Charlotte's chances told, and their last goal came with ten men

Charlotte beat Orlando City at home after Saint-Maximin was sent off, despite the visitors having more of the ball and more shots.

Allan Saint-Maximin missed a penalty for Charlotte at 84 minutes, and five minutes later a VAR review upgraded a booking and he was sent off. Charlotte were already three goals clear by then, and Rodolfo Aloko added the last one at 90, when the home side had ten men on the pitch. Those late goals are what most people will remember, but for much of the game the numbers told a different story.

Orlando City had 56% of the ball, which is above the 53.6% they average on the road. They also took 15 shots, more than the league's usual 13.4 per side, and eight of them were on target. Yet their expected goals, a figure that gives each chance a value based on where and how it was taken, came to 0.9. That is below their away average of 1.46 and the league average of 1.49, so their chances were of lower quality than their shot count suggests.

Charlotte were the reverse. They had 44% of the ball, a touch under their home average of 46.2%, and they took 16 shots against a usual 11.3. Their expected goals reached 2.34, well above their home average of 1.59 and the league average of 1.49, and most of their attempts came from inside the box. Their goals were the product of better chances rather than more of them.

Henry Kessler opened the scoring at 6 minutes, with Ashley Westwood credited with the assist, and he finished the game rated 7.9. Allan Saint-Maximin scored early in the second half, with Harry Toffolo providing the assist, before his evening ended in the penalty miss and the red card. Charlotte's goalkeeper K. Kahlina made eight saves, the most of anyone on the pitch, and was rated 8.9 for it.

Orlando's difficulty was at the back. They conceded four goals, double their away average of two, and their own goalkeeper made just two saves while Charlotte's made eight. M. Ojeda was their most active attacker, with several efforts and a steady stream of duels won, but his 6.8 rating reflects a match where his team rarely got the ball into the places it needed to be.

Charlotte's home form had been uneven, with only two wins in their previous six at home and a goal conceded in every one of those games. This was their first clean sheet in that run, which makes the defensive part of the result as notable as the attacking part. Orlando had won three of their last six away matches before this one.

Charlotte's home run had not included a clean sheet until this game, and Orlando's defeat is their heaviest in that recent away run.

Player of the matchK. Kahlina8 saves8.9

H. Kessler1 goal7.8

A. Westwood1 assist7.7

R. Aloko1 goal7.4