Charlotte FC 0-1 New York City FC: Martinez seals first-round advantage
New York City FC overcame Charlotte FC 1-0 on Tuesday, with Alonso Martinez giving them the advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Alonso Martinez's first-half goal proved decisive as New York City FC beat Charlotte FC 1-0 in the MLS Playoffs on Tuesday.
Martinez capped a brilliant solo run with a fine finish in the 34th minute at Bank of America Stadium.
Having latched onto Andres Perea's header, Martinez cut inside, jinked beyond his markers and slotted home.
Martinez's goal came just moments after Perea struck the crossbar, while NYCFC's striker went close to a swift second when he saw a shot saved by Kristijan Kahlina.
Charlotte had the better of the second half, but their 0.32 expected goals (xG) from seven attempts shows they struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Indeed, NYCFC almost doubled their advantage late on, with Perea seeing a header cleared off the line.
NYCFC now head into Saturday's game knowing a win on home turf would see them into the second round, while Charlotte need a victory to keep the best-of-three series alive.
Data Debrief: Martinez's road run rolls on
Martinez scored nine goals in road matches this regular season, tied for the second most in a season in NYCFC history, after David Villa (10) in 2016.
Eight of those nine goals came in the second half, giving Martínez the most second-half road goals in a single season in NYCFC history.
And though his strike on this occasion came in the first half, Martinez continued his fine form on the road to make it 10 away goals in total.
NYCFC's win also ensured they snapped a four-game losing streak in away matches against Charlotte.
