By Billy McGee
October 29, 2024
After a disappointing 2-0 loss on the road in game one against Orlando, Charlotte FC returns home to host their first-ever home playoff game in club history.
Charlotte struggled throughout the entire match in Sunday’s loss, managing just eight total shots (two on goal), while Orlando had 17 with six shots on target. Facundo Torres, who has seven goals in his last nine games, scored the first goal in the 32nd minute after Adilson Malanda failed to fully clear the ball out of the box after a cross. Orlando’s second goal came in the 76th minute from Martín Ojeda after he received the ball from Iván Angulo, following a through ball into the open space on the left wing, catching Charlotte’s defense out of position.
Charlotte had a couple of decent opportunities in the second half, as Liel Abada missed a shot just high and wide of the goal in the 62nd minute after Ashley Westwood delivered a good through ball. Patrick Agyemang also put a header on goal in the 70th minute, shortly after being subbed in. Quite possibly the most impactful moment from game one happened in the first minute of added time, when Pep Biel was given a red card after getting tangled with an Orlando player. Biel will unfortunately be suspended for game two and Kerwin Vargas will likely be the option to start on the wing opposite of Abada. Vargas was a regular starter for Charlotte, playing in and starting 28 of the team’s first 29 games this season, before being moved to the bench following the 2-0 loss to Orlando in September.
The Crown will need to make some adjustments going into a must-win game. Charlotte gave Orlando’s wingers a lot of space in the build-up in game one, especially in the first half, allowing Torres to receive the ball easily and dominate possession. They made improvements in the second half, controlling the ball more and limiting the amount of opportunities for Orlando to create chances with their wingers in space. Charlotte will also need more from their attack, coming off a performance where their expected goal total was less than one. They’ll need to be aggressive and score early to avoid falling behind in an elimination game.
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Charlotte will get a much-needed boost from the hometown faithful on Friday night, as The Crown boast the best home record in MLS this season at 9-3-5.
Game two of the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs between Charlotte FC and Orlando City SC is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 1 at Bank of America Stadium. The upper bowl will be open and the match will be available to stream on Apple TV. Tickets are available here.
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