filed a strong audition for it.