• MLS Cup Playoffs, Round One, Game 1: Charlotte FC vs New York City FC
• Date and Time: Tuesday, October 28, 6:45 pm ET
• Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
• Forecast: Chilly, air will feel cooler than the thermometer, chance of rain, 50F/10C
• Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (free), Fox Deportes, FS1
• Apple Broadcast Team: Steve Cangialosi and Danny Higginbotham (English), Sergio Ruiz and Walter Roque (Spanish)
• New York City FC Radio: Glenn Crooks and Matty Lawrence (English), Roberto Abramowitz and Ariel Judas (Spanish)
• Officiating Crew: Jon Freemon (referee), Jeffrey Greeson and Tyler Wyrostek (assistant referees), Allen Chapman (fourth official), Timothy Ford (VAR), Craig Lowry (assistant VAR)
• Kits: New York City will wear the black-and-neon 24/7 Kit; Charlotte will wear the white and shades-of-blue Carolina Kit: Explore
It's the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, and New York City FC are in North Carolina to face Charlotte FC in the first game of Round One. According to Charlotte, more than 34,000 tickets have been sold for this midweek matchup, which should fill the lower bowl of the 75,000-capacity Bank of America Stadium.
The teams traded 2-0 wins earlier this season, with both sides coming out on top at home. Back in July, Charlotte ceded possession but made the most of the chances they managed to create, placing three shots on target and scoring twice in the 2-0 win. Then in September, New York City ended Charlotte's nine-match winning streak behind two Alonso Martínez penalties to win 2-0, stopping them from setting a new Major League Soccer record.
But that was then. More recently, New York City are coming off two consecutive losses to finish the season, including falling to Seattle Sounders 2-1 on Decision Day courtesy of two set pieces. Charlotte finished the season with two wins to climb over NYCFC on the table and lock in 4th Place, including a well-worked 2-0 home victory over Supporters' Shield-winning Philadelphia Union.
But Charlotte's Decision Day win also saw Wilfried Zaha commit a flagrant and completely unnecessary foul in the dying minutes of the game, which means the striker will be suspended for tonight's match. That will leave Charlotte without three of their five leading goal-scorers this season, with Pep Biel out injured and Patrick Agyemang sold over the summer to Derby County.
That presents an opportunity for NYCFC. But which New York City will show up today? The team that struggled to find the back of the net against Seattle or Philadelphia despite leading both teams in expected goals? Or the NYCFC that went undefeated in six consecutive away games in the summer, beating four playoff teams in the process?
Glenn Crooks
Andrew Leigh
New York City vs Charlotte H2H
| GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 12 | -4 |
