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Benjamin Cremaschi scored a dramatic goal while sliding in the box late in the match as Inter Miami CF kept rolling despite a depleted roster, defeating host Charlotte FC 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Robert Taylor had the other goal for Miami (14-3-5, 47 points), which has won four consecutive matches — all by 2-1 counts. Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender came up with one save.
Miami was without star Lionel Messi, who is with Argentina for Copa America, for the fourth consecutive match. Cremaschi scored in the 86th minute to keep Miami two points ahead of Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference standings ahead of the team’s meeting on Saturday.
Patrick Agyemang scored the goal for Charlotte (9-8-5, 32 points), and goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina collected two saves.
Kahlina made a kick save in the 73rd minute after the ball bounced around a cluster of players and Diego Gómez delivered a hard shot on goal.
However, Kahlina couldn’t stop the go-ahead goal. Cremaschi notched his third of the year, barely stretching to reach the ball and redirect it into the net. He was set up by Julian Gressel‘s cross.
All of Cremaschi’s goals have come in road matches.
Taylor produced his fourth goal of the season in the 30th minute, snapping a five-match stretch without a goal or an assist.
Jordi Alba‘s assist came on a perfect pass from the left side of the box, with Taylor waiting in the middle of the box for the conversion.
Agyemang, who had become so frustrated in a Saturday loss at Houston that he was substituted out of the match, pulled Charlotte even with Miami in the 41st minute. It was his sixth goal of the season, but his first in a home match since May 11.
Eleven minutes later, Agyemang took possession of the ball with a nifty move at the midfield stripe and controlled the ball on the left side until unleashing a shot from just inside the box to the far post. Jere Uronen was credited with an assist.
Shortly after scoring the goal, Agyemang was assessed a yellow card for a hard foul. Then in second-half stoppage time, he was given a red card for violent conduct.