As Petar Musa\u2019s shot hit the back of the net in the 64th minute to give FC Dallas a 2-0 lead, a rainy Saturday night set the stage for what looked like a dreary result for Charlotte FC.<\/p>\n
But as the match went on and the rain continued to fall, Charlotte FC did not.<\/p>\n
Thirty-two minutes earlier, defeat seemed inevitable. By the final whistle, The Crown had turned despair into triumph. The Bank of America Stadium scoreboard radiated Charlotte FC\u2019s 3-2 triumph on October 10 \u2013 the 50th win at home for The Crown<\/a> \u2013 showcasing the resiliency that the Club displayed to overcome the deficit.<\/p>\n Charlotte FC\u2019s two-goal comeback to win marked the second time in the Club\u2019s history that they\u2019ve done so. They previously accomplished the feat beating Chicago Fire FC 3-2 on September 17, 2022, at Soldier Field.<\/p>\n \u201cNever give up,\u201d Head Coach Dean Smith said. \u201cYou’re 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go and there’s still an opportunity to go and not just get back into the game, but to win the game. I think we’ve proven that this season that we’ve gone behind sometimes and come back and I think that’s an important thing to have in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n Allan Saint-Maximin<\/a> sparked the comeback, weaving through defenders and setting up Idan Toklomati<\/a> to halve Dallas\u2019 lead just six minutes after Musa\u2019s strike.<\/p>\n Maxi showcased his dribbling prowess to create the goal. Gaining the ball at the left touchline, he moved closer to the box and undermined two Dallas defenders to open a passing lane on the endline.<\/p>\n As soon as Toklomati saw that Maxi was going to create an opportunity for him in front of goal, he cut in front of the defender man-marking him to give the French winger a 5-foot-10 frame to pass and poach Charlotte FC\u2019s first score of the night.<\/p>\n \u201cHe’s become more of a fox in the box now, you know, which is important,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI like center forwards who are getting goals from two, three yards out, because then they’re in the right area.\u201d<\/p>\n Charlotte FC kept the pressure on Dallas, continuing to force them into mistakes to give The Crown possession and allow them to back down Los Toros. The sustained pressure resulted in a corner in the 74th minute \u2013 another opportunity to capitalize on the momentum they had conjured up so quickly.<\/p>\n Pep Biel<\/a> lined up at the right corner flag and took four short steps up to the ball and launched it into a sea of red. Among the jumping cluster of Dallas defenders, two players rose above \u2013 Toklomati and Harry Toffolo<\/a>.<\/p>\n Toklomati\u2019s initial header bounced off Toffolo as he tried to head the ball in, ricocheting the ball onto the ground and past the frantic hands of FC Dallas goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa.<\/p>\n Flames erupted behind the goal as the equalizer hit the net. The downpour of rain suddenly seemed distant, replaced by a downpour of goals by The Crown and the roar inside the Fortress.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it just shows the character in the dressing room,\u201d Toffolo said. \u201cObviously I came on at 1-0 and then we go 2-0 down; it’s a difficult position. \u00a0Me and said to each other before, \u2018Let’s go and be game changers and let’s go and bring something to this game, try and change the momentum,\u2019 and obviously conceding again wasn’t the plan we had, but we dug deep.\u201d<\/p>\n A minute and 22 seconds into extra time, the comeback culminated with Toklomati\u2019s second goal of the match and his 11th of the season.<\/p>\n As Biel made his way into the attacking third, he spotted Rodolfo Aloko<\/a> prime for a one-two pass.<\/p>\n The Mallorcan Magician weaved his magic, playing the ball into the box to Aloko. As soon as the Beninese international played the ball further into the box to Biel, he made a run to position himself for the winner. However, right behind him was the real threat \u2013 Toklomati.<\/p>\n Biel recognized the striker\u2019s run into the goal area, playing a first-time ball across the box past De Sousa right to the foot of Toklomati for an open goal and the winner.<\/p>\n