Charlotte will have to win the next two matches to advance in the postseason.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Alonso Martinez forced his way through the Charlotte FC and finished with a goal to give New York City a win in the opening match of a best-of-three playoff series.
Martinez’s goal came in the 34th minute. No other scores happened as New York held on for the 1-0 win.
The loss is detrimental for Charlotte, who play much better at home than on the road. The series heads to New York on Saturday.
Charlotte kept the pressure on in the second half with multiple shots, but none could find the net.
The match’s lone goal came on an impressive run from Martinez, who bullied his way through a hornet’s nest of Charlotte defenders and kicked in a strike too hot for goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina to handle.
New York dominated offensively and defensively, shutting down most of Charlotte’s attacks before they began.
New York accumulated five yellow cards while Charlotte had zero.
Second-half substitutions saw forwards Liel Abada, Kerwin Vargas, and midfielder Brandt Bronico sent off in favor of Tyger Smalls, Archie Goodwin, and Brandon Cambridge. The adjustments proved ineffective.
Wilfried Zaha’s presence was sorely missed. He was sent off with a red card in Charlotte’s last game.
Charlotte entered the playoffs as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of fifth-place New York. The sides split the season series.
In 2024, Charlotte entered the playoffs as the fifth seed and lost in the opening round to Orlando City SC.