Michael Barrios scored in extra time as the Colorado Rapids managed to secure a 2-2 tie with host Charlotte FC on Saturday night.
Kerwin Vargas and Kamil Jozwiak scored in a three-minute span in the second half to put Charlotte FC in position to secure a much-needed victory.
Max, a substitute, had the earlier Colorado goal.
Goalkeeper George Marks of Charlotte FC (1-4-3, 6 points) made five saves, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the team’s winless streak going to four games (0-1-3) in a row.
Colorado goalkeeper William Yarbrough’s first chance at becoming the all-time leader in regular-season shutouts in franchise history was gone in a flash. He has 29 clean sheets, sharing the record with Matt Pickens. Yarbrough made one save.
The Rapids (1-3-4, 7 points) were aiming for a victory for the second week in a row on the road.
Max scored in the 54th minute. It was the Brazilian’s first MLS goal, coming at the end of a transition play for the Rapids. Sam Nicholson set up the goal with a pass on a sequence when he opted for an assist rather than a shot.
Vargas got Charlotte FC on the board in the 62nd minute.
Jozwiak’s go-ahead goal came on a header off a pass from Karol Swiderski. Swiderski took the ball deep down the left side and delivered a pass in front of the net, with Jozwiak coming from high in the box to produce the goal.
It was a flurry of offense for Charlotte FC, which had a total of three goals in two previous games this month.
Charlotte had the better of the play for most of the first half, putting together sequences that led to nine shots compared to Colorado’s five. But neither team’s goalkeeper was called upon to make a save until Marks late in the first half.
Vargas was the most active of the Charlotte FC players.
Colorado’s Lalas Abubakar drew an early yellow card following a foul in the second minute.
Teammate Diego Rubio picked up a yellow card in the first half’s extra time.
–Field Level Media
