Kahlina Saves Charlotte FC's Season
Charlotte FC's goalkeeper comes up big during a playoff penalty shootout in the Bronx, and New York City FC will have to return to Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte for a decisive Game 3 on Friday.
THE BRONX, Nov. 1, 2025 — Charlotte FC came to Yankee Stadium on a mission to save their season. They succeeded, for now.
After a scoreless draw in regulation, Game 2 of the three-match, first round playoff series between #4 Charlotte FC and #5 New York City FC went to a shootout. 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Kristijan Kahlina stood between the posts for Charlotte, and in the eighth round of penalty kicks, Kahlina saved Agustín Ojeda’s penalty attempt to secure a 0-0, (6-7) victory for the Crown.
In the process, Charlotte became the first MLS team in the best-of-three series era to win the second game on the road after losing the first match at home.
Soccer Sheet asked Kahlina how it felt to make the decisive save.
“It’s incredible [to make that save] because you can help your team to pass and go to the third game,” said Kahlina. “We wanted [ever since] we lost the home game to come here and win, and yeah, it was amazing.”
With the win, the Crown return to the Queen City as kings of Yankee Stadium. Charlotte will host the final decisive match of the playoff series against New York City FC back at Bank of America Stadium on Friday, November 7 at 7PM ET. The winner will face Philadelphia United in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in Chester, Pa.
“It was a much better performance, and I felt comfortable during the game,” Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith told Soccer Sheet after the match. “The lads got it done in the penalties.”
It was a significant improvement over Charlotte’s last match at Yankee Stadium, in which designated player Wilfried Zaha’s penalty attempt was saved by NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese, and Alonso Martínez got two penalty kicks past Kahlina.
“I think the game we played here in the regular season was different from what we saw today,” Charlotte FC winger Kerwin Vargas told Soccer Sheet. “We were more intense, more aggressive with them. And well, the victory came, that’s the important thing.”
The Road to Yankee Stadium
Charlotte FC’s underwhelming, 0-1 loss on Tuesday was only their second-ever playoff match at home. Unlike last year’s win over Orlando City SC in penalties, the Crown couldn’t use the home field to their advantage and they were short their two best players. Designated Player Wilfried Zaha was suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the final regular season match against Philadelphia, and Pep Biel was also out due to a season-ending injury.
Both absences left the team hamstrung in a physical, unforgiving match where Charlotte’s poor first half play made all the difference. After the match at Yankee Stadium, Zaha addressed criticism that he had let the team down in a heated conversation with members of the press.
“It’s difficult to say it’s ‘down to Wilf’ if we mess up or whatever,” said Zaha. “If we’re going to think like that, then I should have the potential of all of the players that are playing … You know, it’s easy to talk from the other side, but we’ve gone 34 game and I’ve been fouled a million times. Like, I’m human. So it’s like, you can’t say, ‘oh, yeah, it’s up to Wilf.’”
When Soccer Sheet asked Zaha if he played more conservatively in Saturday’s match due to the suspension, he pushed back on that idea.
“No, because I wear my heart on my sleeve,” Zaha told Soccer Sheet after the match. “I play with passion … you know what? I’m human. I see all the stuff people say about me, whatever, whatever, but it’s like, stuff happens. You know, I’m human.”
Exclusive: Listen to Zaha’s Entire Post-Match Interview
A First Half of “Almosts”
It was surreal looking at the shape of a baseball field, in a baseball stadium, but with a soccer pitch on it. Television broadcasts don’t do justice to Yankee Stadium’s awkward setup for New York City FC, and you can still see the ghosts of the “Major League Baseball Postseason” paint on the field.
It almost looks like a soccer pitch, but the “uncanny valley” effect is strong.
Before the match, and at halftime, the jumbotron advertised NYCFC’s solution to their pitch problem: Etihad Park, the new, soccer-specific stadium opening in Queens for the 2027 season. Soccer Sheet is excited for a project that will include affordable housing, retail, an educational center, and a conference center. That type of mixed use development is needed when you want teams to be a part of the city they represent.
Despite the pitch, Charlotte FC started the match like they were prepared to extend their postseason. From top to bottom, the Crown played more defensively, and players actively marked their man while following the ball.
“We had the chances, it was a much better performance [than Tuesday],” Smith said. “I’ve felt, and I’ve said all along, I think we’re two very evenly matched teams, but our performance was better. I thought our quality on the ball was better.”
One of those chances came in the 14th minute, when NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese attempted to clear a cross from fullback Harry Toffolo to striker Idan Toklomati. While Toklomati was no match for Freese’s vertical reach, the ball bounced straight to midfielder Brandt Bronico, who volleyed it off the crossbar.
There were a couple more instances where Charlotte had the chance to make a play; midfielder Djibril Diani in the 20th minute but the follow-through from other teammates wasn’t there, or the pass didn’t make it to another Charlotte FC player.
On the other end of the field, strong play from Charlotte’s back line limited NYCFC’s chances in the first half, and when the line was broken center back Adilson Malanda was there to make heroic clearances with headers in the air and tackles on the ground.
“The four [defenders] have been really, really good,” Smith told Soccer Sheet. “The more they can protect our goalkeeper, then [Kahlina] can pull off those saves from the set pieces that he had to today.”
