Liel Abada needed only a dozen minutes off the bench to leave his mark on Charlotte FC's biggest win in weeks, setting up the clinching goal as the hosts came from behind to beat D.C. United 3-1 in MLS on Saturday night.
ONE reports the Israel international was sent on midway through the second half with the scores level, and by the time he left the field Charlotte had turned a losing position into a comfortable victory at Bank of America Stadium.
D.C. United had taken the lead against the run of play through Louis Munteanu's finish in the 55th minute. Charlotte responded almost immediately: David Schnegg drew the hosts level in the 64th, converting a rebound after Morrison Agyemang's header had come back off the woodwork.
Two minutes later rookie Will Cleary headed in his first-ever MLS goal, meeting a corner delivered by Pep Biel to put Charlotte 2-1 ahead. The comeback was completed in the 77th minute when Abada, according to ONE's account, carried the ball down the right and squared for Biel to finish for 3-1.
It capped a chaotic finish to a game that had been goalless and scrappy for long stretches - Charlotte were outshot 10-4 in the first half despite holding 61 percent of possession, only to score three times in twelve second-half minutes once Abada entered the fray.
Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina made three saves to preserve the win, while D.C. United's Sean Johnson had two at the other end as the visitors slipped to a fourth straight match without a victory.
For Abada, the assist extends a productive season in Charlotte colors since his big-money move from Celtic. The 24-year-old winger, a product of Maccabi Petah Tikva's academy, joined the North Carolina club in March 2024 as a Young Designated Player after Celtic accepted a fee reported in the region of $8 million.
He arrived in MLS with pedigree: 51 goal involvements in 112 appearances for Celtic and six trophies, including the 2023 domestic treble, after breaking through at Maccabi Petah Tikva and earning his first senior Israel caps as a teenager.
Saturday's result also has broader implications in a congested Eastern Conference table, with D.C. United now winless in four league outings while Charlotte banked a result that keeps them firmly in the hunt heading into the final weeks of the regular season.
