Facundo Torres scored in the 12th minute of second-half stoppage time to forge a 1-1 tie, and he added a shootout goal as Orlando City beat Charlotte FC 4-1 on penalty kicks to win the rubber match of the best-of-three first-round series for the MLS Cup.

The Game 3 match was 1-1 at the end of regulation before goalkeeper Pedro Gallese came up big in the shootout to keep Orlando City’s season alive.

Tonight’s match against Orlando City SC was a ‘do-or-die’ situation for Charlotte FC in the best-of-three round of the 2024 Audi MLS Cup playoffs. Orlando City won the first round, 2-0 while Charlotte FC won 3-1 on penalty kicks in the second round.

When LaMelo's shooting cooled down in the second half, the game slipped away entirely. Orlando continued to build on their already sizeable lead in the closing minutes, as point differential can be crucial to advance out of the NBA Cup group stage. If you want to learn more about how the in-season tournament works, you can do so HERE.

Charlotte has a little work to do if it plans on having any shot at a December trip to Las Vegas, site of the tournament’s championship game for the second straight year. A 114-89 loss to the Magic in a East Group A matchup at Kia Center means the Hornets will have to dig out of a hole to advance out of pool play.