Charlotte FC plays their final Western Conference opponent, facing the Portland Timbers as The Crown finishes a stretch of three consecutive road matches.
Kickoff from Providence Park is slated for 10:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 24, 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 find success on the West Coast.
Last Time Out
Charlotte FC drew with the Philadelphia Union 2-2 at Subaru Park on Saturday, October 17. The Crown’s draw broke up the Union’s eight-match win streak, stopping them one short of Charlotte FC’s joint MLS record with the Seattle Sounders of nine consecutive wins in the post-shootout era.
A handball from Charlotte FC allowed Philadelphia to take a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute via a Milan Iloski penalty kick, but The Crown would find the net twice in the second half.
Idan Toklomati played Rodolfo Aloko into the attacking third and Aloko converted on the opportunity in the 48th minute. Fourteen minutes later, Toklomati rose up to put his head on a David Schnegg cross and his shot beat Andre Blake. Toklomati broke Charlotte FC’s single-season MLS scoring record with the goal, his 13th of the season.
The Union equalized in the 73rd minute with Bruno Damiani’s score from the top of the box, resulting in the final scoreline.
Hello Playoffs
Charlotte FC can clinch a spot in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season before they kick off in Portland with the following outcomes on Saturday:
A Charlotte FC win or draw against Portland Timbers
OR
A Columbus Crew draw against Toronto FC (10/24, 3:30 p.m.)
OR
A Red Bull New York loss or draw against Inter Miami CF (10/24, 5:30 p.m.)
The Crown clinching a playoff spot would mean that Head Coach Dean Smith would have made the playoffs with Charlotte FC every year that he’s led the team.
If Charlotte FC can finish in third place or higher in the Eastern Conference, it would be their highest regular season finish in Club history. The Crown can also finish with a maximum of 59 points, which would tie the Club record set in 2025.
“I just feel that you've got your regular season and the job is to finish as high as you can and once that's done, then you concentrate on your playoffs,” Smith said.
They’re All Around Us
With four matches left in the regular season for Charlotte FC, the playoff race in the Eastern Conference is tight.
The Crown sit in fifth place, eight points below second place Inter Miami CF and six points above seventh place Orlando City SC. Charlotte FC plays both clubs in their final two matches. Meanwhile, fourth place Chicago and sixth place Philadelphia are just one point above and below Charlotte FC, respectively.
The Crown can gain home-field advantage for the First Round if it can win in their last four matches while Chicago, New England and/or Inter Miami drop points. This would allow for Charlotte FC to potentially finish as high as second place.
The Oregon Trail
Charlotte FC’s match in Portland is the longest road trip for them this season and is the second and final match on the West Coast. The Crown travelled to Los Angeles to play the Galaxy on February 28 in its second match of the season, losing 3-0.
This will be the fifth time Charlotte FC has played a road match outside of the Eastern Time Zone, previously playing in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Nashville and Chicago. It’s also tied for the latest match that East Coast Charlotte FC fans will have to watch, taking place at 10:30 p.m.
I don't do an awful lot different, to be honest,” Smith said. “We train the same way the day before. We then go and travel. It’s a two and a half hour more journey on the plane so the lads will get the opportunity to lie down and sleep, and then the time difference kicks in. I don't think that takes into effect because the lads will just get themselves to sleep on the night and get ready for the game on the day. ”
Toppling the Timbers
When Charlotte FC comes to town, the Timbers will be looking for a win after going winless in their last seven matches (0-4-3). The streak has come at an unfortunate time for Portland, needing to secure points to make the playoffs. They are currently in 11th place in the Western Conference, five points behind Colorado in ninth place.
“They're not on a great run of form at the moment, fighting for their playoff lives, so to speak,” Smith said. “They'll have that to play for. If we can silence them early, then I think that will certainly benefit us for the game. ”
Portland is tied for second in the Western Conference and tied for fifth in MLS in goals allowed this season (56). The trend is concerning for a club trying to qualify for the playoffs after making the postseason seven times in the last nine seasons.
James Pantemis has been the goalkeeper for Portland in every match this season, the first time he has played more than 20 matches in a season. He has allowed a career-high 56 goals, a far cry from 2024 and 2025 when he had a combined nine clean sheets between the two seasons compared to just two this year. His second of the season came in Portland’s last match, a 0-0 draw against the Colorado Rapids in which Pantemis made just one save.
The Timbers attack has been near the middle of the league, sitting in 13th with 51 goals. Kristoffer Velde has been the main cog in Portland’s attack, leading the club with 17 goal contributions (8G+9A). Velde is one of three players on the Timbers who have five or more goals, along with David De Costa and Ariel Lassiter who both have five. De Costa is tied with Velde for the most assists with nine. Cole Bassett has seven assists as well as three goals, while Lassiter and Jimer Fory are behind him in the club, both with six assists.
They’ve scored a lot of goals this season,” Smtih said. “They’ve scored 51 goals, but they've conceded 56. I think that tells you an awful lot about the way their games have been a bit. Basketballish and we like to have a little bit more control than that. So that's going to be one of the things to make sure it doesn't become an open game. They've been used to that. We're not so used to that. ”
With playoff positioning at stake, Charlotte FC will be eager to take advantage of a struggling Timbers side. A win in Portland would not only boost their postseason hopes but also build momentum as the regular season winds down.
NEXT AT HOME
OCTOBER 28 @ 7:30 PM // CHARLOTTE VS. MONTREAL
The Crown takes on CF Montreal in a mid-week matchup on Wednesday, October 28, at 7:30 PM at Bank of America Stadium during Fan Appreciation Week. Don't miss the last regular-season light show, presented by Duke Energy!
