Venue: Audi Field, Washington, D.C. (100 Potomac Ave SW, capacity ~20,000).
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET (some listings note 6:30 or 19:30 ET;
Broadcast on Apple TV).
Current Weather Forecast (Washington, D.C.)
Saturday is expected to feature increasing clouds / mostly cloudy conditions with a high near 75–80°F (around 24–27°C) during the day, cooling into the upper 60s to low 70s°F (around 20°C) by evening kickoff. Light winds (east/northeast around 5–11 mph/km/h), low precipitation chance (around 10–15% or less for the evening), and comfortable conditions overall—no major disruptions anticipated.
Current Rosters (Key Players)
Charlotte FC (Manager: Dean Smith):
Goalkeepers: Kristijan Kahlina (starter), Tyler Miller, Isaac Walker.
Defenders: Tim Ream, Henry Kessler, Nathan Byrne, David Schnegg, Morrison Agyemang, Andrew Privett, Harry Toffolo, Will Cleary, others.
Midfielders: Ashley Westwood (captain), Pep Biel, Luca de la Torre, Djibril Diani, Brandt Bronico, others.
Forwards/Attackers: Allan Saint-Maximin (DP), Liel Abada (DP), Idan Toklomati, Archie Goodwin, Tyger Smalls, Rodolfo Aloko, Nimfasha Berchimas (out), others.
D.C. United (Manager: René Weiler):
Goalkeepers: Sean Johnson (starter), Alex Bono, others.
Defenders: Lucas Bartlett, Kye Rowles, Silvan Hefti, Keisuke Kurokawa, Matti Peltola, Kimito Nono, Sean Nealis, Nikola Marković, others.
Midfielders: Brandon Servania, Jackson Hopkins, Jared Stroud, Andre Dozzell, Hosei Kijima, Peglow (João Peglow), others.
Forwards: Tai Baribo, Louis Munteanu, Nathan Ordaz, Gabriel Segal (out), others.
Injury/Suspension Reports
Charlotte FC: Nimfasha Berchimas (lower body/broken foot, out long-term after surgery), Aron John (upper body/shoulder, out long-term after surgery). Harry Toffolo (hamstring) has returned to full training and is available or close. Liel Abada (undisclosed/dead leg earlier) is back in full training. David Schnegg and Ashley Westwood faced yellow-card accumulation suspensions earlier (Westwood returning after serving); check final status closer to kickoff. Archie Goodwin listed as questionable (lower body) in some reports.
D.C. United: Gabriel Segal (lower leg/ankle, out). João Peglow faced a yellow-card accumulation suspension in reports. Other absences appear limited; core attackers Baribo and Munteanu expected available.
Recent Team Forms (Last 5 MLS Matches Approx.)
Charlotte FC: Strong and resilient — D 3-3 at Cincinnati, W 2-1 at Montréal, D 0-0 vs Houston, W 2-0 at Atlanta, W 3-1 vs D.C. United. They average ~1.8 goals per game with solid contributions from Biel and others; solid road form recently and high possession/chance creation.
D.C. United: Inconsistent/mixed — D 0-0 vs Atlanta, W 2-1 vs Columbus, D 0-0 vs LAFC, L 1-3 at Charlotte, L 0-3 vs New England. They score ~1.2–1.3 goals per game but concede more; defensive solidity in recent home draws but limited scoring threat outside Baribo.
Series History / Head-to-Head
Charlotte has dominated recent meetings. In 2026 they won 3-1 at home on August 22 (goals from Schnegg, Cleary, Biel; Munteanu for DC). Prior results also favor Charlotte (e.g., 1-0, 2-1, 3-0 wins in recent years; limited DC successes). Overall recent H2H leans heavily toward Charlotte (roughly 4-1 or better in last several).
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Tai Baribo (DC, ~12–14 goals) vs. Charlotte center backs (Ream/Kessler/Agyemang/Privett): Baribo is DC’s primary scoring threat and xG leader; Charlotte’s experienced backline and Kahlina will need to contain his movement and finishing.
Pep Biel (CLT, ~12 goals + assists leader) + Allan Saint-Maximin / Liel Abada vs. DC midfield/defense (Peltola, Servania, Rowles/Bartlett, Johnson): Biel’s creativity and set-piece threat, combined with Saint-Maximin’s dribbling and Abada’s form, pose major problems for a DC side that has struggled to limit high-quality chances.
Idan Toklomati / Charlotte attack vs. Sean Johnson and DC backline: Charlotte’s multi-threat attack (high goals output) against DC’s more conservative recent defensive posture.
Midfield battle: Westwood/Diani/de la Torre control vs. Hopkins/Servania/Peglow (if available) for tempo and transitions. foxsports.comfoxsports.com
MATCH ODDS
Charlotte FC + 144
D. C. United + 172
Draw + 268
Over 3 – 107 Under 3 – 120
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, September 18, 2026
