CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte FC closed its home regular season with a 4-0 win over Orlando City on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium, scoring three times after halftime and keeping the visitors off the board.
Henry Kessler put Charlotte in front in the sixth minute, rising at the back post to head in a free kick from Ashley Westwood. Charlotte carried that one-goal edge into the break.
Allan Saint-Maximin doubled the margin in the 49th minute, carrying the ball from midfield to the top of the box before beating goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau. In the 84th minute Crépeau stopped a Saint-Maximin penalty, but Abdoulaye Doucouré reached the rebound first for his first MLS goal. Saint-Maximin was later sent off with a straight red card after making a rude gesture at an Orlando player.
Rodolfo Aloko added the fourth goal in stoppage time, finishing a cross from Tyger Smalls in one touch.
Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina stopped seven shots, giving him seven shutouts this season. Charlotte, which had already clinched a playoff berth with a 4-0 win over Montreal on Wednesday, improved to 15-10-8 overall and 10-3-4 at home.
For Orlando City, the loss ended a five-match unbeaten run and a club-record stretch of 25 straight matches with a goal across all competitions. Orlando sits ninth in the Eastern Conference at 12-14-7 and can still lock up a playoff place at home against the New England Revolution when the regular season wraps up Saturday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m.
Orlando played without defenders Griffin Dorsey and Robin Jansson and forward Tyrese Spicer because of injuries, while defender David Brekalo sat out a yellow card suspension.
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