Charlotte FC earns fifth consecutive MLS draw in home match against FC Cincinnati

Karol Swiderski’s first two goals in nearly a month-and-a-half were spoiled by Charlotte FC’s inability to close out the game in the second half.

The Polish national’s two-goal night wasn’t enough to put Charlotte FC back in the win column for the first time since May 27, as the team drew its fifth match in a row, this one a 2-2 result against FC Cincinnati.

Though playing to five consecutive ties means the team hasn’t won in five games, the string of results without losses is also the longest unbeaten period in the team’s history.

“I think we are heading in the right direction in the sense that we play toe-to-toe against everybody,” head coach Christian Lattanzio said. “I’m the first one to be frustrated, but at the same time, we don’t get embarrassed on a weekly basis.”

Charlotte hasn’t been a great second-half team this season, and Saturday was much of the same.

Wednesday it allowed NYCFC to equalize in the second half, and two games before that, it allowed two second-half goals from NY Red Bulls for yet another tie.

Charlotte FC’s first several trips into the attacking third were the result of long balls from the back line played into Kerwin Vargas on the right-hand side.

It was when the ball traveled through Scott Arfield — who earned his first start in the sky blue and white — in the midfield, however, that Charlotte FC scored in the 14th minute.

Rather than the ball going wide from the defense, Arfield gained possession and gave the rest of his attacking players enough time to travel into the box before knocking one out toward Vargas.

Vargas slotted the ball through several Cincinnati defenders into Swiderski in the box, where he redirected it into the net.

Ten minutes later, Swiderski was in right place at the right time again with the ball wide on the right. A deflected pass into the middle bounced back toward Jaylin Lindsay on the wing, and Swiderski took his run back toward the penalty spot and converted his second goal of the night.

In the second half, though, FC Cincinnati found its footing.

“We had the ball a lot, but unfortunately the last pass or the last cross was not precise enough,” Lattanzio said.

Seven minutes into the half, Luciano Acosta put Cincinnati on the board, scoring on a penalty kick following a call on Lindsay inside the box.

Then, Álvaro Barreal faked out two Charlotte defenders in the box and chipped one into the right corner 68 minutes in, tying the score at two-all.

Cincinnati’s Ian Murphy was shown a second yellow in the 75th minute, leaving Charlotte a man up for the final stretch of the game. Even then, Charlotte was unable to answer.

Swiderski nearly had his hat trick after a shot from the edge of the box hit the left post around the 80th minute.

“I think we need to relieve the pressure from him, and goals need to start coming from different areas,” Arfield said about Swiderski post-game. “He scored two wonderful goals today.”

Charlotte FC’s next match takes the team to Canada, where it will face CF Montreal at 7:30 p.m.