Hearts of Pine let another late lead slip away, lose to Charlotte
Charlotte Independence snatches 3‑2 victory over Portland Hearts of Pine in a late‑night comeback
In a roller‑coaster match at the Independence Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Independence rallied from a 1‑0 deficit to defeat the Portland Hearts of Pine 3‑2 on Wednesday night, a result that extends Portland’s winless streak to nine matches and highlights the team’s struggle to hold on in the final minutes.
The game opened with Charlotte’s Jon Bakero scoring the only goal of the first half, converting a cross from teammate Clay Dimick in the 20th minute. Portland answered in the second half, with Matteo Kidd finding the net early in the 59th minute after a loose ball in the centre of the box and a quick turn to fire a right‑footed shot into the bottom corner.
Three minutes later, a penalty was awarded to Portland after Ollie Wright was fouled by Charlotte keeper Matt Levy. Levy successfully stopped the spot‑kick, but Michel Poon‑Angeron capitalized on the rebound to give Portland a 2‑1 lead at 65 minutes.
Charlotte pushed back, but the game seemed to be headed into a Portland win until the final minutes saw a dramatic shift. In the 96th minute, after a left‑wing cross from Javen Romero, Stéfano Pino unleashed an acrobatic volley with his left foot that clipped the ball past Hearts keeper Hunter Morse, tying the match 2‑2.
Pino then added a second, a minute later in the 98th minute, redirecting a long pass from Reudd Martin with his right foot into the net, securing a 3‑2 win for the Independence.
The late turnaround not only salvaged a victory for Charlotte but also perpetuates Portland’s late‑game woes, as the Hearts of Pine have continued a season‑long trend of conceding goals in the dying minutes of matches.
