Charlotte FC blown out by Montreal. How does the loss affect MLS playoff race?
Adilson Malanda had started all 31 Charlotte FC matches this season, playing every single minute. That Iron Man streak anchored the league’s best home record at Bank of America Stadium.
Seventeen minutes into Saturday’s match against last-place CF Montréal, both streaks died together in the cruelest fashion possible.
Malanda’s red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity transformed a routine home victory into a devastating 4-1 collapse, ending Charlotte FC’s hopes of maintaining their fortress-like dominance with two crucial regular-season matches remaining.
“If we keep 11 v 11, we’ll win the game,” head coach Dean Smith said after the game.
The numbers tell Charlotte’s home story: league-best 12 home wins with just two losses and a draw, 10 clean sheets in the past 18 home fixtures, 17 shutouts in 32 matches under Smith. Malanda had been the only constant in every single one, the only outfield player in MLS to play all 2,790 minutes this season.
Wilfried Zaha had given Charlotte the ideal start in the 10th minute, keeping a 2-on-1 for himself and rounding Montreal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier for an easy finish. Bank of America Stadium’s 28,241 fans were settling in for another comfortable afternoon.
Then VAR intervened. Malanda’s initial yellow card became red after video review. The streak ended. The fortress cracked.
“It was a silly tackle for Addy to make at that moment,” Smith said. “He doesn’t normally make tackles like that.”
Montreal pounced immediately. Dante Sealy curled a free kick from the right half-space into the top right corner to tie the match at 1-1. The 22-year-old had found Charlotte’s weak spot: life without their defensive anchor.
Playing down a man, Charlotte struggled to build offensive momentum as Montreal controlled possession at 62.7% through the 64th minute. Fabian Herbers headed home the go-ahead goal in the 53rd minute. The home crowd that had powered their home dominance turned toxic, booing players and officials alike.
Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina made crucial saves in the 72nd and 80th minutes, stopping shots from Prince Owusu with a high expected goal value each time. But even his heroics couldn’t prevent the inevitable.
Sealy scored his second in the 86th minute. Owusu added a fourth goal before the final whistle as fans streamed toward the exits.
“Two moments have cost us the game,” Smith said. “The red card and the second goal.”
The second goal stung most. Smith had emphasized staying compact at halftime, knowing Charlotte’s defensive record was built on preventing crosses and free headers. Instead, they allowed both.
“I was disappointed with the second goal because if we’d stayed compact like we spoke about at half-time, stopped crosses and we now have a free cross and a free header, that shouldn’t happen,” Smith said.
Without Malanda organizing the back line, Charlotte’s defensive chemistry dissolved.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Charlotte had posted 28 points from a possible 33 in recent league play and earned five clean sheets in their past seven matches, positioning itself well for the playoffs. Now, with matches against D.C. United and Philadelphia remaining, they must rebuild their defensive identity.
“That’s all we can do now,” Smith said. “Work our hardest now next week against DC and come back with the right results.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2025 at 10:56 PM.