Jozwiak’s first MLS goal lifts Charlotte FC to tie with Toronto FC

Kamil Jozwiak scored the game-tying goal in the 70th minute to help visiting Charlotte FC earn a point with a 2-2 tie at Toronto FC on Saturday night.

Charlotte rallied from a 2-0 deficit.

The draw extended both teams’ unbeaten streaks, five straight for Toronto (1-1-4, 7 points) and three straight for Charlotte (1-3-2, 5 points.)

Charlotte winger Kerwin Vargas cut in from the left side and curled a cross in toward the six-yard box. Jozwiak beat his defender goal-side and barely got a toe to the ball, but it was enough to touch it past Toronto goalkeeper Sean Johnson to tie the game. It was Jozwiak’s first goal of his MLS career.

Johnson finished with two saves while Charlotte counterpart George Marks tallied three.

Just six minutes into the second half with Charlotte trailing 2-0, Jozwiak got past his defender down the right side on a nice ball from Jaylin Lindsey before cutting the ball back toward the penalty spot. Ben Bender ran on and put a shot on frame that was redirected by a Toronto defender to make it 2-1. That was Bender’s first goal of the season.

The first-half scoreboard was all Toronto as Federico Bernardeschi continued to terrorize Charlotte when he opened the scoring six minutes in. He took advantage of the high winds and curled an Olimpico corner past Marks.

Nearly 40 minutes later, Brandon Servania lined up to Marks’ right for Toronto’s eighth corner of the first half. While his corner would not directly end up in the back of the net, it found Michael Bradley, who got enough of a touch to redirect it past Marks to make it 2-0.

VAR called for a check and the replay showed Bradley had his arms extended on Charlotte fullback Harrison Afful but it was not enough to overrule the goal call.

Toronto had a goal on a corner called off earlier in the first half when a Toronto player ran into Marks and prevented him from being able to make the save.