Facundo Torres rallies Orlando City to 4-1 shootout win over Charlotte in first-round rubber match

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Facundo Torres scored in the 12th minute of second-half stoppage time to forge a 1-1 tie, and he added a shootout goal as Orlando City beat Charlotte FC 4-1 on penalty kicks to win the rubber match of the best-of-three first-round series for the MLS Cup on Saturday night.

No. 4 seed Orlando City will host eighth-seeded Atlanta United in an Eastern Conference semifinal. Atlanta United eliminated top-seed Inter Miami with a 3-2 victory in the rubber match of its series.

Neither club scored until Karol Swiderski found the net in the 81st minute to give No. 5 seed Charlotte the lead. It was Swiderski's first postseason goal in his fourth career appearance. Rookie Liel Abada notched his first playoff assist on the score.

Torres tied the match for fourth-seeded Orlando City when he scored off a rebound on a penalty kick that Kristijan Kahlina blocked but couldn't corral. He has made seven playoff appearances with both of his goals coming this postseason.

Pedro Gallese, who had two saves in regulation, saved shots by Pep Biel and Karol Swiderski to open the shootout in his ninth postseason start for Orlando City.

Luis Muriel, Kyle Smith, Torres and Rafael Santos scored in order in the shootout to complete the comeback.

Kahlina had five saves for Charlotte in his fourth postseason start. Kahlina had two saves and Gallese one in a scoreless first half.

Orlando City will play either top-seed Inter Miami or No. 8 seed Atlanta United in an Eastern Conference semifinal.

AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, stops the ball from crossing the goal during the shoot-out against Charlotte FC after the end of regulation play of Game 3 in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, left, congratulates teammate forward Facundo Torres, right, after scoring one of the goals in the shoot-out against Charlotte FC after the end of regulation play of Game 3 in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Orlando City defender Rafael Santos celebrates after scoring the winning shoot-out kick against Charlotte FC after the end of regulation play of Game 3 in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Orlando City goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, left, congratulates teammate forward Facundo Torres, right, after scoring one of the goals in the shoot-out against Charlotte FC after the end of regulation play of Game 3 in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina misses a kick from Orlando City defender Rafael Santos during the shoot-out after the end of regulation play of Game 3 in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Orlando City defender Rafael Santos celebrates after scoring the winning shoot-out kick against Charlotte FC after the end of regulation play of Game 3 in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte FC fans celebrate prior to Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match against Orlando City Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte FC forward Patrick Agyemang (33) and Orlando City defender Rodrigo Schlegel, right, fight over possession during the first half of Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Team USA soccer Coach Mauricio Pochettino talks to 10-year-old fan Dylan McMahon before the Game 3 match between Orlando City and Charlotte FC in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Team USA soccer Coach Mauricio Pochettino talks to 10-year-old fan Dylan McMahon before the Game 3 match between Orlando City and Charlotte FC in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Team USA soccer Coach Mauricio Pochettino and MSL Commissioner Don Garber hold up Orlando City shirt showing Pochettino's name before the Game 3 match between Orlando City and Charlotte FC in the first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, left, stops the ball kicked by Orlando City forward Facundo Torres, right, during the first half of Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, left, stops the ball kicked by Orlando City forward Facundo Torres, right, during the first half of Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte FC midfielder Pep Biel, right, defends goal against Orlando City midfielder Martín Ojeda, left, during the first half of Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Orlando City forward Facundo Torres (10) brings the ball down pitch against Charlotte FC midfielder Andrew Privett, right, during the first half of Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream, center, stops ball in front of teammate goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina (1) as Orlando City midfielder César Araújo, right, looks to score during the first half of Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

Orlando City midfielder Dagur Dan Þórhallsson, right, changes direction with the ball against Charlotte FC forward Kerwin Vargas (18) during the first half of Game 3 of a first round MLS Cup playoff soccer match Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge recused himself Tuesday from presiding over Arizona's fake electors case after an email surfaced in which he told fellow judges to speak out against attacks on Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the presidency.

In the Aug. 29 email, Maricopa County Judge Bruce Cohen lamented that he didn’t speak out when Harris was called a “DEI hire,” believes that white men must speak out against unfair treatment of women, and raised a historical lesson from the Holocaust about the need to speak up when people are attacked. Cohen didn’t specify who made the comment regarding Harris.

“We cannot allow our colleagues who identify as being a ‘person of color’ to stand alone when there are those (who) may claim that their ascension was an ‘equity hire’ rather than based solely upon exceptionalism,” the judge told his colleagues in the email. Cohen later wrote another email telling his fellow judges that he let his passion cloud his views and apologized to anyone affected by his lapse in judgment.

Lawyers for Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who faces nine felony charges in the case, sought the judge’s removal, arguing Cohen “bears a deep-seated personal political bias that overcame his professional judgment” and that their client has lost confidence in the judge’s impartiality.

Hoffman is one of 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that then-President Donald Trump won Arizona in the 2020 election. They include the former state party chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate and two sitting state lawmakers. Two former Trump aides and five lawyers connected to Trump, including Rudy Giuliani, also were charged in the case. All 18 people were charged with charged with forgery, fraud and conspiracy.

In a court record, Cohen said the original email was a stand for decency and didn’t reflect a personal bias, but he recognized that others may view it differently than he intended. Cohen, who was appointed to the bench by Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2005, was scheduled to retire in January. Most of the defendants had asked Cohen to throw out the charges under an Arizona law that bars using baseless legal actions in a bid to silence critics. The law had long offered protections in civil cases but was amended in 2022 by the Republican-led Legislature to cover people facing most criminal charges. Cohen recused himself before deciding whether to dismiss the case, which will be assigned to another judge.

The defendants argued that Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes tried to use the charges to silence them for their constitutionally protected speech about the 2020 election and actions taken in response to the race’s outcome. They say Mayes campaigned on investigating the fake elector case and had shown a bias against Trump and his supporters.

Prosecutors said the defendants didn’t have evidence to back up their retaliation claim and that they had crossed the line from protected speech to fraud. Mayes’ office also has said the grand jury that brought the indictment wanted to consider charging Trump, but prosecutors urged them not to. Two defendants have already resolved their cases.

Former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis, who worked closely with Giuliani, signed a cooperation agreement with prosecutors that led to the dismissal of her charges. Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino also became the first person to be convicted in the Arizona case when she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation.

The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trump wasn’t charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator.

FILE - Arizona Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, left, and his attorney Timothy La Sota appear virtually for Hoffman's arraignment in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, June 6, 2024. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool, File)