Venue & Match Info
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Kickoff: 6:30 PM ET
Broadcast: FS1, FOX Deportes, MLS Season Pass (Apple TV)
Format: Best-of-three Round One series; no extra time, tied games go directly to penalties
Weather Forecast
Conditions: Clear skies, mild autumn evening
Temperature: ~63°F (17°C) at kickoff
Wind: Light, 5–7 mph
Impact: Ideal soccer weather; no disruptions expected
Injury Report
Charlotte FC
Pep Biel (M) – Out (knee tendon injury)
Wilfried Zaha (F, 10g/10a) – Suspended (red card on Decision Day)
Nikola Petkovic – Questionable (knock)
New York City FC
Keaton Parks (M) – Out (leg injury)
Malachi Jones (F) – Out (broken leg)
Jacob Arroyave (D) – Questionable (knee)
Player Matchups
Idan Toklomati (CLT, 11g/4a) vs. Thiago Martins (NYC, CB): Charlotte’s striker must step up with Zaha suspended.
Kerwin Vargas (CLT, 7g) vs. Maxi Moralez (NYC, 10a): Wide creativity battle; Vargas’ pace vs. Moralez’s playmaking.
Kristijan Kahlina (CLT GK, reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year) vs. Matt Freese (NYC GK, USMNT starter): Two elite keepers could decide the series.
Ashley Westwood (CLT, 5a) vs. Hannes Wolf (NYC, 11g/7a): Midfield control critical; Wolf is NYC’s secondary scorer behind Martínez.
Alonso Martínez (NYC, 17g, 10 GWG) vs. Tim Ream (CLT, veteran CB): Martínez is lethal in clutch moments; Ream’s leadership will be tested.
Team Recent Form
Charlotte FC: 4th in East; club-record season. Recent form: W-W-L-L-W. Won 11 of last 13, including a 2-0 Decision Day win over Philadelphia.
New York City FC: 5th in East. Recent form: L-L-W-L-W. Inconsistent but dangerous; snapped Charlotte’s 9-game win streak in September.
Series History
2025 Regular Season: Split 1–1 (Charlotte 2-0 at home, NYCFC 2-0 at Yankee Stadium).
All-time: Evenly matched; neither side has dominated.
Playoff history: First-ever postseason meeting.
Betting Trends
Charlotte: Won 11 of last 13; 13 home wins (MLS-best). 3 of last 5 games under 2.5 goals.
NYCFC: 2 wins in last 5; 4 of last 5 games under 2.5 goals.
Head-to-head: Last 2 meetings ended 2-0 to the home side.
MATCH ODDS
Charlotte FC + 170 Draw + 230 New York City FC + 145
Over 2.5 – 130 Under 2.5 + 100
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Monday, October 27, 2025