A Maxi Moralez corner in the 40th minute created New York’s only shot on target from a Raul Gustavo header that was saved by Kahlina. It seemed as if every other attempt from NYCFC in the first half flew past — or over — the goal.
Within two minutes, Charlotte got their best chance of the half — that didn’t bounce off the woodwork — as Toffolo almost got a goal from a brilliantly executed dummy pass play.
Kerwin Vargas started the team effort at midfield with a pass to Zaha, who quickly distributed the ball to Bronico through traffic. Bronico was almost level with the penalty spot when he passed the ball to Toklomati inside the box, Toklomati sent it along as a no-look pass to Toffolo, but the former Nottingham Forest defender put too much force on a ball that should have been a tap-in.
We asked the gaffer if the dummy pass was becoming a mainstay.
“We scored a similar one, didn’t we, against Philly?” Smith told Soccer Sheet. “You know, [Harry Toffolo] arrived at the right time and that’s what you want. You want players to arrive when the ball arrives, but unfortunately, he just didn’t keep it down.”
Charlotte’s pressure continued through the end of the first half. In the 45th minute, fullback Nathan Byrne found Bronico near the goal line, who set up Charlotte captain Ashley Westwood for a wide-open shot at the top right side of the box.
Westwood took a shot that was inches away from being a worldie, but bounced off the top left corner of the goal. The resulting rebound turned into a shot on target from Zaha, forcing Freese’s first save of the match in the closing seconds of the half.
Pigeons Play a Better Second Half
After a tough first half, New York City FC came back with a stronger defense and a revitalized offense. Within six minutes, NYCFC had two shots on goal — twice as many as in the first half — putting their supporters section in an uproar.
The second half consisted of many more shots from NYCFC: they would end regulation with 16 total shots to Charlotte’s 8, and 5 shots on target to Charlotte’s 3.
It wasn’t that Charlotte was weak defensively; rather, it was that NYCFC were artfully completing short, quick passes that were hard for Charlotte to keep up with. Kahlina had four saves in the second half before the match went to penalties.
Smith highlighted Tim Ream as one of the strongest defenders.
“I thought Tim Ream was our best player on Tuesday night,” said Smith. “I thought he played well. He’s been really, really steady again.”
In the 57th minute, Charlotte did get some action on offense as Bronico found a fast break and almost completed a pass to a wide-open Toklomati. A visibly frustrated Zaha let Bronico know how he felt about the play falling apart.
Soon after, a 64th minute header from Vargas off of a Westwood set piece was saved by Freese. The action had the entire away supporters section on edge, as NYCFC fans audibly gasped a sign of relief.
Diani, Byrne, and Zaha all saw yellow in the second half, but Smith opted to save all of them for a possible shootout. His lone substitution came in the 75th minute, with recent acquisition Archie Goodwin coming in for the veteran Bronico. We asked Smith why he made the change.
“Yeah, I just felt that, you know, we could be a threat with Archie running in behind. He nearly got on the end of the one where the goalkeeper [had] come and claimed it and he challenged with the goalkeeper,” said Smith. “It’s a pitch where you need to go and stretch the game, and I just felt at that time, I thought [Bronico] had done well in terms of stretching line for us and then, you know, some fresh legs on.”
The closing minutes of the half were mostly in Charlotte’s third of the pitch, as New York’s attack heated up. One of their best shots on goal came in the 83rd minute, with New York’s offense moving the ball effectively, finding Alonso Martínez at the top of the penalty box where he easily evaded Diani’s defense and forced a Kahlina save.
With the score standing at 0-0 at the end of regulation, the match immediately went to penalty kicks.
Show Me a Hero
A normal penalty shootout goes five rounds, but when NYC FC and Charlotte FC remained tied 4-4, more players had to step up to the plate … er, penalty spot.
Archie Goodwin started Charlotte off on the right foot, with the sides trading successful penalties in the first round. Then, in the second round, Freese got just enough of his glove on Westwood’s attempt to push it off frame.
Charlotte stayed alive as Toklomati and Toffolo made their attempts, and a wide miss by Julián Fernández in the fourth round tied the shootout at 3-3.
The tension mounted as Zaha approached Freese in front of New York’s Supporters Section. They had started loudly booing every Charlotte player after Goodwin, and Zaha was no different. Most of the fans assembled also knew Freese had saved Zaha’s attempt the last time the two met for a penalty kick.
Zaha slotted it in no problem, and New York’s Justin Haak also converted to send the shootout into overtime.
From Charlotte’s away supporters section, chants of “Kahlina! Kahlina! Kahlina!” could be heard as “Kahlina Saves” signs appeard in the crowd.
The sides traded penalties into the eighth round. Byrne converted his attempt, setting up Agustín Ojeda for New York. Ojeda sent his kick on the ground towards the right post. Kahlina was there. The attempt was saved, and the victory was secure.
After the match, Kahlina thanked the Charlotte FC fanbase for their support.
“Yeah, I think my crowd from Charlotte, they are behind me, in good or bad moments, all these four years, I feel really big support from them,” said Kahlina. “[There’s not a day] that I don’t get many messages from them, just like support. And even in difficult times, what we had before, they were just behind me and it’s amazing to play in front of them and give me some bigger confidence.”
Jorge Torres and Sam Spencer contributed to this story.