By Billy McGee
October 26, 2025
Photo: Kurt Shackelford / CLTure
After finishing the 2025 MLS regular season in fourth place with a club-record 59 points, Charlotte FC is set to kick off their MLS Cup Playoff campaign with a home match against fifth-place New York City FC on Tuesday night.
The Crown are one of the hottest teams in Major League Soccer heading into the postseason, having won 11 of their last 13 MLS matches, capped by a 2-0 victory over Supporters’ Shield winner Philadelphia Union in the season finale.
Charlotte and New York City have met twice this season, with each side earning a 2-0 victory on home turf. Charlotte’s win at Bank of America Stadium marked the beginning of their historic nine-match winning streak, featuring goals from Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas. The return fixture in New York brought that streak to an end, as Alonso Martínez converted two penalty kicks to lift NYCFC to victory.
As the higher seed, Charlotte will have home-field advantage, hosting Game 1 and, if necessary, Game 3. However, they’ll need to find a way to win the opener without Wilfried Zaha, who will serve a suspension after receiving a red card late in the match against Philadelphia. Missing a designated player in a key playoff game isn’t new for Charlotte — Pep Biel sat out their Game 2 win against Orlando last season after being sent off in the opener.
Without Zaha, the Crown will look to Kerwin Vargas and Liel Abada on the wings, with Idan Toklomati leading the line. Toklomati is currently in the midst of a four-match drought without a goal contribution following his hat trick against Inter Miami. For Charlotte to generate offense without Zaha, getting Toklomati back on the scoresheet will be essential.
The Crown’s backline should be able to hold strong against a New York City FC side that failed to score an open-play goal against them this season. The defense will also be back to full strength, with fullback Harry Toffolo returning from injury against Philadelphia, where he played 63 minutes and recorded an assist.
NYCFC enters the playoffs on a two-match skid, following a 1-0 loss to Philadelphia and a 2-1 loss to Seattle. Their attack is led by Martínez and Hannes Wolf — the only players with more than three goals, recording 17 and 11 respectively. They also boast one of the best defenses in the East, allowing just 44 goals this season — the third-best mark in the conference.
The Crown has made one previous appearance in Round One of the MLS Cup Playoffs, falling to Orlando City SC in three games last season. The series saw Charlotte win their first-ever home playoff match in a penalty shootout before ultimately losing Game 3 in another shootout.
View this post on Instagram
The game is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28, with early fans receiving a rally towel. It will be available to watch on Apple TV, FS1, and Fox Deportes. Game Two will kick off at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, at Yankee Stadium and will be available to stream on Apple TV. If Game Three is necessary, it will be played on Friday, November 7, with the time yet to be announced.
Read next:
