One last match.
Charlotte FC faces Inter Miami CF in the final regular-season match as The Crown looks to secure a top-four playoff spot and head into the postseason strong.
Kickoff from Nu Stadium is slated for 4:00 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 7, and fans can watch the match on Apple TV.
Let’s look at the Materials of the Match presented by Rubbermaid to see how Charlotte FC can beat Inter Miami again on Decision Day.
Last Time Out
Charlotte FC strung together their second consecutive 4-0 victory, beating Orlando City SC on Halloween with four different goalscorers finding the back of the net.
Henry Kessler scored first, heading in a free kick from Ashley Westwood in the sixth minute.
The Crown doubled its lead in the 49th minute with Allan Saint-Maximin’s first goal at Bank of America Stadium. He had a chance to secure a brace in the 84th minute with a penalty shot, but the keeper saved the attempt. Abdoulaye Doucouré capitalized on the rebound, scoring his first goal as a member of The Crown.
Rodolfo Aloko capped off the match with a first-touch volley that zipped into the net, scoring his second goal in the last four matches and his fourth goal contribution (2G+2A) in six matches.
Jostling for Positioning
On Saturday at 4 p.m., put on your best Charlotte FC gear and shift all your negative energy to Chicago Fire FC.
Charlotte FC has locked up a top-five playoff spot but still has a chance to jump up to fourth in the Eastern Conference on Decision Day. The Crown are currently in fifth place with 53 points, two points behind fourth-place Chicago Fire.
Charlotte FC must beat Inter Miami CF to finish fourth, and Chicago has to either draw or lose to the Columbus Crew. The Crown and the Fire would be equal on points with a Charlotte FC win and a Chicago draw.
The first tiebreaker for seeding is wins, and Charlotte FC and Chicago would be tied with 16. The second tiebreaker is goal differential, in which The Crown currently has a +15-goal differential, and Chicago has a +11. If Charlotte FC wins and Chicago draws, it isn’t mathematically possible for Chicago to finish with a better differential.
Either way, Charlotte FC and Chicago will face one another in the First Round of the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs; it’s just a matter of who will host the decisive Game Three if it comes to it.
“Obviously we want to go out, we want to compete, we want to win, with the opportunity of finishing in fourth place again,” Brandt Bronico said. “At the same time, it's one of those, ‘Control what we can control’ kind of deals because obviously if Chicago wins then they'll take fourth, no matter what. So, let's go out, let's do our best to win, and see what happens after that.”
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Scoring at Will
Charlotte FC has had a high-scoring year, notching a Club-record 63 goals in 33 matches.
Sixteen different players have found the net this season for The Crown. Idan Toklomati and Pep Biel both surpassed Charlotte FC's previous single-season MLS goals record, passing Karol Świderski’s mark of 12. Toklomati has also tied Świderski’s all-competition goals record with 15 goals this season, four more than his previous high set last season.
Biel has also had a record year in more than just scoring goals. After surpassing his 10-goal season from last season with a 13-goal 2026 campaign, he has done the same in the assist column. He has 17 assists this season, tying for the MLS lead with FC Cincinnati’s Evander. He is also one of three players to have 30 goal contributions, along with Evander and Lionel Messi, someone The Crown will face this week.
Also, despite two of Toklomati’s wing partners, Kerwin Vargas and Wilfried Zaha, moving on from Charlotte FC, the scoring hasn’t suffered. Vargas and Zaha both scored three times this season before leaving during or shortly after the World Cup break.
Liel Abada, Maxi and Aloko have stood up to the task of holding up the wings and done so with success. Abada has eight goals, his best goal total with the Club. He also has five assists, which is three more than his previous two seasons where he notched two each year.
Since playing in his first match for Charlotte FC, Maxi has become a versatile threat on the wing. He has nine goal contributions (2G+7A) and has dazzled the crowd and confused defenses with his ball skills, helping to open the box up for Charlotte FC players. The Crown will be without Maxi against Miami after he received a red card at the end of the match against Orlando.
Aloko has become a young star for The Crown at 19 years old, playing in 22 matches and starting in eight of them. He has scored three goals and notched four assists, averaging .83 goal contributions per match.
“I think we're clicking a lot more,” Bronico said. “We have I feel like a lot more dynamic players in the front with the additions of Rodolfo (Aloko) and Maxi (Allan Saint-Maximin) and Liel (Abada) has really come alive as well. Obviously, Pep Biel and Idan Toklomati, we all know their quality, right?”
Kahlina Saves
Kristijan Kahlina has had another MLS Goalkeeper of the Year-caliber season, breaking the 34-match season record for saves with 157 this season. He also became the fifth player in league history to have 150 saves in a single season, with the last time happening in 2004.
Kahlina is one of seven goalkeepers in MLS to play every minute and ranks third among them in clean sheets with seven, including two in the last two matches. Among the seven-man coalition, Kahlina has allowed the third-least number of goals. The Croatian keeper has given up 48 this season, which equals 1.45 goals per match. For comparison, Charlotte FC has scored 63 goals this season, or 1.909 goals per match.
“I delved into (Kristijan Kahlina’s saves), and a lot of them were very minor shots from outside the penalty box that you should save and very few of them have been big chances,” Head Coach Dean Smith said. “We know he can make big saves, but goalkeepers should make saves that they're expected to make, and that's a big thing for us. ”
Beating Miami in the Finale
It’s been three years since Charlotte FC faced Inter Miami CF on Decision Day, and this one has stakes, too.
On October 21, 2023, Charlotte FC had the chance to clinch their first-ever playoff berth with a win against Miami, along with other results to go their way. Vargas’ goal in the 10th minute was the eventual match-winner for The Crown and Charlotte FC made their way into the playoffs for the first time.
Charlotte FC has made the playoffs every season since then and has a chance to be a top-four seed for the second consecutive year. Another win against Miami stands in the way.
The Crown and the Herons drew 0-0 earlier this season on March 14 in a match with five yellow cards and 29 fouls. Messi didn’t play in that match, one of three he hasn’t appeared in for Miami this season.
Missing three matches hasn’t slowed down Messi in the scoring column, though. He surpassed the 40-goal contribution mark for the second straight season (26G+16A) and leads MLS in goals, trailing Biel by one assist.
Messi and Inter Miami lead the league in scoring with 77 goals, five more than any other club. However, their play at home has been below average in MLS. Despite only losing twice at home, Miami ranks 18th in MLS in home points. They’ve won six times but have drawn eight times, the second-most of any MLS club.
For Charlotte FC, a draw does them no good, and they need a win to jump into fourth place. Miami is just a point ahead of third-place New England Revolution, who could pass them if Miami loses to The Crown and New England picks up points.
“(We need to be) really strong defensively,” Smith said. “We've always got that threat I feel now away from home to score goals. So being strong defensively, being calm on the ball and quietening down the opposition supporters as well. So, it's a game we're looking forward to. We've never played in the new stadium. It's one of those where we know if we win this, there's a small chance that we can finish in 4th place. ”
BE HERE FOR THE PLAYOFFS
For The Crown. Don't miss Charlotte FC's postseason action at Bank of America Stadium!
